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

[cramx3]

 

[cramx3]

Ghost in the Moon Live From Masters of Rock 2019 DVD

 

[jingle.boy]

Dat was pretty sweet!

[Ben_Jamin]

I was listening to my itunes on Shuffle, Shelter From The Rain came on and I realized it's basically the first part to Wastelands. So being that I like to transition songs on Audacity, I did just that. I started Wastelands as the Last drum hit in the end of SFTR, it flows really well, and wish Tobias would've done this live.

Just felt like sharing info. It's not that hard to try it for yourself.

[soupytwist]

Bit of a major bump for this thread.

I discovered this band a few months ago (yeah a bit slow on the uptake...).  'Mystery of a Blood Red Rose' popped on some channel I was half listening too one evening and instantly demanded my attention.  A few minutes later and I was listening to 'Ghostlights' in full - what an album, genuinely awesome.  I followed that up with 'Moonglow' - yup nearly as good.  After sinking into those albums for a week or so I went backwards to 'Mystery of Time' and erm, I didn't really do it for me, and I didn't bother going any further backwards just continued to enjoy Ghostlights/Moonglow....

Then last week on a whim I hit play on 'The Wicked Symphony' and holy shit it's great and now I've been listening to all three albums in the Scarecrow trilogy and yup this band are awesome.   I've got the two Metal Opera albums to try in the future and Mystery of Time needs another chance.

But basically great band.

[MirrorMask]

Go for the Metal Opera! they might look very cheesy, but if you grew up with classic power metal and Helloween, you're gonna looooove them. The first Metal Opera is basically an unofficial Keeper III from another band.

[wolfking]

Bit of a major bump for this thread.

I discovered this band a few months ago (yeah a bit slow on the uptake...).  'Mystery of a Blood Red Rose' popped on some channel I was half listening too one evening and instantly demanded my attention.  A few minutes later and I was listening to 'Ghostlights' in full - what an album, genuinely awesome.  I followed that up with 'Moonglow' - yup nearly as good.  After sinking into those albums for a week or so I went backwards to 'Mystery of Time' and erm, I didn't really do it for me, and I didn't bother going any further backwards just continued to enjoy Ghostlights/Moonglow....

Then last week on a whim I hit play on 'The Wicked Symphony' and holy shit it's great and now I've been listening to all three albums in the Scarecrow trilogy and yup this band are awesome.   I've got the two Metal Opera albums to try in the future and Mystery of Time needs another chance.

But basically great band.

Mystery is a big grower mate.  I didn't take to it much at first but now I think it's amazing.  Metal Opera 1 is still probably my fav though.

[soupytwist]

Go for the Metal Opera! they might look very cheesy, but if you grew up with classic power metal and Helloween, you're gonna looooove them. The first Metal Opera is basically an unofficial Keeper III from another band.

I tend to like Power Metal more when it's mixed with another genre rather than pure power.  I'll certainly give those albums a good listen though.

Mystery is a big grower mate.  I didn't take to it much at first but now I think it's amazing.  Metal Opera 1 is still probably my fav though.

Yeah it'll definitely get another chance.

[The Walrus]

TMOT is, pardon my French, doodoo.

Given what you've heard so far, definitely try Metal Opera Pt. 2.

[soupytwist]

TMOT is, pardon my French, doodoo.

My favorite song from the album was 'Death is Just a Feeling'.  I didn't realize at the time this was just an alternative version bonus track, to be fair it is original version is my favorite track on Angel of Babylon too I think.   

[cramx3]

Ghostlights is my favorite so you started on the right track.  TMOT is probably my second favorite though.  Listen again, it'll grow on you.  Either way, you've discovered a really awesome band and hopefully you'll one day get to see them live as their live show is fantastic.

[wolfking]

TMOT is, pardon my French, doodoo.

Given what you've heard so far, definitely try Metal Opera Pt. 2.

The only one that is doodoo is Moonglow.

[cramx3]

If any Avantasia album is doodoo (and they aren't) it's probably Angel of Babylon

[wolfking]

If any Avantasia album is doodoo (and they aren't) it's probably Angel of Babylon

Yeah, that one too.

[jingle.boy]

If any Avantasia album is doodoo (and they aren't) it's probably Angel of Babylon

Yeah, that one too.

The Wicked Trilogy is where it's at - even if AoB has a few duds.

[wolfking]

If any Avantasia album is doodoo (and they aren't) it's probably Angel of Babylon

Yeah, that one too.

The Wicked Trilogy is where it's at - even if AoB has a few duds.

From Down in the Dark to the end minus Promised Land is really underwhelming.  Never liked Arcadia either.

[cramx3]

If any Avantasia album is doodoo (and they aren't) it's probably Angel of Babylon

Yeah, that one too.

The Wicked Trilogy is where it's at - even if AoB has a few duds.

Yea, AoB just has a few duds, not a bad album at all but it's not on the level of their top albums just from a consistency perspective.  Promised Land is so damn good.

[jingle.boy]

If any Avantasia album is doodoo (and they aren't) it's probably Angel of Babylon

Yeah, that one too.

The Wicked Trilogy is where it's at - even if AoB has a few duds.

Yea, AoB just has a few duds, not a bad album at all but it's not on the level of their top albums just from a consistency perspective.  Promised Land is so damn good.

Top 3 Avantasia song for me.

