A silly little blog for me to drop the excrement of my mind.
Published on April 21, 2005 By BlueDev In Music
Untitled

THE HUMAN EQUATION
By: Ayreon
Year: 2004


Arjen Lucassen has built quite a reputation for himself in the realm of progressive rock/metal. Frequently called a genius by fans, the buildup on the net for the latest Ayreon release was nothing short of monumental. The release of names of some of the guest vocalists was stirring up quite a buzz, long before the album ever reached stores. And with good cause. As background for the unfamiliar, Ayreon is one of many musical projects headed by musical mastermind Arjen Anthony Lucassen. The music of Ayreon can often be categorized as rock opera, with many vocalists playing varied parts in the work. "The Human Equation" is no different, and in fact represents the most ambitious use of guest vocalists to date on any Ayreon project.

As with all Ayreon albums, truly appreciating the work includes comprehension of the story. Arjen carefully crafts an interesting, powerful story that is often poetic without becoming incomprehensible. Too often lyricists dress their stories up in confusing metaphors, but not here. This doesn't mean the story is simple though. Quite the opposite is true. "The Human Equation" takes place over two discs, nearly two hours of music, and 20 tracks, each representing a day. The album tells the story of a man in a coma and his struggle back to life. Told from two perspectives, cleverly woven lyrics and music take us from his bedside where his wife and best friend stand vigil, to the inside of his mind where his demons are haunting him. He must confront his emotions: Rage, Pride, Fear, Reason, Love, Passion, and Agony, all brilliantly sung by some of the most talented vocalists in the industry, in order to fight his way back to life. As he confronts these inner demons we discover what led to the coma in the first place, and some of the fears and trials that await him outside his own mind.

Musically, "The Human Equation" truly runs the gamut of styles. Everything from acoustic folk, hints of orchestral arrangements, spacey psychedelic prog, and powerful metal finds the appropriate place on the album to move the story forward. Most of the instruments are played by Arjen himself, but he wisely pulls in some truly talented musicians to flesh out the sound. As we have come to expect, Ed Warby does a masterful job on the drums, and guest instrumentalists bring their talent to the table on the keyboards, cello, violin and flutes. There really is something for just about everyone on this fine album. And while often clumped into the category of progressive rock/metal, Arjen tastefully refrains from the blatant displays of technical virtuosity that is often associated with the genre, while still displaying excellent musical ability.

Tracks to catch: 'Day Two: Isolation is our first real glimpse into where the album is going, and it displays not only the musical diversity of the album, but also showcases the voices of James LaBrie, Eric Clayton, Magnus Ekwall, and Irene Janssen in particular. 'Day Eight: School' explores some of the past trauma of the protagonist and is brilliant. 'Day Eleven: Love' is particularly moving and powerful. 'Day Twelve: Trauma' is a dark, disturbing journey that unleashes the full fury of Mikael Akerfeldt's brutal growl. 'Day Sixteen: Loser' confronts us with the psychotic figure of Father, sung by Mike Baker, as the final barrier to fully coming back to life. Finally, 'Day Twenty: Confrontation' powerfully resolves the epic album.

Objective Rating: 10 of 10
I believe every artist is entitled to a perfect album. Whether or not they produce that is another thing. But amongst such a stellar catalog of albums, Ayreon's "The Human Equation" is perhaps the quintessential example of what a prog rock opera can and should be. The writing is stunning, the performances unparalleled, the production clean, crisp, full, and flawless, and the lyrics fascinating. Even the cover artwork is stunning. This is an amazing album, and I recommend it to any music fan without hesitation, no matter what genre they prefer.

Biased Rating: 10 of 10
I love this CD. Looking at in subjectively, I think Arjen is a great guy, and I want to like just about everything he does. But this album is so perfect that I don't need any bias to give it a 10.


Comments
on Apr 21, 2005
Excellent job, BlueDev!

I wish the story structure would come back in music. There's some 80s new wave that I like which follows the structure and deals with non-mainstream topics. I'm likely to listen to it more because usually I find something new in it.
on Apr 21, 2005
I wish the story structure would come back in music


I think that aspect is some of what draws me so strongly to progressive metal/rock. So many albums are concept albums, weaving and crafting the stories with words and music. With the exception of the second Ayreon album, 'Actual Fantasy', the other five are all concept albums, with intricate and interesting stories. And all six albums work together to tell a much larger story that is still currently spanning the work.

Many other groups have great albums that tell stories, or songs that tell stories, or albums that fit together conceptually so well that they become a cohesive collection. I, too, like that aspect of music. Glad to know it is out there in other genres I may not be familiar with.

Thanks for the compliment as well!
on Apr 23, 2005
I'm still looking out for this album.