Into the Electric Castle

Into the Electric Castle (also known as Into the Electric Castle — A Space Opera) is the third album of progressive metal/rock opera Ayreon by Dutch songwriter, producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen, released in 1998. Being a concept album as is every Ayreon album, it tells a science fiction story with exaggerated, flamboyant characters influenced by B-grade science fiction movies. There are eight main characters (each one sung/played by a different vocalist, as is standard in every Ayreon album) from different times and locations. They find themselves in a strange place; guided by a mysterious voice which tells them that they must reach "the Electric Castle" if they want to survive. Into the Electric Castle is also the first collaboration between Lucassen and Ed Warby, who has since become Lucassen's most regular collaborator: he played drums on every following Ayreon album except Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer, in Star One and in his solo album Lost in the New Real. The album was a commercial success and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from music critics. Although Ayreon has never played live, five songs from Into the Electric Castle were included in Star One live album Live on Earth and two in Stream of Passion album Live in the Real World.