[The Walrus]

AoB is terrible outside of like 3 awesome songs but even those songs have embarrassingly bad lyrics imo. The original promised land is also better imo. Jorn rules but he kinda just barks out the lines Kiske took and sang with a silky melodic voice.

[TAC]

Jorn rules but he kinda just barks out the lines Kiske took and sang with a silky melodic voice.

Preach it brother!

[soupytwist]

As the guy who bumped the thread and is experiencing all Avantasia for the first time - I have noticed after a few listens Angel of Babylon is an odd album.  The Scarecrow and Wicked musically sound like they belong together - even the cover.   Babylon feels different musically, it also feels a bit like a EP worths of quality material topped out with some b-sides (albeit decent enough b-sides).  The first 4 songs are good/great and the final two are quality too - the others are quite forgettable though.

I think if I was ranking the albums based on a handful of plays each...

1. Ghostlight.
2/3/4. Scarecrow/Wicked/Moonglow (all tied)
5. Babylon.
6. Mystery (I've only listened to this fully once though).

[wolfking]

As the guy who bumped the thread and is experiencing all Avantasia for the first time - I have noticed after a few listens Angel of Babylon is an odd album.  The Scarecrow and Wicked musically sound like they belong together - even the cover.   Babylon feels different musically, it also feels a bit like a EP worths of quality material topped out with some b-sides (albeit decent enough b-sides).  The first 4 songs are good/great and the final two are quality too - the others are quite forgettable though.

Yeah, this is pretty bang on.

[Evermind]

Hot take on AoB - I really like Symphony of Life.

[Lowdz]

As the guy who bumped the thread and is experiencing all Avantasia for the first time - I have noticed after a few listens Angel of Babylon is an odd album.  The Scarecrow and Wicked musically sound like they belong together - even the cover.   Babylon feels different musically, it also feels a bit like a EP worths of quality material topped out with some b-sides (albeit decent enough b-sides).  The first 4 songs are good/great and the final two are quality too - the others are quite forgettable though.

Yeah, this is pretty bang on.

That’s fair.

[The Walrus]

Yeah I agree AoB starts off awesome. Stargazers, Angel of Babylon, Your Love Is Evil are all badass imo. After that it just becomes something so un-Avantasia in sound and style that it's a big turnoff, personally, although I do like that Tobi brought Promised Land back, I think that song has one of the strongest choruses he's ever written. I remember when that first dropped in 07 and I played it on loop nonstop, along with Another Angel Down.

[soupytwist]

Stargazers

The galloping, the solo's and the simple but effective chorus - that song is pure early reunion Maiden, would fit lovely on Brave New World/Dance of Death.

[MirrorMask]

I love also the outro. The bombastic and epic plodding where they continue to name Babylon and then, as the icing on the cake, comes Jorn Lande to top it off with "UUUH, LET US WANDER, LET US WAAAANDER THROUUUUGH Iforgotwhatsorry".... what an ending!

And as silly and out of place it is, I consider Your Love is Evil a worthy companion to the "first four songs are awesome" group 

Also shoutout to Evermind, for what it is, Symphony of Life is indeed pretty cool.

Alone I remember is basically the worst Avantasia song however.

[Evermind]

Let us wander, let us wander between the worlds
We overwrite the history, abrogate horizons
Abandon mental gravity
Oh, we overrule the eye
Compromise your sanity
To heaven
To hell

One of my favorite passages to sing in the shower really.

[wolfking]

I can't stand Sascha as a guitarist.  He ruins Stargazers with his endless, meaningless and monotonous wanking.  He's the only downside to later day Avantasia.  Henjo rips him to shreds.

[The Walrus]

I can't stand Sascha as a guitarist.  He ruins Stargazers with his endless, meaningless and monotonous wanking.  He's the only downside to later day Avantasia.  Henjo rips him to shreds.

A man after my own heart 

[wolfking]

I can't stand Sascha as a guitarist.  He ruins Stargazers with his endless, meaningless and monotonous wanking.  He's the only downside to later day Avantasia.  Henjo rips him to shreds.

A man after my own heart 

Ah yes, we've agreed on this before.  I remember now. 

[The Walrus]

I mean, there's other things wrong with modern Avantasia, but we clearly know the chief offender. 

[bosk1]

The Mystery of Time is where I discovered this band.  It was getting TONS of praise on a "top metal albums of [whatever year it came out]" video I saw way back when.  A lot of the other albums the guys were praising were ones I had ranked highly as well, so I decided to get this on a blind purchase.  Really liked it right off the bat.  Some really nice music on that one.

I bought Ghostlights and Moonglow when they came out, but neither did much for me.  Didn't hate them.  But they weren't great and didn't get many spins.  At Katt's insistence awhile back, I listened to some of the back catalog.  I liked it better than the post-TMOT material, but just haven't actually bought any of it yet.  But it sounded pretty solid.

Still, to me, TMOT is the definitive Avantasia album.

[The Walrus]

I demand a bare knuckle brawl with anyone who insists TMOT is 'definitive Avantasia'. But I will also defend your right to believe it. 

[bosk1]

Bareknuckle brawls can be fun.  Sure, I'm in.  But you have to agree to mask up and have it outside.  Also, no spectators, as that would violate most states' new Covid rules (but I am absolutely fine with livestreaming it). 

But, yeah, I love TMOT.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!  Fantastic album.  Their other works?  Pre-TMOT:  I like what I've heard.  Post-TMOT:  meh.  I like what I like.