Avantasia [CD-single] [Import]

Avantasia [CD-single] [Import]

Track Listings

1. Edit Version

2. Reach Out For Light

3. Final Sacrifice (Non-Album Track)

4. Avantasia (Album Version)

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Solo Metal Opera Effort from Edguy Vocalist Tobias Sammet. The Title Track (Which also Happens to Be the Lead Single) features the Vocals of Helloween Frontman Michael Kiske. Participant Musicans Form a Who's who of Euro-Metal, with Sammet Getting a Hand from Members of Rhapsody, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius & Others.

Tracks:

Prelude
Reach Out For The Light
Serpents In Paradise
Malleus Maleficarum
Breaking Away
Farewell
The Glory Of Rome
In Nomine Patris
Avantasia
A New Dimension
Inside
Sign Of The Cross
The Tower

Album Description

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:

heard it all before.......2007-04-18

this cd is ok but nothing new or exciting. ill listen to it now and then but i wouldnt suggest that you hyper ventelate and rush to buy.

Tedious.......2006-12-16

If you own Queensryche's "The Warning", you already own everything this opera tries to deliver. Eight different singers and every one of them imitates Geoff Tate every time they open their mouths. The instrumental backings all sound like Queensryche tracks copied, cut and pasted (multiple times) in Cakewalk. Absolutely no innovation whatsoever, the lyrics are straight out of Dungeons & Dragons, and the best compliment I can give the endeavor is "competent".

great idea, masterfully pulled off.......2006-08-08

Avantasia, the metal opera - where to begin? a slew of famous power metal vocalists, top-notch instrumentation, and exciting fantasy-inspired lyrics combine to give us the first half of a two-part story created by Edguy frontman Tobias Sammet.

note: it is an opera in the sense that each role is performed by a different vocalist.

best tracks are Avantasia, Sign of the Cross, Glory of Rome, The Tower, and Serpents in Paradise.

the instrumental tracks are well-done and don't hurt the story. Malleus Maleficarum is creepy but adds to the story. Inside is the one track you can skip - luckily, it's only two minutes long.

"Maybe it's better for you, mankind, not to know what's going on.".......2006-05-17

So sings Elderane the elf on the last track, The Tower, and maybe he is right, in regard to life in general and in regard to this opera. It would not be possible to understand the story from the lyrics themselves, but the insert contains 5 and 1/2 pages (!) of fine print which explain the plot. Maybe that helps the appreciation a little (it certainly indicates the effort expended by Tobias on the project) but the music is fine on its own. Here is real opera with 10 parts sung by 10 different performers, and every one of the 13 tracks represents very listenable power metal. It is a cliff hanger though; you will not know what happens to the young maiden being held in prison for witchcraft until you listen to part 2. I considered giving it five stars but decided that it fits my listening often category more than listening over and over. (Please see my profile for a brief discussion of my rating philosophy.)

1/8/07 Revision. In May of last year I gave this four stars. I've been listening to it a lot lately and decided it fits my criteria for five.

Hail to thou, Tobias Sammet.......2005-08-31

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!

Average customer rating:

AVANTASIA RULES....
The Avantasia series will blow your mind
This Rocks

Avantasia Part II: The Metal Opera
Tobias Sammet
Manufacturer: Jvc Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Avantasia: The Metal Opera Part 1

ASIN: B00006BH3C
Release Date: 2002-09-02

Tracks:

Seven Angels
No Returns
Looking Glass
In Quest For
Final Sacrifice
Neverland
Anywhere
Chalice Of Agony
Memory
Into The Unknown

Customer Reviews:

AVANTASIA RULES...........2006-09-21

Metal Opera 1 and 2 is all you need, best albums of all time..yep i said it best albums of all time...

The Avantasia series will blow your mind.......2005-09-30

When I heard of this album's release, I was convinced that what I considered to be the zenith of the genre would be reached, but for some reason I'm still stubborn enough to believe that there will be an album better than this one, and that's why I can't give it the 100% that I have yet to give, but this one got extremely close.

The same bunch of musicians that pulled forces to bring us the amazing Avantasia Part 1 has now returned to dish it out once more. I can't say that it's better or worse, nor can I say it's exactly the same as it's predecessor despite that I gave it the same rating. In truth, you have to treat both CDs as one album, one story, even though they were released separately.

