The official Avantasia and Edguy thread v Moonflower Society - Oct 21st

[MirrorMask]

I should also add, I enjoy the cover of Maniac.  It's just fun and works for me, although the placement is a bit odd to not be the last track but I guess I simply just don't care.

Well, technically, Maniac IS the last track, Heart is supposed to be a bonus that won't be on the album once the digipack version is sold out.

They probably should have had Heart between Requiem for a Dream and Maniac, but it's such a rare occourence that a bonus track gets incorporated in the tracklist; 99% of the time it's just slapped at the end and that's it.

[wolfking]

I haven't heard the album but do we know the reason why Maniac is inlcuded on the album?  Just seems so random, has Tobi given any reasons behind it?  I understand Edguy with Rock Me, but it just seems wrong with Avantasia.

[MirrorMask]

Tobi said that he wanted to do the cover, when presented by Sasha Paeth with the perfectly reasonable argument of "come on, many people covered that already", he said "who cares, I like the song and I want to do it, we'll have Eric Martin singing so it will become an Avantasia song".

So it's just a case of Tobi being Tobi and wanting to do something just for the hell of it 

[cramx3]

So it's part of this Moonglow story somehow then?  Like I don't understand at all.  I have no issues with bands doing a cover and adding it to the CD at the end, but you are telling me it's not really a "bonus" track though?  When it's a cover song? 

[The Walrus]

It's not a bonus track but it's not part of the story (not like there's a story anyway imo). It's just there.

[cramx3]

Not sure I understand that  and yea the story doesn't matter or anything but I guess this kind of confirms that it's not serious at all if thats how the album ends.  I kind of enjoy the cover as its own, but thinking about it as part of the album just feels odd. 

[The Walrus]

Of course it's not serious,  otherwise he would've been writing decent lyrics for the last 9 years 

[cramx3]

  I know you complain about that all the time, but I don't know, something about this cover song album ender just put it over the top for me and maybe it's because this album just isnt as good.

[Nick]

I was away the weekend this came out, and so only have a few listens in. All other notes aside I will say the Maniac cover is pretty awful and for that song Firewind did it WAY better.

[MirrorMask]

Finally my album arrived, it's lovely to see all the pictures inside, it really helps to enter the atmosphere of the record!

It's growing on me, Ghost in the Moon is really nice and basically a love letter to Jim Steinman, would have loved to hear Meat Loaf on this.

Book of Shallows is awesome, wonderful song through and through, but Hansi takes the cake. His parts are the best and he really slays over the other singers. Oh, and Mille mispells a word, the booklet says "shallows" (and it also makes sense in the lyrics) but he sings "swallow" instead 

Moonglow is cheesy but it's so catchy and memorable that I look forward to hear it live!

The Raven Child is the high point of the album, masterful performance.

Starlight, dunno... it's just there.

Invincible is a great balld, good job from Tate. I find unusual how the track ends and then Alchemy begins with the long intro, maybe that intro should have been the outro to Invincible and Alchemy should have begun when the "real" song starts. Still, a kickass song as well, one of the better choruses of the album!

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn... not completely sold on this just yet. It's not bad, I want to like it also 'cause the title is so badass, but I'm not convinced yet.

Lavander is cool but it's just Avantasia by the numbers.

Requiem for a Dream is a good song to close off the album, great and energetic. Too bad the climax is completely fumbled up, as previously discussed, with a totally random and unnecessary cover and an average bonus track.

I think "Half good, half great album, victim of the band's high and nearly impossible standard" is what will be my lasting opinion of this album I guess... I hope it will improve in the future and anyway I look forward to the show!!! 

[wolfking]

Tobi said that he wanted to do the cover, when presented by Sasha Paeth with the perfectly reasonable argument of "come on, many people covered that already", he said "who cares, I like the song and I want to do it, we'll have Eric Martin singing so it will become an Avantasia song".

So it's just a case of Tobi being Tobi and wanting to do something just for the hell of it 

It's not a bonus track but it's not part of the story (not like there's a story anyway imo). It's just there.

Seems stupid.  But I'll reserve judgement until I hear the album.

[cramx3]

It sounds stupid because it is, Ive said I enjoy the song for what it is, but it's definitely b-side material.  Others have said they dont like it at all, it really just makes no sense to be the album closer.

[jingle.boy]

Agreed.  I'm pretty much resigned to deleting it from my library.

[The Walrus]

I never delete things from my library. Well, at least not tracks from albums. I wouldn't put it on a playlist, but it stays in the archive so to speak.

[cramx3]

I never delete things from my library. Well, at least not tracks from albums. I wouldn't put it on a playlist, but it stays in the archive so to speak.

Yea same, I'll delete shit off my phone library but keep it on my PC library.  I cant really think of an example where I just flat out deleted music from my entire library.  I even have some stuff I've got for past gf's like Britney Spears.  I don't think I'll ever listen but it's like am I really going to delete some music I paid for?

[jingle.boy]

Library =/= hard drive.

