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CD/DVD Releases: Ayreon To Release First Compilation CD

Posted on Wednesday, October 15 @ 04:00:00 UTC by nightowl

The first Ayreon compilation Timeline is in the pipline. This 3CD compilation features remastered tracks from the previous Ayreon albums and a bonus DVD. Also rare and unreleased material will be on Timeline. Release date is the 10th of November.

With his Ayreon project, legendary multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and vocalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen single-handedly revived the rock opera genre in the 1990s. Since then, Ayreon has achieved worldwide critical acclaim and success with albums charting in various countries. After bringing the Ayreon saga full circle with his previous release, 01011001, Lucassen returns to summarize the story of the Ayreon universe with his first-ever Ayreon compilation album, the 3CD + DVD package Timeline.

"I?ve been asked many times before to release an Ayreon compilation album, but it just didn?t feel right to present fragmented bits of story by lifting individual songs out of their greater contexts. However, my attitude changed after I completed my 2008 album 01011001, in which I connected all the previous Ayreon releases, musically as well as lyrically. Having completed the circle, so to speak, it seemed like a fitting time to put all things Ayreon into perspective and create an Ayreon timeline outlining the entire story."



Timeline follows the thirteen-year evolution of the Ayreon sound from the 1995 debut The Final Experiment to the release of 01011001 in 2008. In addition to selecting essential tracks from the complete Ayreon discography, Lucassen wrote and recorded a new Ayreon song exclusively for Timeline. Titled "Epilogue: The Memory Remains," this previously unreleased 9-plus-minute track introduces Ayreon fans to the clear, powerful voice of Jasper Steverlinck (Arid). Lyrically, "The Memory Remains" provides further insight into the final chapter of the Ayreon saga and what the future might hold for its characters.

In addition to "The Memory Remains," Timeline's 3 audio CDs comprise 32 essential Ayreon tracks (almost 4 hours of music), all carefully remastered specifically for this release. The accompanying DVD features nearly two hours of selected released and unreleased video clips, behind-the-scenes featurettes, 5.1 mixes, and live performances of Ayreon tracks (Star One and Stream of Passion versions). To illuminate the Ayreon story further, a timeline poster illustrating the Ayreon universe and 56-page booklet containing many new photos, all lyrics, and notes on the story are included in the Timeline package. The cover is a specially commissioned painting by traditional Ayreon cover artist, Jef Bertels.

Timeline will be available from InsideOut Music on 7 November (GAS), 10 November (Europe), and early 2009 (N. America).

When asked what the release of Timeline means for the future of Ayreon, Lucassen replies, "I don?t see this as the end of Ayreon, but rather as a new beginning. I?ll definitely be recording some side projects before I even start thinking about re-inventing Ayreon. To keep things fresh for myself I?ve got to come up with a completely new concept for both the music and the lyrics. I hope I can do it ... it will be definitely be quite a challenge!"

[Source: InsideOut]

Posted in Album Release News