ayreon
New Ayreon EP – with a special surprise…
Just an advance notice for the five nine of you who read this blog 
At the end of April, Arjen will be releasing an EP with something rather special: A (funny!) cover version of Alice Cooper’s Elected in which Arjen shares vocal duties with arch rival Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia). There will also be two other non-album tracks on the EP, as well as a track from 01011001 but I don’t want to spill all the beans at once 
The EP will be released in Germany/Austria/Switzerland on 25 April, 2008. Release in the rest of Europe is set for 28 April, 2008.
This is the cover:
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[Update: Couldn't leave you without the official press release now, could I?]
Press Release: AYREON VS. AVANTASIA!
Ayreon releases EP featuring 3 non-album tracks.
On January 25, 2008 the rock operas of Arjen Lucassen and Tobias Sammet, respectively Ayreon’s 01011001 and Avantasia’s The Scarecrow, were released simultaneously. The music press, always eager for a story, called this event the ‘Clash of the Titans’, gleefully portraying the two musicians as bitter rivals and urging each to comment on the other in countless interviews. There was much speculation about which album would be more successful, but upon release both albums immediately charted in several countries around the world. When asked about the so-called rivalry, Arjen explains: “I’d not yet even heard Tobias’s album, but when I found out he’d managed to get my all-time favourite artist Alice Cooper to guest on The Scarecrow, I totally freaked out and sent a hate-mail to Tobias’s MySpace. Fortunately, he never received it”.
Coincidentally however, Tobias, who was fed up with having to talk about Arjen in interviews, grudgingly decided it was time to get acquainted. He emailed Arjen, and in the stream of email and insults that followed “it turned out that Tobias hated me just as much for having got Bruce Dickinson to guest on an Ayreon album, haha!” Arjen explains. Despite their mutual hatred, the two musicians eventually hatched a plan to put some fuel on the fire created by the press by doing the unthinkable: recording a song together. The result is a mind-blowing over-the-top cover version of Elected, the original version of which was a big hit for Alice Cooper back in 1973.
The song Elected will be featured on a 4-track EP released by Inside Out Music/SPV (release dates: 25 April for Germany/Austria/Switzerland; 28 April for Europe). The 3 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 touching piano-only version of the Human Equation track Day Six: Childhood featuring Joost van den Broek and Marjan Welman.
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Discussion
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Five of us? Who are the other three?
This and the vinyl? I’m not sure if I can wait till then
Plus, Arjen and Tobias together, that surely sounds interesting!
Me (I’m the second one :-p) ! I want to be Elected (Alice Cooper)!
Ok Arjen, if you want to be electable, then I definitely vote for YOU
Arjen & Tobi together certainly sounds interesting!
No Three is present
Anyway, this sounds pretty interesting — can’t wait to get the vinyl package and this…
Any chance of having a live recording of the 01 release party for this single?
Great news!
Can we expect in the future a new rock-opera written by Arjen and Tobias together?
Well i’m guess im the fourth
But i was hoping for DVD footage from the relaseparty, does that mean a 2nd EP…
Awesome, can’t wait. I wonder if the single(s) will have special codes for extra’s on the site?
Great news!
… and that’s seven
Did someone say Alice Cooper cover?!? YAY!
Greetz Taz
Tobi and Arjen on the same album?!
I….whoa….
I can’t wait to buy this battle and cover of AC. Bummers I must wait til after 20 may. from the 27th on I’m in Scotland and after that in Rombas.
@#$!@#!@***** No I won’t translate
Yay! *starts counting the days* ^_^
That´s just …. amazing!!
[...] en la que alternen el y Tobias ‘copie la formula y muchos ni lo saben’ Sammet. En las palabras de Lori Linstruth (manager de Ayreon/Arjen): At the end of April, Arjen will be releasing an EP with something rather [...]
Ayreon vs Avantasia? First round knock out! Bout goes to Ayreon!
GO GO GO!
Lucassen, if this is infact true and not an April Fools joke you get one million points.
Tobias Sammet is my hero, and if you could only get Michael Kiske along on this, I would buy the EP multiple times.
Amazing! goosebumps! ;o))
Hope to find a signed edition as the others.
Best Regards from Argentina
)
Awesome news!!!
“… I totally freaked out and sent a hate-mail to Tobias’s MySpace” <– ROFLMAO
Cheers!
Nice nice nice
loving it already
8D
now what about Arjen appearing on an Avantasia EP
Super, as usual alternative versions of Ayreon stuff are always great and it is always a pleasure to hear acoustic versions of Ayreon tracks. And Elected is one of the best Alice Cooper tracks. Thanks Arjen.
I am not a number, I am a free man!
aaaaaaa hahahahaha!!
Well I don’t care about being a number or not.. this release pleases me lotsly!
What a hilarious concept. xD
Can’t wait!
you guys should definetly get together and make a whole album.
you two and a lot of guests, not an anyreon nor an avantasia but a whole new project!
It’s a whole month… I cannot wait!!!
This is awesome.
That is all.
I will own this single. Someday.
I’ve looked into Avantasia. Not bad, but we all know where my loyalties lie.
I want the release party! I hate living in North America sometimes. All the good stuff goes to Europe first. I want this, and the release party, and an Ayreon tour iwth Star One and Ayreon and Stream of Passion and all that played. Ayreon is more important than any other commitments, break them!!!