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

[wolfking]

It's a great album.  A couple of flat spots but the highs are so good it makes it overall an amazing album.

[Kwyjibo]

This album was my introduction to Avantasia and man, this album rocks  . Every song is great, I don't really find any weak spots. And I like that it's not power metal to the max but a good mixture of different styles. Great list of guest singers, everything's perfect. And I never had a problem with Sascha Paeth's guitar playing.

All in all my favorite Avantasia album.

PS: I never cared for the stories on these albums as I never understood them, and it's probably for the better. What I read about them doesn't sound like an interesting and cohesive concept.

[MirrorMask]

I love The Scarecrow. Kickass album. I remember all the rage at the time because it was not power metal but I was never really bothered by it.

Quick as I can runthrough the album...

Twisted Mind is a great groovy song, maybe not the best opener but it works. And yeah, Roy Khan guesting is great.

The Scarecrow... masterpiece through and through, preaching to the choir here. Yes, Jorn's part at the end is glorious.

Shelter from the Rain is just wonderful. Kiske and the added bonus of Catley... can't beat that.

Carry Me Over... I like it for what it's worth. Could have been an Edguy ballad. I always liked it however. And What Kind of Love is such a sweet intimate moment, better than Sleepwalking or Isle of Evermore.

Another Angel Down and Devil in the Belfry are both awesome energetic songs with Jorn shining.

The Toy Master is awesome and Alice Cooper should have been proud to have the song on one of his record. Perfect creepy song for him and one I'm dying to hear live.

I really wish Tobi brought him back for Death Is Just A Feeling, instead of Jon Oliva puking all over himself trying to sound like Alice Cooper.

That's the best description of Death Is Just A Feeling I've ever seen 

Bah, humbug. I assume you're not overly familiar with Jon's output. Go listen to the songs Mephistopheles and Misery from Trans Siberian Orchestra's "Beethoven's Last Night" - Jon Oliva on Death is just a Feeling sounds exactly like Jon Olive doing the evil, creepy guy. He's not imitating Alice Cooper at all.

Cry just a Little leaves me a bit me. Should have been replaced by The Story Ain't Over.

I Don't Believe in your Love is a funny rocking song, I love the different drum pattern at the last chorus. Nice and not so serious "screw you girl" kind of songs.

Lost in Space is just ok. Great for singalongs at concerts, but pretty forgettable otherwise.

[wolfking]

Just want to reiterate again, Henjo >>>>>>> Sascha, by miles and miles.

[Grappler]

This is the disc that got me into the band a handful of years ago.  I came across the live version of The Scarecrow from Wacken and it only took a minute to hook me.  That into, Tobi grooving with the mic stand, getting the crowd into it.  And then the rest of the song followed through and I was absolutely floored. 

I need to spend some time with this album again - I tend to listen to my favorites and skip the rest, but there are more songs here that I should enjoy now.  I got this album along with the following two at the same time, and I gravitated toward Wicked Symphony out of the three.  But there is no denying that the title track is a masterpiece, with Twisted Mind and Toy Master following closely behind. 

[cramx3]

This was my introduction to Avantasia and I found it because I saw Roy Khan was a guest singer so I had to check it out and absolutely loved Twisted Mind and then the next song just blew me away and fell in love with the album and band. 

I really like songs like Carry Me Over and The Toy Master.  Cry Just A Little is probably my least favorite here. 

[The Walrus]

I am not terribly familiar with Jon Oliva. I know Hall of the Mountain King but don't like it that much. Better than Dee Snider's song but that's for another album...

[Evermind]

2007 kicked off strong with this album. This was the first full Avantasia album release I had the chance to look forward to (excluding the Lost In Space EPs), and as a teen really at the height of his power metal craze, this was an odd album to listen to, and I've been all over the map on how I feel about this over the years.

Fairly sure it's 2008 though, without checking any facts, I think this and Ayreon's 01011001 were released on the same day.

Don't know what you guys are talking about, Twisted Mind is a hell of an opener. Instead of prelude from TMO pt. 1 and slow rolling first minutes of The Seven Angels, this riff is like a punch in your face. I love it. I wish Roy Khan performed on more songs than one here.

