Ayreon mastermind Arjen Anthony Lucassen is always keeping busy, and 2010 is no exception: Next week InsideOut will release Victims of the Modern Age, the second album from his Star One project. Featuring vocals by Russell Allen (Symphony X), Damian Wilson (Headspace, Threshold), Floor Jansen (ReVamp, ex-After Forever), and Dan Swanö (ex-Bloodbath, Nightingale, Edge of Sanity) and lyrics based on a series of classic, post-apocalyptic sci-fi films and television series — including A Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner, and Firefly — Victims of the Modern Age is a must-have for fans of edgy-yet-melodic metal. MetalSucks is proud to debut the track “24 Hours,” which you can stream below. Once you hear how awesome it is, pre-order Victims of the Modern Age here.

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And after the jump, read my exclusive chat with Lucassen about the differences between Star One and all his other various projects, how he goes about collaborating with these legendary singers, Star One’s lyrical content, and what he has in store for fans after Star One…

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Will Vince murder me if I compare Star One, the new project from multi-instrumentalist and Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen, to Dream Theater? ‘Cause I can’t really think of a more apt comparison. Classically infectious main riff? Check. Vocals sure to elicit homophobic epithets? Check. Super proggy guitar solo interspersed with an equally proggy synth solo played in a keyboard tone that is awesome even as it somehow conveys years of chronic masturbation in the face of a complete inability to lose one’s virginity? Check. Dorkiness out the wazoo? My fellow Firefly nerds (I still have just enough dignity left not to refer to myself as a “browncoat”) will recognize the title of Star One’s new song, “Earth That Was,” as a reference to Joss Whedon’s cult show. So, yeah, big 10-4 on that last one.

But as is the case with Dream Theater, I kid because I love. I mean, this shit really is as geeky as geeky gets, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it’s also really fun. In other words: Maybe a more apt comparison than Dream Theater would just be Ayreon.

“Earth That Was” is streaming at Noisecreep. It features vocals by Russell Allen (Symphony X), Damian Wilson (Headspace, Threshold), Floor Jansen (ReVamp, ex-After Forever), and Dan Swano (duh), in case my witticisms didn’t already have you foaming at the mouth. And it comes off of Star One’s new album, Victims of the Modern Age, which is out October 26th via InsideOut Music.

-AR

Writing on the new and improved Invisible Oranges, Cosmo Lee asserts that “You may know [Ed Warby] as the drummer for Hail of Bullets, Ayreon, and Gorefest.” Well, I don’t. Okay, Cosmo? I’m not a fan of any of those bands. I mean, Ayreon are okay if you’re really drunk and have nothing to do for fourteen straight hours, but otherwise, ppppffffttt. So stop being such a bully all the time, okay? Jeez.

ANYWAY, Cosmo was writing about Ed Warby because he’s the mastermind behind The 11th Hour, whose 2009 release, The Burden of Grief, is apparently “about a man about to die from a lung disease.” What a simple and brilliant idea for a metal concept album. Not everything has to be about life and death on such an epic scale; life and death are pretty epic on their own. Especially if it’s your death you’re facing down. Kinda makes you wish more bands would shut up about vikings and Satan already and get a little more down-to-earth when considering the plight of modern man.

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Ayreon – the sorta one-man power metal act that has, at some point or another, included guest appearances from everyone who has even been in any power metal band of note, ever – have a new double-disc extravaganza out, 0100110, and, like all really good power metal, it is somehow totally ridiculous and completely epic and awesome all at once. So here’s the video for the first single, “Beneath the Waves,” featuring Gotthard’s Steve Lee on vocals. It is best, needless to say, best enjoyed when you’re totally blazed.

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-AR