The Human Equation (2025 Remixed & Remastered)

Remixed and remastered classic Ayreon album, originally released in 2004, with bonus tracks from the Ayreon archives. The Human Equation was the sixth album from the progressive rock project Ayreon by Dutch musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen. As with other Ayreon albums, it features guest appearances from several musicians previously unrelated to the project, including James LaBrie of Dream Theater, Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth, Eric Clayton of Saviour Machine, and Devin Townsend, performing music arranged and written by Lucassen. The album explores the idea of psychological rebirth, and follows the story of a man who, after falling into a coma following a car crash, is confronted with his past, his emotions, and his current situation as he lays trapped inside his own mind. The circumstances surrounding the crash 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 (Mikael Akerfeldt), Reason (Eric Clayton), and Pride (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.