| Avantasia - The Metal Opera Century Media, 2001 Lord Pale: Avantasia is a new side project of Edguy's frontman Tobias Sammet. Tobias has pulled together an impressive array of guest vocalists and musicians to help out including Andre Matos (ex-Angra), Kai Hansen (ex-Helloween/Gamma Ray), David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), and Jens Ludwig ( Edguy ) amongst others. With a lyrical concept based on a mixture of history and fantasy , the story centres around a young novice monk who uncovers a conspiracy of treachery and deception by the Pope when his true love is imprisoned for heresy , the story just gets bigger and more fantasy orientated from that point on . Musically Avantasia is standard power metal fare with the dramatic flair and bombast of keyboards and choirs with some rock and operatic influences . An excellent array of vocals and well-structured songs gives Avantasia plenty of variation with some speed metal classics �Reach Out For The Light� , ballad style songs �Farewell� , as well as more epic arrangements �The Tower� . This album is only the first part of the opera and a second instalment is due to be released some time in 2002 which will likely live up to the high standards set by this classic given Sammet�s love of his work . Recommended listening for fans of Edguy , Virgin Steele , Blind Guardian and other fantasy based epic power metal . Favorite tracks: Sign of the Cross, Farewell, The Glory of Rome Mark: 9 / 10 Avantasia �The Metal Opera Pt 2� AFM , 2002 Lord Pale : The long awaited sequel to Tobias Sammet�s epic operatic side project Avantasia finally arrives and slightly recreates the atmosphere it�s predecessor captured . Avantasia Pt 2 seems a little rushed , it doesn�t have any of the short musicals of the original like �In Nomine Patris� or �A New Dimension� , and the storyline is kept brief with much less of an explanation than was contained in the first installment . What Avantasia Pt 2 does offer however is longer more epic songs and occasionally more experimental elements like the rocky section in the middle of , and the quiet soothing section at the end of �The Seven Angels� , the 14 minute highlight of the album , and the bassy bridge section in �No Return� . Like the original Avantasia , Pt 2 has many similarities to Edguy�s �Theatre Of Salvation� , but where Pt 1 focused on the speed metal side , Pt 2 focus� on the more elaborate elements like �The Unbeliever� and �Theatre Of Salvation� , and the slower more romantic elements like �Another Time� ( see �In Quest For� and �Anywhere� ) . The faster elements are still present as demonstrated in �The Final Sacrifice� ( with some �Ripper� vocals heh ) , �No Return� with some great vocal switches , and some darker sounding passages present themselves in �The Looking Glass� ( reminiscent musically of both �The Headless Game� , and �Tears Of A Mandrake� ) , providing the album with plenty of variation . Tobias should again be congratulated for another great album , although I still think Pt 1 is my favourite , Avantasia Pt 2 is ( like most of his work ) an album that will grow and unfold new layers to the listener with each spin . Overall highly recommended . Favourite Tracks � The Seven Angels , Chalice Of Agony , No Return Mark � 9/10 |
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