Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory (2000)

This is a truly handsome set, and one of the only Collector's Editions in my collection. I cannot remember how much I pauid for it, but it is only worth around $70 now anyhow, so not exactly hidden treasure. Anyhow - there's no changing the fact that it is jolly fine packaging. Alas, the sleeves for the two discs are flimsy and card, so they live in a separate place from the 65 page hardback book.

The book starts with an introduction from a wizard called Aresius of Elgard. Ancient (but not too much, eh) wizard of the enchanted lands. But before we get into the plot, we are treated to a double page spread of the band, in full Rhapsody glory, mediaeval tunics, a throne and swords. Very, very D&D.

After that, we are into the plot, which follows on from the previous album/s. This is the third chapter in the Enchanted Lands trilogy.

First chapter = hellish evil army, lead by "Black King".
Second chapter = Heroic "Warrior of Ice" finds and wields the magical "Emerald Sword".
Oooh, a map!

I smell cheese - loads and loads of juicy cheese. Let's highlight the tropes in the plot:
- Black King with evil army
- valiant hero
 - Lands of Chaos
- Ivory Gates that can only be found by three keys (of wisdom)
- Magic sword (can only be wielded by one whose heart is true.
 Also, for some reason, lots of characters starting with "A".

Now, onto the third chapter. The valiant warrior has his magic sword and an army and is about to face off against the Dark Lord Black King.
And rape.... why oh why do these things always involve rape?  Followed soon after by death. But in her case her death saved the rest of them. Let's stop reading and let the music speak for itself!

"At the Court of King Chaos only blood can write its own tragedy...." begins "Lux Triumphans", with choirs, symphonic structures and an epic build up into the "Dawn of Victory". Surging guitars, like horses thundering across the plains. Charging the enemy. Triumphant melodies. Vocals mid-tenor, soaring with passionate power. You can see the hero riding forth on his massive steed, sword raised and hair blowing in the wind, like something out of a cheesy romance novel. Heavy on the pompesity.

Lots of keyboards, maybe even a harpischord, builds an indestructible wall of epic sound. I"m going to use the word "epic" as much as possible! Vocals smoother, as the Warrior celebrates "The triumph for my Magic Steel" (I kid you not). He parades across his Enchanted Lands, his army following, the enemies heads speared on their pikes. The next target is in his eyes, and his army ride to further victory (hopefully).

Gentler now, it's time for a little romance, and a homecoming, as we find our way to the "Village of the Dwarves". Keyboards mimic bagpipe rhythms, nifty! Vocals decidedly more folksy, with penny whistle accompaniment. Lovely, lilting reel of a rhythm. A charming blend of folk whimsy and modern instrumentations.

Time for the next battle this time in "Dargar, Shadowland of the Black Mountain". It begins with a thunderous roar of instrumentations and a cry of victory? Defiance? Dargor has been twisted into a disciple if evil. Cascading chorus, like a stampede across the lands; leaping, slashing, fending off the enemy.

Starting soft and slow, "The Bloody Rage of Titans" celebrates the beauty of the Enchanted Lands - where unicorns once roamed.  After a gentle and soothing intro, it surges into a dramatic and bloody war, vocals tinged with loss and a hint of despearation.

Another dramatic and pompous flourish as we rip roar and rage like a "Holy Thunderforce". Chaotic and violent. Vocals harsh-edged, cutting vicious as a sword. This is a battle hymn anthem. Dramatic harpsichord.

"So we'll fight against the wind for the glory of the kings to defeat the evil enemies..."

Creepy children's choir lead us down into the instrumental "Trolls in the Dark". A surging maelstorm of darkness and treacherous shadows, blood running in the night. Pounding rhythms. Choirs. Guitars ripping up a tornado. Dramatic and dangerous.

Harpischords again as, triumphant now, the horse rises into the sky, flying! Not only has it developed wings, but it is also the "Last Winged Unicorn". Oooh, an alicorn. And flying unicorns breathe innocence. Dragons, eat your heart out, this unicorn will breathe innocence at you. Okay, sarcasm aside, it's a powerful song, rising in triumphance and victory with harpsichord intermingling with guitars and choirs rising and falling, the tempo filled with great flourish and an epic cascard of sound and celebration. It is easy to imagine the great and fearsom last winged unicorn rising from the holy sea of golden flames and racing across the skies.
Is it a phoenix? Mythologies all getting entwined and confused!

Time for celebration, as "The Mighty Ride of the Firelord". I assume that this is the Warrior of the Ice riding on his fiery winged unicorn/phoenix. The symphony builds and builds in scale and power, surging with mighty and an epic wall of sound. Flutes flicker across, like dancing dragonflies, harpsichords shimmer and the vocals soar above it all like a wicked edged sword. Choirs rise like flickering flames. Rhapsody are a very easy band to get metaphorical about.
And it just keeps on going.
For nearly 10 minutes.

There is one word to describe Rhapsody. Epic.
And another. Pretentious.
But despite that, they do what they do with extreme skill and ability and they have totally taken the "epic symphonic power metal" genre and made it their own. So what if their lyrics reek of double cheese pizza with extra cheese on top? Isn't that true of every power metal band? Rhapsody are the Manowar of the modern metal scene - bringing a deliberate level of pompesity and a wall of dramatic and powerful sound. All the rest (Skylark, Olympos Mons, Faeryland etc) fall beneath the hooves of their mighty phoenix-alicorn and get burned to ashes in their wake.

It's strange how keyboards, entirely electronic sound, can succesfully capture a mediaeval vibe.

Rating = 9/10

PS: The rest of the book is suitably impressive. In fact, the very next pages give a breakdown of what the band are trying to achieve with the sounds - which would have been good for me to refer to whilst writing this dissection. *sighs* Then there is some interviews with the band members.
Oooh, they use "bombastic" - I forgot to use that adjective!

Also, I think I am getting violins confused with harpischords, there's apparently lots of violins on the first two full tracks, but I can't *quite* seem to hear it.

Bonus enhanced CD has video clips and variations on the songs we've heard, along with pretty graphics and a screensaver.

Nightwish - Wishmaster (2000)

I own a lot of Nightwish, and I love their music - the exquisitely fragile beauty of Tarja's voice, the depth of complexity and power in the instrumentations and the epic force of their melodies. These is their third album, and they have yet to employ an official male vocalist - instead with have a list of men providing their voices - ranging from bass to tenor. And choirs, which should make for an epic production. Oooh, and flutes - can't forget the flutes!

To be honest, I've been putting off reviewing Nightwish becuse my brother does it so much better, so more poetically. You can read his blogpost about the band here. He knows technical terms and so forth - me, I resort to adjectives and repetition of the word "ethereal". Let's see if I can do an entire Nightwish album dissection without using that E word again.

Okay, here goes:

The cover depicts a child, kneeling before a lake, a scroll before him. He raises his hands, summoning the swans to take flight. Above, the sunset paints the sky in orange lava, whilst the dark reflections of trees line the horizon. Dreamy, strings of mist cloak the horizon and set a deep and melancholic mood. The entire palatte is shades of orange and brown. Inside, the booklet contains several fold out pages and the band all look suitably angelic.

Dramatic rhythms lead us into the stirring "She is My Sin" which builds in epic scale and might, broken by Tarja's hauntingly sweet, soaring soprano. It glides like a silver-feathered swift. Now the music has subsided down as a backing, complementing her voice but occasionally taking the opportunity to fly between verses.

"The Kinslayer" pays tribute to those slain in the Columbine massacre, in 1999. It starts with a dramatic cascade of keyboards and drums, before surging into the urgent rhythm and Tarja's exquisite voice soaring above like a lost soul or an avenging angel. It intermingles with the deeper bass (or baritone?) lending an ominous edge to what was a truly tragic event.

"For whom the gun tolls, for whom the prey weeps. Bow before a war, call it religion."

Softer, gentler, flutes and gentle keyboards usher us into the folk-orientated "Come Cover Me". Gliding gently, Tarja's voice soars with the gentle rhythms, like floating through clouds on a sunlit day in early spring. There's an earthy, pagan feel.

"Wanderlust" continues with this pagan, traveler vibe. The chorus is gloriously smooth, the keyboards dancing playfully between the voices, like leaves borne on a summer breeze. It all feels wild and free, unihibited by the restraints of the modern world.

"It's not the end, not the kingdom come - it is the journey that matters, the distant wanderer."

Beautiful fade out, as Tarja's exquisite vocals fade into silence.

Haunting, slow and slumbering, "Two for Tragedy" is a lullaby, a lament. Beautifully melancholy and utterly heart-wrenching.

"Wishmaster" starts with a dramatic flourish. Undeniably fantastical, with shades of epic power metal in the lyrics. Stirring, symphonic.

Keyboards and we're into "Bare Grace Misery" another piece driven by the vocals. Honey-tongued, golden and darkly romantic.

With a flourish and a flare, we rage into "Crownless". Fast in pace and with a fairy-tale theme. Keyboardist Tuomas is given full reign here, and the keyboards surge and swell in drama and pace, whilst the drums race the vocals.

"One fragrant rose worth ten times what I am..."

 Now it is time to be enshrouded in the gloaming shadows, as we find ourselves engulfed by "Deep Silent Complete". Black velvet, sirens calling - darkly romantic, infused with bittersweet melancholic grace.

Poetic and dark, "Dead Boy's Poem" is a last cry for help, a swansong. Vocally sublime, the music plays a soft accompaniment. Haunting.

"FantasMic" offers up a change of pace, starting with a waterfall of keyboards, a beautiful kalediscope of symphonic glory. Here the keyboards are given full, dramatic reign and the lyrics return to the fantastical - and also demonstrate Tuomas' love of Disney*. Part 2 is deliciously slow and heavy with loss and longing. Melodious melancholy. As we roll into Part 3, the flute adds its lilting, playful voice (like a dancing bluebird) to the rhythm and Tuomas returns with a flourish. Tarja's voice becomes a force of nature, fast and energetic. This section seems dedicated to the villains, and as such is heavier, more aggressive.

