The Singers of Ayreon: Heather Findlay and Mikael Akerfeldt

[KaldDodeGitarist]

Its funny that Mikael uses the term "brutal" the same way I do (thanks to Metalocalypse lol)

[oblivion4lcf]

The grunt was not as brutal!! LOL

Gotta love that man!

[carlitox9999]

Heather's voice is just orgasmic in every song but it's multi-orgasmic in the song day 2 isolation

[MrMike0113]

Heather and Mikael actually have fairly similar hair.

[Marorii]

Opeth should release a DVD just with funny Mikael scenes :D

[indiegamemakerpro]

Wow, that's really good sound.

[deansusky]

She is the greatest 

[Liolar43]

3:55! I think I just eargasmed!

[Tkot2326]

Yeah, those grunts weren't THAT brutal....

[lpz2]

No other singer can top Mikael's growls or clean singing. End of story.

[Arglactable]

Mikael Akerfeldt is the greatest person ever.

[XxSharkBatexX]

God, I really like Mikael. It'd be great hanging out with him! ("Weey-hoo! Weeey-hoo!")

[Maddolis]

That section around 2:35, Akerfeldt looks similar to Hansi, with the microphone blocking his face- same eyes, I guess.

Absolutely excellent!

[Finq08]

"yeah the grunt was not as brutal" dude .. are you fcking kidding or what?! :D

[FearlessSpinner]

both give me goosebumps and make me shed a few tears

[winmacdon]

The amount of talent out in the world is incredible. These two people are fantastic. I've been surfing through YouTube in an attempt to determine the level of competition that my granddaughter is up against with her new music video "Absu Road". I can see the competition is formidable. I would appreciate your opinion if you have the time. I have it as my favorite on my channel.

[Shishiwakarashi]

Mikael Arkefeldt.... awsome...

[Soilwar]

4:08 Damn Mike.. that "die!!" was perfect. Fucking PERFECT!

[blackmyth]

I really adore Heather ^^

[krzychguit]

"Yeah, the grunt was not as brutal..." =D

[manoelantoniojunior]

Listen  Carpe Diem - Mostly Autumn

[wingsofmajesty]

i love the way mikael says "brutal" at the end. nice swedish accent

[soocool78]

akerfeldt also grunted at the end of loser....no, he was not the guy singing the lyrics, he did the deep grunt, no lyrics just a grunt ;)

[quadrupleplay]

@soocool78: The end of Confrontation. Townsend is at the end of Loser.

[soocool78]

@quadrupleplay no i dont mean the actual singing, if you listen to hit there's just an audible grunt during those last lyrics, pretty sure that was akerfeldt

[quadrupleplay]

@soocool78: I don't know what exactly that grunt is. There's something that sounds like a dog barking in between Townsend's "NEVER! NEVER!"...is that what you mean? All the other screams are definitely Townsend - they're too high and scraping to be Akerfeldt.

I just listened to The Human Equation again today, so I'm pretty sure this is right...or there are PLENTY of things I still have left to learn about the album - not surprising.

[soocool78]

@quadrupleplay yea that dog sound is what i was talking about

[Psychiatric91]

2:46 "i kept on playing it. i kept on playing it and i got addicted"

yeah opeth can do that to you

[Gorotth]

Opeeeeeth yeaaa

[AngusKrueger]

oh maaan

Ayreon has got so many amazing "guest" singers.... Heather Findlay has one of the best voices i have ever heard, so des James LaBrie, Mikael Akerfeldt, Jorn Lande (i know he sings on another album, not Human Equation) and so on.... it is just great

[Deathcallsdeath]

3:33 Vodka!

[Iras95]

is a genius.

[dballona]

"the grunt was not as brutal" LOL ?

[Skoojoo]

I still cant fucking growl like Akerfeldt... it makes life not worth living. Hes still one of the the most amazing vocalists of all time.

[thankGodforDavidG]

Heather Findlay, also with Mostly Autumn is totally awesome, just listen to " Evergreen" and "Porcupine", her voice is great !

[nightmarebitch000]

oh god that mikael is so fucking cute.

