Ayreon - Universal Migrator (Part II): Flight Of The Migrator (2000)++ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Singers: Russel Allen - Lead Vocals on "Dawn Of A Million Souls" Ralf Scheepers - Lead Vocals on "Journey On The Waves Of Time" Andi Deris - Lead Vocals on "To The Quasar" Bruce Dickinson - Lead Vocals on "Into The Black Hole" Fabio Lione - Lead Vocals on "Through The Wormhole" Timo Kotipelto - Lead Vocals on "Out Of The White Hole" Robert Soeterboek - Lead Vocals on "To The Solar System" Ian Parry - Lead Vocals on "Sleeper Awake" Damian Wilson - Backing Vocals on "Dawn Of A Million Souls" Lana Lane - Backing Vocals on "To The Quasar", "Into The Black Hole", "Through The Wormhole" and "Sleeper Awake" The Musicians: Arjen Lucassen - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Analog Synthesisers, Keyboards. Erik Norlander - Analog Synthesisers, Keyboards, Vocoder Voice, Hammond Ed Warby - Drums Erik Norlander - Synth Solos on "Chaos", "To The Quasar", "Into The Black Hole" and "Out Of The White Hole", Hammond Solo on "Journey On The Waves Of Time" Rene Merkelbach - Last Synth Solo on "To The Quasar" Clive Nolan - Synth Solo on "Halo Of Darkness" Gary Wehrkamp - Synth Solo on "Through The Wormhole" Keiko Kumagai - Synth Solo on "Sleeper Awake" Guitar Solos: Arjen Lucassen on "Chaos", "The Quasar", "Into The Black Hole", "Out Of The White Hole", "To The Solar System" and "Sleeper Awake" Michael Romeo on "Dawn Of A Million Souls" Gary Wehrkamp on "Through The Wormhole" Produced and mixed by Arjen Anthony Lucassen and Oliver Holleman. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track Listing 1) Chaos (Lucassen) 5:11 2) Dawn Of A Million Souls (Lucassen) 7:45 3) Journey On The Waves Of Time (Lucassen) 5:47 4) To The Quasar (The Taurus Pulsar / Quasar 3c273) (Lucassen) 8:42 5) Into The Black Hole (The Eye Of The Universe / Halo Of Darkness / The Final Door) (Lucassen) 10:25 6) Through The Wormhole (Lucassen) 6:05 7) Out Of The White Hole (M31 / Planet Y / The Search Continues) (Lucassen) 7:10 8) To The Solar System (Planet Of Blue / System Alert) (Lucassen) 6:12 9) Sleeper Awake (The New Migrator / Sleeper Awake) (Lucassen / Parry) 8:15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I am the last human being alive. I am inside a machine called the Dream Sequencer on a deserted Mars colony. I have selected the program called "The Universal Migrator". This program creates a form of hypnosis which allows me to return to the very beginning of life itself. From the safety of the energy tank in which I lie, I travel all the way back to the period before The Big Bang where matter, energy and time itself all intermingle in the chaotic unformed vacuum of proto space. 1) Chaos (Lucassen) 5:11 (Spoken): Dream Sequencer System Online. I will now take you back ... to the time before the big bang ... and the birth of the very first soul called ... the Universal Migrator. However, system protocols require confirmation of risk factor. No user has ever preincarnated back this far before. Are you sure you want to continue? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Big Bang has created one soul, the Universal Migrator. The Universal Migrator divides itself, and each Migrator flies off independently in search of a habitable planet in order to breathe life into it. I follow the migrator that will eventually reach our planet Earth. 2) Dawn Of A Million Souls (Lucassen) 7:45 At the birth of time, the beginning of beginnings One cosmic soul was created A bringer of life, a universal migrator Born to sow its seeds ... in all the galaxies Like a cell dividing ... it spreads in all directions Creating life among the stars When I'm ... struck with awe ... as I join the great migrator Now it takes flight ... to the brightest star of all Chorus: On a quest for life, through the sable skies What a show! (2) Behold! (2) - the dawn of a million souls On a bold crusade, in the realm of shade What a show! (2) Behold! (2) - the dawn of a million souls Through the glowing mist, like a fog of radiation... Well, I can see the forming of new planets Well it's like ... I've been struck by thunder... As I witness all the splendor And I realize ... how small we really are Chorus Ooh, I can see forever On the wings of dreams I fly Is this real ... or is it just a fantasy? What awaits me now ... at the end of this ride? Chorus (2) Ooh, I can see forever On the wings of dreams I fly Is this real (is this real) ... or is it just a fantasy? What awaits me now? What? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I join the Migrator on its long journey through time and space in search of the planet Earth. On my journey I encounter many fantastic astronomical phenomena. 