First I will hit on the talent in this group. First rate musicians from beginning to end. I was particularly taken by the guitar work on here, the tracks laid down by Henjo Richter are mind blowing, as are the leads that he dishes out, particularly the riveting twin guitar lead on Chalice of Agony. I actually had the unique honor of teaching this solo to 2 teenagers at a summer camp who performed this song with a band of campers. I assure you it is quite challenging. But also note the efforts of Timo Tolkki and Jens Ludwig.

I have to hand it to Tobias Sammet for rounding out such top notch musical collaborators for his effort. Michael Kiske's role has diminished in this part as opposed to part 1, which is my lone complaint of this album. But this has given way to include the new character performed by Bob Catley, whose voice fills the gap and puts a new feel to the story. Andre Matos and Kai Hansen are back in good form, and naturally Tobias is ruling the roost, which is the right of the man who leads the project and composes the songs. lol

And on a side-note, the production is excellent. Too many albums in the power metal genre have a poor balance between the guitars and the synths, here they are both equally discernable and complement each other rather than fight each other. The voices are also well blended in with the music and don't drown out the background, which is amazing when you consider that at times 7 or 8 people are singing as a group.

Here is how the songs break down.

Seven Angels (10/10) - In the same vain as Edguy, Tobias brings a flair to the drawn out epic like no other. This is probably the best song on the album and clocks in at 14 minutes. There is a drawn out stream of modulations in sections, combining together to make you feel that your listening to 4 or 5 different songs in succession. High points include Timo Tolkki's guitar solo, Tobias' and Kiske's Meatloaf inspired piano and voice section which completely blew me away, and the amazing outro where Tobias, Matos and Hansen create a stream of vocal melodies that mystify the ears. An aria for the power metal ages to be sure.

No Return (9.5/10) - Fast paced cooker that works nicely, but it feels lacking merely because it had to follow the massive epic which is usually the closer for such albums. Michael Kiske and Tobias do well on this one, as does the lead work by Richter.

The Looking Glass (10/10) - This is an excellent mid-tempo track that features the new charactered called The Tree of Knowledge, sung by Bob Catley. What ensues is a riveting duet between two amazing singers, the lyrics on this one are very philosophical, yet work well in the fantasy world that Sammet has concocted. Another brilliant solo by Richter, along with some flashy beats by Alex Holzwarth.

In Quest for (10/10) - A continuation of the Catley and Tobias duet, this time with but a lone piano and some strings in the background. With voices completely exposed to the scrutiny that normally doesn't exist with loud guitars, these two guys prove that they can match abilities with any broadway singer. Kudos for originality on this one too, considering who this song came from.

Final Sacrifice (10/10) - Things get nice and rough here, Catley exits to bring in Virgin Steele screamer David Defeis, whose lion growls dwarf Tobi's banshee shreeks with thunderous fury. Jens Ludwig provides a very agitated solo which plays against the more idiomatic and structured soloing that Richter has been utilizing.

Neverland (9.5/10) - Great song, featuring Rob Rock reprising his role as Bishop Von Bicken. Great vocal performances save this song from it's almost cliche musical accompaniment, which sounded alot like Gamma Ray's "One with the World" at the beginning.

Anywhere (10/10) - Tobias goes it alone on this one, starting out with just a piano to back him up. This is definately one of the better power ballads I've heard. There is alot of emotion in the vocal performance, and Richter's solo uses all the precise notes to make the guitar sing as a voice rather than a highly embellished harpsichord line befitting of a shred fest.

Chalice of Agony (10/10) - This song, like Seven Angels, never gets old for me. I can understand why this was chosen as a single, because it's catchy themes grab the listener immediately. This track gets my pic for best guitar solo on the album. The pace is fast and the sections contrast each other nicely. Tobias does the majority of the vocal work, but both Matos and Hansen make breif appearances to add aditional color. Nothing short of amazing.

Memory (10/10) - Ralph Ziardstek reprises his role as the evil Baliff Falk Von Kronberg, the most loathsome of the characters. This song is lyrically excellent, and paints a very vivid picture of the plot, which sees justice served within it's span. Ziardstek dominates this song, but Tobias makes a brief appearance. Jens Ludwig also plays a decent solo on this one.

