"Our genre is often described as 'progressive', which for me means always breaking new ground and experimenting musically," says the now 60-year-old Lucassen, looking back on the genesis of "Transitus".
"In the true prog spirit I wanted to try something completely different from a typical Ayreon album, I wanted to do something more theatrical, almost like a musical, and of course I took the opportunity to use my favourite rock operas like 'Jesus Christ Superstar', 'Tommy', 'War of the Worlds' and 'The Wall' as inspiration
For "Transitus" Lucassen even left his lovingly constructed Sci-Fi universe and transplanted his ensemble to an earthly setting, even though this time it's also quite supernatural. "At some point, of course, I will return to the vastness of space," Lucassen is sure of. "So this album is not a new beginning for Ayreon, but rather a small step aside!"
