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The production on Ayreon is steller. The multiple vocalists seem like they were chosen more for their talents and less for their star quality even though there are several well known names on the cd. Overall this is one amazing release with more depth than 99% of what is passed off as metal nowadays. With very few exceptions, this is how most wish prog really was. Things start off with "Age of Shadows". Now Prog metal is notorious for songs that are long for the sake of being long. I listened to this song several times before I ever noticed that it is longer then ten minutes. After hearing it the first few times I thought it was a typical two or three minute song. Now although "Comatose" isn't as good as "Age Of Shadows", it is still a very important part of the ride this cd puts the listener on. Sadly this cd is not without flaws though. The song "Connect the dots" is one of the most annoying songs on the cd. The lyrics are trite, contrived, and bland. The cd would have been much better off without the song. In the song the "character describes all the mundane activities he goes through during his day. Every little thing about his day is as uneventful as this song. I think the point that life is nothing more than a never ending cliché could have been done in a less cliché way. There is really only one other weak point on here. On the song Web Of Lies" we have a song about internet dating. Although this is yet another aspect where the cd wins for most geek friendly cd of the year, the song is about as goofy as it gets. In describing lame and pathetic people the song itself ends up being just as lame and pathetic. On "The Sixth Extinction" we have the best use of growly vocals I have heard in a long time. Instead of just sounding like someone shit over top of well crafted music in a weak attempt to sound extreme, we hear strategically placed growls that come off like that secret spice a chef might use to make your meal something that stands out from your daily routine. "Liquid Eternity" kicks things back into high energy again, but with some very well placed somber moments that only serve to make the heavy parts have an even bigger punch. Although some could say that this is very typical prog-metal material, I think it is still done better than most. I also want to say that the vocal contribution of Jonas Renkse serves as a reminder that I really need to buy the last several releases by his main band Katatonia. Now I have never given two shits about concept albums. I never get the concept and so I will never judge a cd based on that. I will however say that other than the two songs mentioned above, this cd is full of song after song that can stand on it's own. In a world where well crafted songs could hit the radio, this cd is full of some very strong singles. Of course we all know that radio doesn't care at all about how strong a song is or how much talent is involved. So it is up to us to boycott their sorry asses, fill or portable devices with great music like this, and kill off radio for good! This cd would make a great addition to your collection for this purpose. Will I listen to this cd again? I am sure of it. I will just remove those two songs mentioned above and enjoy the otherwise amazing collection of songs.
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