[mamlasu]

Vodka will do the trick lol

[vinijdc]

LOL. I laughed loud..

[jmann114]

1:41 "So I just bought a few uh... synthesizers in the flee-market. This, sounds like... WEE-OO, WEE-OO. This is more a muffled sound... wee-oo... wee-oo. And here we have.. the very very low, bass sound. Mmmm... Mmm." xD

[gerymylove]

Mikael is so amazing... and I think it´s great that Arjen used both his voices, the clear warm one and the grunt, because Mikael is fantastic at both! oh, and thanks to Ayreon I kinda fell in love with the voice of Heather, she portraits "Love" really great!

[VaggosDragos]

Indeed....My 2 favorite too...!!

OPETH !!!

[dicamillo686]

from which song is that mikael's part from 2:35 to 3:03 ?

[Lia4321]

It's Childhood! And the other one is Trauma.

[metabog]

HAhA. Solina jokes.

[dilekrib]

love mikael

[osmosis2259]

that grunt was amazing and his clean voice is just very easy listening... he just has a good voice overall

[PwnzorBob]

Micke made me rofl in the beginning.

[Destructerator]

Arjen is like a crazy scientist... "I just HAD to have him for the album" :P

[LucianBelmau]

Akerfeldt is too funny XD I would pay to spend a night at the pub with him.. I imagine he would get drunk then start grunting to girls or something like that (I remember the speech about "pussy" he had during the concert in Milan last december) lol

[ToniKarlahaN]

Majestic Akerfeldt! :), btw, anyone knows what song's playing at the begining? It's really beautiful!

[vikingmetal99]

the song playing at the start is

"Day Thirteen:Sign" off the Human Equation.

[YpmaEnterprise]

Oudenbosch!!!! (toch?)

[DarkWolfen]

the grunt wasn't as brutal lol that song is my favorite!

[WinterTroll]

i said auugh youre amazing

[markototev]

The "merciless" part was amazing. He should do more slow, brutal growls like that in Opeth.

[LordOfRats]

Check out Bloodbath, Akerfeldt does nothing but brutal growls in that band and they are deeper.

[emericashoes]

yea but bloodbath sucks the only good song is eaten

[Sproeikoei]

He does on Watershed ;)

[humppppa]

2:00

[charlesazn29]

yea the grunt was not as brutal

lol

[osmosis2259]

hahah

[MuikuliWander]

Two amazing singers here. Also, both Opeth and Mostly Autumn are excellent bands.

[nilzardo]

"but I also let him do a couple of grunts" I LOVE that part. xD

Mikael is simply the best.\m/

[PredatorYT]

Opeth and ayreon rules!

[juankliss]

heather (L)

she's just perfect. Love

[SirNosferatu]

Mikael's vocals make my penis cry. He is the best hands down.

[mytouniquet]

Mikael is such an mazing vocalist!

[TierrasProgresivas]

Mikael sing very nice i want to sing like him, normal and growling.

[donbarredora]

Love Mikael, he is the best!

[thedrill666]

akerfeldt is the best singer in the world

[Sikizim]

hell yes. seeing him live is incredible.

[ab3m4n]

hell yes. Let us start Akerfeldtism. The worship of Mikael Akerfeldt.

[thedrill666]

great idea, im down

[ExplodingGuy]

"the grunt was not as brutal"

lol never mikael is always brutal \m/

[EVEHEARTSHAPE]

Michael is amazing I love his voice clean and grunt

[grindfuck3r]

akerfeldt ist geil

[Legume666]

Arjen super^^

[Maggai]

This album is amazing. Love Mikael and Devin on this album especially.

[ph1losopher]

I had no idea about this. Awesome!

[LotusNEcTAR]

love akerfeldt. love the voice of heather. Love Ayreon. Can you submit me an album to continue with? I started with the Human Equation, its the first and only ayreon album i have.

[giventofly462]

01011001 and The Electric Castle.