As an unannounced surprise we have "Sleepwalker", a track not listed on my "not to be sold outside of Russia" cd. This has a more modern sound to it, the keyboards taking on a space-edgy sound. It reads on my WMP as "Passion and the Opera", for some reason.

Overall, another beautiful album from a band of great power and majesty. Epic, symphonic, glorious - do I really need to say anything more?

Rating = 10/10

* I may not have noticed this if my brother hadn't pointed it out in his review, which made me read the lyrics in greater depth: the line "A cub of the king betrayed by usurper" is a dead giveaway - that and I see mentions of Black Cauldron, Fantasia...

Candlemass - Ancient Dreams (1988)

Candlemass are a magnificant band, and this is the second in their Trinity of Divine albums. No, they're not called that because of their religious overtues, I'M calling them that because they are so epic, so beautiful, so haunting that nothing else I have even compares to the majesty and emotion of the sound and the power of Messiah Marcolin's voice.

Like "Nightfall", the cover is taken from a classical painting by Thomas Cole. There are four in the set, and two of them feature on Candlemass albums. This one is Youth. You can view them all here.
It shows a rich and fertile landscape, onto which the youth sails in his golden craft, hand raised as though hailing someone. The river weaves its way off into the distance, towards a ghostly castle or cathedral. In the full image, the angel is standing on the bank and waving, but it is not visible on the CD cover. It is an image to evoke a journey into the fantastical, the mysterious and the potentially dangerous.

A simple two-fold cover, the lyrics are printed in an itty-bitty teeny tiny font that you need glasses to read. On the back are tiny thumbnails of the band. They look very 80s, rather lacking in the majesty and power that their music evokes, although Messiah still looks like a wild-haired monk. I always found the skull on a cross logo to be a bit tacky, given the sheer intensity and beauty of the music. Then again, Candlemass are not the most serious of bands.

The album opens wiht the epic "Mirror Mirror"*. Charging harmonies, chugging guitars, twiddly melodies and then the Voice. Heavy, intense.

Similarly intense, "A Cry from the Crypt" has the characteristic galloping bassline and chugging guitars.

Great and looming, "Darkness in Paradise" descends. The lyrics are filled with bittersweet pain, the vocals a force of nature. Lyrics remind me of "Solitude":

"I'm standing here in silence, disgraceful place of peace, watching the shadows come closer. The birds they sing no longer, the winds they blow no more..."

Ominous dark rhythms.

"Incarnation of Evil" is brooding and immense, looming and ominous.

Starting a wee bit faster, "Bearer of Pain" before falling into similar patterns. Whilst Messiah's voice is indeed very fine, he attains the same pitch and structure for the first five tracks of the album. Individually they are epic, but together they do blur somewhat into one another.

Which makes the next one, "Ancient Dreams" a welcome change. It starts with guitar (bass?); an echoing, sitrring rhythm that reaches deep down into the soul, before the other instruments join in.  Messiah's voice is like a crystaline shard, carrying you to a mystical, magical world where dreams become reality. This was one of the very first Candlemass songs I ever heard, and it still stirs my soul to this day:

"There's no tomorrow, just sadness and sorrow, hold on to thee ancient dreams..."

The higher pitch of the guitars and the lilting nature of the vocals make this one stand out as something quite remarkable and inspirational.

Immense and powerful, "The Bells of Acheron" ring out. Some nicely demented piano in here.

The vocals on "Epistle no 18" have an intense radiance to them, seeming to come deep from the heart and soul, soaring to the skies. The music is a heavy, brooding and dark counterpoint.

Finally we conclude with the "Black Sabbath Medley". Sabbath were induitably the inventors of the doom sound, and this is a fine tribute to them. It begins with "Symptoms of the Universe", but instead of Ozzy's nasal whine we have Messiah's mighty lungs pounding forth the words, before switching to "Sweet Leaf". I can imagine Messiah, the crazy monk himself, stalking back and forth across the stage, howling into the microphone as he gestures at the crowd, then bringing his hands together and turning to face them as he switches into "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Then a bit of headbanging as the guitar solo comes in, fading into the lower throbbing tempo. Indeed, the mental image is so clear I cannot help but wonder if I have watched live footage**. After a brief solo, "Electric Funeral" takes over, then a bit more stomping and head-banging. A final flurry of instruments and it's over. Pretty epic tribute though!


This is a mixed bag for me - it contains two of the most awesome Candlemass songs ever - "Ancient Dreams" and "Epistle no 81", but the others are kinda same-ish in their epic scale and immensity. Messiah has a magnificant voice, but it does get a wee bit repetitive after a time.

So this one will get an 8/10.

* Candlemass's videos show they do not take themselves very seriously. It is quite entertaining, but at odds with the music.

** I do actually have footage of Candlemass live, with Tankard and Kreator I think, but the sound is distorted and messed up so I've never watched it.

Beto Vazquez Infinity (2001)

I acquired this album the same time as Andre Matos' "Time to be Free". I'm not sure why I bought it, I think it must have been receiving good reviews, but for some reason upon receiving it I never really listened to it. Or, come to think of it, Andre Matos' either. This was absolutely foolish of me, because I either forgot, or didn't realise, it has Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish) on vocals, along with Candice Night (Blackmore's Night), Sabine Edelsbacher (Edenbridge) and Fabio Lione (Rhapsody) on it . It also appears to be a concept album.

Beto Vazquez is an Argentinian musician who was with a band called Nepal. When they broke up, he looked for other creative geniuses to help him with his epic scale project, and this was the first album.

The cover is pretty boring and very green. It appears to depict the band - or at least a group of people, off-centre and small enough that all can fit beneath one finger. They are standing under a ray of light. The rest is vast and empty and... green. The interior booket is printed in green on black in a teeny tiny font, which also makes it very hard to read.

This is a concept album and therefore there is a plot. Like all good power metal/symphonic concept albums, it's a bit cheesy. I think. Let me see if I can summarise it:

There is a wizard, who bids farewell to "a girl" as he enters into the leafy forest of Valmourt. While he is away, a Dark King (Sleetor) sends his hosts to inade Zlord*, which I imagine is the good guy's kingdom. They destroy all in their way and kidnap the girl. Who has golden hair, by the way. The wizard returns to find all is in ruins and the king is lonely. The good king, I imagine. The captain of the guard has also been captured and taken, so obviously Dark King Sleetor is starting a collection. A strange cloud covers the valley. Distressed and confused, the wizard locks himself away, his thoughts no longer his own. This seems to somehow affect the magic of the kingdom.

Seven brave souls decide to help their king. They look for the wizard and find a broken magician instead. The only way to restore the wizard's mind is to find the golden haired girl of his past.  They then head off to rescue the captain of the guard. No mention is made of the girl again, so perhaps she IS the captain of the guard. But the hosts of Sleetor aren't happy, and charge Zlord once more. It looks like the bad guys will win, but then the good guys triumph and peace is found.

I think this summary may have lost something in the translation.

Let's see how the storyline is told in music, shall we?

The album opens with "Until Dawn (Angels of Light)". Soothing neo-classical music with Tarja's distinctly Nightwish-esque vocals, her voice soaring like an angel of light; wordless and pure. The keyboards add a somewhat 80s sound. Her clear, angelic voice mourns "my life, my king and my land..." Melancholic, melodic and quite exquisite. Like crystal, pure and sharp.

"Wizard" follows, with what sounds like some sort of traditional wind instrument, but is perhaps a keyboard. Slow, sorrowful, somber. Judging by the lyrics, the wizard is already trapped in his enchantment, and I can imagine a cloaked lass walking the empty, dusty chambers, running her fingers across strange objects of an arcane nature as she tries to understand what has happened and how she can "break the spell and free him from himself..." Oooh, harpsichord. Tarja is joined by Sabine here. Tarja's voice is a little more ethereal, fleeting like the dusty cobwebs that trail from the curtains and skeletons and other wizardly adornments.

Bombastic keyboard begins "The Battle of the Past", which makes sense because Fabio Lione (is that his real name?) of Rhapsody** fame. Hrm, he was also in Labyrinth. The only male vocalist on the album, this song is the heaviest, being pure power.

Another slow and rather maudlin piece, "Sadness in the Night" has Tarja trapped in darkness praying for death and the return of the light.

The next few tracks are all classified in a set called "Voyagers in Time". The lyrics are in the centre of the booklet, using a gatefold technique instead of the booklet style. It opens with an instrumental "Through Times I" with flutes and etheral, ghostly melodies and is followed by "Through Times II" in which Candice Night takes vocal honours.Lots of harpsichord/keyboards and flutes lead a haunting, folkish edge.

"Golden Hair", also with Candice, is sweet and innocent in vocals, even if the lyrics are somewhat more sinister. The army is coming - and likely to overpower them. She is the Golden Queen and also the leader of the army, leading them to victory.

Followed by "Infinity Space", which as a sligthly spacy feel - but that might just be the keyboards and the drums which are more dramatic here.Not surprising, given guitarist Pablo Soler is one of the fastest in Argentina. And there he goes! How many fingers does this man have? Touch of Malmsteen, anyone?

There is more flute and Candice in "Through Times III", along with a touch of sax.

Sabine's doing the vocals in "The Laws of the Future", with Tarja backing her. Tarja's voice is higher and with more of an opera trill to it. I'm not sure whose I prefer. The two entertwine together, like two beautiful birds darting and weaving around each other.

For "Promises Under the Rain", each of the three lovely ladies takes a turn on vocals. The music has a symphonic sound to it, very reminiscent of Nightwish, with choral harmonies. The ladies take turns singing verses, and it's fun to try and pick out who is who. Beautiful song, and a lovely way to end the album.

