Few bands polarise opinion as much as Avantasia. I guess it comes with the territory. They were announced at Bloodstock 2013 and within thirty seconds I had text my mate and said: “fancy it?” And we went.
Avantasia – and I think it was their first ever UK show from memory – were transcendent. Just as they were in Kentish Town a couple of years ago when I went again to worship. That night, in the Derbyshire open air, though, saw my mate take a look at their first song and disappear to another tent.
Tobias Sammet (who lest we forget is also in the marvellous Edguy when he’s not putting this labyrinth together) I’d imagine, would be proud of both responses.
Basically, the way it goes is this. If you said to Tobi, “blimey mate, this is pompous” he’d say: “thanks very much.”
Avantasia are the embodiment of the classic joke on the classic sitcom Frasier, in which one of the characters accuses the other of going over the top and suggests: “have you ever heard of the concept of ‘less is more’ and gets this reply: “yes, but if less is more then just think how much more, more could be?”
Which brings us to “Ghost In The Moon” – the first song on the record – which is everything that the band should be. 10 minutes long, a sort of heavy metal take on Meat Loaf in truth. The most grandiose, verbose slice of bombast that will be committed to a CD this year. That makes it genuinely magnificent to be clear.
All normal rules of albums are out of the window when it comes to Avantasia. Each album is different from the last because each album has a different line-up. Here the core is Tobias Sammet, Sascha Paeth, Michael Rodenberg. Felix Bohnke but the guests here are incredible: Geoff Tate, Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Things), Michael Kiske (Helloween), Jørn Lande, Eric Martin, Bob Catley (all of’ of whom are regulars) but Moonglow’ also introduces new collaborators Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian, Kreator’s Mille Petrozza and Blackmore’s Night frontwoman Candice Night.
They all play their part in what is a stunning collection, but special mention to Night, who is absolutely immense on the title track.
“Book Of Shallows” chugs like a proper metal gallop, and isn’t a million miles from the sort of thing Schenker did last year, but the glorious, folk metal tinged “The Raven Child” is the sort of thing at really, only Avantasia even conceive, and even for them, this is epic.
What has always set them apart though, is the way they switch gear. “Starlight” to that end, parps its way through some immense euro metal, while “Invincible” is a beautiful ballad.
“Alchemy” grooves along on some mighty bass and is more modern sounding – more like Edguy if you will – than most of the work here. “Piper At The Gates Of Hell” is exactly as you’d imagine a song of that title would be, and it is perhaps more conventionally power metal, “Lavender” tinkles away and has a hint or two of latter period Europe and “Requiem For A Dream” is so classically trained that you could almost believe it had gone to finishing school at one point – then a riff of genuine muscle envelops you.
The last one, “Maniac”, is as interesting in its own way as the first. A keyboard riff akin to “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” but with an outright catchy chorus and real, proper hook, if you weren’t expecting that to close the show, then maybe you shouldn’t underestimate Avantasia.
Sammet was speaking about the bands live show when he said that: “With the configurations featured on each record, these events are unlikely to happen again.” But in truth he could have just as easily been speaking about the records themselves. That’s why not just “Moonglow” but all the others are so very special. It just so happens, though, that “Moonglow” is pretty much astonishing.
Rating 9.5/10
