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August 29, 2008 |
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01. The Seven Angels
02. No Return
03. The Looking Glass
04. In Quest For
05. The Final Sacrifice
06. Neverland
07. Anywhere
08. Chalice Of Agony
09. Memory
10. Into The Unknown
11. Chalice Of Agony (Edit Version)
12. Avantasia (Single Version)
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"The Metal Opera Pt. II" is the second and final release of Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project. If you're a fan of the first installment, there's no need to continue reading, as you'll find plenty of value on Part 2. If you're unfamiliar with AVANTASIA, the music is Euro-power metal with some epic elements and a laundry list of vocalists, including Tobias Sammet, Kai Hansen, Andre Matos, Michael Kiske, Rob Rock, David DeFeis, and more. However, unlike its predecessor, the second AVANTASIA disc failed to set the message boards ablaze. The album was seen as a mild disappointment. Perhaps releasing the two AVANTASIAs at the same time, as a single set would have been more appropriate. With Part 2, not only did fans have to wait another year for similar music, but most had high expectations after the success of Part 1.
"The Metal Opera Pt. II" is not just a continuation musically, but also conceptually, so if you're interested in that sort of thing, make sure you grab Part 1 as well. Despite all the work that Tobias put into the story, I just can't get into it. The character development is almost non-existent, and the liner notes are written in a bland narrative style. Still, it's the songs that are paramount, and thankfully, Tobias avoids shoehorning every plot detail into the lyrics. The lyrics deal with what the characters speak and feel, rather than summarizing the plot. Thus, the songs are enjoyable, even if you could care less about the story. If there's any difference between Parts 1 and 2, musically, it's that the latter contains more varied songwriting. Three tracks stand out as highlights, and all three are different:
(1) At fourteen minutes, "Seven Angels" is the most epic track, and an odd choice for an opener. It's the AVANTASIA song that best captures the essence of "Metal Opera". Unlike many AVANTASIA songs, "Seven Angels" is not a mere duet between Tobias and another character--it includes seven vocalists! A saintly choir builds things up in the beginning, giving way to undeniably metal verses, and a grand chorus. An orchestral break at 5:37 belies the listener, before the song takes an ominous twist. It's refreshing to see orchestration within the framework of a song, rather than being an album intro or a ninety-second respite between two songs. At 9:37, the mood shifts to upbeat and empowering, as if the piano decided to "cheer up". If the story were about a recovering drug addict, this would be the part when he throws that bag of crack out the window and skips over to rehab.
(2) "The Final Sacrifice" starts off with a church organ intro, and then the listener is crushed by the heaviest music found on either AVANTASIA disc. Tobias shows that he's capable of singing with real venom, and David DeFeis matches the EDGUY-guy's ferocity. Every time I hear this song, I wonder why I haven't checked out VIRGIN STEELE. It's time to lose my VIRGIN STEELE virginity, and pick up the "House Of Atreus".
(3) If you want speedy power metal with double bass, drink from the "Chalice Of Agony". As solid as it is unoriginal, "Chalice Of Agony" features Kai Hansen doing what he does best: not singing ballads. The cold wimpiness of Andre Matos works surprisingly well on this song.
Other tracks are good, but fall short of brilliance. "Memory" is the closest to "The Final Sacrifice" in terms of sound, but it's not quite as heavy or as memorable. "The Looking Glass" and "Neverland" are competent, chorus-oriented numbers that won't earn any originality points, especially in power metal. Another unwritten law in power metal says that all albums must contain ballads, and "The Metal Opera Pt. II" is no exception. Although unremarkable, musically, "In Quest For" is saved by Bob Catley. The only vocalist not appearing on Part 1, Catley provides a distinct hard rock edge, in contrast to Tobias, who hams his way through anything slow. The closing ballad, "Into The Unknown" has a nice chorus melody, but feels more like an outro than a fully realized song.
Only two tracks are definite losers. The weakest of the ballads, "Anywhere", goes nowhere, while "No Return" is titled more aptly: you'll have no desire to return to this track again! It's a perfect example of power metal without the power. There is more to creating a strong chorus than adding backing vocals, a lesson lost on many bands today. The chorus is slow, but the underlying music rips along like a dragster.
Because of the delay in putting this album out, Tobias Sammet offers two bonus tracks, almost apologetically. First, there's the single version of the song, "Avantasia", followed by an edit version of "Chalice Of Agony". Neither add anything to the album except length. Although "The Metal Opera Pt. II" is a little more varied than its predecessor, it feels more like a second helping than something new. It does take more listens to appreciate, but overall, it's on par with the debut.
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