Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group releases ‘Ayreon – Electric Castle Live and Other Tales’, a blu-ray of 2019's live spectacular performance of the third Ayreon album ‘Into The Electric Castle’. Over four nights at Tilburg's 013 venue (scene of the Ayreon Universe series of live shows in 2017) Lucassen, his band and one of modern progressive music's most emphatic of casts celebrated the 20th anniversary of the third Ayreon album in front of thousands of adoring fans who had flown in from around the world. Originally released in 1998, "Into The Electric Castle" is a classic tale of an epic quest. Set in "no time and no space", it tells the story of eight individuals who are guided by a mysterious voice and tasked with finding the mysterious Electric Castle and discover what's inside. The entire album was performed live, featuring original album singers and musicians, such as Thijs Van Leer, Fish, Damian Wilson, Edward Reekers, Anneke van Giersbergen, and several special guests including Simone Simons (Epica) and Star Trek's John De Lancie as narrator. The "Other Tales" are deep cuts from Arjen Lucassen's other projects, such as The Gentle Storm, Ambeon, Stream of Passion, Guilt Machine, Star One, his solo-album Arjen Anthony Lucassen and a very special Marillion cover. Step into the Electric Castle! Blu-ray specs: * Full HD image * DD 2.0 and DTS-MA 5.1 surround audio * 3 hours of bonus materials, including interviews and a making of documentary.
M**.
One of the best concerts recordings of the modern era
I don't normally write reviews but I felt like I needed to for this because of how good it is. I've been a fan for a long time but I know a lot of people in the states have probably never even heard of this super group. To put it simply, this is one of the best concerts I've ever seen, even recorded. The talent of all of the musicians and lyricists is extraordinary and the stage/camera work is phenomenal. The best explanation I have come up with for US viewers would be something like what Trans-Siberian Orchestra wish it could be. If you're a fan of Star Trek, it would be like a 3-hour Q episode. Funny at times, serious at others, with every musical style covered in a highlight of pure talent. The episodic journey is wonderful to follow. I can't believe they were able to do this album live, and with the quality at which they did. Pick this up, you won't be disappointed if you're a music lover!
A**N
Essential for Ayreon fans
This concert is just amazing, start to finish. Everyone is having so much fun and the performances are outstanding. This disc gets 4 stars because it only contains a lossy DTS soundtrack, when a lossless version could have been provided just as easily.
J**S
What's not to love?
Must have for any fan of one of the greatest prog rock albums of all time. ONLY thing I don't love about this performance is the narrator dude.
L**D
Best Live Performance I've Ever Seen
Sounds, visuals, and performances are by far the best I've seen from any metal or progressive show. Absolutely incredible.
M**C
Majestic music and presentation.
Never heard of them and took a chance. Love them. Well done.
K**R
Excellent
This is an excellent concert. For fans of extreme talent and great music . Order this now.
D**O
COMING TO YOU... FROM A UNIVERSE... FARTHER THAN FAR , FAR AWAY...
WOW ! FINALLY THE WHOLE VOYAGE ON VIDEO ! FROM THE BACK SCREEN PROJECTIONS TO THE FRONT SCREEN PERFORMANCES... EVERYTHING IS QUALITY. THE AUDIO : MORE THAN WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT. THE MUSIC : SO MANY SINGERS ; SO MANY MUSICIANS. I CANNOT PRAISE THIS VIDEO ENOUGH. IT IS... WITHOUT A DOUBT... HIS GREATEST MUSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT. SO PUT THE DISC IN , STRAP YOURSELF DOWN , PRESS PLAY AND ENJOY THE TRIP. I DID.
T**S
SUPERB!
This is a review of the blu ray single disk version of this gig. Absolutely faultless production of the live gig in 2019 of the Ayreon collective performing Into The Electric Castle and other songs. I'm assuming the reader knows the studio album - get the 2018 remix 5.1 version if you can, it's excellent - and therefore likes this kind of prog hair metal space opera... which I do. Listen on a good hi fi in full 5.1 (or better) and you're there in Tilburg with the audience and performers. Q from Star Trek ties the whole performance together well! Extras are not really my thing, and the 2 on this disk are OK for a one-off viewing rather than being extra performance material. Highly recommended!
H**E
Youtube`s Retro Games Reviewer`Metal Jesus Rocks` recommended this and I was not dissapointed
Recently I checked out a few of their tunes on youtube and although for the most part they weren`t quite my thing I found this `Rock Opera`Live presentation of a 1998 prog/Rock/Metal/experimental album by them that I wasn`t familiar with to be very diverse and entertaining on my big TV with surround sound speakers ........ and it helped a bit in making up for the fact that I haven`t been to any gigs at all in 2020 of course.Also loved the intro narration to each track by `Q` from Star Trek TNG/Voyager !
S**Y
Great concert, robbing Amazon
Terrific concert, good quality picture and sound. 'Q' is excellent.
P**N
Brilliant concert
Brilliant blu-ray from Ayreon. Wonderfully shot and great performances of these classic songs.
D**A
Un deleite musical
Al parecer Arjen Anthony Lucassen puso atención en las quejas del anterior Blu-ray “Ayreon Universe” y mejoró sustancialmente la calidad de grabación y de mezcla para este concierto. Todos los instrumentos y las voces se escuchan con claridad sin necesidad de tener un sistema 5.1. Musicalmente se mantiene bastante fiel al álbum original de 1998 con pequeños cambios de instrumentación en ciertas secciones que me parecieron muy acertados. Sin duda el momento de máxima emotividad del concierto ocurre en la hermosa canción “Valley of the queens”, que ya había aparecido en “Ayreon Universe”, pero que tiene que ser interpretada en su contexto original para que tome la importancia que tiene. Lo vi dos veces en la primera semana después de que me llegó. Altamente recomendable.
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