Conor Fynes
' The Universal Ayreonaut' - Ayreon (53%)
Not bad at all...but certainly nothing compared to Ayreon's actual works. Considering there is no actual original material on this release (A cover, two remixes and a song taken from Ayreon's latest full length)
What attracted me to this album was the 'Ayreon vs. Avantasia' aspect of it. I thought that fiery rivalry would make this into an interesting, and provocative EP. However, I was relatively dissapointed. What I found was a tame, albeit decent Alice Cooper cover, two stripped down remixes, and a song I could have easily just listened to on '01011001.'
However, it's enjoyable nontheless. I thought the two remixes (an acoustic rendition of a song from Ayreon's latest album, and a stripped down piano ballad from 'The Human Equation) were quite beautiful. The vocals were done amazingly, and Fans of Ayreon's work are definately encouraged to check it out.
However, I don't think that someone who wasn't already into the work of Ayreon would really find worth in this EP. If you're new to Ayreon, go get 'Into the Electric Castle' or something. It's certainly decent, and as far as the two renditions go I might go as far as giving this EP 2.5, but overall, it's only for fans.