Review AYREON “01011001 – Live Beneath the Waves”

Arjen Lucassen is one of the most iconic rock and metal musicians hailing from the Netherlands. He is a gifted songwriter and a great musician. On top of that, Lucassen is still a very down-to-earth person who loves music and provides joy for fans of well-crafted compositions. One of Lucassen’s projects is Ayreon, which you 100% know! The band released countless albums, all stellar masterpieces, but if you should pick one album that maybe stands out even a bit more, it would be “01011001” from 2008.

To experience the band live on stage is a very rare thing indeed. Since each album follows a certain concept, a live show is more of a wholistic event than only a concert. It demands a bigger production, and that is exactly what happened in September 2023! Ayreon performed five live shows under the banner of “01011001 – Live Beneath the Waves” and each of these shows was sold out rather quickly.

Ayreon performed the entire “01011001” album in front of enthusiastic fans. Carried by a wave of enthusiasm, the evening was a very special one. The show included a spectacular pyro technique and laser effects, as well as a larger number of guest musicians have been invited for this spectacular event.

While Ed Warby (d), Johan van Stratum (b), Timo Somers (g), Marcel Coenen (g) and Joost Van Den Broek (keys) represent some of the best Dutch musicians of their craft, it was a numerous amount of singers that took over certain roles during these special nights. Simone Simons (Epica), Damian Wilson (Threshold), Anneke van Giersbergen, Jonas Renkse (Katatonia), and Tom Englund (Evergrey) to mentioned just some, have all added so much to this truly spectacular theatric music experience! And it all kicked off with “The Age of Shadows,” which included eight incredible guest singers, setting the stage for an unforgettable evening!

As we mentioned before, the shows were sold out in no time at all! So, if you missed out on the chance to be in Tilburg in person, now is your chance to catch up. The entire show has been recorded and filmed. The live release is called “01011001 – Live Beneath the Waves,” and it comes in various formats.

This is your chance to see and hear what happened in Tilburg, The Netherlands, last September! There’s o doubt about it, this live release is a highlight when it comes to live shows these days!