Dan Swano and Arjen Lucassen...

[Demonspell]

...no, I'm not including them together because they are both eccentric songwriting geniuses and superb multi-instrumentalists, but because they are going to collaborate! Taken from www.ayreon.com

Dear Ayreonauts,
I'm happy to tell you the latest news about my upcoming project! It will not be an Ayreon album but a metal album with 4 singers. I'm currently writing and recording it. I haven't decided on the name of the project yet.

I've almost finished the lyrics. They are based on several great space movies that have influenced me over the years. The album will be a journey through my mind, so to speak, to experience those movies with me.

There will be 4 singers who will sing on all of the songs like on Actual Fantasy. Now I've heard many new rock operas lately, and although the quality is very high, I noticed that on several of them the vocalists sound very similar throughout. So I decided to use a wide variety of singers: a low voice: Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity/Nightingale), a clear voice: Damian Wilson (Ayreon/Threshold), a powerful tenor voice: Russell Allen (Symphony X) and a high female voice: Floor Jansen (After Forever). Ed Warby (Gorefest/Ayreon) will drum, and the keyboard solos will be played by Jens Johansson (Malmsteen/Dio/Stratovarius) and Erik Norlander (Lana Lane/Rocket Scientists/Ayreon). Other musicians may still be added. I will play all the other instruments.

I want to finish the album this year, so it could be released as early as the beginning of next year.

This album will focus on the heavy side of Ayreon, so the familiar Ayreon sound will still be there. I will start writing the next actual Ayreon album next year, and after this heavy album, the next Ayreon album will consequently probably become more proggy.

I hope you will all like it. Be assured that I won't disappoint you!

Arjen.

 

[Jo]

thanks for the info Demonspell!

 

[Alucard]

Yeah I'm real excited about this project. Arjen is a great composer, I really like the Ayreon albums. And with working with such great talents as Swano and Russell Allen(one of the best clean singers EVER), who knows what could happen. I wonder if Swano will be growling or singing? Or both? My guess would be that he will sing clean, since growling doesn't really fit into Arjen's usual style. But you never know, he loves to experiment and is probably willing to try just about anything.

 

[Alucard]

I also want to add that I love Erik Norlander's keyboard work. He mainly uses older analogue synths(same with arjen and swano) with more of a prog rock sound to them, but they fit well with ever he is playing over, heavy or soft. And I also thought that Ed Warby did a great job on the drums on the last Ayreon album. So there are two more reasons for me to be excited about this!

 

[Demonspell]

Ever hear Erik's other projects? There are tons of samples available at www.thetank.com And I am certain that Dan will be using his clean voice a la Nightingale...in addition, After Forever and Threshold are also definitely worth checking out.