50.
AVANTASIA
MOONGLOWRock Opera / Theatrical Rock / Power Metalreleased February 15th, 2019
via Nuclear Blast Records
1. Ghost In The Moon [9:51]
2. Book of Shallows [5:00]
3. Moonglow [3:56]
4. The Raven Child [11:14]
5. Starlight [3:38]
6. Invincible [3:07]
7. Alchemy [7:28]
8. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn [7:20]
9. Lavender [4:30]
10. Requiem for a Dream [6:08]
11. Maniac
(Michael Sembello cover) [4:31]
12. Heart
(Bonus Track) [3:49]
MOONGLOW is
Tobias Sammet (Vocals / Bass / Keyboards / Piano / Orchestrations)
Sascha Paeth (Guitars / Keyboards / Piano / Orchestrations)
Michael “Miro” Rodenberg (Keyboards / Orchestrations)
FEATURINGFelix Bohnke (Drums)
Ronnie Atkins (Vocals on 2, 5, 8)
Jørn Lande (Vocals on 2, 4, 8)
Eric Martin (Vocals on 8, 11)
Geoff Tate (Vocals on 6, 7, 8)
Michael Kiske (Vocals on 10)
Bob Catley (Vocals on 8, 9)
Candice Night (Vocals on 3)
Hansi Kürsch (Vocals on 2, 4)
Mille Petrozza (Vocals on 2)
WITHNadia Birkenstock (Celtic harp)
and
Oliver Hartmann (Additional lead guitars and vocals)
Starting off my top 50 albums of all time is not only the most recent entry of the lot, it is the only 2019 representative on the list. This album was actually a last-minute addition to the list, after being on the fence for a long time. It is hard to gauge one's love for an album after only a few months, even after obsessive spinning, but sometimes there is a gut feeling, deep inside you, telling you how special an album is. “Moonglow” is a special album to me. I believe it represents Avantasia at their best in nearly a decade, and is one of only two Avantasia records to beat out one half of the Metal Opera records for a spot in this list.
Tobias Sammet has long been a favorite musician of mine, who with the right people on his side can seemingly do no wrong. Even my least favorite albums in his prolific career have a few spots of brilliance among the murky haze of questionable songwriting. I have such a passion for his art that the albums I dislike invoke a grudge in me toward the music that borders on reverence, and those albums I love have moments that make the hairs on my arms stand upright, or even bring me to tears.
Moonglow wastes no time getting to business. The opener “Ghost in the Moon” is 10 minutes of Tobias Sammet embracing the biggest and best aspects of Meat Loaf, power metal, and the theatrical arena sound Avantasia has become known for around the world. Relatable and logical lyrics be damned; Tobias sings about the power of dreams and the moon with a passion that manages to make me look past contradictory and silly – but admittedly kickass – lyrics like “tenebrous wicked starbright.” Tobias is a master of writing songs that build tension and momentum into a glorious, infectious chorus, and Ghost in the Moon is the culmination of years of honing his craft. When I reach that epic chorus - “Wake up the night to yell a prayer up to the starlight; veiling boon, ghost in the moon” - I couldn't care less how silly the lyrics sound, because it's such a happy burst of sickly sweet music. My issues with a lot of Avantasia music since its revival in 2007 aren't present on this song, and as such it's the perfect way to start the album.
“Book of Shallows” has one of the few moments of the album I could overlook, the monotonous rough section with Kreator's Mille Petrozza, but that's a petty complaint considering how awesome the rest of the song is. I adore the way the song starts with a four-on-the-floor kick drum beat underneath a catchy lead guitar motif. That's generally the ticket to my heart no matter the genre of music. Hansi Kürsch makes his debut with Avantasia here, and the combination of him, Jørn Lande, and Tobias alternately singing the chorus puts it over the top for me. I especially love the lyrics of the chorus, “Chase your dream / If you don't mind don't be astounded / By the things they make you do for amusement's sake.” A bonus memory that enhances this song is listening to Tobias Sammet live in concert talking about going after your dreams, and fuck what anybody else says. That's what it's all about, and he's living proof that you can do whatever you want if you set your mind to it. That is, usually, power metal at its best, in my opinion. It reinforces positive thoughts, embraces dreams and fantastic thoughts, and encourages self-empowerment. I want to belt this song's hook at the top of my lungs from the top of a mountain. It is damn near a requirement for me to get that feeling out of a power metal song for me to love it.
The album had two lead singles, the title track, “Moonglow,” and “The Raven Child,” an 11-minute number featuring Jørn and Hansi once more. The title track is a nice happy little number, comparisons to Nightwish's Amaranthe notwithstanding (I don't think they are as similar as some people have said, personally). It's nothing groundbreaking, but it fits like a glove alongside songs like Lost In Space and Sleepwalking. “The Raven Child” is actually one of my least favorite songs on the album, mostly because I always think I could just be listening to “The Scarecrow” instead, but Hansi and Jørn undeniably sing their hearts out. Either of those guys could sing the phone book, as the saying goes, and sell tickets.
