10 Best Progressive Rock Albums Of The 2000s

While prog rock overall might've slipped into cult status by the time the noughties rolled in, its penchant for maddened concept albums never changed.

Look no further than Ayreon's sixth LP, a wild, often scatterbrained tale of a coma patient. Featuring the likes of Dream Theater's James LaBrie and Saviour Machine's Eric Clayton, each voice within the patient's head is portrayed by a different vocalist.

The result is a mysterious, often suspenseful work of psychological mayhem. Bar a curious end note, the double album strays from the typically science fiction-leaning stylings of prior Ayreon efforts.

Clocking in at almost two hours, each of the 20 tracks on offer represents a day in the life of a car accident victim now trapped within his own lifeless body. It's a bleak and heavy topic handled with great wit and imagination by project head Arjen Anthony Lucassen and his impressive team of collaborators.

The album is distinctive for boasting the only single in Ayreon history where Lucassen himself is the lead vocalist. 'Day Seven: Hope', retitled 'Come Back to Me', was a modest hit for the Dutchman's long-running prog effort.

With seemingly every instrument in the world popping up at one point or other, 'The Human Equation' is a testament to just how ridiculously complex and immersive modern prog rock can get.