[TAC]

  I even have some stuff I've got for past gf's like Britney Spears.  I don't think I'll ever listen but it's like am I really going to delete some music I paid for?

Well if that doesn't give you reason to, then nothing will.

[The Walrus]

Library =/= hard drive.

I always refer to my hard drives as my 'library' since I rip all my music to them. What are you referring to? Are you a dirty iTunes user? 

[cramx3]

Library =/= hard drive.

I always refer to my hard drives as my 'library' since I rip all my music to them. What are you referring to? Are you a dirty iTunes user? 

Yea same.  My hard drive is my library.  Sounds like a dirty itunes user indeed 

[cramx3]

3 years ago I had Ghostlights beating The Astonishing for album of the year, but after one listen I already think D/T is going to easily beat Moonglow for AOTY if it were even to come down to these two, which it won't since I think Evergrey's The Atlantic is probably better than Moonglow for me.

[The Walrus]

I use The Atlantic to help me fall asleep. 

[jingle.boy]

What the fuck are you two?  Hipsters?  And yes, I use iTunes... it's somewhat convenient when our house has 4 Macbooks, 3 Apple TVs, 4 iPhones, and 4 iPads.

and I still have a 160GB iPod Classic.

[The Walrus]

  I have been called a lot of things but never a hipster!

[cramx3]

What the fuck are you two?  Hipsters?  And yes, I use iTunes... it's somewhat convenient when our house has 4 Macbooks, 3 Apple TVs, 4 iPhones, and 4 iPads.

and I still have a 160GB iPod Classic.

and we are the hipsters? 

[Bolsters]

I still have an iPod classic as well and I hate that I'm forced to use iTunes to manage it.

[TAC]

and I still have a 160GB iPod Classic.

I use TWO! And a 30G.

[nattmorker]

I use itunes, don't like it 100% but it's the only music player I know that has playcounts, skipcounts, registers the last played and more. Using these stats and the smart playlist I can make my playlists to go for my ipod and android. So, it's get the job done.

Sorry to keep dereailing the discussion 

[The Walrus]

Well, since Rhapsody disappointed the hell out of me, this is going to put up a strong fight for my album of the year. It'll take a major upset to take Moonglow's place. I am loving this album so much. Even Raven Child and the title track have grown on me.

[bosk1]

I've been so busy with DT and Neal Morse that I forgot that I bought Moonglow on Friday, and it is still sitting in its wrapper in the console in my car.    I need to open it and check it out.

[Evermind]

I'm still behind on this as well. Have the copy, haven't got time to spin it yet.

[bosk1]

Okay, so I popped this into the CD player on the ride home yesterday and listened.  First impression:  This album is over-the-top cheesey.  It is to the point where I ultimately lost count of all the cringeworthy, stereotypical power metal moments that made me repeatedly hope that the music wasn't loud enough for the car in the next lane to hear what I was listening to.  And it is ever-present in almost every aspect of the album, from the vocals, to the guitars, to the backing choruses, to the lyrics (as best I could decipher them, anyway), to the songwriting. 

And, in short, it is everything I expect, hope for, and want in an Avantasia album.  THIS is the sound I fell in love with when I bought The Mystery of Time based solely on an online review.  I pretty much loved this album from start to finish.  Tate did a respectable job on Invincible and Alchemy (two of the more interesting tracks, I might add).  I doubt that I will hold this album in as high esteem as the new Dream Theater or Neal Morse.  But I am pretty sure it will be up for top 5 consideration in my album of the year rankings.

[cramx3]

I'm still enjoying this one.  I was fairly critical saying how it didn't meet my own high expectations, but now that a bit of time has passed and I've consumed the new DT and came back to this one, I am enjoying it much more.  It's middle of the road Avantasia for me, but that doesn't mean it isn't good.  I do wonder what songs they will perform live and who will sing who's parts.  Like they almost have to play Raven Child since it was the first single and it's the album epic, but who does Hansi's parts?  You'd think they'd also play the title track, but who sings for Candice? (and I still find this song to be a poor Nightwish track, it does have some potential to be fantastic live) I'm sure whoever picks up the parts will do it well, all these singers are great, but while I am super excited to get to see this material live, I do ponder about how they will split the parts.

and so lets do some track rankings (subject to change over time of course) from best to least best

The Raven Child
Alchemy
Book of Shallows
Ghost in the Moon
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Requiem for a Dream
Starlight
Moonglow
Invincible
Maniac
Lavender

If I include Heart it would be above Moonglow and below Starlight

[MirrorMask]

They have a female backing vocalist, she'll take up Candice's role and sing Farewell as well (the part originally sung by Within Temptation's singer).

And Hansi will be covered by Ronnie Atkins (my first guess) or Eric Martin (second guess).

[TAC]

But I am pretty sure it will be up for top 5 consideration in my album of the year rankings.

Apparently you're only planning on buying 5 albums this year?

[cramx3]

Yea well theres only one female touring with them so sure that makes sense but man I don't know how anyone can sing Hansi's parts and do it justice.  And Mille's vocals in Book of Shallows?  I feel like Hansi and Mille are so distinct here.