8. Ayreon - The Human Equation
As with most concept albums one can not simply approach The Human Equation song by song. The album is a sprawling two disc journey taken along with a man in a coma struggling with his emotions to come back into consciousness. The man is voiced by James LaBrie, while composer and primary instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen voices his best friend, and the wife, and nine emotions are voiced by a talented and diverse cast of singers. The album would stand alone musically, or with almost any of the singular vocalists, but it is the amazing way in which Arjen throws everything together that makes the album truly special.
The album begins with a soft track, medical machines heard in the background to signal the state of the man as Arjen, playing best friend opens the dialog wondering about the state of the man. Although he said he was originally intending someone else for the part, listening back I can’t imagine anyone except Arjen playing the role of best friend, sure, he is not an overly talented singer, and he surrounds himself with the absolute best, but there is a special character and emotion found within Arjen that makes his roles special nearly all the time. For the second half of the song we are treated to the then unknown Marcela Bovio. Arjen sent out a call for unknown talent to appear on his next record, and out of a myriad of tapes sent in to what might as well be Dutch Rock Opera Idol, Arjen pulled out what was truly a diamond in the rough. Hailing from Mexico Marcela’s voice is as close to an angel as I can imagine. Soft and beautiful yet strong when required she outshines any female who attempts her style.
Through the second and third tracks we are further introduced to the varied and talented group of singers that are showcased on the album. The songs feature some of the heavier material on the album, music always accenting the emotion and singers of the time. Fear and Rage are introduced, voiced by Mikael Akerfeldt and Devin Townsend respectively, and they give performances to be remembered. The strong emotion of the album and their parts within truly justify and make all the better the growling seen throughout the album. Never overdone they simply display their parts as best they can. On the other hand several parts of the album feature softer sections, often with thick warm synthesizes more reminiscent of long gone progressive rock giants than of a band putting out albums in the new millennium.
“Hope” points out one of the albums strongest points. The song shows how Arjen perfectly crafts the music to fit the mood and lyrics of the piece. “Love” is another example with the music reminiscent of the type of dance where the man and his wife met. And a review of Ayreon is never complete without comments on how well Arjen uses the vocalists on his album. Each person seems perfectly suited and yet molded for their role, as Arjen once again shows his knack to always bring out the best in any singer. James LaBrie is seen using a low, deep and emotional side of his voice which is so often overlooked in Dream Theater these days. The beauty of Irene Jansen and Heather Findlay is so very apparent, and singers like Devin Graves and Magnus Ekwall are used to the extent of their particular niche.
Also appearing on the album are many unusual instruments including the violin, cello, and even a didgeridoo. That in itself is not all that amazing, what is however is how well Arjen uses each in his music, incorporating perfectly every instrument (or instrumentalist) he can get his hands on. The album also features one of my favorite closing tracks of all time. “Confrontation” sums up the theme of the album while the music powers forward ever faster and more intense until James LaBrie lets out one final shriek which leaves your heart pounding and wishing there was more.
Although the album features so many wonderful individual talents and songs, what it is as a whole truly makes it shine. From the concept to the music to the interplay of voices the album comes together as a masterpiece, only helped by Arjen’s beautiful engineering and mixing work. From the heavy to the atmospheric this album covers everything with beauty and precision, and it stands out as Arjen’s crowning achievement to date.
The album is available as a 2CD regular release, 2CD/1DVD special edition, and a very special limited edition that has the album shaped like a book. With the DVD in one cover, the 2CD’s in the other cover, and an extended booklet in book type binding in between it is the nicest packaging for a multi-disk set that I’ve ever seen. The DVD contains a very nice and lengthy documentary on the album, a brief explanation on the concept, a video for Love, and a few other small goodies.
Favorite tracks: Day Twenty: Confrontation, Day Two: Isolation, Day Three: Pain
Honorable mention: Threshold - Hypothetical
Topic: Nick's Top 50 Thread v. Ending Themes (Read 65150 times)