Into the Unknown (10/10) - The exiting chorus of the story, featuring solos by Tobias and Sharon reprising her role as the main character's sister. But the real strength to this shorter closing track is in the words of the chorus. The greatest one line that Tobias ever wrote is within that chorus, and it reads....

Dreamers come and go, but a dream's forever.

In conclusion, if you like Power Metal in general, you must get this album. If you enjoyed Avantasia Part 1, you must get this album. And if you like the other bands that the members of this project are in (Edguy, Gamma Ray, Rhapsody, Helloween, Virgin Steele, Stratovarius, ect.) you must get this album. No more excuses, start saving up those hard earned dollars or euros that you get for breaking rocks all day and invest it in a piece of artistic genius.

This Rocks.......2003-06-06

Alright since your looking at this page you obviously like good metal, this is one awesome cd, i like the first metal opera cd better though. if you don't like like this cd, go back to listening to limp wristed and other nu metal crap records

Average customer rating:

A good album
Nice attempt, mediocre result. M.Kiske shines, as always!!
All the famous power metal cliches in just one album.
Not innovative, but a great power metal album: buy it!
Is this guy a genius or what?

Avantasia: The Metal Opera Part 1
Tobias Sammet
Manufacturer: Jvc Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Avantasia Part II: The Metal Opera

ASIN: B00005HT2J
Release Date: 2001-01-24

Tracks:

Prelude
Reach Out For The Light
Serpents In Paradise
Malleus Maleficarum
Breaking Away
Farewell
Glory Of Rome
In Nomine Patris
Avantasia
New Dimension
Inside
Sign Of The Cross
Tower
Avantasia (Edit Version)
Final Sacrifice

Album Details

Japanese Version Featuirng Two Bonus Tracks: "Avantasia (Edit Version)", and "The Final Sacrifice".

Customer Reviews:

A good album.......2004-03-13

After a deep analisis of Avantasia I think this album is based on Heavy Metal lines.

You can hear DIO, EUROPE, HELLOWEEN, IRON MAIDEN, DOKKEN and others in it. Really, study the album and youll be amazed.

The voices are fine, and the best singer is MICHAEL KISKE, obviously.

I think this is not a METAL OPERA, but you hear a lot of interest things

Nice attempt, mediocre result. M.Kiske shines, as always!!.......2004-02-29

If you are expecting a metal OPERA with this cd, forget about it. Don't be put down though; this is an o.k power metal album with some interesing suprises.

Tomas Sammet of Edguy conceived the idea for this project, wrote the songs and invited musicians H.Richter,M.Grosskopf and A.Holzwarth to form the Avantasia band.

Except the wonderful musicians a great surprise is achieved with the appearance of 8 quest vocalists!! All of the vocalists do a nice job, especially Sharon Den Adel(Anna) and Andre Matos(Elderane).
The only disappointment is that most of the lead vocals are done by (the quite talented) T.Sammet leaving little room for the other performers.

But the biggest surprise of all - the return of legendary vocalist `Michael Kiske' (Helloween 86-93)!! The gifted and greatly talented Kiske returns (briefly) to Power Metal, still hitting those high pitched notes that gave you the chills in the Keeper Of The Seven Keys albums. His voice is in great shape and filled with much emotion, that definitely makes him stand out in the album. His performance on `The Tower' will surely amaze you. In the cd-cover he appears as Ernie...

As for the songwriting...satisfying but without offering something `new' to the scene. Moreover the songs follow the Edguy atmosphere with some very few exceptions such as some parts in `Reach Out For The Light' and the `The Tower', which remind of Helloween and Blind Guardian. The highlights of the album are the two songs mentioned above and `Farewell' (who's beginning is terrible). Good bass playing throughout the album by Grosskopf and some good guitar solos and drumming here and there. The only epic and best song(for me)in the album is The Tower, but the atmosphere is mainly maintained by operatic backing vocals, some cool keyboards and M.Kiske's melodic voice (for instance the guitar solo is really simple and doesn't fit...).
If there were more guitars, better backing vocals and the quest vocalists had bigger parts this could be considered a Metal Opera.

