New Allen/Lande!!!

[Mindflux]

Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob) and Jorn Lande (MasterPlan) have gotten together and recorded another classic metal album under the Allen-Lande moniker! The new album, THE GREAT DIVIDE was recorded under the direction of Timo Tolkki (Timo Tolkki's Avalon, Stratovarius), who also contributed to the songwriting process. The album will be released this October, but in the meantime, here is a sneak peek at the album cover! Looks pretty epic to us! What do you guys think?

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

[Jaq]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

I think until it comes out we can all just quote this post as a response 

[Mindflux]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

I think until it comes out we can all just quote this post as a response 

I guess I don't know anything about Tolkki (I'm not familiar with any of his work).

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

It's been less than stellar lately.

[Lowdz]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

I think until it comes out we can all just quote this post as a response 

Unfortunately so. Colour me unexcited. Now if Karlsson was still involved...

[MoraWintersoul]

Yeah. Basically, dude made some very acclaimed power metal with Stratovarius in the mid-90's (up until the early 2000's) and things kept getting progressively worse. He's also battled with bipolar disorder for a while and god knows what else.

It's not that his stuff is BAD, it's just the blandest you'll ever hear, but there are still a lot of people in the metal world who are willing to work with him, for whatever reason.

[Evermind]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

I think until it comes out we can all just quote this post as a response 

You two nailed it.

[Lowdz]

Yeah. Basically, dude made some very acclaimed power metal with Stratovarius in the mid-90's (up until the early 2000's) and things kept getting progressively worse. He's also battled with bipolar disorder for a while and god knows what else.

It's not that his stuff is BAD, it's just the blandest you'll ever hear, but there are still a lot of people in the metal world who are willing to work with him, for whatever reason.

Pretty well summed up 

[wolfking]

FUUUUCCKKKK!!!

I was hoping things got handed back to Karlsson.  Tollki's last few works have been absolute shit, I fear for this, and to be honest, without Karlsson, I'm not sure I even give a shit.  Allen/Lande IMO WAS Karlsson's project.

It sounds like there will be more people involved by the sounds of that spiel.  Looking at that cover leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

[Nick]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

[senecadawg2]

I guess I don't know much about Timo beyond enjoying some of his older stuff. But all the negativity in here has me going into this cautiously unoptimistic. That's probably for the best anyways!

[jjrock88]

I'm still excited for the release until officially proven disappointed.

[jingle.boy]

I'll still check it out on release date, but the steaming turds that Tolkki laid with the two Avalon albums means I can't even be cautiously optimistic.  I mean, when he can attract vocalists like (for the first one) Rob Rock, Russel Allen, Elize Ryd, Kiske, Sharon Den Adel, and Tony Kakko... then (for the second one) Simone Simons, Floor Jansen, Fabio Lione, David DeFeis, Ryd, Zak Stevens... c'mon!!!    With that cast of vocalists!?!?!?!  WTH man!?!?  I could eat alphabet soup and shit out better lyrics, then rip popcorn fart bubbles underwater that have better melodies than he put out.

I have zero hope for this, which pisses me off immensely, seeing how much I adore the trilogy.

The only way I could be less enthused about would be if Geoff Tate was writing this.

[Zook]

Popcorn Fart Bubbles



The Battle was the only one I liked.

[Bolsters]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

I think until it comes out we can all just quote this post as a response 

Absolutely.

[ariich]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

[MoraWintersoul]

mean, when he can attract vocalists like (for the first one) Rob Rock, Russel Allen, Elize Ryd, Kiske, Sharon Den Adel, and Tony Kakko... then (for the second one) Simone Simons, Floor Jansen, Fabio Lione, David DeFeis, Ryd, Zak Stevens... c'mon!!!    With that cast of vocalists!?!?!?!  WTH man!?!?  I could eat alphabet soup and shit out better lyrics, then rip popcorn fart bubbles underwater that have better melodies than he put out.

That Design The Century song was the worst under-utilization of Floor's voice I have ever heard.

[wolfking]

I'll still check it out on release date, but the steaming turds that Tolkki laid with the two Avalon albums means I can't even be cautiously optimistic.  I mean, when he can attract vocalists like (for the first one) Rob Rock, Russel Allen, Elize Ryd, Kiske, Sharon Den Adel, and Tony Kakko... then (for the second one) Simone Simons, Floor Jansen, Fabio Lione, David DeFeis, Ryd, Zak Stevens... c'mon!!!    With that cast of vocalists!?!?!?!  WTH man!?!?  I could eat alphabet soup and shit out better lyrics, then rip popcorn fart bubbles underwater that have better melodies than he put out.

I have zero hope for this, which pisses me off immensely, seeing how much I adore the trilogy.

The only way I could be less enthused about would be if Geoff Tate was writing this.

This whole statement reads very harsh, but unfortunately, it's pure fact 100% and I couldn't agree more, especially considering how good the first three were.

[wolfking]

Popcorn Fart Bubbles



The Battle was the only one I liked.

The Battle is single handedly one of the greatest melodic rock records ever IMO.

[bl5150]

The Battle is single handedly one of the greatest melodic rock records ever IMO.

Dats da truf 

I had it as a maybe for my top 50 until I changed the criteria to "life impact" which made it very hard for relatively new releases to make it.  I regard it very highly and , although the others are good, I rarely really feel the need to go past the debut.

[wolfking]

The Revenge is pretty close IMO, but Battle is just one of those special ones that will never be recreated.

[kirksnosehair]

Russell and Jorn are awesome, cover looks awesome, but Tolkki's involvement has me concerned.

Same here, that newest Avalon disc is....bad.

[Zook]

Popcorn Fart Bubbles



The Battle was the only one I liked.

The Battle is single handedly one of the greatest melodic rock records ever IMO.

I listened to The Battle last night after what must have been a couple years of not hearing it, and I like it even more now.

[kirksnosehair]

The Battle is the best of the first three, I think.  It's the only one I ever reach for.

[jingle.boy]

The Battle is the best of the first three, I think.  It's the only one I ever reach for.

It's the one I reach for 75% of the time.  And Barry, as bad as Avalon II was, I actually think it's a little better than the first.

[kirksnosehair]

I don't understand how such a project attracts all of those guest players.  Especially after the first turd was dropped. 


Then again, Ryo Okumoto's in my band, so maybe I should just STFU 

[jingle.boy]

I don't understand how such a project attracts all of those guest players.  Especially after the first turd was dropped. 


Then again, Ryo Okumoto's in my band, so maybe I should just STFU 

 

And PelleK!!  Difference is that there is nothing steamy or turdy about Back From Being Gone.

[kirksnosehair]

aww, gee, thanks man 

[Lowdz]

I'm still excited for the release until officially proven disappointed.

i love your optimism jj but there's not much to get excited about so far.

[wolfking]

Popcorn Fart Bubbles



The Battle was the only one I liked.

The Battle is single handedly one of the greatest melodic rock records ever IMO.

I listened to The Battle last night after what must have been a couple years of not hearing it, and I like it even more now.

That's one of the things that makes it so classic, it doesn't get old or boring.

[wolfking]

Magnus Karlsson confirms he has no part in this project on a facebook response.

https://www.facebook.com/MAGNUSKARLSSONSFREEFALL/posts/765036383518846

[bl5150]

The Battle is the best of the first three, I think.  It's the only one I ever reach for.

then reach a little longerrrrrrrrr

[jjrock88]

That trilogy is just amazing music

[Zook]

The Revenge was A LOT better than I remember it.