The Sixth Extinction

Genre: Progressive Rock

Artist: Ayreon

Album: 01011001

This song does not seem like a song that I would like because it is quite heavy. But there is a purpose for the heaviness. Each of Ayreon's albums is part of a huge story. This album focuses on a race that has evolved to the point where it has eliminated all emotions, and thereby eliminated all the bad things in life. There is no more crime or pain. They have even made themselves immortal. But there is no happiness or joy. So they decide to live vicariously through another race--ours. Unfortunately, our race eventually destroys itself, becoming extinct. As they see the destruction, they cry out, "I can see them crying! I can see the fear!" until "not a self . . . left alive."

But as they witness this destruction, they think of what they have learned. "Don't give up, remember how we felt--fire rushing through our veins . . . the meaning of life is to give life meaning!" How true that statement is! This race lived without feeling, without emotion. They could not die, but their lives had no meaning. Eventually, in this song, they reach the conclusion that they need to turn off the machines they depend on and deal with emotions and regain the will to fight and live.

The song ends with this race crying out to the Univsersal Migrator to make them whole, healing them from their meaningless lives. There is a God who is the Ruler of the Universe to whom I can cry out. He heals me and gives meaning and purpose to my life. If life starts to seem stale and empty, it is because it has lost its meaning. We must give our lives meaning, and there is only One who can do that. I personally know that I need to stop depending on other things, just as this race depended on their machines. By giving my life meaning, I will not meet my own extinction, nor will I be reduced to the same hopeless state as the race called Forever.