This is a good attempt from T.Sammet to bring all these musicians together in order create this power metal album. There are some very good ideas throughout but they are not placed together very wisely. Fine use of vocals especially by Kiske and Sammet, but luck in songwriting, in my opinion. Maybe Sammet should have waited a bit longer to finish this project...But still a power metal album, worth listening (especially if you are a M.Kiske or Edguy fan).

(Part II of this project is not worth listening except maybe for die-hard Edguy fans...)

All the famous power metal cliches in just one album........2003-11-20

This ambitious project by Edguy's talented singer, Tobias Sammet, just backfired, in my opinion. It has absolutely NO inovation, and, still worst than that, it seems to put the together all the available cliches of German power / melodic metal in just one CD. It's almost unbearable at certain parts. Of course all the musicians involved are very skillfull, but that did not save the album. THe term "metal opera" is wasted here. Trust me, it's just another power metal record: double kick drums all along, screaming vocals, hopeful lyrics, harmonic solos. It's pleasant, but, like I said before, just a copy from another copy.

Not innovative, but a great power metal album: buy it!.......2001-11-02

Made with passion and honesty, although too much influenced by the Helloween of the early years, this is a wonderful album for power metal fans. I won't say "masterpiece" because I don't want to be blinded by the love that I have for this kind of music, but I can say that this is a superb artwork that no rocker must miss. Its production is exquisite, and not to mention the playing and singing!

This album is performed by an "all star" team. Henjo Richter (from Gamma Ray) in guitar duties does an exceptional job, even going neoclassical by times, but always imposing the power metal style with those speedy riffs and his characteristic aggressiveness. The bass (Markus Grosskopf, from Helloween) and drums (Alex Holzwarth, from Rhapsody) are also great. And vocals, well... what can be said? Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween, remember? AKA "Ernie" now ;-)) comes back to power metal better than ever; while Tobias Sammet (the leader of this project, from Edguy) is in good shape as always, with his Dickinson-like sound and his higher pitched singing. Perhaps they are the two most "visible" performers in this album, but here you'll also find some other power metal vocalists playing secondary roles, such as Kai Hansen -who is not so brilliant this time, but that decorously does his job.

However, in a less positive vein, I have to say that characters are not easily differentiable because the similarity of the performers' voices. Probably with Hansi Kursh (Blind Guardian) and Mathias Blad (Falconer) in the line-up, things could sound differently for better. In addition, backing vocals and orchestrations, although good enough to please exigent ears, probably are the weakest part of this release. That's why I think that calling this "A Metal Opera" is fairly pretentious, given the not-so-classical sound of the interludes and the lack of "mass" in choirs (Hey, if you're not agree with me in this last assertion, please listen "Nightfall In The Middle Earth" from Blind Guardian or any good release from Queen, and then come back to talk about choirs and "opera" in rock ;-)). Because of that I would say that this is rather a concept album, featured by many seasoned musicians, than an "opera".

Talking now about songwriting, Tobias Sammet has demonstrated that he is able to write smarter lyrics than the average found in the genre. Lyrics are good and far less ridiculous than what you listen over there (Well... I think that Rhapsody is a good example of poor and kitschy poetry, as well as Falconer, aren't they?). Sammet tells us a story that contains all the ingredients needed to catch power metal fans, but without being too much silly. I sincerely admire this, and I think that he's a very capable musician and a great songwriter in spite of his age and his BIG ego. He is also able to write catchy melodies, which needs more talent than what you would need to write complex(ified ;-)) themes.

In few words: this is a great album, a tad pretentious but that succeeds in giving us the sound of power metal as we use to like it. I give to it four stars because it is not innovative at all, but I think that this is anyway one of the bests releases of the year for its fine quality. I strongly recommend this CD. I'll be looking forward to purchasing Part II, and in the meanwhile I'll be listening this. Good work, Mr. Sammet!