The Scarecrow is probably the Avantasia track for me now. As much as I love Seven Angels or Savior in the Clockwork, The Scarecrow is where Tobias outdid himself. Seen it live twice, once with Jorn, once without, both times it was a fucking blast. I can't even imagine being introduced to the band with this track. Shelter from the Rain is fantastic also, and I feel what really makes it stand out from tracks like Wasteland and Where Clock Hands Freeze is that Bob Catley part in the middle.

Carry Me Over has a catchy chorus, but other than that it's one of the weaker tracks. What Kind of Love is awesome, however. I really love Amanda's performance on this song, and the last wailing chorus is incredible. Best female-fronted song since Farewell and yet to be beaten, we'll see how Candice does on Moonglow.

Another Angel Down and Devil in the Belfry are just fantastic. The Toy Master is also great, although featuring a different vibe. I like Jon Oliva, but Death is Just a Feeling is just a feeling watered down version of Toy Master. And then we have The Haunting with Dee Snider on Ghoslights, which I felt was another watered down version of Toy Master. I haven't listened to that one in a while though, could be wrong.

If there's anything this album could do better, it's the ending. I don't mind all three last songs, but they're just so kinda bland. Yeah, good choruses, I Don't Believe in Your Love rocks, but after all the awesomeness the ending falls flat a bit. Still a brilliant album though.

[cramx3]

Yea the album definitely starts so strong that it's hard to top that at the end. 

[The Walrus]

My bad. It is 2008. I don't know why I thought it was 2007 all these years!

[MirrorMask]

So, exclusively with the Rock Hard Magazine, there's gonna be a "More Moonglow" EP whose contents are as follows:

1. Moonglow
2. The Raven Child
3. The Scarecrow (Live At Wacken 2014)
4. Babylon Vampyres (Demo Version 2015)
5. Where Clock Hands Freeze (Demo Version 2012)
6. Seduction Of Decay (Demo Version 2015)


Pretty pointless if you ask me, but for completists and fan of those old songs that can be heard in a different way (for example Tobi sings entirely this version of Where Clock Hands Freeze), it could be interesting.

[cramx3]

Yea, not really interested personally.

[Evermind]

Pretty pointless if you ask me, but for completists and fan of those old songs that can be heard in a different way (for example Tobi sings entirely this version of Where Clock Hands Freeze), it could be interesting.

I'm curious if he sang this high-note scream Kiske does before the first chorus.

[Grappler]

Listened to the second half of The Scarecrow yesterday and working on the full album this morning.  Favorite tracks:

Twisted Mind
The Scarecrow
Shelter from the Rain
Another Angel Down
The Toy Master
Devil in the Belfry
I Don't Believe in Your Love


Naturally, I like the most rocking and heavy tunes.  The rest are alright, but not my favorite.  I can't stand the Carry Me Over chorus.  What Kind of Love is fine, but I prefer stuff like Isle of Evermore from Ghostlights when it comes to softer songs.

I'm glad I'm giving more of these songs a chance after a long time - I always just find my 2-3 favorites and move on.

[cramx3]

Saw this on facebook for the touring band:



Essentially the same as last round except swap these two:

Kiske (sorry TAC, but I know you figured this out before) - Tate
Sommerville - Cowan

also getting Bob Catley in the US is nice too (he missed those shows last time)

I'd say I'd rather the core Avantasia members than the new, but it's not a bad replacement I guess.  Adrienne Cowan did a guest spot with Angra at ProgPower last fall which was pretty awesome (once they got the mics working)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b1ZHObyNGQ

[TAC]

I've never heard of Adrienne Cowan. What band is she from.



I haven't ruled out going to the show. Honestly, the biggest draw would be meeting you, Cram! Of course you'd have to guarantee I make the final video cut!

[cramx3]

  of course, she is from Seven Spires, I'm not familiar with them

[The Walrus]

I'm not a fan of Seven Spires. Talented folks, just not into the screaming. Always thought Adrienne was a fox, though.

I'm having dinner at an Italian place in Atlanta with a friend I finally got to meet in person there (this was last year's ProgPower) and all of a sudden two people sit down next to us, the girl is greeting her friend - the friend I'm with. I assume the guy was her boyfriend, we never actually talked about it. It was Adrienne. She is super cool, basically just like hanging out with any of your friends, and extremely nice. At first it was weird not seeing her decked out in a kickass metal outfit. I'm looking forward to seeing her on this tour.

