Avantasia - The Metal Opera, Pt. II (2002)

One year after its release, Tobias Sammet and company followed the first installment of The Metal Opera with a sequel. Aptly entitled The Metal Opera, Part II, it continues and concludes the saga that began in Part I. But how does it stack up to it's antecedent? Quite well, actually. I'll put it to you this way: whereas the first episode of The Metal Opera had some fantastic standout tracks, the second episode is an overall stronger collection of songs.

"The Seven Angels", which clocks in at just under a quarter of an hour, gets the album going in grand fashion (it also recapitulates the events of the first installment). It feels and functions rather like a traditional overture, setting the stage for the forthcoming action and incorporating a variety of melodies and passages. "No Return", one of the faster and thrashier songs in the Avantasia repertoire, is next, followed by "The Looking Glass", a powerful mid-tempo rocker (as well as one of the major standout tracks). Both of these are truly solid songs, and add some nice variety to the proceedings.

Up next is "In Quest For", a largely piano-driven power ballad (it sounds like the sort of soliloquy you'd expect from a Broadway musical, in fact). It's not one of the most memorable moments on the album, but it's not bad by any means. The speed and energy return with "The Final Sacrifice", which is in a similar vein as "No Return"-very thrashy, if not quite as fast. "Neverland", another particularly strong track, is more melodic, and more anthemic. The second power ballad is next, entitled "Anywhere". As far as power ballads go, its actually pretty good--it's memorable, much more so than most of the other Avantasia power ballads.

"Chalice of Agony" is next. Aside from being one of the best songs on the album (if not in all of the Avantasia repertoire), it also feels like the musical climax of the Metal Opera saga--comparable, I would say, to the bull-fighting scene towards the end of Carmen (yes, I did just compare Heavy Metal to classical Opera, and yes, it's a perfectly valid comparison). Unfortunately, this great song is followed by two songs that just aren't quite as strong--"Memory" and "Into the Unknown", the latter seeming to function as a denouement to the whole Metal Opera.

I've been on a major Power Metal kick the past two weeks or so, the blame for which can be placed largely at the feet of the two episodes of The Metal Opera. There are plenty of great moments on these albums. It's a fairly grandiose affair, to boot--comparable to MGM musicals at their most opulent (okay, that may be a stretch, but I'll draw links between old school Hollywood and Heavy Metal any way I damn well can). Do yourself a favor and give The Metal Opera saga a listen--odds are you won't be disappointed.

Bonus youtube magic: Tobias Sammet and company playing "Sign of the Cross" live (with a bit of "The Seven Angels" thrown in just to make things interesting).

Avantasia - The Metal Opera, Pt. I (2001)

The Metal Opera was the first proper effort of Tobias Sammet and his many guest musicians under the moniker of Avantasia. Whereas the supergroup's most recent effort saw Sammet and company pursuing a more mainstream rock sound, The Metal Opera--as the name suggests--is straightforward, uncompromising cavalcade of Power Metal. The album is operatic in function as well as form--it follows the story of Gabriel, a novice of the Dominican Order in 1602. Gabriel's stepsister falls into the clutches of the inquisition and is charged for witchcraft. At the same time, Gabriel is tapped by a mysterious fellow named Vandroiy to save Avantasia, a mystical dimension "beyond human imagination." Adventure ensues.

There are some truly great songs on The Metal Opera, but there are also some that are less interesting. After a short instrumental into, the album launches into "Reach out for the Light", an effective first track which serves both as exposition for the story and, with its anthemic verses and chorus, to grab the listener's attention. "Serpents in Paradise" slows down the tempo a little bit, but keeps the energy high. "Malleus Maleficarum" is the first of the instrumental interludes--it does feature some dialogue, but no actual vocals--and as such, it slows down the pace of album noticeably. The energy returns with "Breaking Away", which is similar in tempo to its predecessors, though the song itself is a bit shorter.