This album is certainly a pleasant one - it features three of the finest female vocalists on the metal scene and the music is serene and quite soothing with a few heavier moments. Overall, it makes for relatively easy listening, but the packaging and general design somewhat lacks in passion and inspiration.

I shall have to give it a 7/10.

Not sure who to listen to for C! I should make it something entirely different and interesting... Nick Cave, perhaps?

* Who thinks up these names?
** As an aside, he also indulged in a little Eurobeat and did this rather horrendous song "Eye of the Tiger". Which sadly is not a cover of the Survivor classic.

Aina - Days of Rising Doom (2003)

The early part of this century introduced a new trend in music - the Metal Opera. Avantasia were one of the first, but Aina came hot on their heels. Aina is the brainchild of Sascha Paeth, a German producer who produces such bands as Kamelot, Rhapsody and Epica, whilst also performing in Heaven's Gate. He called in some of his band mates and friends - Miro (keyboards/arrangements), Robrt Hunecke-Rizzo (drums, guitars, arrangements) and then contacted vocal coach and amazing voice, Amanda Somerville, to come up with a plot, lyrics and along the way she also invented her own language. Somerville is an American, but the "love of her life" is German, so she divides her time between both countries and coaches non-English vocalists. Teaching a new language phonetically to her choir was all in a days work for her, really. Not an epic undertaking, no, not at all. Not only did she come up with the plot, create the world, invent a language but also write a story in songs. What a woman!

Various guests were called in to play the various roles - including Michael Kiske and Tobias Sammet in the roles of Narrators (although they do sing, not talk). There's some good names in here - Simone Simons, Andre Matos, Glen Hughes and a goodly handful of ones I haven't heard of previously and also guest musicians - to play keyboards, guitars, bass or organ on particular tracks.  This undertaking took a mere 18 months of production and is a metal masterpiece.

The packaging is splendid. I have the limited edition version, which is a lovely hard back book the size and shape of a CD, with full colour illustrations, an outline of the world and introduction to the plot, the lyrics, photos of all the participants and the story of how it all came together. There are three card slots for the three cds, which does make extraction of them a little difficult, unfortunately. Still, as far as design goes, it's glorious.

"Aina Overture" is a stirring piece of classical inspiration, rising in power and force and taking on the distinctive "aina" rhythms before surging into the roar of guitars and other, more typical, metal instruments. Many of the rhythms here are repeated in later songs, making it tie together as a coherant whole.

"Revelations" is a slower song with choral accompaniment. It begins with light strumming and the Narrator, Michael Kiske, adds his lower and huskier voice to the mix. He should sing like this more often - it's rather sexy. The choir sing in the Ainian tongue. Then the prophets come swooping in, all drama and cautions:

"The Holy Voice calls down its warning, Don't turn your back on what he's warning!"

Alas, King Taetus (Damian Wilson) refuses to heed their words, and denies that the peaceful land of Aina is fated to change. He has a very fine, deep voice, well suited to his kingly role.

Now we are introduced to the beautiful Oria, in "Silver Maiden". The Storyteller bespokes her beauty and loveliness, waxing lyrical about her innocence whilst accompanied by flute and other classical arrangements, along with the Angelic Choir. Then the Narrator adds his own opinions in his sweet and longing voice. There is no question about it, she is perfection above all and everyone loves her.

Okay, so the plot is a bit cheesy. But it's an album, not a novel.

Now we rage into "Flight of Torek", a rabid contrast to the soothing, slow piece of its predecessing track. Pure power metal, rampaging drums, a hint of keyboards and Tobias Sammet's somewhat aggressive edged screaming. Two brothers, Torek (Thomas Rettke) and Talon (Glenn Hughes), both are in love with Oria (but who isn't, she's perfection, clearly) and when Talon announces his betrothal to her, Torek flies into a violent rage and storms off, putting himself into exile and plotting the destruction of Aina.

Heavy tribal beats, laden with menace usher us into "Naschtok is Born". Torek finds himself a barren wasteland and a vicious people (called Krakhon) that he can take control of and twist to his savage desires for vegencence, creating the kingdom of Naschtok. And all over one woman whose voice we haven't even heard yet. Aggressive and pounding, filled with rage and anger.

Seriously, I think I've heard this story before.

Finally, evil consumes Torek and he releases "The Beast Within" becoming Sorvahr. Given the references to "the night" and the illustration, some sort of beserker werewolf. Pounding rhythms again, powerful vocals - low (but not sexy-low) rising into shrill anger. Some pretty nice vocal changes between Torek and Sorvahr (both voiced by Rettke)

Now "The Siege of Aina" begins with slow and steady guitars and a touch of keyboards. The Krakhen army meets with the chants of the Angelic Aina Choir - the guttural grunts overwhelmed by the sweet, and innocent angelic voices. Baktuk (Olaf Hayer) has a surprisingly melodic voice for the character I take to be the leader of the Krakhen. Together he and Sorvahr plot their destruction of Aina, then take on the city.

"Your doom is nigh though you see it not. Our voices ride and your hopes will rot."

 He's a nasty, gloating bastard, don't you think? And all this because his brother stole the girl he fancied!
The keyboards and guitars duel. Talon surrenders almost immediately. What a wuss. Even Sorvhar is unimpressed.
Of course, there's only one thing that Sorvhar really wants...
And Oria (Candice Night) pretty much throws herself at him to save her beloved Talon.

Okay, that's a bit nauseating... Still, completely understandable.

Now we go into "Talon's Last Hope", all proggy and keyboardy. Now, we learn that in the interim, Talon and Oria had a daughter - Oriana. Whilst Talon mourns his lost love and curses himself for giving in so easily (duh), his head of the guard/chief advisor/whatever, Tyran (Andre Matos, our sweet Avantasian elf), reassures him that all is not lost. Talon declares that Oriana must be taken somewhere safe to grow and learn for the day when she is old enough to return and fight by her father's side.

Starting with horrible noises, screams and  keyboard, the "Rape of Oria" leads into a surprisingly soft and haunting piece, where Oria sings reassurance to distract herself from the torment she must be facing.

From this vicious act comes Syrius, the "Son of Sorvahr". Sorvahr sings forth his triumph at fathering a child and his army of vicious brutal monsters add their shouted. The illustrations here are really neat, showing these evil horn-helmeted creatures holding up this tiny wrapped bundle. Whilst induitably heavy and these being the bad guys, the spirited, celebratory nature of the music cannot help you feel some pride for the new father. Even if he raped his brother's wife to beget the child...

 "All beheld, my masterpiece shines!"

For a time, things seem pretty peaceful. Sorvahr's got what he wants. "Serendipity" brings back our beloved Narrator, Kiske. The lyrics are beautifully poetic and somewhat vague:

"Then the Son came to the one who'd made it come all but undone..."

"Lolae Amer" is a largely instrumental and choral piece. Beautiful, haunting. Inspires imagery of a peaceful forest glade and a pond. Where two young lovers come together. It is sweet and romantic, but there is a darker edge to it. Oriana, in her peaceful exile, has found love:

"Perfect, yet so completely strange at the same time. I've never met you, the name Syrius says nothing to me..."

Yes, that's right - Oriana and Syrius fall in love.
Now, not only are the half siblings, but their fathers were brothers, so they're about as close to full siblings as you can get without actually being born to the exact same parents.
Little bit of ick here?

In "Rebellion", Talon resolves to take back Aina and gathers together his army, calling his daughter to his side, unaware that her loyalties are now somewhat twisted and divided... As befits a call to war, this is a raging, pounding song filled with inspirational guitar rifts and keyboards.

So, the battle begins and it is time to face "Oriana's Wrath". Her warriors ride to meet Syrius's, neither realising that they actually know each other. As soon as they recognise each other, they draw to a halt. Needless to say, Sorvahr is not too happy of his son's betrayal. Pretty nifty keyboard solo, and lots of aggressive, pounding guitar. Oriana is voiced by Sass Jordan, whose voice may be strong but is not particularly feminine. She's a true blooded warrior woman even if she is also known to bed strangers in the woods. Given the sorrowful ending of this song, I'm going to hazard a guess that Sorvahr killed his own son after casting him down and renouncing his name, and then in retalliation, Oriana killed Sorvahr, before rushing to cradle the head of her beloved more-than-half brother.

The war is over, but there are many dead and Oriana must have a very muddled heart. Things are at peace again, but it is time for rebuilding, repairing, patching the wounds. Here Kiske and Simone Simmons duet together, their glorious voices weaving a spell of "Restoration".

For those who have found the plot somewhat confusing, the second cd is "The Story of Aina". Largely instrumentals and re-recordings of the songs on the album, it ends with a 15 minute telling of the entire storyline, with musical accompaniment,as told by our Storyteller, Sebastian Thomson. He has a fine story telling voice, not too heavily accented but enough for my aural pleasure.
I love this line:

"There had only been an echo of a rumour of a legend..."

The story is richer in detail than the lyrics indicated and casts Sorvahr as a monstrous god-like being who reaches down and crushes the life from his son when he is betrayed.
The rest of this CD is much like what we've already heard, with single and alternate versions of selected songs, including "Rape of Oria" in Ainian (I'm guessing) and "Silver Maiden" with Amanda Somerville singing instead of Kiske.

There is also a DVD, containing a documentary on the making of Aina, which is interesting, but mostly in German with subtitles.

Overall, Aina: "Days of Rising Doom" is quite an achievement. It switches from neo-classical to power metal, to folk and the music is richly composed to heighten the experience. The cast of vocalists is impressive. Beautifully realised and very nicely done, a superb metal opera (even if the plot is cheesy).

10/10

Warlord - Best of (1989)

I was going to listen to Within Temptation, or maybe Wolfspider for W this time through - then I saw the Warlord CD in my collection and I could not resist.