Is this guy a genius or what?.......2001-10-05

What can you say about Tobias Sammet? Well, very much! A gifted song writer, one hell of a singer and a genius! Avantasia is his first (I hope not the last) solo album away from his band Edguy. The massive reunion of singers and guitar players are the guests on Avantasia. Like Rhapsody and Freedom Call, this album is a story of some sort (I have not read it yet I`m afraid). I have to be totaly honest with you, I had to listen to it twice to be able to like it as much as I do. Tobias did us a favour by not making Avantasia sound like Edguy, at least that was what I expected. Yeah, sure you can hear the Edguy sound sometimes but Tobias has made a little anti-Edguy. And that is fine with me, as long as he keeps staying.
Now back to Avantasia. I really love this masterpiece Tobias made, it`s so personal in a way. A struggle of belief, betrayal, friendship and a lost family member (sounds like a great Hollywood movie). Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius and Kai Hansen from Gamma Ray along with many more sings. Henjo Richter from Gamma Ray and Jens Ludwig from (yes that`s right) Edguy, plays the guitars. Tobias Sammet, or "Gabriel" in the story, has (as always) a exellent voice. Songs like "Reach out for the light", "Serpents in paradise", "Breaking away", "The glory of Rome", "Avantasia", "Sign of the cross" and "The Tower" just gives me goose bumps! And I think I have never heard a better song by Tobias than Farewell, I LOVE THAT FLUTE!!!

Tracks:

Seven Angels - David Defeis, Kai Hansen, Oliver Hartmann, Michael Kiske, , Rob Rock,
No Return - Michael Kiske, ,
Looking Glass - Bob Catley,
In Quest For - Bob Catley,
Final Sacrifice - David Defeis,
Neverland - Rob Rock,
Anywhere
Chalice of Agony - Kai Hansen, ,
Memory - Ralf Zdiarstek
Into the Unknown
Chalice of Agony [Edit Version][*]
Avantasia [Single Version][*]

Customer Reviews:

Not in my wildest dreams..........2007-05-04

...Did I ever imagine I'd ever purchase any CD remotely connected to "Metal". I'm 46 years old, grew up with 70's progressive rock, and anyone who knows me knows I thought 'metal' was nothing but repetitive, annoying thrash-noise.

Back around 2000 or 2001, I wandered into a local music to store to look for some old Donna Summer CD (of all things), and the first Avantasia CD was playing on the store's sound system, though I had no idea what it was called at that moment. It immediately caught my ear. I wanted to dismiss it, as I recognised the metal stuff, and yet...this was something more. Way more. There were progressive rock influences, classical influences, and catchy hooks along with complex arrangements and harmonizing guitars and vocals. I was transfixed. It was very skillfuly done, and the variety of chord changes had me hanging on every turn of the melody. I stood in that store, listening to most of the CD before finally working up the courage (after all, I'm an old guy) to go ask the kid at the counter what I was listening to. He told me it was "Avantasia: Metal Opera". I asked him if they had any in stock, and he laughed and told me it was out of print already, and good luck finding a copy. What we were listening to was his own personal import copy that could not be ordered anymore.

Obsessed, I ran home and checked the internet. He was right. It was no longer available, except on eBay, where I found an occasional copy for greatly inflated prices. I passed, and forgot about the whole thing.

Until recently, when I suddenly remembered to check again. I was astonished to find not only the first CD, but also a "Part 2", which wasn't around when I heard that first one. I ordered both (import versions) from Amazon, and I am thrilled that I finally own both, as the sound quality is superb, and I am in prog rock/ classical/ metal/ opera heaven.

I've only heard each CD a few times now, but love them both about equally so far, and am looking forward to the third CD, which is supposedly due out later this year.

A great CD (both of them really--get both), which I can attest will appeal to a wide variety of age groups. I'm still not into metal music, but this is something I refuse to call metal. It tough to categorize, but suffice it to say that if you like listening to music for its compositional structure, I highly recommend this (along with its predecessor).

