As this is my first post here, I thought it would be appropriate to talk to you about one of my favourite bands of all time. Ayreon is one of the musical projects undertaken by Dutch composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen. His music is often themed, story-based, and variable in style, with tracks ranging from operatic vocal driven sagas, to dark, heavy folk metal (and everything in between!).

The most notable aspect of the composition of the project is that Arjen does not rely on a set group of members; he brings in different musicians for different tracks and ideas, which really broadens the styles of music that you will hear whilst listening to the albums. This is particularly noticeable on the album The Human Equation with regards to the lyrics. As the album is a story, in this case the journey of a man trapped in a coma (with a separate vocalist for the different parts that you will hear, including the protagonist’s wife, best friend and all the many of emotions he experiences during his coma) as he wars with himself. You will find yourself getting involved in the moods the protagonist finds himself in, with the music really pulling you backwards and forwards through a treacherous emotional battleground, and you will be left with a sense of satisfaction after finishing the album, that you have experienced something quite profound yourself.

This album is one that requires you to listen to it all the way through. Although each track has the individual merits you would expect any piece of music to contain, you would be missing out hugely on the main emphasis in this album; it would be akin to watching a movie and skipping to the more exciting parts, and ignoring the story in its entirety.

The quality of the musicianship is extremely high, often showing great technical skill and branching out into the progressive side of music, but with an air of simplicity in some of the heavier tracks which really complements the story as a whole, the darkness of certain tracks really pushing the moods of despair. Equally the flute, strings and keyboards can create a very positive mood that can invoke the exact opposite.

Ayreon is no doubt an acquired taste, but I assure you, once you have acquired it, you will be listening for a long while. I have yet to find another band with quite the same knack for epic story-driven metal, with the dynamic, not only in the songs themselves, but in the entire album that Arjen has managed to create.

From The Human Equation
Day Two: Isolation – (MP3, 8 MB)

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