[jujuerlde]

@LotusNEcTAR

They are all amazing, maybe could you listen to them one by one: the last one "01011001" is very very good, "the electric castle" and "the universal migrator" too. Alle are top! This is the perfect mix between softy melodies and powerful heavy with good rythmics!

[smebrash]

The vodka would do the trick... Fantastic :)

He's really one of the best persons in music!

[lucasguitarrist]

Hahahahaaaa LOL! "The grunt was not as brutal!"

WTF man...I always scream "COOOLLLDD AND MERCYLEEEEESSSSS...YOU WORTHLESS FOOL..YOU LET HER DIEEEEEE" and I could never get as brutal as he did!

[Guinevere1988]

God he is great! "The vodka will do the trick" :))

[insectpinsnr]

nice butt on that girl!!! beautiful! god is a wonder

[ToTameACow]

The guy talking through most of it is one of those people that piss me off just listening and looking at them.

[Tinaruon]

Of course he narrates over it, it's the making of of his album; if you want to hear the singing, listen to the album itself. Besides, I think it's not that intrusive and flows better than talking-singing-talking etc.

[weavsworld]

You're an idiot.

[MaddogMTG]

Grunts on a folk song... that would scare the living crap outta me

[ThereIsOnlyFate]

FINNTROLL!!!!!!

\m/ \m/ \m/ \m/

[DrRoxo]

Seconded. [as long as you mean trollhammaren era fintroll and not this new screechy bullshit]

[ThereIsOnlyFate]

truetrue

last album SUCKS ... :s :x

[ghostofperdition00]

Haha, Mikael is the fucking man!

weewoo weewoo

[Keskimaki]

Åkerfeldt is definetly better singer than growler. His growls were nice on Brave Murder Day, but on Opeth he's quite dull.

[chrismardyl]

It depends on feelings. I think he's the best growler ever.

[SoundgardenReunion]

fuckin A, what the hell are you listening to Keskimaki, that range is beyond anything I have ever heard....u know the song "Bleak"...thats right. I played "Patterns in the Ivy II" for my mom and she LOVED his voice, then I played "When" she was like "Is that the same person?!?!" haha

[Keskimaki]

If we judge on sheer diversity and technical ability, first one that comes to my mind is Christian Älvestam of Scar Symmetry. Delicious growls, and excellent singing. Of course the bands themselves are not really comparable.

To my ear, Åkerfeldt's growls are just a tad too generic, and a bit dry sounding - both low growls and high screeches - hence the word dull I used. There are numerous Death Metal vocalists more original and interesting than him.

[SoundgardenReunion]

You couldn't be more ill-informed my friend. I accept that you are more of a Christian Älvestam fan, but as a musician of nearly 30 years I can honestly tell you that there are very few that are on Mikael's level, his growls are absolutely captivating and when I saw them live (7 times now) its beyond their recorded material.

[SoundgardenReunion]

And not alot of bands can perform better live than recorded, including Scar Symmetry of which I have seen them 5 times, so no, Christian can not "Growl" like Akerfeldt and no way on Gods green earth can he sing like him either.

[OnslaughtFei]

This man speeks the truth.

[smario88]

The very truth indeed.

Mikeal Åkerfeldt is beyond comparison when it comes to growls. And his clean vocals are so soft and... warm. You get addicted.

[joesdmf]

you should look at mikaels other band bloodbath , they are insane live and even better than scar symmerty, they are abit more heavy but excellent live, check out some of the wacken carnage videos

[SoundgardenReunion]

thanx, but i know bloodbath, ive been listening to them since 2000

[juchel]

the scar symmetry growl is percussive and easy to listen to, the opeth growl is totally death and frilling

[losermonster]

@chrismardyl He literally sounds like a monster, like a demon. It's unbelievable that a human being can sound like that.

[lpz2]

@losermonster he can make you feel like you're in hell and heaven at the same time

[nightmarecinema33]

Good lord, Arjen is a tall SOB.

[silverstaralchemist]

Lmao! not as brutal...I couldn't even probably come close to what he did there ^_^

[Jorsalfar]

I dig Heather Findlay!! She is amazing. Beautiful, sexy, talented, personable, warm...she's got it all. And I'm glad she split from Fish, that was just the wrong guy for her!