Average customer rating:

Mediocre but Good
A lot of cliches
TOBI CAN HIT EVERY UNIMAGINABLE NOTE THERE IS

Avantasia : The Metal Opera
Tobias Sammet
Manufacturer: Afm
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000055Y7Z
Release Date: 2002-06-01

Tracks:

Prelude
Reach Out For The Light
Serpents In Paradise
Melleus Maleficarum
Breakng Away
Farewell
The Glory Of Rome
In Nomine Patris
Avantasia
A New Dimension
Inside
Sign Of The Cross
The Tower

Album Description

This all-star project features Tobias Sammet (Edguy), Markus Grosskopf (Helloween), Kai Hansen and Henjo Richter (GammaRay), David De Feis (Virgin Steele), Andre Matos (Angra), Alex Holzwarth (Sieges Even, Paradox), Rob Rock (Warrior), Oliver Hartmann (At

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre but Good.......2006-03-08

Now, to be honest. I really like Avantasia. I had never listened to Edguy before this... nor have I ever listened to any other metal opera. So... That puts me behind a few miles. Anyway, the lyrics are hopeful (as stated before), the musicians are skilled, but I have to agree with some that this is quite cliched. Not to mention, people who aren't familiar with Tobias Sammet's style of singing may definitely dislike this album. The music can get annoying, but I really enjoy a few of the songs. Still, I listen to Avantasia every other few days and I enjoy the songs. A good power metal opera for those who aren't too familiar with metal. However, I do like Part II better than Part I.

A lot of cliches.......2003-11-20

TOBI CAN HIT EVERY UNIMAGINABLE NOTE THERE IS.......2003-08-08

I first started out with power metal because I had a friend, he lend my lots of CD's and this one is definatelly one of my favorites. Ed Guy's Mandrake and Avantasia part one. I also liked Helloween's The Dark Ride. But why do I love this CD so much is because it has energy it has raw power, emotion, something that other power metal bands lack. Tobias Sammet is not only one of the greatest singers today, he is the benchmark for what a power metal singer ought to be. This album should be listened while reading the lyrics if not most of the album will just pass by you without having noticed it. This happened to me at first. I started out just listening to the CD and I said wow the singer is pretty good though I only understand half of what he is singing so I wasn't that ejoyable. So anyway when I read all the lyrics I just fell in love with the CD and I listened more in depth to things that had just flown by at first glance. Having that said I recommened this CD to any Metal lover be it power metal or heavy metal or whatever.

Average customer rating:

come on guys!
Great album!
I totally have heard this before.
The story goes on...
Part 1 is far better than this...

Metal Opera Part II

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Metal Opera

ASIN: B00006FWY2
Release Date: 2001-12-18

Tracks:

The Seven Angels
No Return
The Looking Glass
In Quest For
The Final Sacrifice
Neverland
Anywhere
Chalice Of Agony
Memory
Into The Unknown

Album Description

Long-awaited second part of the chart breaker Avantasia by mastermind Tobia Sammet from Edguy. Ten tracks. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

come on guys!.......2002-10-25

To all the guys that gave this album a low rate because they think part 1 is better, i like to say to them " Get over it"!
part 1 is part 1, this is part 2. for me this album rules as so does part 1. now for the review, the album starts with a 14 minutes track"seven Angels" which surely become an instan classic among power metalers everywhere, a truly epic master piece with a lot of tempo changes,the second track" no return" is a up tempo song that will make u feel like u want to pull out your wooden sword. most of the song in this album are fast paced song with double pumping kickdrums that will make you bang your head up and down. o yeah there are 2 ballads here, i know some of u may think ballads are lame, but me personally like good power ballads, especially if it's emotional ballads like these. So if you like EDGUY or you are just looking for a good power metal music, i really recomend this album.

Great album!.......2002-09-22

First of all, anyone that says that this album sucks because they like Part 1 more they are not reviewing the album as it is supposed to be reviewed. This is a separate CD that should not be compared with Part 1. Also, I begin to really like a CD after listening to it various times, not at the first or second time I've heard it. So, maybe you low-raters just haven't listened to it enough. Listen to it carefully and relaxed, it will get to you ;)

Having said that, I want to say that this album is very different from the first. First, Michael Kiske appears only in the first 2 tracks, Hartmann just in the first track... But that's just how the story goes...

My favorite track is the first one: The Seven Angels. It is a real work of art, a masterpiece. The rest of the CD is great also, especially tracks like The Looking Glass (magnificent), the slow track In Quest For, and the amazing ballad Anywhere.

Well, I think that's all. I really recommend this CD if you enjoy well-performed metal music.