3) Journey On The Waves Of Time (Lucassen) 5:47 Fly me ... across the sky Fly me to the edges of space Show me the wond'rous sensations and mysteries of aeons gone by Guide me (guide me) ... through a maze of stars Guide me to the birth of my race Give me the answers to questions, reveal to me secrets of life Journey on the waves of time Chorus 1: Lead me ... through the centuries Lead me to places unknown Sail me away on the x-rays of quasars that died long-ago Chorus 2: Carry me (carry me) ... through the universe Carry me back to my home In search of the gateway that leads us into the black hole Journey on the waves of time Chorus 3: Our quest for life has now begun The die is cast Our voyage leads us to the sun... Out of the past (past) Chorus 1 & 2 Journey of the waves of time Chorus 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We are on our way to the quasar, an object as bright as a galaxy. Our hope is that the quasar may contain an unfathomable source of power and peril at its center... a black hole. 4) To The Quasar (The Taurus Pulsar / Quasar 3c273) (Lucassen) 8:42 On our journey, we receive the radio emissions of a pulsar - an imploded neutron star. a) The Taurus Pulsar Within a distant nebula ... in the Taurus zodiac I hear the wailing of a star, the weak pulse of a fading sun (fading sun, fading sun, fading sun) All its fuel is burning out ... and its light will fade to black I can't ignore its hopeless shout ... as it fires its death cry out in space Chorus: A star in Taurus lights up ... and outshines the galaxy A fleeting moment of glory in time and space A supernova resounds ... a desperate symphony Leaving behind a beacon fallen from grace Lift your head up to the sky ... and hear the faraway cry of a dying star I heard its message from afar A frequent surge of sight and sound We approach the fallen neutron star Spinning round and round and round We attend this cosmic mass ... and we hear its sad lament But even stars and planets pass ... in this cold and everlasting place Chorus Lift your head up to the sky ... and hear the cry... We have encountered a quasar in the constellation Virgo. But does it really contain a black hole, the portal to our final destination? b) Quasar 3c273 Heading off into the core of a newborn galaxy We have reached a brilliant star-like source of energy This cosmic spectacle of radiance was formed Fifteen billion years ago ... when the universe was born Chorus 1: To the quasar (2) Beyond the milky way The redshift is high, a bright light in the sky Chorus 2: To the dark star (2) Beyond the light of day The gravity's high, a black sun in the sky 3c273 As we approach the sea of light I'm forced to close my eyes I can feel the vibrant waves of centuries go by Then the pull of an unseen force is tearing us away Could it be we found the entrance to our passageway? Chorus 1 & 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We have reached our first destination: the black hole in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. But what will we find inside? Its power is immeasurable. Our hopes and fears intermingle as we stand at the event horizon. Will its doorway transport us to our faraway planet Earth, or will its fury mercilessly tear us apart? 5) Into The Black Hole (The Eye Of The Universe / Halo Of Darkness / The Final Door) (Lucassen) 10:25 a) The Eye Of The Universe A dark sphere surrounds us... (Surreal... oblivious...) In the centre of the galaxy A hidden force has found us... (Powerful... mysterious...) At the boundary of eternity Chorus: Nothing escapes, not even light (light)... Beyond the mystical horizon We surrender to its might (its might) Gazing into the eye of the universe A deep roar is sounding... (Deafening... thunderous...) As if the universe were crying My heart ... is pounding (Frantic... delirious...) My every nerve is dying Chorus b) Halo Of Darkness I hear screams of fallen souls, sad cries of agony Within the void of this evil hole, deep inside the black Could it be my imagination, the mirror of my fantasy? A fear-induced hallucination Or is there no way back ... from the halo of darkness? Spirits, apparitions, misery, suffering Horrid dreams and dire visions rising up from the black Look away in disbelief, this cannot be happening The end has come, I bow in grief There is no way back ... from the halo of darkness c) The Final Door Now silence devours us (Massive... suffocating...) The calm before the storm Gravity ... overpowers us... (Invincible... dominating...) And leads us through the final door Nothing escapes, not even light... Beyond the mystical horizon We surrender to its might (to its might) Gazing into the eye ... of the universe Feed me light, I'm the halo of darkness - Feed me light Feel my might, I'm the eye of the universe Feed me light, I'm the halo of darkness Feed me light (2) I'm the eye of the universe Feed me light, I'm the halo of darkness (3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ As we continue on our journey, we dive into a black hole - a spiraling wormhole. As it sucks us in, time slows and images become distorted. Reality itself twists and bends. We leave the galaxy where our journey began, headed for the unknown. Where will it take us? 6) Through The Wormhole (Lucassen) 6:05 Hold on tight, we've reached the gate... That leads us to the mystic zone (mystic zone, mystic zone, mystic zone) What a sight! I cannot wait ... to cross the bridge to the unknown Defy the laws of relativity Gravity will be our guide Surrender to the sea of energy ... that drives us to the other side Chorus 1: Faster than light, we're traveling time through the wormhole Out of the night ... into a vortex of fire, yeah Time slips away as we plunge into unknown dimensions A brilliant display ... quenching my deepest desires Chorus 2: Will it take us where we want to be? (2) Will it show us what we want to see? Through the wormhole We're crashing down ... to our goal ... that lies beyond this cosmic gate Spinning round this spiral hole ... towards a cold and lonely fate Chorus 1 & 2 Hold on tight, we've reached the gate ... that leads us to the mystic zone What a sight! I cannot wait to cross the bridge Faster than light, we're traveling time through the wormhole Out of the night ... into a vortex of fire, yeah Time slips away as we plunge into unknown dimensions (dimensions) A brilliant display ... quenching my deepest desires Chorus 2 Through the wormhole ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We come out of the white hole into the M31 galaxy, which is also known as Andromeda. We see a planet that looks much like Earth. Could it sustain life? And if, who lives there? 