Metal Opera

Avantasia | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 10, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Century Media
• ASIN: B00005LMOK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,160 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Avantasia's The Metal Opera is the concept album masterpiece created by Edguy vocalist Tobias Sammet. Features members of some of the leading power metal acts like Helloween, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Virgin Steele, Rhapsody and, of course, Edguy. 13 tracks. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Praising the King of the Kings, January 9, 2002

By 

"overture_al" (Suffern, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Metal Opera (Audio CD)

Having been listening to all forms of heavy metal music since 1984, there are probably ten albums that I could probably refer to as 'all-time greats'. Avantasia ranks amongst those ten, and that is why it gets 5 stars here on this review.
Make no mistake, Tobias Sammet knows how to write a melody - he's unlocked the secret of knowing how to hook the listener. By combining neo-classical progressions, to galloping Steve Harris type bass lines, and fusing singing styles of operatic metal to harmonious guitar leads, Avantasia delivers the goods (and then some).
You can hear influences here from Rainbow/Blackmore and Dio, to Queen and Malmsteen, and ending up at Megadeth and Maiden. I can't honestly fault this CD. The influences are sprinkled about in abundance with no excuses - you'll hear Tangerene Dream merged with Celtic choirs, underlined by Metallica's Orion, and set to orchestrated pieces that belong in a David Lean/Ridley Scott/Stanley Kubrick-type epic.
On the other side, here is some criticism, although slightly minor: First of all, Tobias Sammet surely has to be making a concious effort to purposely sound like Bruce Dickinson - simply because he didn't sound this similar to Bruce on Vain Glory. If I was to hear this CD for the first time without knowing what it was, I would bet a million bucks that the singer was Bruce - it is that uncanny. However, it is not necessarily a bad thing since the style fits the CD nicely, and Tobias is not the only voice you hear. (Hansi Kursch is sorely missed).
Final point: you may not necessarily want to read between the lines when listening to this concept-opera because you may be offended by the religous themes. Some of it reflects a real Christian religious push (not as obvious as anything by Creed for example), and I'm still not sure if there is a sub-concious effort to sway the listener into hearing songs about 'Him' (e.g. Glory of Rome). Either way, if you can get past that and remove the subliminal religous values pushed out in the songs, you're left with a framework for something magnificent. The music alone speaks wonders.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greats!, March 2, 2003

By 

Jon R. Patrick (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Metal Opera (Audio CD)

I stumbled across this album through my love of the band Savatage. Their high-water-mark album, Streets: A Rock Opera, has remained my favorite album of all time for almost a decade now.
When I stumbled across this album, it wasn't because of a recommendation by another Tobias Sammet lover or anything of the kind... it was because the title: "The Metal Opera" caught my eye. Similarity of title caught my curiousity!

Thank goodness! I cannot be more pleased to have discovered this album. It is a testament to the poor state of american music, and metal in particular, that this album is anonymous and you'll never, ever hear this on the radio.

There are precious few things to complain about in this album. The songs are catchy, heavy, melodic, and operatic, all at the same time. They offer depth and musical 'chops', while at the same time being 'sing-alongable'. They _are_, do not be mistaken, very Christian songs; you need only read the lyrics to know that, but the message does not distract from the music. This is an *opera*, and the message is given in the 3rd person, not a heavy-handed 1st person POV.

This album leapt in one listen-through to the tops of my all-time albums. I cannot highly recommend this album to others.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hail to thou, Tobias Sammet, August 30, 2005

By 

M. Ness "Death Be Not Proud" (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Metal Opera (Audio CD)

The Edguy-genius Tobias Sammet comes with a solo-project here. I always suspected he had a serious side too, but now he proved it on this masterful metal opera.

The first part starts with a prelude, an example of a great sense for symphony and sphere. It also gives the listener the time to read the impressive guest list. Henjo Richter, known from the famous act Gamma Ray, does the lead guitar on this album and with outstanding skill, although I think his solo's could be more varied, but they were written by master Tobias Sammet himself, so I have no reason to blame Richter. Helloween's Markus Grosskopf does the bass lines and does this very well. The drums are done by Alex Holzwarth, who's now into Rhapsody, and he really brings originality and variation into his drumming techniques.

The second song "Reach out for the light" begins immediately after "Prelude", so I first didn't realize it was the second track. It starts with a really melodic and rather happy intro with double guitar lines. Then Sammet, alias novice Gabriel, starts to complain about his imprisonment and the way things went wrong in his life. He's definitely my favourite metal-singer, because there's just no one who can overpower him in singing originally and high. Michael "Ernie" Kiske, alias druid Lugaid Vandroiy, does the vocals in the chorus and the contrast with Sammet is clear. Kiske sings slowly and melancholically and there's some kind of echo in his voice, which gives the song a new dimension. A great opener, I should say.

