I did a search, and I don't think this has been posted before so:

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OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has been officially confirmed as one of the guest performers on the new AYREON CD, "The Human Equation", tentatively due in May 2004 through an as-yet-undetermined label.

According to a posting on AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen's (ex-BODINE, VENGEANCE) web site, "fans and journalists alike kept telling Arjen to check out Mikael as a possible choice for a singer on an AYREON album. Arjen became more and more curious to hear him and decided to pick up a copy of [OPETH's] 'Damnation'. After a few spins he became an absolute fan of Mikael's voice and music.

"When Arjen contacted Mikael to ask whether he would be interested to participate, Mikael replied within an hour that he knew about AYREON and even had some albums... and that he would love to be part of a new AYREON project.

"Mikael recorded his vocals at the Electric Castle the first week of November and if you want to know if Mikael also grunts on the album, be sure to check the full studio report including pictures to be posted next week!"

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I think we all know that Labrie has been confirmed on this as well (as well as Devon Graves (DEAD SOUL TRIBE)
Magnus Ekwall (The Quill), Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn), Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine), and Mike Baker (Shadow Gallery)). So this CD should kick ass (even though we don't get Russel Allen...)

OPETH

W00T!!!! The next Ayreon album is definitely gonna kick serious ass!!

NICE!!!

How bout some Johan Edlund for a House on Mars type track? I LOVE that song! Anyways, Labrie+Akerfeldt = TEH WINNAGE!1111!!!!!1!

"I can't tell you what hotel I'm staying at, but I can tell you that it's got something to do with two trees." - Mitch Hedberg

Is Arjen doing anything on this one?

...did I post that or just think it?

ORIGINAL: Mobin

if you want to know if Mikael also grunts on the album,

Now that would (pardon my French) fucking rule! I don't know how that would fit within the song and from reading that Arjen contacted Michael after hearing "Damnation" I doubt that we'll get some growling, but that would be definitely something interesting. I hope it happens.

"You've got this real living, breathing person, who's now dead." - Rob Halford

freakin' double-post...

"You've got this real living, breathing person, who's now dead." - Rob Halford

Hell yes!!! I was mildly expecting this album, now I cant f*cking wait for this thing to come out! early candidate to 2004 album of the year! Arjen is a genius!

you guys gotta remember, that on the Electric Castle album, there was a whole song with a whole bunch of death metal grunting.

i find it amusing that Arjen only got to hear Damnation. i wonder if he would still consider using Mikael after hearing Deliverance, or Still Life. it's just when he heard Damnation, he only heard the softer side of Opeth. either way, the next Ayreon is gonna rule!

More good news:

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD mastermind Devin Townsend has been confirmed as one of the guest performers on the new AYREON CD

Fucking right!!

Holy crud. This is turning into like a "who's who" of metal dom.

The only way to live is to die while you're alive.

All The vocalists on the Ayreon - The Human Equation album are:

Devon Graves (Dead Soul Tribe)
Mike Baker (Shadow Gallery)
Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine)
Magnus Ekwall (The Quill)
Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn)
James LaBrie (Dream Theater)
Marcela Bovio (Elfonia)
Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth)
Devin Townsend (Devin Townsend Band / Strapping Young Lad)
Irene Jansen (Karma)
Arjen Anthony Lucassen


quite a list or what?!

www.leverageband.com

Devin Townsend?

Excellent!!

All we need is Russell Allen and Daniel Gildenlow and this would be the next musical hard-on for me.