This band formed in San Jose, California  in the 80s, as sorta a low-key Manowar, although according to Wikipedia their influences were actually Rainbow, Angel Witch and Jethro Tull. The band take amusing pseudonyms - Destroyer, Thunderchild, Damien King and Sentinel. They have never performed live, not wishing to be considered part of the LA live scene. Although they did hire a theatre to record their first full length release, and performed to an empty hall.  This possibly explains why they never attained much in the way of notoriety or recognition, but do retain a cult following to this day. They ran through three vocalists: Damien King I, II or III and released a couple of albums, then some compilation and best of albums, basically reusing the same tracks, because they only had one full length album and one EP up their sleeves. They split up without really achieving much of anything, then reformed in 2002 with Hammerfall's Joacim Cans their vocalist. They seem to be the band that other bands like - Hammerfall are named after lyrics in the song "Lucifer's Hammer" and Yngwie Malmsteen cited them as his favourite band in the 80s.

I own two Warlord albums - their original EP release, 1983's "Deliver Us" EP on vinyl (stored in my cupboard, since I can't play records) and the 1993 "Best of" which is the entire Deliver Us EP pls 7 more tracks (two of them new versions of older tracks), probably almost their entirely collection. Since the vinyl is buried, I'll be doing this review of  "Best of". This was their first release on CD. I picked it up because it was cheap and had twice as many songs as a record that I really liked but couldn't play!

The cover is black. With red writing. It is a single fold, and inside declares that if you send $32.95 to an address in CA you can receive a VHS video with live footage, interviews and documentary. Live footage is from their audience-less concert. There's a photo of three members of the band, performing not-live. I doubt I could still get it today, some 20+ years late. <- now available on DVD, apparently.

Anyhow, after that eccentric intro, I bet you're wondering what they sound like - right?

The album opens with "Deliver Us From Evil". Eerie wind, light guitar, building into something dramatic. Definite folk inspirations.  Twiddly guitar, low, wistful vocals "Deliver us from evil". Then.... a pause... and BAM the drums start in a rhythmic, somewhat tinny (this was the early 80s) beat. Like soldiers marching into war. Vocals are a soft tenor. The beat of the song is great - it totally seems like the pounding of a mighty army and could well be their battle song. Except for the fact that vocals are not particualrly aggressive, even if they do get somewhat shrill at times.

Haunting, melancholic melodies and almost feminine vocals usher us into "Winter Tears". Damien King's voice could almost be a lower pitched woman. It certainly has a wistful, ethereal quality. Because this is an 80s recording, it has that almost more fragile edge to it. The song itself is delicate, but has solid beats and a quirky edge to the guitar.

Now we rampage in to "Child of the Damned", a raucous and fast piece with the vocalist almost tripping over his tongue. HammerFall do a pretty good rendtion of this song.

"Penny for a Poor Man" is another somewhat folk-esque piece, with a strong fantasy feel to it, evoking feelings of high stone walls and a man in rags, shuffling his way along the dark, litter infected streets.

An ominous opening leads us to the "Black Mass". Sludgy, primeval. Vocals wispy and ethereal. Has a feeling of early Candlemass about it.

"Lucifer's Hammer" introduces the first synth sounds, swirling and whirling over the heavy bass beat as the:

"... hammer will fall on you..."

Primeval, tribal and dramatic. This track was also on Metal Massacre II.

Thus ends the "Deliver Us" EP and we are now into the slightly later music:

"Mrs Victoria" was a track featured on Metal Massacre III. It has a greater clarity of sound than the early tracks, and haunting synth music that reminds me of King Diamond. Although the vocals are of decidedly lower pitch than Mr Diamond's! The lyrics are vicious and the music manically furious and agitated. It sounds decidedly different from the "Deliver Us" days.

Following up is "Aliens" - starting with a quick drum solo before the guitar overwhelms them with a sludgy garage sound, overlaid with synth. Has a good pace, quite jaunty.

I suppose "Lost and Lonely Days" would be considered a love song. It marks a return to the earlier sound, with tinny drum beats and guitars - but is that a touch of the synth I hear?

Now, something we've already heartd - "Beginning" with a declaration about 1984 and then a repeat of "Lucifer's Hammer". Further research - Google plus Wikipedia, shows that this song is based on a Larry Niven novel by the same name. A comet is crashing to earth. It is called HammerFall. This version has more keyboard (ie: some) in it than the earlier version.

"Solilquy" starts with fleeting guitar, joined shortly by thrumming drums. Vocals are thin and spidery, a little bit lost. As be fits the lyrics which are along the lines of:

"I'm alone, I'm alone again and that's how I'll always be, until the end..."

 The next track is "MCMLXXXIV". It is an instrumental. It appears that Warlord considered 1984 a Very Important Year. Or perhaps that's just because these are taken from their "And the Cannons of Destruction have Begun..." As far as instrumentals go,  it's not particularly memorable.

Now we have "Child of the Damned" again. Slightly less ominous than the former version, and starting with a higher-pitched falsetto scream. I would hazard a guess that this is Damien King II or maybe III. His voice is thin, almost reedy.

And of coures, the immortal line:

"Better to rule in Hell than it is to serve in Heaven..."

Which is from Paradise Lost (the book, not the band that, presumerably, named themselves after the book).

So, that's Warlord. Slightly eccentric, somewhat forgotten, except perhaps in the heart and soul of the actual musicians that they inspired. I'm curious to hear their work with Joacim, and might have to track down some of their more recent stuff. Their sound is pure 80s fantasy metal with folk influences, and like a toned down Manowar with weaker vocals.

But they're pretty nifty, and deserve 7/10.

Here's their newer stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leWVxtcDP7o
They've got Damien King III back, but he's going by Rick Anderson now.

And here the are with Joacim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqA2sOHtdYg
Sounds rather like Hammerfall, not surprisingly. I really should listen to my HammerFall album but, alas, I have so much Helloween they tend to take H priority. Maybe next time through I'll do two.

Olympos Mons - Conquistador (2004)

A sticker on the cover describes Olympos Mons as:

Poetic Power Metal
A mixture of hard and aggressive guitar riffs and musical-like passages with strings, bagpipes and harps are the basis for powerful, bombastic epic metal songs full of mystical atmosphere.

 How could I resist picking them up? How could I resist listening to them? Well, I couldn't - and hence why this album is in my collection today.

It was that bagpipes that sold me on it.

It certainly isn't the cover, which is rather sexist - a woman draped in some sort of skimpy cobweb outfit half lies, in what must be a, if not physically impossible, at least physically very uncomfortable pose, a knife clutched in her right hand. The way she's drawn, I can tell she's supposed to be lying seductively, but her weight seems to be mostly supported by her left arm, making her look rather like she's been interupted in the middle of doing a one-armed, knife-wielding push-up but a rather more heavily armoured warrior. He has a cloak that looks like bat wings. Behind them rises rocky stalacmites, all slightly distorted as though caught in a desert heat-haze. I believe it is meant to be Hell, or possibly Mars. In the background there seems to be some sort of UFO.

Olympos Mons were a relatively young band - jumping aboard the Power Metal bandwagon and hailing from Finland. They first came together in 2002 and secured their recording contract in 2004. For all the promise that the album booklet raves about, they only released one other album and then parted ways in 2010. Their official website no longer exists. They were merely just a spark in the Power Metal wildfire.

"Seven Seas" surges into action, with powerful vocals and the haunting, melancholic dirge of bagpipes. The chorus is great - catchy and soaring, echoed by the sound of pipes. It is, pretty much, classic power metal - all complicated instrumental arrangements, powerful vocals and a fairly consistent drumbeat. Not nearly as fast as, say, Dragonforce. Quite appealing.

Delicate chimes lead us into the surging keyboards of "Stars". Again, soaring arrangements, strong vocals and very catchy melodies. Let's see how poetic they really are:

"We will fly to the stars on the wings of the night. Sparks will surround us and light up our flight. We'll fly to the stars, leaving rainbows behind. For the magical wonders that we might find."

Not bad. Quite evocative lyrics. Listen to that drummer go, I bet he's shaking his hair about as he bang-bang-bangs. In the early nineties this would have been amazing and original and new - but now Power Metal bands are a dime a dozen. Oooh, some interesting noises on the keyboards there. The organ effect?

Bit of dejavu here - the track opens a little bit reminscent of Nightwish. Then the drums and guitars come pounding in as we stand beneath "The Last Light of the Moon". Somewhat lower pitch to the vocals. Ian Highhill has a good set of lungs on him. Who let that horse in there? Oh dear, it's Lucifer, come from the Skylark album!*

"Wanted Man" is nicely dramatic, with lower vocals.We've got more poetry here:

"Walking through sunshine, seeing only rain. The story begins all over again."

 Dirge like-keyboards lead us into the crushing bass of "Black". Romantic lyrics, and a steady pace, with vocals varying between the low(ish) and smooth and that of a higher register. Highhill does have a very strong voice, and its pleasant to - it doesn't grate on you the way some vocalists do after a while.

To lead us "Through the Ice and Snow" we have the crystalline chords of an electric harpsichord. Until we hit the rampaging wall of ice and are struck by the avalanche that is Highhill's voice. Almighty and bombastic.

More power and might in "Black Desiree"  which is another one with romantic lyrics:

Whispers in moonlight, light promises.
Shimmering lights dancing in raven black hair.

Not bad poetically, but the editor in me will point out he uses "light" three times in twelve words.

"Cleopatra" gets off to a haunting start with eerie flutes and a vaguely oriental/african feel, before the other instruments charge in enforce.Has a nicely melodic passage towards the end, shortly before the guitars go to war.

There is a suitably Arabian feel to  "The Princess of Saba". This band clearly like singing odes to women! The vocals are sweet and delicate for at least a verse, before surging on into the power and the glory. Good ryhthms, nice and catchy, with an impressive keyboard solo.

