Arjen Lucassen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Arjen Lucassen
Lucassen with Stream of Passion in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Also known as	Arjen A. Lucassen, Iron Anthony, Anthony
Born	(1960-04-03) 3 April 1960 (age 65) Hilversum, Netherlands
Origin	The Hague, Netherlands
Genres	Progressive rock, heavy metal, folk, electronic, psychedelia, classical
Instruments	Vocals, guitars, bass, Hammond, keyboards
Years active	1980–present

Arjen Anthony Lucassen (born 3 April 1960) is a Dutch singer, songwriter, and musician who plays many instruments. He is most famous for his long-running music project called Ayreon. In Ayreon, he creates big musical stories that combine different styles of rock and metal music.

Arjen started his music journey in 1980 as a guitarist for the heavy metal band Bodine. He was known as Iron Anthony back then. Later, in 1984, he joined another band called Vengeance. After eight years, he decided to leave Vengeance because he wanted to explore more progressive and creative music. He then released a solo album called Pools of Sorrow, Waves of Joy in 1994, using the name Anthony.

In 1995, Arjen released an album called Ayreon: The Final Experiment. He sang, wrote all the songs, and played most of the instruments on it. This album led to the creation of Ayreon. At first, not many people knew about Ayreon. However, the project became very popular and received great reviews after its third album, Into the Electric Castle. This success made Arjen known as a talented composer of musical stories.

After Ayreon became famous, Arjen started many other music projects. He created and is still involved with bands like Star One, Guilt Machine, and The Gentle Storm. He also created Ambeon and was a guitarist for Stream of Passion. Arjen usually writes most of the music and songs himself. However, for some projects, he lets his bandmates write the lyrics.

Arjen plays many different instruments. His main instruments are guitar and keyboards, but he also plays bass, banjo, and more. Throughout his career, including all his bands and projects, Arjen Lucassen has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, two EPs, and seventeen singles. He has also played with many other artists, appearing on over 50 albums.

Since he started Ayreon, Arjen has become well-known among music critics. Many call him a "genius" and praise his unique way of composing music. In 2025, he was honored by the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

Arjen's Music Journey

Arjen's love for music began in the 1960s when he became a big fan of The Beatles. He decided to learn guitar after hearing Ritchie Blackmore play in the album Made in Japan. One of his first bands was called Mover, which he joined around age 18.

Bodine (1980–1984)

In 1980, Arjen joined the band Bodine. He was invited by their drummer, Gerrard Haitsma. Arjen was known as Iron Anthony in the band. He played on their second album, Bold as Brass (1982), and their third album, Three Times Running (1983).

Arjen later shared that he learned a lot about playing music tightly and in tune during his time with Bodine. However, he also felt that the band's style was not melodic enough for him, as he always liked progressive music. In 1984, Arjen left Bodine to join Vengeance.

Vengeance (1984–1992)

In 1984, a new band called Vengeance played as a supporting act for Bodine. Arjen was impressed by them. When Vengeance needed a new guitarist, Arjen offered to join and left Bodine.

Arjen later said that Vengeance's first album, released in 1984, was not very strong. He felt the songs were mostly finished before he joined, and the sound quality was not good. However, the band later became one of the most successful bands in the Netherlands.

In 1989, the band had to let go of their lead singer, Leon Goewie. Vengeance then found a new singer, Ian Parry, but they did not have as much success. The band eventually broke up in 1992 after a successful farewell tour.

While Arjen started his solo career, Vengeance's record label released The Last of the Fallen Heroes in 1994. This album was promoted as new music, but it was actually a collection of unfinished songs. Later, Leon Goewie asked Arjen to write songs for him. Arjen wrote two songs that appeared on a new Vengeance album, Back from Flight 19, in 1997. Even though he helped with this album, Arjen did not rejoin Vengeance.

Solo Beginnings (1992–1995)

After leaving Vengeance, Arjen tried to start a new band called Planet Nine, but it didn't work out. In 1994, he released his first solo album, Pools of Sorrow, Waves of Joy, under the name "Anthony". This album did not sell well. Arjen said that people did not understand his new musical direction.

He remembered this time as difficult because his girlfriend broke up with him, Vengeance broke up, and he no longer had a record deal.

Ayreon's Start and Success (1995–2000)

After his solo album was not successful, Arjen began working on The Final Experiment. It was released in 1995 as Ayreon: The Final Experiment by a small Dutch record label. The album featured many different music styles, from folk to progressive metal. Soon after, Ayreon's first single, "Sail Away to Avalon", was released.

One year later, Arjen decided to continue the project and officially named it Ayreon. He released a second album called Actual Fantasy. This album is unique in Ayreon's history because it does not tell one big story. The single "The Stranger from Within" was also released from this album. It did not sell very well. Arjen decided he would make one more album, and if it wasn't successful, he would stop Ayreon.

In 1996, Arjen also released Strange Hobby, an album of cover songs from the 1960s. He wanted to make something simple after the complex Ayreon music. This album also did not sell well.

