Prog4you.com - Progressive Metal Review

: : Musicians : :
Arjen “Ayreon” Lucassen - Electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, Hammond, Mellotron, additional keyboards

: : Vocalists : :
Devon Graves (Dead Soul Tribe) as 'Agony'
Devin Townsend (SYL) as 'Rage'
Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine) as 'Reason'
Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) as 'Fear'
Magnus Ekwall (The Quill) as 'Pride'
Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn) as 'Love'
Irene Jansen (Karma) as 'Passion'
James LaBrie (Dream Theater) as 'Me'
Marcela Bovio (Elfonia) as 'Wife'
Mike Baker (Shadow Gallery) as 'Father'
Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) as 'Best Friend'

: : Instrumentalists : :
Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep, Various) - Hammond
Oliver Wakeman (Nolan & Wakeman) - keyboards
Martin Orford (IQ, Jadis) - keyboards
Ed Warby (Gorefest, Various) - drums
Joost van den Broek (Ayreon) - keyboards
John McManus - Low-flute, tin-whistle

: : The Human Equation : :

The Human Equation has the faint feel of Ayreon's past masterpieces. There is a splash of Into the Electric Castle and a sprinkle from The Dream Sequencer. Then again, the album is leaps and bounds ahead of anything he has ever accomplished.

From a thematic point of view, it consists of a very rich and deep story into what it means to be human. The story goes so far as to describe what it is like to be an outcast in school, which is quite prevalent to the modern times. It probes the inner psyche dealing with complex moods and relationships. This is a far cry from tacky science-fiction.

Instrumentally, this is what has come to be expected from an Ayreon project. He has recruited top-notch technicians again, however, unlike earlier projects, these tunes are much snappier. The strongest aspect of the album is easily the vocalists. There are incredible harmonies. On past albums, he may have been guilty of pairing up individuals with similar voices. Instead, on this album, each singer provides something special. The harmonies with James LaBrie and the women on this album are extraordinary. Heather Findley shines brightly. She alone may be the supreme highlight of the album and that says quite a lot considering what the others contribute to the music.

The album earns one sole demerit. It is a little slow to get started. The opening sequences are a little tame. This is somewhat understandable when you take into account the fact this is two discs worth of music. Not to mention, once we get further along, the music becomes absolutely engrossing.

Many of the songs break new ground. Day Four: Mystery may be the best song Arjen has ever produced. A track later he keeps pace with Day Five: Voices. While borrowing ideas from past Ayreon records, he manages to incorporate many diverse areas of progressive rock. There are sequences that sound like Tull one moment and then David Bowie the next. The album is more rock than metal, but does have the parts inspired by Star One as well as other realms of progressive music Many aspects (e.g. lyrics, instrumentals, overall outline) parallel the Dream Theater concept pieces: Scenes from a Memory and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. The variations in style will keep attention-deficit listeners from nodding off.

While Erik Norlander is missing from the credits, many parts sound like his solo work. Into the Sunset and Music Machine are albums that come to mind. Albeit Erik, Arjen found keyboard players that were more than adequate for the task at hand. The album features Ken Hensley, Joost van den Broek, Martin Orford, and Oliver Wakeman. Each delivers a symphony of succulent sounds. These musicians obviously learned their prospective playbooks while waiting for the word to enter into this primetime event. When given the opportunity, each was more than ready to play. The coach and fans welcome these star-classed substitutions as each melds seamlessly with the rest of the team. Assisting the keyboards in the orchestrations are violins, flutes, and cellos. Ed Warby’s drums act as life support, morphing to meet the needs of each member in this crew.

The Human Equation rocks, yet it is so much more. It is quite possibly the best vocals heard in a rock opera format. The singers make a tremendous showing here. Their voices overlay a fine fabric stitched together by needlepoint. The production shows concentration and care to every single sound and note. The Human Equation is a quality affair resulting in an album that is sonically sublime.

Rating: 8.75 Stars
Reviewer: Josh Turner

: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :

: : Discography : :
The Final Experiment - 1995
Actual Fantasy - 1996
Into The Electric Castle - 1998
The Dream Sequencer - 2000
Flight of the Migrator - 2000
Ayreonauts Only - 2000
The Human Equation - 2004

: : Record Label : :