Triumphant and valiant, the beginning to "Lady in White" has some very nice flute followed by a cascade of keyboards ang guitars. The harmonious chorus harks back to the 80s. This is a very powerful and quite refreshing track - the intense keyboard solo, in which the keyboardist goes into a frenzy and is then taken over by the drummer, then the guitarist playing all sorts of quirky little ditties in short bursts before the drums and the galloping guitars kick in and rip-roar towards the final chorus.

Harpsichord and waves open the final track, "Conquistador" bringing with them an ethereal, spectral edge before the keyboards take over. A slower, more intense piece which builds to intensity, soaring and surging with a hint of anger.

There's no arguing that Olympos Mons were a damned fine band - they have sophisticated arrangements, powerful control over their melodies, interesting lyrics and emotive instrumentation. The vocals are powerful and both soar and growl at just the right moments. They are polished and the recording is a brilliant wall of sturdy sound. They have power and passion and enthusiasm. However, they feel somewhat contrived to me. I feel bad saying it, because I am a big fan of the Power Metal genre and there is no denying that they are good at what they do, but they don't stand out in any dramatic manner. Except the bagpipes. It was the bagpipes that sold this album to me - otherwise I might just have dismissed it as "do I really need another power metal album that I'll probably never really listen to". I think, in a way, they are trying TOO hard - along with the likes of Dragonforce, Powerquest, Rhapsody, Skylark, Fairyland, Heavenly and about half a billion other European bands. All very good, very sophisticated, but somehow just slightly lacking the true spark.

I'm going to give them 8/10.


* Do keyboards come with a "demonic voice" programmed into them or something? Or maybe their keyboards are possessed.

Nightwish - Oceanborn (1998)

This has to be one of the most beautiful albums in my (rather large) collection - both visually and musically. The cover is gorgeous - with gentlre indigos and purples, a dragon's eye enfolds the earth - a snowy owl carries a scroll and a woman lies, face up in the water. It is somehow both soothing and slightly sinister. The band photo is intersting too - Tarja crouches at the front, her hair up and in almost Victorian attire, looking slightly gothic-Lolita'ly. Behind her Tuomas gives a sly smug grin and the other three members, all so young and fresh faced, look suitably bored. Inside the lyrics overlay images, all in the varying shades of blue, which make them a little difficult to read.

The music is as refreshing and powerful as the cover. It opens with the epic keyboard and guitar rifts of "Stargazers", the synths soaring wildly and intensely before the guitars surge in to wash them away. Tarja's voice is that of an angel - strong and powerful, rich and a fine soprano. She can scale three octaves and is classically trained.

"Gethsemane" follows. Haunting, beautiful, intense. Words cannot easily describe the delicious wall of epic sound, the soaring vocals and magical interplay of keyboards, guitars, bass and vocals. The mood is flawless and enchanting, taking the listener away across the waves and into a frozen wonderland of fiords and infinite beauty.

Pounding and intense rhythms lead us into "Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean" and the low and menacing, almost demonic vocals, quickly overlaid with Tarja's angelic ones. This is an immense and powerful piece. In the background, the keyboard florishes and soars.

"Sacarament of Wilderness" has the same intensity. The power and might of the instruments, the solid wall of evocative, emotive sound combines strikingly well with the silver-spear of Tarja's voice, which is like a radiant, powerful force. It is easy to imagine oneself in an immense and ancient forest, where moss and frost drip from the tree branches and the trees whisper their secrets to one another with the wind.

Solid guitar leads us into "Passion and the Opera", a magnificant and powerful piece in which Tarja's true vocal range is explored and the music more supports her rather than taking on a personality of its own. That's not to say it is not soaring and diverse and very dramatic. Haunting, melancholic. Breath-taking.

Gentle flute and enchanted melodies heralds "Swanheart", a soft and delicate number; fleeting and gentle as a cascade of feathers. Her voice is one of the most soaring and evocative that I have ever heard, so sweet and powerful it cannot help but touch your heart and bring a tear to the eye of all who behold it. This song is absolutely enchanting.

The instrumental "Moondance" proves how delicate and sophisticated the instruments can be, with a folkish edge, this is probably the most epic reel I have ever heard. It is easy to imagine faeries dancing by moonlight, flutes in hand, their tiny delicate bodies glowing under the gentle carress of her light.

"The Riddler" is gloriously melodic. The vocals sublime and smooth, the music playing both a delicate and dramatic counterpoint.

The rather ominous "The Pharoah Sails to Orion" starts with lows, menacing tones, with guttural  male vocals snarling over the rising power of the guitars, merging with flurries of keyboard; faster, faster, faster. It breaks, more growled vocals, and Tarja's angelic trilling an ethereal counterpoint. The keyboards trill. A flute whoops and soars in sweeps and shimmies.

The superlative and beautiful rendition of "Walking in the Air" has me entranced. The sublime vocals, soaring effortlessly over the melancholic, the bittersweet, the absolutely stunning and beautiful melodies. Words cannot describe how this song makes me feel.

And as if the emotion, the evocation, the splendour of that is not enough, it is then followed up by the even more spell-binding "Sleeping Sun". Supported only by gentle chiming and light guitar (I think), Tarja's voice is filled with emotive glory and power. Gentle, and oh so heart-rending. Magnificant.

This album is certainly one of the finest metal albums I have ever heard - powerful and evocative, emotional and heavy in parts, delicate and fleeting in others. It is one of the finest examples of symphonic metal I could ever imagine and is enchanting, haunting and all sorts of other delightful adjectives.

It's gonna have to be another 10/10.

Manowar - Anthology (1997)

Tonight I felt like a bit of a laugh, and thus I decided it was time to play my one and only Manowar CD. I purchased this from The Warehouse for very little, and suspect it is one of those cheap-knock-offs, excepting for the fact that my WMP does recognise its metadata and label the tracks appropriately. Who knows.

Manowar are one of the hardest metal bands to take seriously. This album does not help that in any way what-so-ever.  They formed in New York in 1980 - about the same time Iron Maiden we coming into their prime and they grabbed several themes with open hands - the first being fantasy and mediaeval, more of the sword and sorcery than the serious. You can sorta imagine these guys playing D&D on their weekends or pretending to be Conan the Barbarian. In 1984 they held the world record for Loudest Band ever, a record they have since broken twice. They are bombastic and pretentious and over the top with their raging guitars, throbbing drums and crazy lyrics about how awesome metal is. There's something totally over the top and anthemic about them.

As for this anthology... well, I'm going to do something I haven't done before in this blog - I'm going to scan the album cover. Seriously, my description cannot do it justice*:

It is a simple onefold affair - with a rather detailed history of Manowar on the inside. They have sprouted from the primeval roots of Heavy Metal, and from them was spawned the power metal genre (with some help from Helloween, of course). It extols the virtures of the band and how awesomely metal they are, and states that the vocalist Eric Adams, has a five and a half octave vocal range. That's really epic - I haven't found information on any other vocalist with that range. I didn't even know there were more than five octaves for male vocalists. They have also "declared war" on those who do not fully embrace the true spirit of their beloved heavy metal. I bet they'd like to take Slipknot down!

So let us begin our voyage of Heavy Metal discovery, we shall begin with the track:

"Manowar" with its solid beats, galloping guitars and somewhat powerful, but slightly tinny sounding vocals (I'm guessing that's the fault of the recording, which was probably made back in the early 80s). There is definite raw power here, and it kinda inspires one to jump around and posture and pose - either with guitars or swords, I'm not quite sure!

This is followed up by the rocky chords of "Metal Daze" in which Eric displays how high he can shriek and celebrates his sheer metal-ness:

"Only one thing sets me free, heavy metal - loud as it can be!"

There are aspects of Dio in the vocals, and of course pure 80s metal in the rhythms and uncomplicated structures. It's all very traditional, catchy and with enough repetiton to get the audience chanting along.

"Fast Taker" reminds me of soe of Sabbath's rockier moments (ie: with Dio or Gillian). The guitarist slides up and down his chords, racing along at breakneck speed, whilst Eric howls and screams. There's something visceral and somehow smokey and a little bit sludgy about it.

Now we get into the true sword and sorcery as we enter into the slower, driving bass of "Battle Hymns". There is more diversity in this track - and Eric sounds truly feral as he screams "Kill! Kill!" This almost seems like a true battle hymn - you can almost see the warriorss shouting it as they march (or ride) into war.
Oh my gosh - he's singing, actually singing! And he has rather a sweet edge to his voice. Amazing. Who would have thought?
And now he's screaming again. Oh and off go the duelling guitars.

Okay, I see what they mean by him being able to scale several octaves - it almost sounds like multiple vocalists - one minute his screaming the next dropping into bass.

And now the drummer's gone crazy. Then feedback!
Okay, this song is officially wicked.

Back to the more "ordinary" rock with "All Men Play on 10" which is about how society tries to force you from following your heart and fitting int society norms. I say "ordinary", but there's no way Manowar could ever be considered anything but over the top. The vocals are interesting in this one, closer to talking, but with rhythm, not fast enough to be anything like rap music, with the occasional smoother, sweeter bridge and anthemic chorus. I'm not quite sure how one plays on ten, however. Maybe it means full volume?

"All men play on ten, I'm never gonna turn down again..."

Back into the fantastical with "Sign of the Hammer" - insane drumming, throbbing beats and Eric's wonderfully diverse voice soaring into a rather awesome bridge. I can see the roots of power metal being set down right here. There's something amazingly evocative and stirring about their passion, it cannot help but send a thrill down your back. The recording quality has improved here too, so it must be a later track. Either that or I've gotten used to it. Galloping rhythms, soaring vocals... One can imagine the vast mountainous landscape, pine trees clinging to the slopes.

Now its time for "Fighting the World" and I can tell from the offset that this is another Metal is Great track. Yup:

"I'm fighting for metal cos it's here to stay!"