Go Tobias!

I totally have heard this before........2002-09-12

Avantasia part one was a great album. This is not. It lacks the intensity and power of part one, and does not have any catchy melodies. Like Edguy's last album Mandrake, it just gets boring! Perhaps Sammet has written too much music lately, he clearly uses and reuses the same elements time after time.

The story goes on..........2002-09-12

Tobias Sammet had a dream. A dream of Avantasia. Avantasia : The Metal Opera, is a 2 part epic about druids, religion, magic, wonder and of course Avantasia.

This CD is the second installment of the Avantasia series, and unfortunately, came off rather disappointing. After listening to Edguy's 2001 Mandrake album, I almost couldn't wait for this CD to be released. Avantasia 1 was released prior to Mandrake, and with a rather less mature Tobias Sammet at that. However, Mandrake seemed to set a mark for Edguy in the Power Metal world, and I as much as figured Avantasia would follow suit.

Don't get me wrong. For those who enjoy the Avantasia story, this is probably a MUST have to finally complete it. I won't leave any spoilers here. But for those who want to experience the true feeling of Avantasia, the first part comes off more powerful, more exciting and grabs your attention heavily. The second part tends to drone in the background. Besides the opening track Seven Angels, the rest do not exactly follow suit. Leaving you wondering whether there was a time lapse between the recording of Seven Angels and the rest of the album.

There were two musical additions to the crew this time round, Bob Catley on vocals and Eric Singer on drums. There were strong rumours before this that Hansi Kursch could possibly be on this album, unfortunately, no such thing. This album, however, showcases more of Tobias rather than the other vocalists (e.g. Oliver Hartmann only sings ONE VERSE in the entire album).

A mature effort, but lacks innovativeness and strength, leaving this a very mediocre effort by Tobias Sammet, after the classic Avantasia I. The focus seemed more on the lyrical aspect of the album, than the music. However, for those who want to complete their set, get it, for those who want to sit back, read the inlay with the music, get it, for those die-hard Edguy and Sammet fans, get it, for those looking for something new, exciting and powerful, try Avantasia I first.

Part 1 is far better than this..........2002-09-08

Too much comercialism and mediocrity in songwriting in this release. I'd rather say that this is some sort of leftover of Part I. Yes, the production is great, the musicianship is first-class and every vocalist still honour his/her respective name in this album. But there is no song here like those "Farewell", "Breaking Away", "Reach Out For The Light" or even "Avantasia" -all of them from Part I. Even the best themes from this second part look pale and poor when compared to those from Part I. Maybe "Memory", "The Final Sacrifice" and "Seven Angels" deserve to be mentioned, but they lack of the enchant and power that captivated listeners of the fisrt part. I won't get rid of this album because I want to own the complete "collection" of two CDs. But if you're not so obsesive, don't bother in getting this album and go for something better. The brilliant performance of DeFeis is not worth the price for the whole thing. Three stars for this music. I am dissappointed, but anyway three stars I think it's fair: this is a pretty average release, although far below my expectatives.

Average customer rating:

Metal Opera
Avantasia
Manufacturer: Seoul Record
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006RSSA
Release Date: 2002-09-23

Tracks:

Prelude
Reach Out For The Light
Serpents In Paradise
Malleus Maleficarum
Breaking Away
Farewell
The Glory Of Rome
In Nomine Patris
Avantasia
A New Dimension
Inside
Sign Of The Cross
The Tower
Avantasia (Edit Version) (Bonus Track For Japan)
The Final Sacrifice (Bonus Track For Japan)

Album Description

Asian edition of 2002 album with two bonus tracks, 'Avantasia' (Edit Version) & 'The Final Sacrifice'. Identical to Japanese but much cheaper! Seoul.

Album Details

Asian Version featuring Two Bonus Tracks: "Avantasia (Edit Version)", and "Final Sacrifice".

