If you visit www.myspace.com/guiltmachine you can listen to the first song from the forthcoming Guilt Machine album “On this Perfect Day”. We’ve uploaded the 12-minute song “Twisted Coil” in three parts.

Guilt Machine US release date set

The US release date for “On this Perfect day” is 29 September 2009.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland — 28 August.
Rest of Europe — 31 August.

Guilt Machine album preorders start now!

Preorders for the Limited and Special Editions of “On This Perfect Day” have begun, and are being handled by Mascot Records directly. Preorders will be shipped near the release date, and (depending upon your country of residence) should arrive during the week of release (31 August). All pre-ordered copies will be signed by Arjen Lucassen, Jasper Steverlinck & Lori Linstruth. Paypal is the only method of payment accepted.

EDITIONS and PRICES
DIGIBOOK LIMITED EDITION CD + DVD
w/ 32-page booklet
25 Euros including applicable taxes, shipping and handling (worldwide!)

DIGIPACK SPECIAL EDITION CD + DVD
w/ 24-page booklet
22 Euros including applicable taxes, shipping and handling (worldwide!)

Track list (all editions)
CD:
1] Twisted Coil (11:43)
2] Leland Street (8:03)
3] Green and Cream (10:32)
4] Season of Denial (10:22)
5] Over (6:11)
6] Perfection? (10:46)

DVD (Ltd. and Spec. editions only. PAL compatible NTSC format):

Audio Bonus Tracks:
1] The Stranger Song (L. Cohen) - vocals Jasper (4:53)
2] Michelangelo (J. Campbell) - vocals Arjen (3:23)
3] Fan Messages (8:14)
4] Perfection? - guide vocals Arjen (9:37)
5] Twisted Coil - radio edit (4:17)
6] Pull me out of the Dark - radio edit (Green and Cream) (3:36)
7] Over - radio edit (3:56)

Video:
1] Trailer “On this Perfect Day” (4:33)
2] Making of the Trailer (3:44)
3] Interview with Guilt Machine (Arjen, Jasper, Lori) (40:03)

In our next newsletter we’ll be bringing you links to another song preview!

Germany, Austria, Switzerland:   28 August
Europe:   31 August
USA:   Date still pending

The art for the cover (pictured above) and booklet was created by Christophe Dessaigne, a talented new artist whom we discovered (quite by chance) while browsing Flickr. Bu unexpectedly happy coincidence, it turned out that Chris is an Ayreon fan, and was thrilled beyond belief when we asked him to do the artwork! The Guilt Machine logo and packaging layout were created by pixelwielder extraordinaireThomas Ewerhard.

On This Perfect Day will be released in 3 different editions:

Limited Edition 32-page Digibook (CD + DVD)
Special Edition Digipack 24-page booklet (CD + DVD)
Regular Edition jewel case, 24-page booklet (CD only)

TRACK LIST

CD (all editions): 


1] Twisted Coil (11:43)

2] Leland Street (8:03)

3] Green and Cream (10:32)

4] Season of Denial (10:22)

5] Over (6:11)

6] Perfection? (10:46)

DVD (Limited and Special editions only):

 

Audio Bonus Tracks:

1] The Stranger Song (L. Cohen) - vocals Jasper (4:53)

2] Michelangelo (J. Campbell) - vocals Arjen (3:23)

3] Fan Messages (8:14)

4] Perfection? - guide vocals Arjen (9:37)

5] Twisted Coil - radio edit (4:17)

6] Pull me out of the Dark - radio edit (Green and Cream) (3:36)

7] Over - radio edit (3:56)

 

Video:

1] Trailer “On this Perfect Day” (4:33)

2] Making of the Trailer (3:44)

3] Interview with Guilt Machine (40:03)

Guilt Machine:
Arjen Lucassen: instruments, backing vocals
Jasper Steverlinck (Arid): vocals
Chris Maitland (ex Porcupine Tree): drums
Lori Linstruth (ex Stream of Passion): lead guitar

Next week’s newsletter will contain pre-order information and…. links to the first audio samples, so stay tuned!

From all of us at ArjenLucassen.com, until next time!

Thanks for your audio messages
We would like to formally thank everyone who submitted an audio message to the Guilt Machine project. Your response to our announcement was overwhelming! We received over 200 messages, far more than we could possibly use on the album. In the end, 19 messages were included on the album, either in between the songs or within the songs themselves. The messages — in languages ranging from Chinese to Tagalog to French to Russian — add just the extra personal touch that we were looking for.

Because we know how disappointing it must have been for those whose messages weren’t chosen, Arjen has put together an 8-plus-minute instrumental bonus track filled from beginning to end with as many messages as possible. Even then there wasn’t room for all of the messages (that would have required a much longer song), but we’ve done our best to choose messages from as many people as possible.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for music previews and other updates about Guilt Machine!

From all of us at ArjenLucassen.com, until next time!

The songs of Guilt Machine center around the themes of guilt and regret: guilt for past wrongs (real or imagined) and regret for words unspoken and deeds undone.

