Ayreon
„The Source“
Progressive Rock/Metal. Rock Opera

•  2 CD, 2017
• original
• Music Theories Recordings
• MTR 7515 2
• used 

In 2017, "The Source" was released as a prequel to the Forever cycle. I'm placing it at the beginning of my interpretation (even though it's the most recently released album), which differs from the official Arjen Lucassen canon. But that's simply what Arjen's work evokes in me.

The Alphans of the planet Alpha themselves are recognized as the real problem by their own AI "Frame", to which they have delegated all decisions – and are destroyed. Only the android TH-1 saves ten Alphans and flees with them to planet Y. Here, TH-1 declares himself the new "Frame," and the Alphans evolve into the Forever. While they become relatively immortal, they are completely dependent on technology and lose their emotions. Sensing their impending doom, they send a comet, inoculated with their DNA, toward Earth. This comet destroyed the dinosaurs and paved the way for the development of humanity. They want to learn from humans what emotions are.

That should suffice for the story for now. Arjen spared no effort here either, assembling a diverse group of musicians. I'll mention just three: James LaBrie, Floor Jansen, and Hansi Kürsch. All the collaborators are listed on the back cover.

Musically, there are folk and rock sounds, all the way to progressive metal. It's not always radio-friendly, and unlike the more "catchy" Ayreon albums, that's a good thing. There's a lot of singing, including harmonies. Here, the singers narrate what's happening in the story. This can sometimes be tiring, or even annoying. Not because it's poorly done. It simply depends on your mood that day. I enjoy polished albums like "The Source," but sometimes you need raw rock or earthy live blues. In any case, "The Source" conjures vivid images. These arise from the lyrics, the dramatic vocals, and the music, which is sometimes ballad-like, sometimes rocking, sometimes hard-hitting metal, or even folky. It always fits together perfectly. And it's all held together by the progressive style, sometimes melodic neo-prog, sometimes metal-prog.

So, Mr. Reviewer, which tracks would you recommend? With concept albums, always the whole thing. I would play "The Day That The World Breaks Down". Why? Because it captures the style of "The Source" in a nutshell. And listeners should get used to the fact that themes and rhythms are revisited in other albums as well. I'm sure I won't win any friends with this: Ayreon isn't exactly innovative. But they're perfectly balanced and always interesting. "The Final Experiment" has been with me for 31 years, and it just never gets old. I'd also recommend giving "Everybody Dies" a try which starts off cheerfully. It's crisp, rocking, and full of dark humor. I especially want to highlight the varied vocals. "Aquatic Race" begins almost like a vintage album to me. Here, too, the driving rock/metal beat, mixed with the vocals of the different characters, is particularly well done. A feast in just over six minutes.

What, you want a conclusion too? A particularly successful work by Ayreon. And not just for people who like things bombastic. I think my greatest praise is that even in 20 years, "The Source" will still be relevant and interesting.

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

TheProgThief
©24.09.2026
Mk 2