Average customer rating:

The Best Combination of Modern and Classic Since Prokofiev

Avantasia
Avantasia
Manufacturer: Afmr / Armageddon De
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000050X55
Release Date: 2000-11-20

Tracks:

Avantasia [Edit Version]
Reach out for Light
Final Sacrifice [Non-Album Track]
Avantasia

Album Details

Solo Metal Opera Effort from Edguy Vocalist Tobias Sammet. The Title Track (Which also Happens to Be the Lead Single) features the Vocals of Helloween Frontman Michael Kiske. Participant Musicans Form a Who's who of Euro-Metal, with Sammet Getting a Hand from Members of Rhapsody, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius & Others.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Combination of Modern and Classic Since Prokofiev.......2001-03-24

Since Prokofiev (i don't know how u spell it in english) this is the best combination of modern and classic. a lot of opera's vocals, and alot of electric guitar.

I hate opera, but I love classic music, and love vocals, and especially the combination of classic and modern (Bartok, Prokofiev). Since I loved Edguy, and espacially Tobias, and since this album enter to the janer of music that i love, i buyed it.

TRY IT WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART! IT"S NOT METTER IF YOU ARE 50 YEARS OLD AND LOVE CLASSIC MUSIC, OR IF YOU ARE 17-25 AND LOVE THE FAST RIFF, YOU WILL FIND IT IN A V A N T A S I A ! ! !

Tracks:

The Seven Angels
No Return
The Looking Glass
In Quest For
The Final Sacriface
Neverland
Anywhere
Chalice Of Agony
Memory
Into The Unknown
Chalice Of Agony (Edit Version) (Bonus Track)
Avantasia (Single Version) (Bonus Track)

Album Description

Long-awaited second part of the chart breaker Avantasia by mastermind Tobia Sammet from Edguy and featuring members of Gamma Ray, Rhapsody, Virgin Steele, Within Temptation, Warrior, Helloween, Angra, Kiss & Stratovarious! This Century Media Records release includes 2 bonus tracks 'Chalice Of Agony' (edit version) & 'Avantasia' (single version) for a total of 12. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

"Dreamers come and go/But a dream's forever".......2007-05-17

Some very good symphonic power metal here, especially the first track, which is 14+ minutes. The disk contains basically the same 10 people of part I but they are not as evident throughout here as they are there. And it does not seem that Tobias put as much effort into this; for instance, the synopsis is only a little over two pages as opposed to over seven pages in part I. I know this sounds all negative, but the music is well worth listening to. It is just not totally outstanding like the first part.

Please note, this review concerns the music only, not the technical problem listed in the Spotlight Review by R. Rock. I wish I would have read it before buying this particular version. (Please see my profile for a brief discussion of my rating philosophy.)

Better than part one.......2006-11-11

This second part of Avantasia is much more enjoyable and interesting to listen to.They've given it a lot more grunt than Part 1,kind of turbocharged it.[gets your head moving in true metal style:always a good barometer of metal enjoyment.]The first part sounded pretty boring,like a clone of Edguy's Vainglory Opera which I think reviewers have overated.If you like this Part2 one,then I recommend Theatre of Salvation by Edguy too.The Final Sacrifice,Chalice of Agony,and Avantasia are standout tracks here;but they're all good tracks on this album.I'm onselling Part 1 but keeping Part 2.The only fault that I can find is with Tobias Sammet's vibrato which is a bit over the top for my taste,and is more obvious on this album for some reason;but you can't have everything.Unlike other reviewers here,I don't have any complaints about the recording quality of the Century Media release,and I'm very particular about sound quality.

JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST, IF NOT BETTER.......2005-11-17

Again avantasia sends out a solid performance with probly their best song, seven angels. OOO MY GOD! Seven angels is one of my favorite metal songs ever. With great operatic vocals at the begging and a solid mix of speed guitars and power ballads. Another great song is neverland, which deals out solid vocals, powerful lyrics, and great guitar riffs. Don't get me wrong, the other songs are awsome as well and will be a terriffic addition to any collection. Another must have cd from edguy's. signer

Don't buy the Century Media version!!!!.......2005-11-05

An excellent release .... just don't buy this version. The Century Media release with the Bonus Tracks contains audio that appears to have gone through some kind of lossy audio encoding process (i.e. encoded to MP3 then back to PCM) before being sent to the manufacturing plant.

Avoid this one, check out the other versions and make sure you receive the full audio spectrum that you paid for.

The Avantasia series will blow your mind.......2005-09-30