This brings us to "Farewell", which--in terms of the track order--is the first real standout track on The Metal Opera. It is something of a folksy power ballad, with the anthemic melodies of the latter and the time signature of a Viennese Waltz. The chorus is particularly catchy, and I often catch myself singing along to it. The next song, "Glory of Rome", is another standout track. It's the fastest most thrashy song on the album.

"In Nomine Patris" (another somewhat forgettable instrumental) is next, followed by "Avantasia". This latter is one of the two best tracks on the album. Though it is another anthemic mid-tempo rocker, the song is brimming with energy and enthusiasm--quite appropriate, given that the song is synonymous with the band. It is bookended by "A New Dimension", the third of the interludes. "Inside", another power ballad, is next, though it is unfortunately less than inspiring.

"The Sign of the Cross", however, is next, and it is perhaps the best song on the album. It is fairly traditional Heavy Metal, suggesting equal parts Judas Priest and Manowar. The chorus is no less infectious than that of "Farewell" or "Avantasia". The guitar work, courtesy of Jens Ludwig of Edguy, is also stellar. Finally, "The Tower", perhaps the most operatic (not to mention the longest) of the songs, closes out the album in suitably epic fashion.

By and Large, The Metal Opera is a solid effort, and an effective realization of Tobias Sammet's ambitious vision. The standout tracks are fantastic, and the middle-of-the-road songs are still pretty good. The only real flaw comes in the form of the interludes, which feel a little unnecessary--the album would feel no less complete without them, if not more complete. I've already mouthed my respect for Tobias Sammet as a songwriter, but it's worth reiterating that sentiment. Had he been born a century earlier, I'm fairly certain his music would be performed in Viennese opera houses.

Aside from the music, The Metal Opera is also interesting on a thematic level. One of the underlying themes on the album is the criticism of the Church for claiming to be the only medium through which one is able to reach truth and knowledge (this in addition to the usual metal themes of individual heroism). I've been listening to this album (and it's sequel, for that matter) almost every day for three months, and thus I have to give it my strongest recommendation.

New Dragonforce Album

DragonForce is one the hokiest bands to ever walk the face of the earth (with a name like that, how could it not be?). The British Power Metal outfit will release their fourth album next month. Entitled Ultra Beatdown, it looks more like a video game than a Heavy Metal album. Power Metal is goofy by definition, but DragonForce really seems to be pushing the envelope with their latest effort.

As for the music... well, it's DragonForce. If you've heard one DragonForce song, for all intents and purposes you've heard them all. "Heroes of Our Time", one of the songs on the forthcoming album, is nothing if not proof of this. On the other hand, anyone who likes Dragonforce knows how formulaic the band is, so it's not likely to be a bother to them. Sure, the band is a one-trick pony, but at least they do that one trick really well.

I've got a feeling that a lot of metal purists are going to hate this album as much as (if not more than) they hated 2006's Inhuman Rampage.

The Scarecrow

Avantasia is the solo project of Tobias Sammet, the front man and principal songwriter for Edguy. Then again, it may not be quite right to call it a solo project--Tobias recruited a small army of guest musicians and vocalists to take part. 2001 saw the release of Avantasia: The Metal Opera, followed by a second installment a year later. The Avantasia saga was an ambitious work, but generally well-recieved among Power Metal enthusiasts. Six years later, Sammet has recruited yet another horde of guest musicians for another Avantasia outing. Far from being a third episode in the Avantasia saga, The Scarecrow is instead more of an all-star jam session.

Whereas I was extremely pleased with parts one and two of The Metal Opera, my feelings about The Scarecrow are somewhat mixed. What sets the latest Avantasia outing apart from its predecessors is that the new material is more along the lines of conventional Rock music than Power Metal. Most of the songs here are of the radio-friendly, mid-tempo rocker variety, and thus lack the intensity of Sammet's earlier Avantasia material. For a metalhead like me, this has the unfortunate effect of making The Scarecrow less engaging than The Metal Opera. On the other hand, there are a few truly solid songs here; "Shelter From the Rain," "Devil in the Belfry" are fast and properly Metal, and the more rock-oriented "Lost in Space" is also a quality song.

