History Music / Ayreon

Albums:
* 1995 - The Final Experiment
* 1996 - Actual Fantasy
* 1998 - Into the Electric Castle
* 2000 - Universal Migrator Part I: The Dream Sequencer
* 2000 - Universal Migrator Part II: Flight of the Migrator
* 2004 - The Human Equation
* 2008 - 01011001

Ayreon songs include:

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVWwdEkE5PM The Sixth Extinction]] (from ''01011001'' - BEWARE MAJOR SPOILERS)

*** Taken a step further by a later Solo album which although not technically an Ayreon album, has many nods to it and revisits Mr L

* DarkerAndEdgier: The Ayreon albums were somewhat dark to begin with, but they've been getting progressively grimmer in tone since Universal Migrator. ON the other hand, see Lighter and Softer.

* DepopulationBomb: At the end of ''01011001''*

* LastNoteNightmare: Put this in a better example if there is one, but "Another Time, Another Space", the last track on the ''Into the Electric Castle'' album, ends with "Remember... Forever-rever-rever-rever-rever" repeating like that for about a minute.
** MostAnnoyingSound?
* LighterAndSofter: Lost in the New Real to the joy of many fans.

Although each album has its own concept or plot, the stories are all connected, if in sometimes strange ways. (The possible exception is ''Actual Fantasy'', which has songs based on several different stories and doesn't seem to be related to the other albums, although it could be argued elements of "Stranger from Within" were used in ''The Human Equation'', and "Back on Planet Earth" has several concepts that are later used in ''01011001''.) Because of the MindScrew nature of the series, it's hard to describe the plot without giving away major spoilers for the different albums. [[spoiler: A race of immortal bionic fish aliens called "Forevers" create humanity as a way to regain their lost emotions, and they and the humans try to keep the world from ending in 2084.]]

•*EarlyInstallmentWierdness: aAlthough good albums in their own right, The Final Experiment and Actual Fantasy are a bit odd to listen to later on. The music is softer and more electronic than other albums, the production's a bit below his later works, and their noticeably shorter than the double albums he'd later be known for.

* DownerEnding: The ones that aren't bittersweet.*

* DownerEnding: The ones that aren't bittersweet.

* CassandraTruth: Ayreon and Mr. L.

* [[spoiler:BittersweetEnding]]:[[spoiler:the ending of ''Flight of the Migrator''. The last human being dies alone in the Dream Sequencer. In his final moments, Forever speaks to him in his mind and tells him that his soul will become the new Migrator and spread life to other worlds in the Universe]].

* AnyoneCanDie: The Electric Castle.

* HumansAreBastards: We gave them dreams, and what did they dream?

SchmuckBait: The golden gate.

* SchmuckBait: The golden gate.

* LIghterAndSofter: Lost in the New Real.

* DepopulationBomb: At the end of ''01011001''

* LuddWasRight

* ImportedAlienPhlebotinum: the Dream Sequencer and the machinery used in the Final Experiment.* It'sAllAboutMe: The barbarian oh so very much.

* ImportedAlienPhlebotinum: the Dream Sequencer and the machinery used in the Final Experiment.

** However, if you listen closely to the chanting, you'll notice it is random zeroes and ones, as opposed to a title drop, though since few people listen that closely to it, it can probably be seen as one.

* Hansi Kürsch (BlindGuardian, {{Demons and Wizards}}) - ''01011001''

* FridgeBrilliance: [[spoiler: The emotions are personified and amplified into actual sentient beings rather than mere aspects of Me's personality because the program simulating Me's situation is designed for the purpose of examining raw emotion]].

''Ayreon'' is a series of sci-fi/fantasy RockOpera albums by Dutch musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen. The music is mainly a combination of folk-influenced ProgressiveRock and progressive metal, but many other genres are represented. A key element of Ayreon's sound is the use of many guest musicians and vocalists - ''01011001'', for example, has 17 singers, including Lucassen himself.

* {{Narm}}: Very frequently, although YourMileageMayVary.
** But it's usually so awesome you don't care, so it's more often NarmCharm.

* Music/BruceDickinson (IronMaiden) - ''Flight of the Migrator''