AYREON Vs. AVANTASIA - New Single "Three Minutes Of Metal Magic"
April 10, 2008, 16 years ago
As previously reported, AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen and AVANTASIA maestro Tobias Sammet recently teamed up to record a cover of the ALICE COOPER classic 'Elected'. It was recorded in response to the perceived rivalry between the pair in the wake of their recent rock operas (Ayreon - 01011001, Avantasia - The Scarecrow) hitting the shelves simultaneously. BW&BK; scribe Carl Begai has checked in with the following overview:
"There are moments when a piece of music grabs you not only because it sounds great but because of the vibe that comes with it. The Ayreon vs Avantasia rendition of Alice Cooper's 'Elected' is one of those songs; three minutes of metal magic. Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen's vocals are bang-on Cooper, and Sammet singing the line "cocky and rude" is amusingly tongue and cheek (and if reports are to be believed, fitting in Lucassen's mind). The mid-song interplay between the two is a hilarious send-up of the situation that brought them together ("intellectuality versus sexuality" - the jury's still out on that one), reminiscent of the '70s when music folks were out for a laugh and less focused on doing their rivals in with barbed words and blunt instruments. Musically, the track is typical Lucassen in that it sounds like it was recorded back in '73, giving credence to the suggestion he truly does have a time machine hidden in his studio."'Elected' will be featured on a four-track EP released by Inside Out Music/SPV (release dates: April 25th for Germany/Austria/Switzerland; April 28th for Europe). The three other tracks featured on the EP are an acoustic live radio session of the 01011001 track 'E=mc2' with Marjan Welman on vocals, 'Ride The Comet' taken from the album 01011001, and a completely rearranged piano-only version of the Human Equation track 'Day Six: Childhood' featuring Joost van den Broek and Marjan Welman.
Pre-orders for signed copies are available now exclusively through the Arjen Lucassen store.
