I reviewed it a while back. It's an amazing album!
THE IMPOSSIBLE HAS HAPPENED ! May 25, 2004
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.
