THE HUMAN EQUATION

I think I might possibly be the only person registered on this site who cannot find a single second on this album that justifies the amount of hype and adoration it recieves. For a person as extremely talent as Arjen is music wise, it blows my mind that he has no comprehension on how to properly use vocalists. When I was first told of this album by a metal record shop owner and who made guest appearances on it I was actually excited and intrigued enough to buy it, on impulse. That was probably the single worst mistake I ever made as one of the last few CD buyers on this earth. The fact that you've managed to have some of the greatest metal vocalists of all time on your albums should be enough to make you want to utilize their potential to the fullest. But that is not the case with Arjen "Ayreon" Lucassen.

He thinks its progressive, ground-breaking and just plain cool to have the likes of James LaBrie and Mikael Akerfeldt sing for 8 seconds each on 1 song, then dispose of them like yesterday's trash. This is the same reason why Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree fame absolutely refuses to be featured on an Ayreon album. Also the storylines, at least on The Human Equation, seem to be a little (or way) over the top. I think the appeal of this album and for this band in general to prog fans is the fact there are about 25 seperate musicians performing on this record. Sure, that is quite the accomplishment. But why does it still sound so hectic and unorganized? Someone with the ability and talent of Lucassen should have been able to at least make it all sound like an actual peice of music, not a soundtrack to a bad Stephen King movie, but with Sean Conery playing the leading role (Like seriuosly, what is the deal with that awful Sean Conery voice over work? Its beyond ridiculous!)

Take the bands SepticFlesh and The Ocean Collective for example. SepticFlesh's latest album Communion features a total of 136 (One Hundred and Thirty Six!) musicians, including a full orchestra and a 32 person choir. Yet, it all sounds like it was meant to be that way from the beginning. Nothing sounds out of place. The Ocean Collective's lastest release, double album titled Precambrian, was also another massive project. This one, also like Ayreon, features multiple vocalist. The only thing that sets The Ocean and Ayreon appart is the fact that one band knows how to make multiple vocalist music fit all mesh together in one solid sound, the other doesnt.

I will forever be waiting for an Ayreon instrumental album, until then, they will remain as the single most over-rated band in prog metal history.

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