But as you approach one such album called Avantasia, a project with such a back catalog, in which it is possible to argue about what is now the best album. Certainly the Metal Opera is a work that seems to tower over everything, but all subsequent works did not want to be considered in this tradition, all stand for themselves and are damn high. For all works is at the forefront the question of which singer took what Sangesrolle. You could try this track for the new album. Jorn Lande is not present, a fact that many wanted to see as a lack of advance. I counted at first also, but I am now a different opinion. Jorn country presence in the last three albums was quite overpowering and new singers give the Mystery of Time, a new freshness and development, which can feel together with the orchestra and the change on the other side gets something special of Wicked trilogy. Meanwhile, I see this move as a very postive. As constant remains Michael Kiske and Bob Catley whose Sangeseinsatz in the past on the albums but clearly was punctual as the Jorn country. Especially Michael Kiske returns with Where Clock Hands Freeze and Dweller in a dream two pinnacles of power metal from. Another use of the Savior in Clockwork is more of a background and remains significantly more in the background.
Bob Catley is represented on the new album only to The Great Mystery, but there tremendously. His voice carries this song already on a majestic manner. This is the other bulky song, which repeatedly surprising pace and rhythm changes and always has surprising twists. Here come the many small quotes to days, where Tobias Sammet compositionally so likes to use. Mostly he uses the own collection, but also think you are even in a Meat Loaf song and then suddenly in the middle with John Miles Music. But Tobias combines this great Long Track to something-alone, but its bonds remain quite audible. The only real harder rock sequence in this song is sung by Joe Lynn Turner.
Joe Lynn Turner was me in the 80s and 90s actually a rather unpopular singers. Rainbow I have always been connected with Ronnie James Dio and Deep Purple with Ian Gillan, so that the acceptance of Joe was anything but great. With the distance of years but remains that he had still done a great job. This makes it here also, although you realize that his voice is clearly aged. He mastered even great vocal performances, but not everything. Its use on Spectres is still very sparse, for the Watchmakers Dream is then terrific. For this he sings on two tracks long, next to The Great Mystery described in the above 10-minute Savior in The Clockwork. For me, this is my About song on the album, because he pays homage to the more hard rock and slightly less epic and bombastic, although the orchestra here also has its significant share. I find this song very intelligently composed and provides another singer named Byff Byford as a platform.
Byff Byford we know all of Saxon, although I must admit to have me not too busy with Saxon. But he does an excellent job here and makes sure that Black Orchid was another highlight on the plate. A worn piece about nearly 7 minutes by somber moments when Tobi one hand proves his sense of melody, but also for another quote from the history of rock, Deep Purple's Perfect Strangers.
The well-known in advance Invoke the Machine is in its album version comes in my top 10 of Avantasiasongs. Ronnie Atkins, whose work at Pretty Maids I lost sight of, has a great aged vocal coloring and dominates the extremely rough, like the sonorous vocal coloring. In my view, the hardest song on the album.
Of course allowed on a Avantasiaalbum the quiet moments not missing, they serve to breathe. The sung by Eric Martin Title What's Left Of Me Personally I like because of its greater intensity better than the self-designated by Tobi pop song Sleepwalking with the enchanting Cloudy Yang. On what audience he switched always there or if he does it at all, I will take care. The album is the way it is, absolutely balanced.
Tobi selsbt sings as usual, when one considers that it is none of these natural wonders of the voice. He does his job excellently and finally to him we owe this wonderful project. But Tobi shows with his specially immortalized on the Limited Edition comparison with Jon Oliva, where his own limitations are, but that he will surely know himself.
Obviously, this new chapter Avantasia is not told to the end and we may hope for a sequel. The booklet is available at the end: END OF Chapter One
May many come ...