7) Out Of The White Hole (M31 / Planet Y / The Search Continues) (Lucassen) 7:10 a) M31 And out of nowhere ... we materialize... From a blaze of fire to a world of ice We folded space ... to a distant sun - inside the heart of M31 On a steady course ... to the planet Y Circling round a star ... in Sirrah's eye The search for life has now begun - in the constellation M31 Chorus Light years away, beyond our Galaxy I see a planet like our own A golden sun is shining down on me Could it be that we are not alone? We're passing Sirrah ... in Alpha Pegasi into the atmosphere of planet Y What will we find? Chances almost none... Will there be life in M31? Chorus b) Planet Y We're diving through the nebulae and arrive on planet Y A hundred thousand hollow eyes are gazing at the sky There seems to be no motion, no pleasure and no pain No symptoms of emotion, no loss ... and no gain Solar screens and cold machines are covering up the ground Crystal covered fields of green ... and oceans underground Countless different entities but they all look the same But then one of the entities ... is crying out its name Forever Remember Forever Forever Remember Forever c) The Search Continues It's time to leave ... and carry out our quest Miles to go and things to see before we rest We came in vain, our search is not yet done... For there's some kind of life in M31! Light years away, beyond our Galaxy I see a planet like our own A golden sun is shining down on me Could it be that we are not alone? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Finally we are approaching our own familiar solar system. But there is something wrong. Reality begins to break through the illusion. I have an unsettling premonition that even here inside my virtual journey I will never reach the Earth... 8) To The Solar System (Planet Of Blue / System Alert) (Lucassen) 6:12 a) Planet Of Blue Vocal Melody by Robert Soeterboek and Arjen Anthony Lucassen. I can feel the sun ... burning on my skin I can feel the sun ... from deep within I can hear the Earth ... calling out my name I can hear the Earth ... crying out in pain I'm coming home ... to the planet of blue Our own sun is coming into view I'm reaching out ... to the planet of blue Can you see me fly? Can ... you ... feel ... me ... die? I can almost touch ... the glorious rings of Saturn But then I feel them slip away I can almost see ... the yellow clouds of Venus But then the sequence slowly fades Chorus: I'm coming home ... to the planet of blue Is this the end? Can it be true? I'm reaching out ... to the planet of blue Can you see me try? Can ... you ... feel ... me ... die? Chorus b) System Alert (Spoken): Dream Sequencer System alert Warning - core processor buffer overload... Please abort Universal Migrator sequence System failure imminent Return to consciousness (3)... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9) Sleeper Awake (The New Migrator / Sleeper Awake) (Lucassen / Parry) 8:15 a) The New Migrator For the first time during my journey, the Migrator communicates with me. He speaks to me directly, but without words. The Migrator tells me that my corporeal body inside the Dream Sequencer has died. While my body will now sleep forever, my conciousness must awake to eternity that lays before me... for I am the new Migrator! b) Sleeper Awake Atomically into existence ... a creator of life was born This universal migrator ... in his celestial form Astronomical segmentation, a division from which I came To go forth with a task bestowed me ... and seek out new worlds for all Fly up ... into the skies A sea of blue ... has crossed thine eyes A quest to save ... mankind is made Just one earthly being ... his soul ... shall remain Chorus 1: My power of thought calls you Sleeper, sleeper awake Oh you - sleeper Open your mind hear me - sleeper Sleeper awake - Come alive Our spirits they can never die A cataclysmic end for many, annihilated Earth to the core But one soul survives in stasis, a colonists spirit the source You're the one not I, the chosen ... with visions, a bright new dawn... To cross the starlit systems, a place where new planets are born Chorus 2: Rise up, you must awake The here and now ... shall separate The body frees ... the soul and mind Your spirit ... will join me ... in time Chorus 1 Chorus 3: Sleeper, sleeper awake Oh you - sleeper Dormant inside, hear me - sleeper Sleeper awake - Come alive Your body is dead not your mind Chorus 2, 1 & 3 Sleeper awake - Come alive Come alive Sleeper awake There's a world waiting for you to find! ------------------------------------------------------------------------