Truer words have never been spoken.

And of course, the loudest band in the world would have a song called "Blow Your Speakers". But it won't blow mine, because even at full volume this CD just won't go that loud. Solid rock with a hint of roll and a lot of passion and power and some very nice twiddly guitars.

What is this I hear? Piano? Could the mighty Manowar be about to give to me a ballad?
Oh yes! This is "Heart of Steel".
Wow, he really can manage quite a haunting and beautiful voice. Powerful too, as the verses march on. This is visceral stuff, digging right into the inner core of my being. It is empowering. Epic. Beautiful.

Screaming and screeching indicates that the next track is nto going to be anything less than a raging epic Heavy metal piece. Listen to the guitarists go - twiddly bridge-sliding, almighty rifts. It is time to bring the "Blood of the Kings".
The lyrics are totally ridiculous:

"On a crusade the world we bring, Four Kings of Metal, Four Metal Kings.
Death to the false ones, dance on a string..."

Oooh, more guitar duelling. This is hilarious!

And what better to follow up the blood of all king, than a little "Violence and Bloodshed"? It starts with the ominous howl of sirens, the buzz of choppers and then the guitars slip in. This is another one with faster vocals and a straightforward, fast-paced beat. It gives it a ... well not exactly modern sound, but definitely later 80s. 1987, in fact. Modern warfare for a change, and thus more savage and less bombastic than the medieavel/fantasy stuff.

Motorbikes might not be very fantasy, but they're very metal. "Wheels of Fire" from 1988 is more along the lines of thrash - pounding rhythms, roaring engine noise, surging guitars, aggressive vocals.

And then it's time for:

"Every one of us has heard the call.
Brothers of true metal, proud and standing tall
We know the power within us has brought us to this hall..."

You don't get a more epic Metal Anthem then 1992's "Metal Warriors". Even if it does declare "if you're not into metal, you are not my friend...". If I'd gone by that decree in my youth, I would have had even less friends. And I might not have the balls to take it, but I sure as hell wouldn't leave the hall (although I would probably have brought some ear plugs).

A rather sinister beginning to "The Demon's Whip" - more reminscent of black metal than power metal. Snarling demons, raging fire. Even the pounding, steel edged guitars makes one think of black metal - although the vocals are pure Manowar. Not a bad song, but I think it would have been better to end on Metal Warriors. There's some seriously shrill guitar here. And the false ending made me jump!
The drumming is far too fast, that can't be natural or real.

After it finishes, the silence left from the sheer intensity and enthusiasm seems odd. I almost expect my ears to be ringing, the world just seems too quiet now. And I wasn't even playing it that loud!

My only complaint about this cd is the quality. It's cheap. Even at full volume (and you want to play Manowar loud) it's not able to reach the intensity of more modern cds. Plus the bass lines and drums need to be lower and more ominous on some of the earlier tracks, it's all a bit high and tinny - like it came off a record. The later tracks are a bit clearer and you can't fault the band for the poor quality of a cheaply pressed CD I bought for peanuts.

If you want pretentious posturing, bombastic rifts, very versatile vocals, galloping intricate guitars, pounding drums, ridiculous lyrics and muscular guys wearing only their underwear, then check out Manowar. They're awesome, really.

No really!

And I wouldn't be a sister of true metal if I gave them anything less than 9/10.

* You may have wondered why I haven't put up the cd covers before. Partly it was due to copyright concerns - I'm not sure I'm legally allowed to, and mostly it was from sheer laziness - I'd rather be dissecting the music rather than trying to scan things straight. Besides, most album covers can be found by a simple google search.

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (1988)

As promised, now it is time for the glory that is Keeper of the Seven Keys, part two, the follow up to tbe wonderful Keeper of the Seven Keys, part one and one of the definitive metal albums of all time. Here is where Power Metal began. That's not to say that Helloween are technically Power Metal, nor that they are the only band that can claim the honour of being the root of all that is awesome, but merely that this is one of the major contributing albums to the slightly pompous, extravagant genre of Power Metal. Helloween are more straightforward, but no less epic and this album is AMAZING.

When I was younger, relying on a fairly small allowance to afford the extravagances of cassettes, my brother and I bought a fair amount of music. I bought part one, he bought part two. This was a pity, because it meant that I could not really listen to this album. Since he preferred to sit in his room, door closed, music loud, burying himself within the immensity and engulfing himself fully in its richness, I could not easily join him. It is actually rather an awkward feeling sitting in your siblings's room, trying to sink into a sort of meditative, music induced state. Thus, I didn't really get to hear this album as much as I would have liked. I distinctly recall sitting outside his bedroom window one evening, whilst the power of the music poured through the window, listening. At this time, I also had a number of penpals and we exchanged cassette recordings around the world, sharing each others mix tapes. This, my friend, was how you learned about new bands before the interweb - before you could touch a button and hear samples from every single cd you can think of. Via snail mail... and mix tapes.... anyhow, I had a lovely penfriend in Sweden and he recorded this album for me so that I could listen to it too.

Of course, eventually, I purchased the CD. Along with Helloween's entire backlist, half of which I have on cassette tape as well as CD. Hey, you cannot have too much of a good thing - and at least I can listen to them in my car!

The cover is beautiful, moody and somewhat fantasy-esque. In the foreground, a hand inserts a key into a lake (from which faces stare out), whilst gnarled green hands grasp at it. The robes indicate that this may be the seer of visions - the cloaked figured from part one. The background is split in two by dark and brooding clouds - on one side, a monolithic rock formation glows in the mid day sun, in the other fires burn over a desolate and forboding, spiky black landscape. The cover is bordered in a chain of autumnal leaves. Inside it is all plain black text on white paper - very straightforward and simplistic, but pratical and easy to read.

This was Helloween's last album with Noise - a company that basically screwed them over. This cd went Gold in Germany, made it to #108 on the USA charts but despite being a highly successful album, they did not see much in the way of profits from it. Shortly after this they broke their contract, got into terrible legal battles (with Noise), weren't able to tour or release in the States for some years and not only that, but Kai Hansen left, not wishing to deal with the pressures of being in such a big band. Funnily enough, his band, Gamma Ray sort of took over the power and glory of this album with their "Land of the Free" release in 1995.

An eagle soars over forlorn, windswept cliffs in "Invitation" as the instruments rise in power and might, beckoning us onwards.

It swoops and strikes, charging in to the speed metal anthem of "Eagle Fly Free". The guitars are a wild and reckless beast, the vocals untamed and melodious. The drums... well the drums are slamming, beating a rapid and, at times, slightly monotonous, slightly tinny beat. Kiske displays his immensely powerful vocal talents, holding the note, unwavering for a good 15 seconds.

Then it is in to "You Always Walk Alone". I love the rhythms and structure of this song, it's so lively and inspirational, it fills my heart and soul with such empowerment.

"... the strength we have inside yourself is so more than you will know."

The highly entertaining "Rise and Fall" follows it up. It starts with rockin' beats and wooden laughter. You also get to hear Kiske say "bullshit" which is worth it in itself. The shifting rhythms and quirks of the backing music add to the somewhat comedic, fairy tale feel - as do the lyrics:

"A little dragon could spit fire, but never sought for something bad. He didn't know the knight's desire to throw a lance into his head."

It does make you ask two questions, however: How is luck like a ball? And what exactly did the queen of Los Angeles do with a chair? Sometimes I wonder if Weikath is on something when he writes his quirkier tracks. I mean, sheep?

Another quirky number is "Dr Stein" - a song about Frankenstein. For anyone who has heard Helloween as much as I, the opening chords are unmistakeable. This is probably one of their most famous songs - but there was no video made until it was re-released as part of the "Unarmed" album. Also written by Weikath, the lyrics are somewhat silly and rather fun. The guitars rise and fall in a complicated duet, with the keyboards arcing around them.

The anthemic "We Got the Right" follows. Kiske's voice is in fine form, a powerful tool with less support from the instruments in this piece.

Then it is time to get back into the speed metal with the raging "Save Us".  It is followed up by the equally powerful "March of Time". Two very fine examples of the speed metal genre, back to back. The racing guitars, the clanging drums, and above all, Kiske's voice soaring like the voice of a god, filled with power and glory. I have heard the chords and the rhythms of Helloween's music described as "happy sounding" and it is. I'm not knowledgeable enough about the technical terms to be able to tell you WHY their melodies sound positive whereas others do not, but the lyrics certainly help:

"Life's too short to cry, long enough to try..."

The final normal-length track is "I Want Out" which has an entertaining video. With its enthusiastic rhythms, catchy choruses and charismatic frontman, this track became a hit. Once again, the drums seem a little too high pitched on this piece, not sure if that is intentional or a result of not such great production. Once you start noticing it, however, it becomes a little annoying - and I don't want to be annoyed by this album. It's Helloween - it should be awesome! Everything should be absolutely perfect.

The final track is the epic "Keeper of the Seven Keys" and is a piece so majestic that it inspired me, in my teenage years, to write a highly derivative and pretty cliched fantasy novel. But not one that will ever see the light of day, I promise*.
And just to prove that nothing is ever original and that Helloween inspired other people to do the same thing - here's a D&D comic inspired by the same thing. Seriously, my characters even had similar names!
Anyhow, clocking in at over thirteen minutes long, it almost deserves an entire blog post of its own - but "The Seven Angels" didn't get one, so it isn't going to either.

It starts with light guitar, and Kiske's beautiful low vocals, soaring behind it are classical instruments, rising with power and might. This might be where the roots of Symphonic Metal began.
Our hero ("you") prepares for his coming Quest.
And off he sets, with the drums and guitars keeping pace.
The chorus rises, filled with power and ambition.

 "You're the keeper of the seven keys, to lock up the seven seas. And the seer of visions said before he went blind 'hide them from demons and rescue mankind'."