[Evermind]

Kiske for Tate is kind of a poor trade. Still going to be great though.

[MirrorMask]

I don't think Tate is gonna get all of Kiske's songs however. Reach Out for the Light is a classic and therefore I assume will be played, but I think the hardest Kiske songs, like Ghostlghts, won't be played.

Tate is gonna get his own songs and maybe some of the oldies like Dying for an Angel, even though Eric Martin currently sings it and he's there...

[Evermind]

I don't think Tate is gonna get all of Kiske's songs however. Reach Out for the Light is a classic and therefore I assume will be played, but I think the hardest Kiske songs, like Ghostlghts, won't be played.

Tate is gonna get his own songs and maybe some of the oldies like Dying for an Angel, even though Eric Martin currently sings it and he's there...

Which is why it's a poor trade. 

[MirrorMask]

I don't even consider it a trade; Geoff entered on board and so he can come, and Kiske was simply unavalaible.

I wonder if his parts are gonna go to the unknown female singer, I don't think so because she's obviously a backing vocalist replacing Amanda, but it would be nice to hear a girl singing songs that, after all, don't require balls to reach those high pitched notes 

(Even though in my fantasy trips I'd like for expectations to not be met, like Tobi said about Candice Night that doesn't have a celtic ballad to sing in the album, and have a female singer sing something like Scales of Justice  )

[Evermind]

I'd like Candice to sing Scales of Justice, I already don't like the song so it's not like it could be much worse.

[jingle.boy]

Back to The Scarecrow, this too was my intro to the band.  I actually was first referred to them by a DTF member (gone now - I forget his handle) that I hooked up with for a beer before the Dramatic Tour of Events show in Toronto.  Never checked them out though.  Months later, Nick was playing The Toy Master on his WPAPU radio show, and I remember thinking "wow, this is like Alice Cooper, but Prog!".     Little did I know that Avantasia was based on guest vocalists.

I really have trouble listening to the studio versions of a lot of these songs, because they are so fucking awesome on The Flying Opera - Scarecrow in particular.  Jorn's outro there is possibly my favorite live segment of any band, any show, ever.  He owns everything about that sequence.

Great album though, and hooked me as a fan - instantly purchasing the discography.

[TAC]

Speaking of The Flying Opera, I love Kai Hansen in Alice's spot.

[cramx3]

I have the Flying Opera and honestly never really thought highly of it, maybe I need to rewatch.  I think the poor quality is what kind of turned me off from it, not necessarily the performances.

I can't find the full concert on youtube anymore, but the 2014 Wacken show was really awesome and was the best live concert of theirs to watch.

[wolfking]

Speaking of The Flying Opera, I love Kai Hansen in Alice's spot.

Indeed.

[cramx3]

From Amanda's facebook

NEW YEAR, NEW ADVENTURES, BIG CHANGES! I have decided to step out of Avantasia and thus will not be on the next tour. Since expanding my family, I've had to step back a bit and re-evaluate priorities. I'm happy to say that I'll have more time and energy for my solo work & other projects.🤘 I'll certainly miss my fellow Avantasians and miss seeing many of you this spring!

[The Walrus]

That's a shame. But does she mean she's not going to sing with Avantasia at all anymore? I hope when she said "step out of Avantasia" she only meant for one tour, but then again it's not like she's had a big role in the music beyond being a background singer.

[The Walrus]

1. The Wicked Symphony
2. Wastelands
3. Scales of Justice
4. Dying For An Angel
5. Blizzard On A Broken Mirror
6. Runaway Train
7. Crestfallen
8. Forever Is A Long Time
9. Black Wings
10. States of Matter
11. The Edge

Lineup:
Tobias Sammet (vocals, bass)
Sascha Paeth (guitars)
Eric Singer (drums)
Miro (keyboards/orchestrations)

Guest musicians (copied from Metal Archives):

