The 2-CD set features an impressive line up of guest vocalists including: James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Mikael Akerfeld, Devin Townsend, Devon Graves (Dead Soul Tribe), Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine), Irene Jansen (Star One), Magnus Ekwall (The Quill) and Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn). The Human Equation is released as a stylishly packaged digipak double CD with two non-album tracks.

I'm sure many of you reading this review are familiar but for you newcomers here is a little background. Ayreon is not a band in the normal sense. It is a continuing project of Dutch Multi-instrumentalist and composer, Arjen Anthony Lucassen, not unlike Alan Parsons. This is Lucassen's eighth overall Rock opera and sixth under the name Ayreon. The other two were entitled Star One and Ambeon.

Once Lucassen has written a new rock opera he invites guest singers and musicians to participate. To date he has had ninety-two guest artists participate in his eight projects.

The first thing I noticed about The Human Equation was that it was mellower than most of Ayreon's previous projects. The second thing I noticed was that it was not as mellow as I had thought. The third thing was that, although I at first didn't think I liked it that much, the more I listened the more I liked it. In fact after three listens I decided it is one of Lucassen's best works, if not his best. After a couple more listens I have decided that it's in the running with the two above mentioned masterpieces for Progressive album of the year.

The Human Equation like all previous Ayreon rock operas tells a story. In The Human Equation we have a comatose man reliving his memories and the events leading up to his bizarre auto accident, slowly realizing only he can wake himself.

For this project we have an unprecedented eleven singers including Lucassen himself. I'm sure you'll recognize some of the names as they read like a whos who of progressive rock/metal.

Guest Singers:
"Me" - James LaBrie, Dream Theater
"Best Friend" - Arjen Lucassen
"Wife" - Marcela Bovio - Elfonia

"Father" - Mike Baker - Shadow Gallery
"Agony" - Devon Graves - Dead Soul Tribe
"Fear" - Mikael Akerfeldt - Opeth
"Rage" - Devin Townsend
"Pride" - Magnus Ekwall - The Quill
"Reason" - Eric Clayton - Saviour Machine
"Love" - Heather Findlay - Mostly Autumn
"Passion" - Irene Jansen

Conclusion:

Evergrey, Therion, Ayreon, the three extraordinary bands I mentioned that have released magnificent albums within the last three months have one thing in common. Reviewers, fans, critics, it doesn't matter, they all have trouble putting a label on their music or comparing them to other bands. That is because each of them has followed a uniquely different path than their contemporaries. They each make music like no other, within their own personal sub-genre.

If you've never heard Ayreon or Evergrey or Therion, you're in for a treat and so I leave you with this thought, I bought The Human Equation for just under $17 from Amazon. For that $17 I got 20 songs totaling 103 minutes of four to five star music. This figures out to $.85 per song or $.16 per minute. How does that compare with the last Pop, alternative or rock album you bought. The last Pop album I bought was on sale for $9.99 plus tax, for which I got two four star and one five star song totaling 8 minutes and 45 seconds. How does that break down? Why it's only $3.60 per song or $1.23 per minute.

Of course all this math won't do you any good if you don't like Ayreon's style of music, so I'm going to go out on a limb and draw some parallels to bands you are sure to know. That doesn't mean they sound like these bands, however on some level at some time, there are similarities. Here goes: The Beatles, Styx, Queensryche, Loreena Mckinnett, Jethro Tull, Kansas, Yes, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues and believe it or not Jesus Christ Superstar(Probably because it's a rock opera).


THE IMPOSSIBLE HAS HAPPENED !   May 25, 2004
 27 out of 28 found this review helpful

After hearing the numerous albums Arjen Lucassen released under the Ayreon moniker as well as his side projects Star One and Ambeon, I came to the conclusion that, while each release is its own masterpiece, he would never release something better than the very first Ayreon disc The Final Experiment. That album is criminally underrated and it actually marked the beginning of a completely new era in progressive metal. I personally considered TFE and Into the Electric Castle the highpoints of Arjen's career, and as much as I like pretty much everything he's released, I prepared myself to never hear anything from him that would move me as deeply as these records.

