Timeline (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Timeline
Type = compilation
Artist = Ayreon


Released = flagicon|Germanyflagicon|Austriaflagicon|Switzerland November 7, 2008
flagicon|EUNovember 10, 2008
North America - January 13, 2009
Recorded =
Genre = Symphonic metal
Progressive rock
Progressive metal
Length = 3:47:30 (CD)
2:00:00 (approx) (DVD)
Label = InsideOut Music
Producer = Arjen Lucassen
Reviews =
Last album = "Elected" (2008)
This album = "Timeline"
(2008)
Next album =

Timeline is the second compilation album by Dutch progressive metal project Ayreon. It is set to be released on November 7 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and on November 10 in the rest of Europe. It is also expected to be released in North America in early 2009. The album will feature three CDs containing selected songs from all Ayreon albums, and a DVD featuring live performances, video clips and behind-the-scenes. The third CD will also feature an unreleased song, called "Epilogue: The Memory Remains", which will provide further insight into the final chapter of the Ayreon concept and the probable future of its characters. Jasper Steverlinck, singer of Arid, will guest appear as the vocalist of the song. Many songs were remastered for this release. Apart from the CDs and DVD, a timeline poster illustrating the Ayreon universe and a booklet containing new photos, lyrics, and notes on the story are also available in the Timeline package.

Background

Arjen A. Lucassen said that he haven't released a compilation album before because he didn't want to reunite random chapters of a whole history in a single album. However, after connecting all other Ayreon releases in the album 01011001, he changed his mind and decided to create the album, which can be described as a timeline outlining the entire story. As the album will feature a summarized version of Ayreon's concept, one can deduce that the concept has come to an end. Therefore, concerning Ayreon's future, Arjen stated: "I don't see this as the end of Ayreon, but rather as a new beginning. I'll definitely be recording some side projects before I even start thinking about re-inventing Ayreon. To keep things fresh for myself I've got to come up with a completely new concept for both the music and the lyrics. I hope I can do it...it will be definitely be quite a challenge!" [ [http://www.arjenlucassen.com/ayreon/ay_news.html Timeline: New Ayreon compilation album - News at Arjen's official website] ]

Track listing

CD 1

1995: The Final Experiment

1. Prologue - 3:17
2. The Awareness - 6:36
3. Eyes of Time - 5:05
4. The Accusation (acoustic version taken from the Special Edition) - 3:43
5. Sail Away to Avalon (single version) - 3:40
6. Listen to the Waves - 4:40

1996:

7. Actual Fantasy - 1:31
8. Abbey of Synn - 9:25
9. Computer Eyes - 7:17
10. Back on Planet Earth - 7:04

1998: Into the Electric Castle

11. Isis and Osiris - 11:09
12. Amazing Flight - 10:21

CD 2

1998: Into the Electric Castle

1. The Garden of Emotions - 9:40
2. The Castle Hall - 5:48
3. The Mirror Maze - 6:23
4. The Two Gates - 6:23

2000: and

5. - 7:42
6. - 7:44
7. - 6:32
8. - 10:17
9. - 6:54

2004: The Human Equation

10. Day Two: Isolation 8:46

CD 3

2004: The Human Equation

1. Day Three: Pain 4:53
2. Day Six: Childhood 5:04
3. Day Twelve: Trauma 9:23
4. 4:47
5. Day Seventeen: Accident? 5:41

2008: 01011001

6. Age of Shadows (edit) - 5:39
7. Ride the Comet - 3:39
8. The Fifth Extinction - 10:27
9. Waking Dreams - 6:23
10. The Sixth Extinction - 12:16

2008: New previously unreleased Ayreon track

11. Epilogue: The Memory Remains - 9:16

DVD

# The Stranger from Within (5.1, available on Actual Fantasy Revisited)
# Valley of the Queens (available on Star One – Live On Earth)
# Isis and Osiris (available on Star One – Live on Earth)
# The Two Gates (available on Star One – Live on Earth)
# Teaser: The Human Equation (available on the special edition of The Human Equation)
# (5.1, available on the special edition of The Human Equation)
# Come Back to Me (available as CD ROM track on the EP Come Back to Me)
# Loser (Star One version, previously unreleased)
# Farside of the World (5.1, available on Actual Fantasy Revisited)
# Back on Planet Earth (5.1, available on Actual Fantasy Revisited)
# Featurette Actual Fantasy (available on Actual Fantasy Revisited)
# Computer Eyes (available on Stream of Passion – Live In The Real World)
# Day One: Vigil (available on Stream of Passion – Live in the Real World)
# Day Three: Pain (available on Stream of Passion – Live in the Real World)
# The Castle Hall (available on Stream of Passion – Live in the Real World)
# Release Party 01011001 (previously unreleased)
# Beneath the Waves (5.1, available on the special edition of 01011001)
# Teaser 01011001 (available on the special edition of 01011001)
# Featurette Epilogue: The Memory Remains (previously unreleased)

References

* [http://www.arjenlucassen.com/ayreon/ay_albums_timeline.html Timeline page at Arjen's official website]