The first key belongs in the sea of hate, the second the sea of fear.

"Throw the third key into the sea of senselessness and make the people hold each other's hands..."

Fourth goes into the sea of greed.
The fifth into the sea of anger.

Meanwhile, something wicked is stirring, the guitars thrash and race and below it you can hear something growling.

Kiske becomes more urgent and insistent - urging you to "throw the key or you may die...". After the frenzy, the music dies down, mellowing into a haunting echo. Has the key been thrown? Is this the calm before the storm?

And where do the sixth and seventh keys belong? Who knows, it's never defined.

The devil is waiting on the shores of the last lake.
It might have been better to have Kai sing the voice of the devil - Kiske has the voice of an angel.
(Then again, Kai's a dwarf, right).

The guitar heralds the throwing of the key and the ensuring battle between the devil and the hero.
Don't worry, the hero wins and an earthquake swallows the devil down again.
Now it is time to celebrate.

I have noticed that there is a rough edge to this album - it has a slightly raw, untamed feel to it - not the overly polished and produced feel of later albums - such as "Pink Bubbles". I think that is part of the appeal, as it makes you feel closer to the band, making them seem more visceral. Although the higher pitch to the drums gets a little irritating. Also, the quality is not great - I have it at full volume to listen to it and when I put in my new Unisonic CD instead, it almost blew my speakers - it was that much louder. I guess that shows what effect 20+ years has had on sound quality.

Overall, however, this is an awesome album and should be in the collection of anybody who considers themselves a true metal fan.

I'm going to give it a 9.5/10 thanks to those drums.
I'm sorry Ingo...

If anyone does want to buy these two albums - they are now available as a set. Which includes some bonus tracks. These tracks I shall be reviewing in a later post.

* Michael Weikath would totally sue my tail. And as much as I'd like to meet him, in a courtroom over copyright violation is not the time and place for that!

Bathory - Blood on Ice (1996)

It seems fitting to follow Avantasia up with something equally atmospheric and epic - one of Bathory's earliest concept albums, "Blood on Ice". This tells the story of a boy, aged 10, whose village is destroyed by a terrible beast. He is the sole survivor, and makes his home in the forest, learning the language of the beasts. Until, one day, a one-eyed man comes upon him in the forest and informs him that he has been chosen as champion of the Gods and must fight their battle in the shadows beyond the world. To aid in this quest, he is given a sword (probably tyrfing) and an eight-legged steed, sleipnir and will be guided by two ravens (Huginn and Muninn). Before he can achieve this goal, he must gain some supernatural powers - which seem to be acquired by purposely maiming himself (losing his heart and his eyes). Then he is given wonderous powers, and heads to Hel to take on the two-headed beast that slaughtered his family.

This is a brilliant classic, which was recorded in 1989 but not released until 1996 because it was considered not quite appropriate for Bathory's sound. After the success of "Hammerheart", however, and pressure from the fans, it was finally remastered and released to reasonable acclaim.

The cover is stunning, and very blue - depicting many things - the eight-legged horse, a swordsman with no eyes (and oddly pointed ears) which I assume is the hero, a snake, an old wise man with a cauldron, an army riding black horses, wild Nordic scenary, a hooded figure with four wolves and in the centre - a sword, wrapped in orange flames - the only other colour on the page. Inside we have a lengthy explaination behind this album and many other things that were going on in Quorthon's life (including the release of his solo album, helpfully entitled "Album"). Then the whole thing again in a language that is possible Norwegian, but could also be German. Then, the lyrics - also in both languages.

"Intro" opens the CD with a herd of sheep and a great menace looming on the horizon, narling and the solemn beat of drums indicating impending doom and tragedy. Then, stampeding hooves, something wicked this way comes. The sheeps bleating becomes more desperate, the ominous beats continue... Shouting voices and we crash into the epic but ominous "Blood on Ice". Choirs and doom-laden drums add to the menace. For a band with so few members, Bathory certainly manage to create a solid wall of sound - it's like a great rolling avalanche moving with slow but steady desolation.

A beautiful and acoustic number, "Man of Iron" (which he prounces i-Ron) brings forth the spirit of the forest and the trees. Our hero grows older, learning the language of the animals and never giving up his desire to seek revenge for his peopl. Quorthon has a truly lovely voice when he sings.

A rather more sinister and rapid "One Eyed Old Man" enters the forest, and tracks down our hero in this tumultuous, wild and frantic piece.The rhythm is surprisingly melodious. Production seems a little "gluggy", however. It ends with a prophecy and a promise.

"The Sword" is a wild and raucous ride, more reminscent of Bathory-of-old. It seems our hero has received a particularly important weapon - one forged in fire and ice. Now is the first stage to his vengence and his future as the Chosen One.

His second "gift" is "The Stallion" and this track is heavy ubt flowing, like the immense and powerful horse, white as snow, with eight legs that can "run as if you carried wings".

His journey begins with a visit to "The Woodwoman" a strange being that:

"...she leaves no footprints in the snow..."

I love this song. It's haunting, and eerie, with beautiful vocalisations (with a touch of the raw and rough) and a good narrative. The production seems clearer here too,  a clarity lacking on some of the earlier tracks. Another almost-ballad where the guitar and the background noises speak of icy mountain peaks, and forests buried in snow. Here he exchanges his heart (has it placed in the pit of a snake) for the ability to take a mortal wound.

But the self-dismemberment does not stop here, for now he continues on to "The Lake". Another immense, heavy, multi-laden track with great heaving waves and turbulent waters. Into this lake, he throws his eyes which grants him the ability to see from within.

Now that he has no eyes and no heart, it is time to call upon the "Gods of Thunder of Wind and of Rain" to aid him in his task. This is another steamroller of sound, with epic structure and again totally makes you feel like you're out there in the glaciers,standing with your arms outspread and staring with empty eyes up at the raging, tumultuous clouds.

"The Ravens" is a slow, short number, hauntingly beautiful and oh my, Quorthon can actually sing pretty jolly well. Huginn and Muninn are his eyes in the sky, guiding him to Hel to face his destiny.

And finally he has his "Revenge of the Blood on Ice" - an immense and impressive thunderous epic that runs for almost ten minutes, and ends with the lost spirits finding their way to Valhalla.

Overall, I do not like this album as much as "Twilight of the Gods" or "Hammerheart" but it is still an epic venture. The sound is a little rough and raw, despite being remastered and re-edited and it feels somewhat to me as though he would be more befitting of being on vinyl rather than CD. It is powerful and intense and deserves a rating of 8/10.

I have just found out/been reminded that Quorthon was found dead in his apartment on June 7th (he had died 4 days previously),  2004, of suspected heart failure. He was only 38. RIP Quorthon, one of the most noteable men on the black metal scene.

Avantasia - the Metal Opera pt II (2002)

The story of Gabriel Laymann, the Druid Vandruiy and all the others continues in "part two".
The cast is also much the same, except this one also involves Bob Catley of Magnum as the "voice of the tree".

This one has a much more amusing cover - as it features the cast. Although I do rather wish that they had chosen to base the characters off their vocalists, because seeing Michael Kiske as the bearded, helmetted druid would have been hilarious. Maybe I shall have to do that myself. The figure at the back - Gabriel - could look a little like Tobias - from behind. The dwarf could be Kai I suppose. The others are all pointy-eared and therefore probably not part of the main cast (although I'm guessing the fellow at the front is Elderane).

Here's a picture someone did of Vandroiy.

"Seven Angels" opens with the haunting choirs of the Believers (not the band). The three "bad guys" are disbelieving of their failure, whilst the hero - Gabriel Laymann, is whisked away to the beautiful city of Sesidhbana. This song is epic, as we have come to know and love with Avantasia - some slow and mellow bits, monumental builds, great guitaring and sophisticated drumming.
And very long (fourteen minutes).
But you hardly notice, cos it changes styling and vocalist so many times you start wondering if its changed tracks and you've not noticed.

In "No Return" Vandroiy and Gabriel sing in harmony again, celebrating the beauty of the city in which Gabriel now finds himself. To add to the awesome male vocals, we have Matos adding his touch as well. Three of my favourite vocalists in one song... oooh, it's enough to give me chills! Anyhow, Gabriel decides he wishes to laern more about this spiritual world in which he has found himself.

Elderane is prepared to help and sends Gabriel to find the Tree of Knowledge. So, in "The Looking Glass" Gabriel makes the journey to the tree that speaks with Bob Catley's voice, and gets somewhat more confused, because the tree is rather cryptic... (and has somewhat broken grammar too)

"As long as you long for the whole, you can't get a part of at all
How proud would the buildings of Rome look without all single stones"

This is a faster paced, catchy song - rather reminscent of Edguy, actually.

Piano leads us "In Quest For". Here the Tree of Knowledge sings. He still has broken grammar "you're accused for heresy"? Hehe, you're singing a duet with a tree, Gabriel. Anyhow, he looks into the tumultuous waters of a lake and sees someone that resembles his aged mentor, Jakob. no wait, it is Jakob - but as a young man. It's a nicely mellow piece, and a good bit of a calm before the storm that is "The Final Sacrifice", in which we learn more about Jakob's past.Having heard this song an hour ago on the other album, I don't feel I need to say much mroe about it here.

Meanwhile, a bishop, a monk and a priest are lost in "Neverland".

Contains such awesome lines as:

"I know less than all but more than many who know less..."

It sounds a little like Gabriel is taunting them...

More piano leads us into the gentle "Anywhere" in which Gabriel finds himself thinking about Anna again, and also about how he wishes to free the part of Jakob's soul that was caught in the lake.Sammet is pretty good with the ballads, his voice isn't quite as sweet and pure as Kiske's, but it is definitely powerful and emotive. He doesn't share this song with anyone.