Well, I was wrong. I was completely wrong. Arjen Anthony Lucassen has achieved the impossible and created his greatest masterpiece to date! The Human Equation is so far the best release of the year and it may become one of the greatest CDs of the last couple of years.

This is an incredibly difficult album to review, because it is so deep and rich in content with its poignant songwriting, amazingly talented singers, intriguing musicianship, perfect production work and well-thoughtout lyrics that form a deeply moving storyline. Like many other Ayreon releases, this is a concept album, but somehow I can relate to the subject theme a lot easier than some of Arjen's previous works. Maybe it's because the album deals directly with human emotions (or lack thereof), and Arjen has come up with a very original idea. He has taken the human mind as the context because the human mind can be a very terrifying realm that most people would rather not spend much time investigating. In the story, the emotions are played by various singers and this presents its own unique challenge. Each singer depicts a certain human emotion or character like Reason (Eric Clayton), Love (Heather Findlay), Fear (Mikael Akerfeldt), Pride (Magnus Ekwall), Best Friend (Arjen Lucassen), Me (James Labrie), Wife (Marcela Bovie), Father (Mike Baker), Passion (Irene Jansen), Agony (Devon Graves) and Rage (Devin Towsend). All of these singers are vocalists Arjen didn't work with before in order to make this CD all the more unique and original. The story is about a merciless man getting into a car accident and falling into a coma as a result of this. As his wife, best friend and father are waiting in the hospital room fearing for his life, he has to confront his past with the guidance of various emotions in his mind and fight them or give in to them. I'd rather not reveal what happens in the end because it has a great surprise ending that will just leave you speechless, especially if you're familiar with Arjen's back catalog. All I can say is that this album reflects the very pure form of all kinds of human emotions such as love, regret, betrayal, fear, revenge and agony. It is all seamlessly worked into the concept of this album.

Musically the album is very complex and varied in style. There is a dense mood that blankets every song setting the atmosphere which Ayreon fans are familiar with. Arjen plays almost all the instruments himself and is accompanied by long-time friend and drummer Ed Warby. There is also a beautiful folk trait present on this disc borrowing sounds from non-metal instruments such as the flute, violin, cello and bassoon. Guest musicians include Oliver Wakeman, Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep), Martin Orford (Jadis) and Joost van den Broek (Sun Caged) who all lay down remarkable synth solos on various songs. Arjen plays mighty guitar riffs and impressive melodies alongside progressive, folky and psychedelic tunes. His use of dynamics and contrast gives the album its own edge.

All singers on this album are simply phenomenal! Being a dedicated fan of most of the singers here already intrigued me even when this double CD was in the making, but I also discovered new voices here. The Mexican female singer Marcela Bovie provides an unbelievable performance with great charisma. I am speechless. Then there is Eric Clayton and Magnuss Ekwall, neither of whom I'd heard before. What have I been missing out on all these years?! Both perform exceptionally, especially Ekwall. It will be great to check out his band The Quill.

Needless to say the prog metal idols James Labrie, Mikael Akerfeldt and Devin Townsend along with female vocalists Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn and Irene Jansen, not to mention the others, are all amazing! Akerfeldt and Townsend both use their multi-dimensional vocal delivery. Their growls and high screams are other factors that makes THE my current favourite Ayreon disc. You will be blown away when you hear Devin's vocals in the songs "Loser", "Pain" and "School" and Akerfeldt simply shines on "Trauma" along with the moving duet between Eric Clayton and Magnus Ekwall. James Labrie is always criticised by both Dream Theater and other prog fans, but I think he is an excellent vocalist. Some of his recent side projects like Frameshift and this new Ayreon CD are his proof that he can deliver if given the chance. Devon Graves' vocals on this disc are even better than his some of his work with Psychotic Waltz and Dead Soul Tribe.

It is impossible to depict each song and explain each singer in this review, but rest assured, The Human Equation won't disappoint you. It shines from start to finish with flawless production and Arjen's meticulous attention to detail. This is 103 minutes of prog metal heaven.


