Ayreon is a group led by the dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen. Ayreon has released several albums since 1995. On every album Arjen gathers vocalists from different known and less known metal bands around.
He usually let them sing the voice for a character in these concept albums Ayreon set up to do. Arjen writes almost all the music and lyrics himself and the different vocalists either come to his studio and record or send their recordings by mail.
The Human Equation (2004) is the 7th Ayreon album and the concept is about a person falling into coma and his inner senses/feelings/voices confronting eachother. Arjen always finds great vocalists and proves it again on this album. Among great names there is James LaBrie (Dream Theater) in a key role. Also beautiful female voices by Irene Jansen, Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn) and Marcela Bovio (Elfonia) combined with power metal glass breaking voices (Magnus Ekwall, Dream Evil). Melancholic voices such as Eric Clayton, (Saviour Machine) powerful grunting/shouting from Strapping young lad’s Devin Townsend and Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt who in a way that only he can, combines hellscream grunting with calm soft song.
The instrumental part is filled with space/future kinda sounds in many parts.
The different vocalists represent different feelings, senses or persons such as fear, guilt, love, wife etc. The album is a double cd album in which these characters confront eachother in a very exceptionally composed way. Therefor the album is best heard from the beginning to the end where everything escalades into the ending track called confrontation.
Ayreon is always good for discovering new vocalists and this album is no exception since Arjen has the talent to use the charismatic uniqueness in every voice in a good way.
As for a funny detail, Arjen told Mikael Åkerfeldt to record the worst hellscream he could. So Åkerfeldt did so and that hellscream is to be found in the last track Confrontation.
Ayreon should be great for fans of Progressive, symphonic or power metal.
Ayreon - Confrontation
Signed by Jonas (Lazarus)
2 comments:
I think Arjen is definately one of the most talented artists of our time! This album is one of my favourites btw, good choice and thank you Jonas for your contribution in the review area of our blog.
=)
I gladly make more reviews... but maybe on less known albums so that ppl may discover some rare things insted of what they're gonna discover sooner or later in any case :P
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