Yet there is one thing that every song does possess in abundance, and that is passion. Even if I don't always like the final product, Tobias Sammet always injects a healthy dose of enthusiasm into his music. His lyrics and music are always passionate, and I have to give him a lot of respect for that. Even if it fails to live up to its predecessors, The Scarecrow is not without its highlights. Those who are more interested in conventional Rock music might find The Scarecrow to be a satisfying listen, and hopefully it will inspire them to look into the diptych of The Metal Opera. I recommend giving The Scarecrow a listen, and enjoying it for what it is.

Bonus youtube magic:

Album of the Week: Edguy - Mandrake (2001)

Edguy is a band whose work has previously been featured here, but I've been listening to and enjoying the band so much as of late that I think it merits another mention. 1999's Theater of Salvation was a great album beginning to end, but it has been criticized (and perhaps fairly) for lacking variety. A year after releasing Theater of Salvation, Edguy re-recorded their third demo, entitled The Savage Poetry. Edguy returned in 2001 to release their next studio LP, which was entitled Mandrake. This album is widely considered Edguy's finest work, and rightly so.

With Mandrake, Edguy corrected in a grand fashion the few flaws present in Theater of Salvation. Mandrake is a more varied and more complete album than its predecessor. The moments of blistering, thrashy speed that were ubiquitous on Theater of Salvation are here interspersed with mid-tempo and slow tracks. The variety of songs present on Mandrake means that anything one might want in a Power Metal album can be found. From the blistering speed of "Golden Dawn" and "Fallen Angels" to the straightforward mid-tempo rock of "All the Clowns" to the obligatory power ballad ("Wash Away the Poison") to the epic scale of "The Pharaoh", Mandrake is the complete Power Metal package.

There is never a dull or mediocre moment on Mandrake. It is an essential album for any Power Metal fan. The only real drawback is that "The Devil and the Savant", one of the best songs on the album, is only available on the limited edition or the Japanese edition. If you can find either, it's well worth shelling out the few extra bucks.

That's Entertainment! ...Manowar Style

Say what you will about Manowar's bombastic (and often hilarious) "true Metal" posturing, it can't be denied that Manowar puts on one hell of a show. In one the best moments of their performance at the 2005 Earthshaker Festival in Germany, Joey DeMaio and company deliver an entertainment that would make Busby Berkeley green with envy--three drummers, an orchestra, a choir and three seperate guitar solos for just this one song. The only things missing are Eleanor Powell and a chorus line. What's even better is the fact that this was the finale to a show that lasted about two and a half hours. Manowar is nothing if not dedicated to their music and their fans, and you can't fault them for that.

Album of the week: Edguy - Theater of Salvation (1999)

Power Metal is, by definition, very silly. Few bands are quite as silly (or quite aware of how silly they truly are) as German Power Metal outfit Edguy. Of course, silly isn't always a bad thing--1999's Theater of Salvation is proof of that.

Theater of Salvation is bursting at the seams with everything that makes Power Metal enjoyable--thrashy, breakneck-speed music, laden with hooks and inspirational lyrics (and not inspirational in the Christian rock sense, either). This album--like most of Edguy's output--is a bit difficult to review in depth. To a certain extent, it does all sound more or less the same, but that can easily be overlooked, as it all sounds so rediculously good. One can choose just about any track at random, and be prepared to bang one's head along to Edguy's over-the-top greatness. The only exceptions might be the power ballads, which are a bit too hokey, even for someone like me. Standout songs include "Babylon", "Headless Game," "Falling Down" and "Arrows Fly."

I have to admit that Power Metal is something of a guilty pleasure for me--I enjoy it, certainly, but it is just so damned silly. In that respect, it's kind of like Busby Berkeley musicals. And ultimately, that's kind of what Edguy is--the Gold Diggers of '33 of Heavy Metal.