I am no big fan of Ronnie Atkins, but he is a great performer and I like what he does on Moonglow more than on The Mystery of Time. Even the weaker songs on this album are wonderful, and while “Starlight” might not be my favorite of this bunch, it reeks of positivity. You give me a nice beat, some “whoas” and a happy, catchy chorus, and it's near impossible for me to dislike the song. “Are you gonna guide me, starlight? Guide me, starlight / Are you out there, anywhere at all?” I've found I like this one most when I'm driving down the road. My favorite music gets an emotional response out of me. This song makes me smile and feel happy.
What can I say about Geoff Tate that hasn't already been said for the last thirty years? “Invincible” gives plenty of room for his legendary voice to carry over dark piano chords. It is remarkable how strong his voice is after all these years, after singing such demanding material for so long. “Alchemy” smacks of Tobi taking notes from Nightwish's more recent albums, with a chunky, easy-to-follow guitar riff with strings that safely mimic the riff, allowing Geoff and Tobi to take the spotlight. And it's powerful. Despite my tendency to skip the first minute of the song because of the extended nature of the riff, “Alchemy” is one of my favorite Avantasia songs in years. To me, it's one of many examples of Tobi knowing exactly how to use every guest singer he brings into this band.
I find it funny that one of my very favorite songs on the album, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” was not played live when I recently saw Avantasia, despite having all five guest singers on stage. Ronnie, Jørn, Geoff, Eric Martin, and Bob Catley just tear this song up. The bouncy sound and melody that the synth carries the song with at the start is something that has been a point of contention amongst power metal fans, and I'm not quite sure where that sound falls in the minds of Avantasia's audience in the year 2019, but for me, it's lovely. This song has such powerful melodies – that's what it's all about with this group, is it not? - and I'll be damned if I really know what the song is about, but the chorus speaks to me, and when Jørn screams with seemingly all the power in his voice, “Whoa / You dance on the wire to the breeze that carries change tonight” it gives me chills. I deeply lament the unwillingness to embrace such adventurous, powerful melodies in popular rock and metal. This is what it's all about. Is it a little corny? Maybe. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely fucking not! Sing, damn it! SING! The legendary rock singers of the 70s did not create so much wonderful music that the popular rock stars of today need forget how to craft warm and beautiful melodies with their voices.
Bob Catley and Michael Kiske are two of my favorite guests in Avantasia's long history, and my only complaint is that they aren't used more often on this album. “Lavender” is another poppy number not unlike “Starlight” and it's simply amazing that the 71 year-old Bob Catley rocks it so hard on this track. Bless him. Tobi chose to save Ernie for the home stretch of the album, closing the main portion of the album with a beautiful facemelter in “Requiem for a Dream.” I'll always prefer the days when Henjo Richter handled the guitar duties for Avantasia, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in love with Sascha's choice of lead guitar melody on this song. The Kiske songs have always been true highlights of any Avantasia album and this is no different. It certainly doesn't unseat “Wastelands” in my book, but that's an extraordinarily high bar to match. It does, however, come close.
I love me some pop music, so I have no qualms with the inclusion of “Maniac,” especially when Eric Martin sells it. This could be placed dead center in the album and I would not mind. Of course, I remember when Tobias included a cover of “Rock Me Amadeus” on the last Edguy album, and I enjoyed that, so this was hardly offensive to me. Back when Tobias released the Lost In Space EPs, he included an amazing cover of Ultravox's “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes,” and this goes pretty well with that. I love a good danceable beat in my rock music. Additional note: “Heart” is a bonus track on my edition of the album, and I think it's a great way to close the curtain on this monstrous album. It's inoffensive and does not stand out, but I enjoy it every time it comes out.
This album easily unseats “Ghostlights” as my favorite Avantasia album in many years. Of any album released in 2019, this is by a country mile my favorite, and after a lot of thought believe it deserves at the very least the bottom slot on this list. I feel it rising just from writing out my thoughts on it, but I have listened to the album several times a week since it released, and I just love it more and more each time I hear these songs. Huge production, amazing hooks, an abundance of wonderful melodies, songs that are perfectly written for their guest singers, a dash of pop magic and you get yourself one hell of an album. I adore Moonglow, and I strongly recommend it to any fan of music with good melodies, big hooks, and theatrical, dramatic rock. Avantasia is the gift that keeps on giving – hopefully for many more years.
In Summary: It's big. It's loud. It's catchy. It's unapologetic in its silly lyricism and unbridled joy. Through Moonglow, Tobias Sammet exudes nothing but passion for music and singing and the theatrical aspects of rock and metal. This is a lovely album that makes me happy whenever I hear it, and I can listen to it from start to finish without feeling the need to skip a track. The wide variety of singers and how effectively each is used on their respective tracks is harder than it seems yet Tobi makes it look effortless. I love this album.
Katt's Favorites: Ghost in the Moon, Book of Shallows, Alchemy, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Ghost in the MoonAlchemy (feat. Geoff Tate)