Ayreon

In 2005, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Ayreon, The Final Experiment was reissued with a bonus semi-acoustic disc; this reissue is not yet available in the United States. In November 2001 he disappeared once again; this time he did not return, and was found dead in a room at the Best Western Plaza Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 16, 2001.[1] (http://starbulletin.com/2001/12/18/news/story4.html), http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=50&id=1700742001. Starting in 2004, Arjen began rereleasing his Ayreon catalog, with enhancements ranging from basic (The Universal Migrator, issued as a two-disc set instead of two separate albums) to drastic (Actual Fantasy, "Revisited" with completely re-recorded drums, bass, synth and flute). There were also reports of battles with alcohol. With The Human Equation, Ayreon turned away from the usual science fiction and fantasy themes with a story taking place inside the head of a man lying comatose in a hospital bed after a bizarre car accident in broad daylight, with no other cars in sight. In 1999 he disappeared for a time before resurfacing stating that he had needed some time off. As on Into the Electric Castle, there are several singers, each playing their own role. Of some concern, however, was the mental health of lead singer Adamson.

The latest Ayreon release is The Human Equation, released in 2004. One more hit followed with "Look Away" from 1986's The Seer, but since then Big Country have been a minor act, popping up in the lower echelons of the charts in the UK and Europe every now and then while churning out mild-selling album after album. Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) made an appearance on Flight of the Migrator, being probably the best-known musician to appear on an Ayreon album. Their second album Steeltown appeared in 1984, and was a hit out of the gate, but soon faded as fans and critics turned away from Big Country's bombastic sound. Again, both of these albums have about ten singers supported by many instrumentalists. The song featured heavily engineered guitar playing strongly reminiscent of bagpipes, and the band have spent every day of the next two decades answering the question "How did you make your guitars sound like bagpipes?" with slowly eroding patience. 2: Flight of the Migrator. The album was a crossover hit in the United States, powered by the single "In a Big Country".

Later, he "pre-incarnates" further back, all the way to the big bang in the heavy second album, Universal Migrator, Pt. Their first hit was 1983's "Fields of Fire", which reached the UK's Top Ten and was rapidly followed by the album The Crossing. This first album consists of soft, atmospheric progressive rock. Canonically composed of Stuart Adamson (formerly of The Skids, vocals, guitar, piano), Mark Brzezicki (drums), Tony Butler (bass guitar), and Bruce Watson (guitar), though a variety of other musicians have been in the band during their long wanderings in post-popularity. 1: The Dream Sequencer, he begins a trip back in time to flashbacks of different peoples' memories during human history, using a device called Dream Sequencer. Big Country is a rock band from Dunfermline, Scotland, popular in the early to mid 1980s, but still releasing material for a cult following as recently as 2004. In the story of the first CD, Universal Migrator, Pt. From The Front Row...Live! (2003).

Ayreon is a Dutch music project by Arjen Anthony Lucassen. No Place Like Home (1991). The Human Equation (2004). Peace in Our Time (1988). Ayreonauts Only (2001). The Seer (1986). 2: Flight of the Migrator (2000). Kings of Emotion (EP) (1984).

Universal Migrator, Pt. Steeltown (1984). 1: The Dream Sequencer (2000). The Crossing (1983). Universal Migrator, Pt. Into the Electric Castle (1998).