In 1998, the Ayreon album Into the Electric Castle was released. It was very successful and received great reviews. Many people still consider it one of the best albums in Arjen's career. The success of this album made Arjen decide to continue with Ayreon.

The next two Ayreon albums, Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer and Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator, were released at the same time on June 20, 2000. They are considered two parts of the same story. Both albums sold well and were liked by critics, though Part 1 was often seen as better. "Temple of the Cat" from Part 1 was released as a single that same year, and again in an acoustic version the following year.

First Side Projects: Ambeon and Star One (2000–2003)

In 2000, Arjen created Ambeon, his first side project since Ayreon began. He wanted to explore a softer music style. The band included him as the composer and main musician, and 14-year-old Astrid van der Veen as the singer and lyricist. They released their only album, Fate of a Dreamer, in 2001, along with the single "Cold Metal". The album had limited success. Ambeon's sound was inspired by Celtic, Gothic, and progressive music. The name Ambeon was a mix of "ambient" and "Ayreon".

Astrid van der Veen later stopped making music for a while. Arjen said that because of this, there would likely be no more Ambeon albums, even though he would have liked to make more.

In 2002, Arjen started another side project called Star One. This is the only side project where he has made more than one studio album. Star One featured four main singers: Dan Swanö, Russell Allen, Floor Jansen, and Damian Wilson. Arjen played guitar, keyboards, and Hammond organ. Their first album, Space Metal, was released in 2002. It had more success than Ambeon. Live on Earth, Arjen's first live album that also included Ayreon songs, was released one year later.

The Human Equation and 01011001, Stream of Passion (2003–2008)

Lucassen at a signature event with Stream of Passion in 2006

Four years after Universal Migrator, Arjen released Ayreon's sixth album, The Human Equation. It was a big success, reaching No. 7 on the Dutch album charts. Some critics thought it was Arjen's best album since Into the Electric Castle.

Special editions of all Ayreon albums were released in 2004 when Arjen changed record labels. The new version of The Final Experiment included a bonus disc with new, mostly acoustic versions of songs. Actual Fantasy was completely remixed and partly re-recorded, and the new version was called Actual Fantasy: Revisited.

In 2005, Arjen created Stream of Passion to form a more traditional progressive metal band with symphonic and gothic influences. He also wanted to highlight the talent of his friend, Mexican singer Marcela Bovio, who had also sung on The Human Equation.

He brought in other musicians and started the band. Like with Ambeon, Arjen composed the music, and Marcela Bovio wrote the lyrics. They released the album Embrace the Storm in 2005. Stream of Passion toured and released a live album, Live in the Real World, in 2006. This tour also featured many Ayreon songs. Arjen left the band in 2007, as he had planned. The band continued successfully without him, releasing three more studio albums before breaking up in 2016.

In 2008, Arjen released a new Ayreon album, 01011001, which was very successful and reached No. 2 on the Dutch album chart.

This album was meant to be the end of the Ayreon storyline. After its release, Arjen decided to take a break from Ayreon because he felt he wasn't inspired to continue. He also noticed that some critics felt 01011001 didn't offer anything new. He believed he might make more Ayreon albums in the future, but they would not follow the same story.

Ayreon Break, Focus on Other Projects (2008–2012)

In February 2009, Arjen announced his new side project: Guilt Machine. This project had a smaller group of musicians compared to his other projects. It featured Arjen playing many instruments and singing backing vocals, Jasper Steverlinck on lead vocals, Chris Maitland on drums, and Lori Linstruth on lead guitar. Their first album, On This Perfect Day, released the same year, received good reviews but was Arjen's least successful album in terms of sales for many years.

In 2010, Arjen brought back the other members of Star One, who had been inactive since 2003. They released the band's second studio album, Victims of the Modern Age. This album was praised by critics and was a big commercial success. In December 2011, the Ambeon album Fate of a Dreamer was re-released with bonus songs, similar to older Ayreon albums.

While the Ambeon album was re-released, Arjen was already busy writing and recording his next project. On April 23, 2012, Arjen released Lost in the New Real, his first solo album in 18 years. On this album, Arjen sang all the main vocals, wrote all the lyrics, and played almost all the instruments. He also asked Dutch actor Rutger Hauer to narrate parts between the songs.

Ayreon Returns and The Gentle Storm (2012–2017)

On August 23, 2012, Arjen announced on his YouTube channel that he had started composing "a new project". On October 9, 2012, he revealed it was a new Ayreon album, planned for 2013.

Arjen told fans that the album would likely take a year to complete. He also said that this album would start a new story, separate from previous Ayreon albums. He confirmed that Ed Warby would play drums, as he often does.

In late 2012, Tobias Sammet announced that Arjen would play guest lead guitar on his new Avantasia album, The Mystery of Time. This was the second time they worked together.

On March 26, 2013, Arjen revealed the name of the new Ayreon album: The Theory of Everything. This album was released on October 25 and received positive reviews.

