The Human Equation

Infobox Album | Name = The Human Equation
Type = studio
Artist = Ayreon


Released = May 25, 2004
Recorded = 2004
Genre = Progressive metal
Length = 1:42:14
Label = InsideOut Music
Producer = Arjen Lucassen
Reviews = PiercingMetal Rating-10|9 [http://www.piercingmetal.com/cd_ayreon_humanequation.htm link]
Last album = "Ayreonauts Only"
(2000)
This album = "The Human Equation"
(2004)
Next album = "01011001"
(2008)

"The Human Equation" is the sixth album by Arjen Anthony Lucassen, released under the name Ayreon. It was released on May 25, 2004. As with other Ayreon albums, it features guest appearances from several musicians previously unrelated to the project, including James LaBrie of Dream Theater, Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth, Eric Clayton of Saviour Machine, and Devin Townsend, performing music arranged and written by Lucassen.

Concept and storyline

The album explores the idea of psychological rebirth, and follows the story a man who, after falling into a coma following a car accident, is confronted with his past, his emotions, and his current situation as he lays trapped inside his own mind. The circumstances surrounding the accident are mysterious, as the man ("Me", portrayed by James LaBrie) ploughed into a tree on a deserted road in broad daylight. Following this, he slips into a twenty-day coma, with each day represented by a single song. Each song follows a slightly different format, though there are major common themes, such as the presence of Me's manifest emotions in his dream world (including Fear portrayed by Mikael Åkerfeldt, Reason portrayed by Eric Clayton, and Pride portrayed by Magnus Ekwall); the presence of Me's Wife (Marcela Bovio) and Best Friend (Arjen Anthony Lucassen) at his bedside; and the past events that Me is forced to reflect on.

The plot builds from Me’s early broken state to his eventual rebirth as a new and better man. His own dark past; in which he suffered beneath an abusive Father (Mike Baker), was driven to become merciless by school bullies, and eventually betrayed his closest friend for his own benefit; is intertwined with the plot surrounding Wife and Best Friend, eventually revealing the cause of the accident: Me had witnessed the two sharing an intimate moment, and had swerved his car into a tree in his despair. The three eventually come clean and forgive each other, leading Me to conquer his negative emotions and escape his nightmarish prison.

The story terminates with a sci-fi twist in contrast to the psychodrama of the album, but reminiscent of earlier Ayreon releases. The final song cuts suddenly to silence as it reaches a crescendo, and a computerised voice announces the shut-down of the . The voice of Forever then speaks the final words of the album, tying its events into the overall Ayreon plot that began with "The Final Experiment".

Track listing

Editions

This album is released as three different editions:
* Regular Edition: 2 CDs
* Special Edition: 2 CDs and one DVD with behind-the-scenes videos
* Limited Deluxe Edition: 2 CDs and one DVD but also 36-page booklet

The Limited Deluxe Edition comes not in a regular CD case, but in a large cardboard book that opens up with the two CDs on the left inside cover, the DVD on the right inside cover, and 36 pages in between featuring the lyrics and a large illustration for each day.

DVD

*Inside [45:27] - behind the scenes
*Concept [3:05] - the concept of The Human Equation
*Drums [3:32] - Ed Warby's drums
*Video [3:49] - videoclip of Day Eleven: Love
*Teaser [1:28] - teaser trailer

Personnel

*James LaBrie (Dream Theater) as Me
*Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth, Bloodbath) as Fear
*Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine) as Reason
*Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn) as Love
*Irene Jansen (ex-Karma) as Passion
*Magnus Ekwall (The Quill) as Pride
*Devon Graves (Dead Soul Tribe/ex-Psychotic Waltz) as Agony
*Marcela Bovio (Elfonía, Stream of Passion) as Wife
*Mike Baker (Shadow Gallery) as Father
*Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon/Stream of Passion/Ambeon/Star One) as Best Friend
*Devin Townsend (ex-Strapping Young Lad/ex-The Devin Townsend Band) as Rage
*Peter Daltrey as Forever (uncredited cameo)

Instruments

*Arjen Lucassen - all electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, mandolin, lap steel guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, Hammond
*Ed Warby (Gorefest) - all drums and percussion

Acoustic instruments

*Robert Baba - all violins
*Marieke van den Broek - all cellos
*John McManus (Celtus, Mama's Boys)- low flute on Days 13, 16 and 18 and whistle on day 18
*Jeroen Goossens - flute on Days 3, 5, 9, 14 and 18, alto flute on Day 2, bass flute on Days 5 and 14, panpipes on Day 6, descant and treble recorder on Day 13, didgeridoo on Day 16, bassoon on Day 18

Additional keyboards and solos

*Joost van den Broek (After Forever) - Synthesizer solo on Day 2, spinet on Day 13
*Martin Orford (IQ, Jadis) - Synthesizer solo on Day 15
*Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep) - Hammond solo on Day 16
*Oliver Wakeman - Synthesizer solo on Day 17

Ayreon