"Serpents in Paradise" is the next song and this one and the previous track flow perfectly into each other. This time Sammet sings more slowly and the guitars tune down to. The pre-chorus is even slower, but then the chorus takes off and the choir starts to sing in an triumphant way ("Serpents on the way to paradise"), but Sammet keeps on singing melancholically. Then there's one of the highlights of this album, when David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), alias friar Jakob, tunes in and gives the melody a totally new dimension. He joins the choir in the chorus too and he sings very wild, compared to the choir. In the part where Gabriel ask Vandroiy for answers and help, the choir shows again that they are outstanding. This song is a highlight for the choir and typical vocals.

"Malleus Malificarum" is the creepiest song I ever heard. It reminds me a bit of Cathedral's "Hopkins (The Witchfinder General)". It shows us Bailiff Falk von Kronenburg, played by Ralf Zdiarstek, who's torturing Else Vogler, who's being accused of witchery. The bailiff forces her to confess and when she doesn't give in and curses the bailiff, he commands the torturer to pull on and then we hear the machines making creepy sounds and the woman scream. The shivers ran down my spine and the contrast with the next song is rather great.

"Breaking Away" reminds me of a battle hymn and here the vocals, as well the guitar lines call for action. The two captives got to break out and you can here their belligerence and determination through the whole song. Gabriel wants to liberate his stepsister Anna Held, who's being accused of being a witch too and the next song "Farewell" tells us about their past.

"Farewell" starts with a beautiful instrumental part, where the flute has a leading part. Sammet sings about memories and becomes really nostalgic. But then the chorus comes and although the lyrics suggest sadness, it sounds rather like Gabriel has new hope and the pugnacity returns too. I never became fond of Within Tempation, but for this song (and the other one on Part II) I'll make an exception. Sharon Den Adel, here Anna Held, sings about Anna's imprisonment and she sounds like someone who accepts her fate, in this case the stake. There's sadness in her voice but also bravery. Then Sammet sings in a desperate way and the guitars underline his need to liberate Anna. One of my favourites, this one.

"The Glory of Rome" introduces us to two new characters: Bishop Johann Adam von Bicken, played by Rob Rock, and Pope Clemens IIX, done by Oliver Hartmann (who also appeared on the Aina-metal opera). They're on their way to Rome and a whole song is spent to express their respect for the city, the capital of Christianity. The glory of Rome is highly underlined and all of the Christians sing about it in the chorus. So does Gabriel, who's going to Rome too, together with Vandroiy. The pope gives us the details of his plans, bringing the seven seals together and claiming the ultimate wisdom. The guitars have something threatening in this part of the song, but the glory of Rome is a priority.

"In Nomine Patris" is an instrumental song again and there's not much to say about it. It's melted together with the next song "Avantasia". This one is the single and one of my favourites too. Avantasia is the spiritual world and all parties are heading there; the Christians by the gate and Gabriel by transcending his spirit. In the first part of the song everything is silenced and when the guitars come to full volume, it reflects the feeling that they are waking up somehow. When Sammet starts to sing he sings like's he only been up for a short time and then Vandroiy advises him how to go to Avantasia. This part is the transcending phase and Gabriel still has contact with Vandroiy in Avantasia. When transcended, we meet Gabriel back, but now in his new form in Avantasia. The glory of Avantasia and his function are explained here and in the next song "A New Dimension" we are introduced in the habits of the Avantasians.

`Cause directly after "A New Dimension" we meet Elderane the Elf and king of Avantasia, played by Andre Matos (Shaman and appearing on Aina too), and Regrin the Dwarf, done by Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray's singer), in the song "Inside". The two companions introduce us to the lore of Avantasia and then Sammet sings in a really sad way about the way he didn't experience Avantasia before. But then he comes to understand the importance of the spiritual world and the chorus takes off. A well-deserved applause too for the pianist Frank Tischer on this song. The piano lines are really sad, but well done.

"Sign of the Cross" is definitely my favourite song on this album. We hear a symphonic intro and then Pope Clemens IIX, Rob Rock, starts to sing about the whole story of gathering wisdom and so on. Most of the characters participate on this song and we can hear Regrin sing about the pathetic way in which the Christians try to destroy Avantasia forever. Elderane is sad about the way things could end and the lead guitar of Jens Ludwig (Edguy-colleague) is really great and contains one of the greates solos I ever heard. An outstanding masterpiece!

The last song and also the longest one is "The Tower". It starts with a whole instrumental part, which gives us a preview of how the singing lines will be. When they finally start, it works really surprising. The song takes of very fast then and the vocal lines are performed in a chaotic way, but everything comes together fine. The pre-chorus is again one of those atmospheric parts, as in "Reach out for the light". The chorus then reminds me of the second track too and Michael Kiske sings desperately and forces Gabriel to go to the tower. Then Gabriel does as told, and the voice in the tower, by Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius), speaks to the pope, who is being betrayed. He doesn't get all the wisdom he desired and then all start to sing "For the glory...". The song ends with friar Jakob who has lost the seal and who thinks everything is his fault. Why he does that, we'll see in the second part.

In short ways, I should say: Great music, Magnificent Vocals, Godlike Tobias Sammet!