[M1nstr3l]

"of course you have to play it right" that scene is killer

[salamani]

I'd like to hear this song.

And as djeikop said: "Mikeal Akerfeldt=Master of everything"

And the woman was really good too.

[pekcan]

mikael is the true god of vocal

[DrRoxo]

It's amazing how he has that somewhat raspy sort of growl. It's really hard to replicate!

[djeikop]

Mikael Åkerfeldt = Master of eveything.

[tag3434]

"the grunt was not as brutal" lol :P

[MsAJESTY]

Heather is a great singer has a really soft voice...

[ONarmoO]

Mikael....his voice is awesome....it's so nice...and it's incredible that he can growl too...

[dancar]

Mikael's voice is God like...

[TobbeCrazy]

Ahh, i just loooove the song Trauma:)

Actually my favourite song, and it's so cool that the singer of Opeth sings on that song!:)

Excellent work on The Human Equation album!;)

[HenkJanPit]

Please, don't ruin the comments to Ayreon. Do that with some rubbish music.

[crilosius]

mikeal is a god

[funkpit]

mikael is so fucking great best singer in deathmetal

[opethgr]

No! ! MY God ..

[mIhac2]

u-eee-u u-eee-u. mmmm mmmmmm LOL

[mIhac2]

Mikael Akerfeldt is hilarious!

[CannibalMaggot]

COOOOOLD NNNN MERCILEEESSSS

[apoptosis02]

What the title of the song Mikael sings?

[pruttprutt]

The first one with only clean vocals is "Day 6: Childhood" and the one with growling in the end is "Day 12: Trauma"

[apoptosis02]

Thanks! :)

[fnglert]

YOU LET HER DIIIIIIIIIE.

[proghead33]

i love Heather and Mikael is a god

[Zizo1st]

You Let Her DIE !!!!!!!!!

[jesaja]

Åkerfeldt......My.God.

[Aaskereia]

Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Tägtgren are Death Metal ,\,,/ Both are GODS

[CapelaArcana]

Mikael Akerfeldt is a GOD!!!! he is the Ruler of the Fucking World!. he is the KING and we are just Dust at his Feet. he is the master of Sound and now I have to change my Underwere Becuse of him.

[nOizyGR]

Aker rules! Arjen rules too! :D

[MaleficusGray]

HOLY FUCK... god does his really beautiful singing and then he pulls out the kickass grunt, there really isnt many singer who can do that

[Jeydehn]

YOU LET HER DIEEEEEEEEEEEE

[metabog]

lol at "not as brutal". damn, long live metal!

[tehpiratezorz]

mikael could rule the planet if he wanted to.

[MaleficusGray]

he is god he already does

[KennysKoolKlub]

mikael is so funny hes awesome

[Staminalis]

Any representative Mostly Automn albums? Heather sounds so good! Cheers!

[mostlyanthony]

Try the best of album "Catch the spirit", and if you like that, buy their new album "Heart full of sky". Absoultely brilliant!

[BrugmansiaNoncorpus]

i've only heard the "Pink Floyd Revisited" album and "Storms Over Still Water" i must check those others out

[mostlyanthony]

Definitely! "Pink Floyd Revisited" is their worst! (But of course those aren't their own songs)

[blackwater24]

Ja.

Mikael has the perfect singing voice, yet the most powerful grunt there is. (:

[ghostindreamland]

Yay for Heather <3 She rocks.

[dyingfuzi]

lol "the other grunt was not as brutal " :D

mikael rocks!

[Matt2112RM]

Mikael = secks

[SteveFeces]

AWSM

[ShroomsG]

Fukin Rad mang! Akerfeldt!!!!

[wtfpwnzorious]

lol ;p very very low bass sound "mmm..mmm"

[Shadefecator]

Mikael's growling in Trauma gives me goosebumps every damn time! It's beyond love to me :O

[geempie]

nice video :)

[88FoxGT]

5 stars just because Mikael. :)

Most amazing voice I've ever heard.