The Theory of Everything - Ayreon

The Theory of Everything (Ayreon, 2013)

Disc 1
Phase I: Singularity
1. Prologue: The Blackboard - 1:56
2. The Theory of Everything, Part 1 - 3:02
3. Patterns - 1:04
4. The Prodigy's World - 1:31
5. The Teacher's Discovery - 2:59
6. Love and Envy - 2:40
7. Progressive Waves - 3:17
8. The Gift - 2:38
9. The Eleventh Dimension - 1:46
10. Inertia - 0:45
11. The Theory of Everything, Part 2 - 1:51

Phase II: Symmetry
12. The Consultation - 3:49
13. Diagnosis - 2:49
14. The Argument 1 - 0:25
15. The Rival's Dilemma - 2:22
16. Surface Tension - 0:57
17. A Reason to Live - 0:46
18. Potential - 3:15
19. Quantum Chaos - 2:10
20. Dark Medicine - 1:24
21. Alive! - 2:29
22. The Prediction - 1:05

Disc 2
Phase III: Entanglement
1. Fluctuations - 1:01
2. Transformation - 3:14
3. Collision - 3:27
4. Side Effects - 2:59
5. Frequency Modulation - 1:44
6. Magnetism - 3:54
7. Quid Pro Quo - 3:09
8. String Theory - 1:29
9. Fortune? - 1:37

Phase IV: Unification
10. Mirror of Dreams - 2:31
11. The Lighthouse - 3:16
12. The Argument 2 - 0:49
13. The Parting - 3:27
14. The Visitation - 3:27
15. The Breakthrough - 2:00
16. The Note - 1:12
17. The Uncertainty Principle - 2:10
18. Dark Energy - 0:45
19. The Theory of Everything, Part 3 - 1:29
20. The Blackboard (Reprise) - 1:14

After you've read all the titles, this album practically reviews itself! With The Theory of Everything, Dutch multi-instrumentalist and composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen delivers another sprawling rock opera rooted in progressive rock, folk, and symphonic metal.  Reigning in previous albums' sci-fi flights of fancy, Lucassen weaves a tale about an autistic savant and his ambitious physicist father.

Equal parts Good Will Hunting, Rain Man, Flowers For Algernon, A Beautiful Mind, the crime plot of Office Space, and the dust jacket of A Brief History of Time, the narrative here is very involved, and, while it does deliver some satisfying twists, it is a lot to take in. Events happen in rapid succession, with not much time for in-depth development. The liner notes provide extra information to give the songs context and a timeline, but that's an awful lot of reading... Thankfully, the story communicates itself well (without Cliff's Notes) due to the presence of strong vocalists. Each sings the part of one character, so just a couple of listens are needed before the story takes shape.

Musically, the concept was to compose four lengthy movements or acts, divided into a total of 42 sections (shout out to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). However, rather than breaking things down into accessible chunks, the profusion of tracks actually clouds the musical structure for me. The themes and melodies don't get much time to coalesce before we're on to another song. The emphasis is on Broadway/opera-style musical storytelling, so Lucassen's music is suitably diverse and changeable. I didn't really come to appreciate the quality of the music until I put down the track list and just listened.

Just listening is my recommendation here. Lucassen's typically high-quality instrumental performance, arrangement, and production is on full display. His rich analog synths, tasteful piano, growling bass, and intricate electro-acoustic guitar guide the listener on a multifaceted musical journey. Guest soloists include a triumvirate of prog keyboardists: Keith Emerson (ELP), Rick Wakeman (Yes), and Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater). Steve Hackett of Genesis contributes an excellent guitar solo as well. And the aforementioned vocalists - too many to list - make the story come alive in a unique way. While this doesn't have the emotional impact of Lucassen's previous album The Human Equation (one of three concept albums that have made me cry, along with Dream Theater's Scenes From a Memory and The Decemberists' The Hazards of Love), The Theory of Everything is an excellent addition to the ever-growing ranks of concept albums.

Arbitrary rating: 4.5 out of 5 rich analog synths