This is as good as it gets...   June 18, 2004
 24 out of 25 found this review helpful

I've only had this album three days, as of this writing, and I can honestly tell you that I've listened to virtually NOTHING ELSE since I broke the seal. Any fan of progressive rock or metal should absolutely LOVE The Human Equation. It spans so many different musical genres and vocal styles, you need a program to keep track of everything. Fortunately, there is a full program included in the CD, aka the booklet that tells you who the characters are and what words they are singing. And this isn't a case of each guest singer doing his or her own song...at times you'll find as many as FIVE SINGERS on ONE SONG!

The most impressive part of this album is its true "progressiveness". This isn't a collection of progressive songs (although the songs do stand alone quite well)...this is a collection of progressive songs WITHIN each progressive song. It's almost like listening to thirty years of great music all condensed down into one 100-minute recording. One minute you're listening to some deep, dark David Bowie-does-Goth kind of thing, the next you're listening to Marcela Bovio belt out an awesome operatic melody, and then you're listening to that singer from Opeth scaring you half out of your wits along with some of the most crunching guitar riffs you'll ever hear. And all of it is five stars easily...there's not a moment of this cd that I don't like. And it only gets better each time you hear it.

The Human Equation really is a showcase of top-notch songwriting, awesome production, and a mixture of some of the best voices in rock and metal these days. The mellower parts are highly reminiscent of the 60's and 70's, including passages that might remind you of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, ELO, Styx, Jethro Tull and several others. The heavy parts are heavy indeed, so fans of Ayreon's Flight of the Migrator should be satisfied as well.

This album may be Arjen Lucassen's shining star...and that's saying something considering his previous works.

I bought the version with the "making of" DVD (also available here on Amazon). If you choose this option as well, I highly suggest reserving about three hours and watching the DVD first, and then listen to the entire album right after. Seeing the singers/characters interacting and Arjen explaining how the whole project was put together is a great lead-in to the album itself. Trust me, it will be an experience you'll not soon forget.


One of the best albums released....ever.   November 18, 2004
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

The Human Equation just can't be accurately described. Sure, there are appropriate descriptors like incredible and amazing, but those terms get thrown around so much these days, that this album deserves something even better....and I don't have it. Very few albums can equal the sheer perfection of Human Equation (Dream Theater's Images and Words, and Devin Townsend's Terria come to mind). This CD has crystal-clear production, creativity through the roof, and more emotion than many artists these days have in their entire discography.

As far as the actual music goes, it's a blend of prog rock/metal, with influences from all over the place. For those who dislike metal, I still recommend checking this album out, as there are also many, many acoustic and symphonic portions.

To touch on the vocals, Arjen Lucassen (the mastermind behind this monster) has gotten a massive collection of other vocalists in on this project, which makes for some superb conversational lyrics (each vocalist represents a different character or emotion in the story of the album). I wont comment much on the story, lest I spoil it for those who wouldn't want it spoiled. I'll just say that it's perfectly suited for this style of album, and that I thouroughly enjoyed it.

I have no more to say. I'm out of energy. I'm just going to go back and listen again...and again. It's quite simple, this album is a MUST for fans of good music. Go get it.


Awesome.   June 2, 2004
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This double-CD is amazing. Each song has its own identity, making it very unique and so the album never repeats itself. The emotions are portrayed well by the music; for example, you can tell that a bad emotion or thought is about to happen when the music grows more darker, and each musical piece fits the emotion so perfectly. The lyrics are well thought out and make you think; some lines might strike you and leave you depressed long after you finished listening. All of the singers are excellent with the exception of the Dream Theater guy. He is good in low range, but when he tries high range it sounds a bit embarrassing when comparing to the other singers (just listen as Clayton and LaBrie exchange lines in the second song). I think the darker songs like Day Three: Pain and Day Seventeen: Accident? are the best but the positive ones like Love are breathtaking as well. Overall, one of the best pieces of music I've had the chance to listen to.