On April 22, 2014, Arjen announced his new project would be a collaboration with Dutch singer Anneke van Giersbergen. She had previously sung on Ayreon albums Into the Electric Castle and 01011001. He described it as a "double concept album" that combined "classical meets metal" with "acoustic folk." Ed Warby played drums, and Johan van Stratum played bass.

On September 2, 2014, Arjen revealed that his collaboration with Anneke van Giersbergen was a new band called The Gentle Storm. A cover EP and their first album, The Diary, were both released in 2015. Anneke wrote all the lyrics, and Arjen composed the music. The band toured in 2015 without Arjen, though he did join them for a few acoustic shows in the Netherlands.

Between September 18 and 20, 2015, a live version of The Human Equation was performed for four shows. Most of the original singers and musicians from the album participated. Arjen was not involved in creating the show, but he appeared at the end of each performance. He also produced and mixed the DVD/live album, called The Theater Equation, which was released on June 17, 2016.

On October 6, 2016, Arjen announced a new Ayreon studio album. After revealing the singers one by one, he showed the album cover and title, The Source, on January 19, 2017. The album was released on April 28, 2017, and was a big success, reaching the top of the album charts in the Netherlands.

Ayreon Live Performances (2017–Present)

In November 2016, Arjen announced the first official Ayreon concerts for September 2017, called Ayreon Universe. The show featured 16 singers and 11 musicians who had all worked with Arjen on his albums before. Unlike The Theater Equation, this concert featured different songs from Ayreon, performed like a regular concert. Some songs from Star One were also included. One of the performances was released as a live album/DVD on March 30, 2018, titled Ayreon Universe – The Best of Ayreon Live.

On December 7, 2017, Arjen announced that a new Ayreon concert would take place on June 22, 2018, at Graspop Metal Meeting. It featured the same musicians as the Ayreon Universe shows and most of its singers, along with new performers like Simone Simons and Barry Hay. Arjen himself also performed a few songs.

Between September 13 and 15, 2019, the album Into the Electric Castle was performed live in Tilburg. This was similar to The Theater Equation in 2015, but this time it was an official Ayreon performance. Many of the original singers and musicians returned. It was released as the live album Electric Castle Live and Other Tales on March 27, 2020.

Ayreon was supposed to headline the Night of the Prog Festival in Germany on July 18, 2020, to perform Into the Electric Castle again. However, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 8, 2020, Arjen revealed on his YouTube channel that his next album would be an Ayreon album called Transitus. It was released on September 25, 2020, along with a comic book.

Starting February 9, 2021, Arjen began hinting on his Facebook page about a new Star One album. On October 6, 2021, he revealed it would be titled Revel in Time. The album was released on February 18, 2022. Re-releases of Star One and Victims of the Modern Age followed in March and April 2022.

On January 19, 2023, it was announced that Arjen had formed a new band called Arjen Lucassen's Supersonic Revolution. On May 19, 2023, they released the 1970s-inspired album Golden Age of Music. Arjen also worked with Simone Simons on her first solo album, Vermillion, which was released on August 23, 2024.

About Arjen's Life

Arjen has said that music is everything to him, both listening to it and creating it. He believes that even if he wasn't successful, he would still be making music. He feels that music chose him.

Arjen's personal motto is "the meaning of life is to give life meaning." He included this sentence in the Ayreon song "The Sixth Extinction" from 01011001. He considers himself a very logical person and believes in science.

Family and Relationships

Arjen has an older brother named Gjalt. Gjalt's voice can be heard through a megaphone on the song "I'm The Slime" from Arjen's solo album Lost in the New Real. Every album Arjen releases includes a "Gjalt joke" in its booklet, which refers to his brother. Arjen was married to Jolanda Verduijn, who played bass on The Final Experiment, but they divorced around 2006 or 2007.

Arjen is currently in a relationship with American guitarist and lyricist Lori Linstruth. She moved from Sweden to live with him. Lori was a bandmate in both Stream of Passion and Guilt Machine, and she has also been featured on several Ayreon albums. Even though she stopped performing actively in 2010, she still works as Arjen's manager since 2007. She also helps with other tasks on his albums. For example, she helped write the story and lyrics for the Ayreon album The Theory of Everything. Arjen says that Lori helps supervise all his work, especially his lyrics, because English is her first language, and she is also an English teacher.

Health Challenges

While recording The Human Equation from 2003 to 2004, Arjen had increasing lower back problems. Doctors found he had a hernia. He even filmed his medical examination to use it for a video, as the "Me" character in The Human Equation also needed a scan after a car accident.

Since 2007, Arjen has had permanent anosmia, which means he cannot smell. In the same year, he also experienced a period of sadness that required medical help. This was due to his health issue, his constant work, and his recent divorce.

On September 3, 2012, he shared on his Facebook page that he had been suffering from an incurable tinnitus (ringing in the ears) for two months.

Discography

¹ Arjen also helped with the 1997 album Back from Flight 19, but was not listed as a band member.
² Even though Arjen considered this album a collection of unfinished songs, it was released as a new studio album with him listed as a band member.

See also

In Spanish: Arjen Lucassen para niños

• List of ambient music artists