Everybody has a secret, a regret, or something important they’d like to say before it’s too late. We’d like to invite you to submit your story for possible inclusion on the album by recording it in a brief audio message in your own language. For example, you might choose to express one of the following:

• A secret hope, fear, desire, or regret
• A long overdue message for a friend or loved one (or why not an enemy?)
• An observation about life, death, or human nature
• A moment of personal insight into what makes life meaningful to you
• A suitable proverb or saying in your own language

Our goal is to use voice recordings in various languages as a part of the soundscape of the album. So, all you need to be able to submit your message are:

1. the ability to translate your message roughly into English (so we will know what you’re saying), and
2. some way to record and send us your message (we give several options on the website).

Note that we can’t possibly use all submissions, but will be choosing the strongest ones from among those we receive.

Now that you’ve read through the details, please visit the link below for instructions on how to record and submit your audio message:

http://www.arjenlucassen.com/gm/index.html

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, 15 March 2009, at midnight Central European Time.

If you have questions about recording your message or how to participate, please refer first hand to this topic on Arjen’s forum, where many questions have already been answered.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for music previews and other updates about Guilt Machine!

There’s not been much news from us lately, but don’t let that fool you. There has been a bustle of feverish activity going on behind the scenes here at the Electric Castle. With this update from ArjenLucassen.com we’re excited to officially announce the details of Arjen’s new project, Guilt Machine.

GUILT MACHINE
Arjen Lucassen: instruments, backing vocals
Jasper Steverlinck (Arid): vocals
Chris Maitland (ex Porcupine Tree): drums
Lori Linstruth (ex Stream of Passion): lead guitar

As Ayreon fans have come to expect from Arjen, the music of Guilt Machine ranges from dark and heavy to atmospheric and melancholic. But Guilt Machine introduces some new twists as well, particularly when it comes to the vocals. Rather than putting together an ensemble cast of vocalists from the prog, rock and metal scene, Arjen has enlisted the talents of a single alternative rock vocalist, Jasper Steverlinck.

How did Arjen get an alternative rock vocalist to switch genres and sing on a prog rock project? "In the beginning it was hard to convince Jasper to sing on this album, because he comes from a completely different musical background. He didn’t even know what prog was, but we’ve made a believer out of him! What I admire about Jasper’s voice, besides its beautiful clear timbre, is the emotion and credibility he puts into his performance and his enormous range. Because this project features just one singer I needed someone versatile enough to portray all of the different moods, and Jasper didn’t disappoint. And he’s a really nice and dedicated guy as well!"

For Guilt Machine Arjen also chose to record with a different drummer, Chris Maitland (ex Porcupine Tree). "Chris was the ideal choice this time, having both the power for the heavy sections and the subtle touch needed in the more atmospheric parts."

Rather than the explicit storyline you would expect in an Ayreon release, the songs of Guilt Machine revolve around a central theme. Instead of looking outward into a world of fantasy or science fiction, the songs look inward, exploring the destructive psychology of guilt, regret and the darkest form of secret — the secrets we hide from ourselves. "At first I asked my partner and personal manager Lori to quickly write scratch lyrics for one of the songs so I could record some guide vocals. I was so impressed by what she produced that I asked her to write the lyrics for all the songs. I was unable myself to create the type of darkly enigmatic, open-ended lyrics I wanted for these songs, my specialty being sci-fi lyrics about sinister aliens ;-) She definitely gave the songs an extra dimension with her lyrics, exorcising the demons we both had faced in the past few years. It’s also no secret that I’ve always been a big fan of her melodic guitar style, so she also plays all the guitar solos on this album."

Despite these differences, Guilt Machine still has much in common with Ayreon. The songs are mainly long, "epic" tracks that feature dynamic contrasts between softer, dreamy sections and powerful, heavy passages. There are intricate harmonies, complex rhythms, soaring melodies, and an eclectic selection of instruments — all what you’d expect from an Ayreon release.

"In my view this is my best side project so far. It comes completely from the heart, for it was written and recorded during a new inspiring phase in my life after my heavy depression. This being an entirely new project there were no expectations whatsoever, which enabled me to just let my inspiration guide me without any (outside) pressure."

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for music previews and other updates about Guilt Machine!

From all of us at ArjenLucassen.com, until next time!

We recorded Chris Maitland’s drums last month at RS 29 (the studio where I recorded drums for the first 5 Ayreon albums). Not only did he live up to my (admittedly high) expectations; he surpassed them! I’ve been a big fan of his drumming ever since I heard Porcupine Tree’s ‘Signify’ in 1996, and particularly since seeing him play live with them. Chris’s playing has it all: great energy and power coupled with a perfect groove and flawless technique. I almost worked with him on Ayreon’s ‘The Dream Sequencer’ in 1999, but that didn’t work out at the very last moment.

The project I’m currently working on was just screaming for his particular style; the music is subtle at times but also quite heavy and challenging in places. Chris’s performance during the sessions was brilliant, and now I’m really enjoying recording the vocalist, who comes over to record one song every couple of weeks. I realize that artists say this all the time, but I truly believe that this will be my strongest side project yet!

Arjen and the Timeline package :-)

Arjen’s Takamine EF-381C

Autumn cleaning continues here at the Castle, and the Takamine 12-string that Arjen’s used on every Ayreon album so far needs a new home. Interested parties can find the ebay listing here.