The Final Experiment

The Final Experiment
Studio album by Ayreon
Released	1995
Recorded	The Electric Castle Studio, South Holland
Genre	Progressive metal
Length	71:19
Label	Transmission Records InsideOut Music (re-issue)
Producer	Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Ayreon chronology
The Final Experiment (1995) Actual Fantasy (1996)

The Final Experiment is a progressive metal album released in 1995 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A. Lucassen. Originally penned Ayreon: The Final Experiment, with no artist noted, at the suggestion of the record label the subject was later detached, and used as the name for what was to be Lucassen's Ayreon project. Written as a concept album, The Final Experiment tells the story of a blind minstrel named Ayreon, living in 6th century Britain. Scientists living in the apocalyptic year 2084 C.E. utilize a technology called Time Telepathy to transmit messages back in time, to warn denizens of the past of their impending downfall. Likely a result of his blindness, Ayreon has an extra-sensory perception that lets him receive these messages in the form of visions. In 2004, Arjen moved to a new record label, InsideOut - with this move came re-issues of all the previous Ayreon releases, including The Final Experiment. This re-issue includes a bonus CD featuring nine re-worked recordings of tracks (or segments of tracks) found on the original album.

Contents 1 Track listing 2 Personnel 2.1 Vocalists 2.2 Instrumentalists 2.3 Bonus disc instrumentalists 2.4 Artwork 3 External links

Track listing

Prologue - Track 1
Act I: 'The Dawning - Track(s) 2-4
Act II: 'King Arthur's Court - Track(s) 5-7
Act III: 'Visual Echoes - Track(s) 8-11
Act IV: 'Merlin's Will And Ayreon's Fate - Track(s) 12-15

1. "Prologue" - 3:16
   • The Time Telepathy Experiment
   • Overture
   • Ayreon's Quest
2. "The Awareness" - 6:36
   • The Premonition
   • Dreamtime (Words Become A Song)
   • The Awakening
3. "Eyes Of Time" - 5:05
   • Eyes Of Time
   • Brainwaves
4. "The Banishment" - 11:08
   • A New Dawn
   • The Gathering
   • The Accusation
   • The Banishment
   • Oblivion
5. "Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy" - 2:45
6. "Sail Away to Avalon" - 4:02
7. "Nature's Dance" - 2:27
8. "Computer Reign (Game Over)" - 3:24
9. "Waracle" - 6:44
10. "Listen To The Waves" - 4:58
11. "Magic Ride" - 3:35
12. "Merlin's Will" - 3:20
13. "The Charm Of The Seer" - 4:11
14. "Swan Song" - 2:44
15. "Ayreon's Fate" - 6:55
    • Ayreon's Fate
    • Merlin's Prophecy
    • Epilogue

Bonus disc

1. "Dreamtime" (vocals by Astrid van der Veen of Ambeon and The Endorphins) - 4:19
2. "Eyes of Time" (vocals by Ruud Houweling) - 3:25
3. "The Accusation" (vocals by Rodney Blaze) - 3:49
4. "Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy" (vocals by Esther Ladiges) - 2:50
5. "Sail Away to Avalon" (vocals by John JayCee Cuijpers of Parris) - 3:26
6. "Nature's Dance" (vocals by Peter Daltrey) - 2:03
7. "Waracle" (vocals by Marcela Bovio of Stream of Passion and Elfonía) - 5:16
8. "Merlin's Will" (vocals by Irene Jansen) - 3:29
9. "The Charm of the Seer" (vocals by Robby Valentine) - 3:29

Personnel

Vocalists

• Arjen Anthony Lucassen
• Barry Hay (Golden Earring)
• Edward Reekers
• Ian Parry (Elegy)
• Jan-Chris de Koeijer (Gorefest)
• Jay van Feggelen
• Lenny Wolf (Kingdom Come)
• Leon Goewie (Vengeance)
• Robert Soeterboek (Cotton Soeterboek Band)
• Ruud Houweling (Cloudmachine)
• Debby Schreuder
• Mirjam van Doorn
• Lucy Hillen

Instrumentalists

• Arjen Anthony Lucassen - guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizer
• Cleem Determeijer - keyboards
• Ernst van Ee (Trenody) - drums
• Jan Bijlsma - bass
• Jolanda Verduijn - bass
• Peter Vink - bass
• Rene Merkelbach - keyboard

Bonus disc instrumentalists

• Arjen Anthony Lucassen - acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, drums, percussion and timpani
• Davy Mickers (Stream of Passion) - drums
• Peter Vink - acoustic bass guitar
• Marieke van der Heyden - cello
• Ewa Albering - flute
• Lori Linstruth - electric guitar solos
• Jeroen Goossens - assorted wind instruments
• Dewi Kerstens - cello
• Robby Valentine - piano

Artwork

• Arjen Anthony Lucassen
• Ruud Houweling
• Richelle Rijst
• Jacoby Peters

External links

• "The Final Experiment" Lyrics - LyricWiki.org

This box:  •  • edit Ayreon
Arjen Anthony Lucassen | Ed Warby
Discography
Albums The Final Experiment | Actual Fantasy | Into the Electric Castle | Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer | Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator | The Human Equation | 01011001
Compilation albums: Ayreonauts Only
Singles: Sail Away to Avalon | The Stranger From Within | Temple of the Cat | Day Eleven: Love | Loser | Come Back to Me
Side projects
Ambeon | Star One | Stream of Passion
Related articles
List of Ayreon guest musicians