Bruce Kulick   Guitars (tracks 6, 11)
Oliver Hartmann   Guitars (tracks 2, 7, 8), Vocals (backing)
Felix Bohnke   Drums (tracks 1, 5, 9, 11)
Alex Holzwarth   Drums (tracks 3, 8, 10)
Simon Oberender (R.I.P. 2012)   Organ (track 11)
Jørn Lande   Vocals (lead) (tracks 1, 6-8)
Michael Kiske   Vocals (lead) (tracks 2, 6)
Russell Allen   Vocals (lead) (tracks 1, 10)
Bob Catley   Vocals (lead) (track 6)
Klaus Meine   Vocals (lead) (track 4)
Tim "Ripper" Owens   Vocals (lead) (track 3)
Andre Matos   Vocals (lead) (track 5)
Ralf Zdiarstek   Vocals (lead) (track 9)
Cloudy Yang   Vocals (backing)
Amanda Somerville   Vocals (backing)
Tiffany Kirkland   Vocals (backing)
Ina Morgan   Vocals (backing)
Cinzia Rizzo   Vocals (backing)
Thomas Rettke   Vocals (backing)
Matthias Kontny   Vocals (backing)
Michael Voy   Vocals (backing)

Earlier in the thread I may have said, or strongly suggested, that Metal Opera II was my favorite Avantasia album. I have also, certainly, lamented the sound of 'new' Avantasia. But some days, I think that The Wicked Symphony is easily the best Avantasia album, despite not really sounding like power metal.

Instantly fell in love with this album the second it started playing. I wasn't as jaded about Avantasia then as I am now, but revisiting this for the first time in a while on quality speakers and tweaking my equalizer for it, I really fell in love with it all over again.

I normally dislike the nonsensical lyrics, but on this album they just sound so cool, thanks to great performances by great singers and memorable, creative melodies. Since I'm big on vocals and catchy melodies in music, that's a big win for me. The title track does a great job of showcasing Tobi, Russell, and Jorn, and the chorus is fun as hell.

Runaway Train is one of my favorite rock ballads. Hard to argue it's a metal song, after all. To me it's Bob Catley's best song with Avantasia, bar none. Jorn and Tobi also sound amazing. I think it sounds truly inspired and original. Arguably a top 10 Avantasia song.

I love Shelter From The Rain, don't get me wrong, but I think Wastelands blows it out of the water. First time I heard this I had it on a burnt CD flying down a stretch of highway with the windows down (early April, great weather) and I got major chills. Pure, unadulterated, flawless power metal, one of the best choruses ever, the reason I love Tobi's contributions to power metal etc. etc... 'nuff said.

And the guest list. I'd never been so excited for a guest-filled album before, because the guest list was full of people I both knew *and* loved. Andre Matos. Tim "Ripper" Owens. Michael Kiske. Russell Allen. Jorn Lande. Klaus Meine, for Christ's sake. I'm still amazed by the quality and diverse collection of singers here and how well each of them is used throughout the album.

Dying For An Angel ain't a bad single, but I don't play it too much these days. Crestfallen is a weirder one, but I actually enjoy that one. The chorus is strange and creepy. Forever Is A Long Time is a great rocker that Jorn dominates, and States of Matter is a wonderfully catchy Russell Allen song with no tough guy voice, for those that aren't a fan of his modern style

Black Wings and The Edge - some days I like them, some days I don't. I don't think they're bad, but they're a bit bland compared to the rest of the album. I'd still take them over some of what's on Angel of Babylon... but that's for next week.

[TAC]

Scales Of Justice

[jingle.boy]

I think The Wicked Symphony (song) is my favorite of the three epics from the Wicked Trilogy - it just edges out The Scarecrow only for the mid-section lull.  TWS (album) has no duds, and is strong from start to finish.

[wolfking]

I never got the love for Runaway Train.  It's one of my least fav ballads from Tobi.  Does nothing for me.

[Kwyjibo]

Scales Of Justice

 

This was my second Avantasia record and it may be my second favorite after The Scarecrow. I think Tobi's songwriting is even more diverse here than on the Scarecrow. You got your power metal, you got your rockers and ballads, you got your epics and your more mainstream songs, and you got Scales Of Justice, which just slays. Everything's there and everything's at least good with a lot of greatness. I don't even mind Klaus Meine singing, which normally gives me bleeding ears. 

[bl5150]

fwiw .............a local reviewer I know who's had Moonglow for a while reckons Tate shines and puts in his best performance since Promised Land.  That might not be saying much but it was conveyed quite enthusiastically.