Combining his wildest science fiction fantasies and his most extravagant
prog-rock compositions, Dutch heavy metal hero Arjen Lucassen found a niche
creating rock operas. Originally making his name in the 1980s as guitarist in
the raging metal act Vengeance, Lucassen turned solo in the mid-'90s, but his
debut 'Pools of Sorrow, Waves of Joy' failed to achieve success. Forced to throw
everything he had into follow-up 'Ayreon: The Final Experiment', he created a
theatrical piece set in a dystopian future with time travelling minstrels and
interplanetary wars. Its grand, experimental...