Taking his new goals to Elderane, he learns how to free Jakob's soul from being rtapped under Rome - where it is kept captive in "The Chalice of Agony" and guarded by a fearsome beast. Gabriel and Regrin set about this mission using the seals to open the gate. They release the souls and usher them in to Avantasia. The beast comes awake and ravages at them, Gabriel escapes but Regrin perishes.
(Poor Kai - why is it always the dwarf that is considered less important to the plot?).
As far as songs go, it's pretty catchy - nicely melodic and fast paced.

At this point, Gabriel is sent back to the real world. He's been away a while - I hope Vandroiy has been watching his body well. In "Memory", Vandroiy convinces Gabriel to head to safety, whilst he will rescue Anna. He hires some men and goes there to find that Jakob (soul restored) is waiting there to help him. Together they rescue Anna, but in the process Vandroiy is killed.
(And now Kiske - why are you killing your metal idols? Or their characters, anyway).
It's heavy and fast, and kinda dramatic in parts.

And Anna mourns Vandroiy in the next song - "Into the Unknown". She finally gets to sing again!
Now we get a lovely duet/ballad between Gabriel and Anna and a melodious conclusion to a magnificiant project and an epic album.

Brilliantly conceived and well organised. Sure, the plot is a bit crazy, but it's many steps better than Skylark's confusing concept album, and so masterfully cast that who cares if its a little bit cheesy.

I'm gonna give this 10/10 too, and then maybe listen to the first track again.

I think I feel some fanart coming on...

Avantasia - The Metal Opera (2001)

Tobias Sammet's Avantasia would have to be one of the most awesome projects this century. His idea - to get together a group of guest musicians - with many superstars of  the European Metal scene and produce an album. And oh, what an album it is!

I remember when I first heard about it. I don't think I have ever ordered a CD so fast, nor been so impatient waiting for it to arrive. Oh, the ripping off of the plastic, the laying it in the cd player (I'm not sure I even had a computer then), hearing it for the first time...

This album is, in one word, EPIC.

Here's the Cast:
Tobias Sammet (from Edguy) as Gabriel Laymann
"Ernie" as druid Lugaid Vandroiy*
Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray) as Regrin the Dwarf (a dwarf! Ha, go Kai!)
David DeFeis (Virgin Steele) as Jakob the Monk
Andre Matos (Angra) as Elderane the Elf (perfect, he does have the voice I would associate with the elven-kind)
Oliver Hartmann (At Vance) as Pop Clemes IIX
Sharon Del Adel (Within Temtpation) as Anna Held
Bob Rock as bishop Johann Adam von Bicken
Ralf Zdiarstek as bailiff Falk von Kronberg
Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius) as the Voice in the Tower
And playing the instruments:
Henjo Richter - rhythm and lead guitars
Markus Grosskopf (Helloween) - bass guitar
Alex Holzworth - drums
Frank Tischer - piano on one track
Norman Meiritz - acoustic guitars on one track
Tobias Sammet - piano, keyboards and orchaestration - because he's THAT awesome
Jens Ludwif - lead guitars on a couple of tracks

Wow, quite a star-studded line-up! From what I understand, Markus and Kiske got on okay, despite Kiske's earlier "divorce" from Helloween. And he and Kai still get on well, and have banded together once more.

The cover is pretty awesome. There's witches and jesters and spooky woods and a very cool emblem in the centre. Very High Fantasy. Inside are the lyrics and a rather lengthy synopsis of the album's plot, which I should really read some day. Like Right Now would be good.

Okay - before the Metal Opera begins, Gabriel is working as an inquisitor with Friar Jakob. He has been commended for getting confessions and so forth, and has been summoned to see the latest suspect - which turns out to be his stepsister, Anna, who was more like a real sister to him.

Could she really be a witch?

He seeks advice from his mentor, Jakob, and finds Jakob in the library. Jakob is acting a bit suspiciously, and has acquired a new book. A sinister book. Troubled by this, Gabriel later sneaks in and sneaks a peek at it. It is Old. And potentially Evil. And has a message at the back from a druid called Lugaid, addressed to the witch, Else, whom has recently been condemed. Also, a cryptic message about Rome that he doesn't understand. However, after reading the book, Gabriel finds his fingers permanently marked - and it turns out that the Friar had booby-trapped the book. Thus has Gabriel broken his trust and thus is to be arrested.

When they come to take him away, the old Friar says nothing just stares at the floor in silence.
And that is where the story begins:

Like all good Euro metal albums, we have an atmopsheric instrumental "Prelude" to welcome us in.

Then it rips into the inspiring "Reach Out for the Light".  Imprisoned in his dreary cell, Gabriel watches as his cell-mate paces, and together they share their stories. It turns out, his companion is one of the last Celt druids, no less than Lugaid Vandroiy. This is a duet between the two, aka Kiske and Sammet. Together their voices combined are a powerful force - especially with a chorus behind them. Noone has a voice like Kiske - it is quite unmistakable.

In the next track, "Serpents in Paradise", Gabriel begs forgiveness - from Else for her death  and worries about Anna. He pleads Vandroiy for help. This intersects with Jakob taking the stage, himself awash with  guilt over his betrayal of the novice, whom he loved like a son. This is a rather more aggressive song, filled with tortured anxieties.

In "Malleus Maleficarium" things take a turn for the sinister as Gabriel remembers Else's trial - of how she was threatened and killed. The music swells ominous and poisonous around the hiss/snarled vocals.

It splinters and unleashes "Breaking Away", which also brings Lugaid back on stage. Another epic and inspiring song. Realising that the only way to help Anna, and themselves, is to escape, Vandroiy and Gabriel stage a daring escape, the old druid knocking out the guard and the two of them fleeing the castle. However, Vandroiy urges him that they cannot rush straight to Anna's aid, and he must, for the time, bid her "Farewell" in a beautiful, and haunting, combining the three finest vocalists on the album -  Sammet's slightly raw edge lends itself well versus Den Adel's sweet tones, and Lugaid provides back-up vocals, softening Sammet's edges. Sadly, Den Adel is under-used and this is her only track on the album.

Meanwhile, in Rome.

Another heavier and nastier sounding number, "The Glory of Rome" brings the bailiff and the bishop together as they welcome the addition of Jakob and his book. Secret documents have been located - secrets revealed. By bringing seven seals together - the seals of Holy books, then ultimate wisdom, illumination and truth shall be revealed. The racing drums and snarled edge to the vocals suggest that it is not a kindly conversation.

The seals are brought together, and a new door opens, into the creepy and haunting little passage of "In Nomine Patris", over before it really begins.

For, Avantasia is, as you may have guessed, a spiritual world - not really Heaven, because it's a bit more fantasy-esque than that (although I suspect itmay be a kind of Heaven for Tobias) and it can be entered in two ways - spiriutally, by having your spirit transcend through a special place (and probably a ritual too) or physically - which is what happens should all seven seals be put together.

Therefore, many miles away from Rome, Gabriel and Vandroiy are in the forest. They have just been attacked by bandits and left for dead. The only way they can help Anna, Vandroiy declares, is if he sends Gabriel's spirit to Avantasia (a dangerous enough endeavour) and he'll stay behind and make sure nothing happens to Gabriel's body, which will be left in the forest glade.

And thus we enter into the most valiant song on the album - "Avantasia". Combining the master vocals of Kiske and Sammet once more. Yeh, I'm biased. I love Kiske. So what.

A short and haunting passage heralds Gabriel's journey into "A New Dimension".

Now that he's "Inside" we have elves. And dwarves. Regrin the dwarf finds Gabriel and takes him to visit with Elderane, prince of the elves and head of Avantasia. Matos has a beautiful clear voice, that rivals Kiske's for clarity and perfection.

Anyhow, something dark is brewing in the beautiful, once-peaceful kingdom of Aina** Avantasia - Ancient Evil forces have mobilised a large army and they are reaping Terror and Destruction. In "The Sign of the Cross", Gabriel is required to join the humans and take back the seal to prevent all the nice creatures from being forgotten and vanishing***. No word on rescuing Anna. I hope she's just been forgotten and isn't being tortured for witchery as we speak. No, wait, all the bad guys are already in Avantasia, so I guess she's safe for now. This is a song with FIVE vocalists - on one hand we have the three "good guys" - Regrin, Elderane and Gabriel, on the other side we have the bishop and the pope. It's a pretty epic song.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Vandroiy is pondering the purpose of "The Tower". If all the seals are taken to the tower, then Avantasia will be forever locked. He also has a mental connection with Gabriel and pushes the young man to follow the path as the Avantasians suggest and not run off after Anna. Gabriel is a bit perplexed about how helping Avantasia can help Anna. So, I think the bad guys (the pope and the bishop) are trying to seal Avantasia forever and the others are fighting to keep it "open".

This is another complicated song, where a great deal is made about "the voice" in the Tower. Is it the voice of God? No, it's Timmo Tolkki but as the main guitarist of Stratvarius, maybe Sammet considers him a god. No wait, it appears the voice in the tower is "their father, they had broken with, because he had wanted to bring chaos to earth." So he's a devil?

Multiple vocalists, epic scale song, complicated structures and ever changing rhythms weave a damned fine symphonic power metal song.

Anyhow, it appears that Gabriel steals the seals off the Pope and runs away, dodging and weaving until he gets snatched up in an elven flying machine and thus Avantasia is saved.

Jakob bemoans:

"How could the stranger steal the seal away? Was it my fault? OR was it noone's fault?"****

...but Anna is still captive, so I guess we'll have to buy part two as well...
Actually, sod it, I'm not going to go straight on to B, I'm going to listen and review it now, because I want to know if they rescue Anna and I can't wait another 20 or so cds to do so. Plus I wanna do Aina next time round. Or Ayreon. Why are all the metal operas starting with "A"?

Then we have "Avantasia" again because it's so awesome that you shouldn't even need to flip tracks to hear it again. It's the edit version - so it's one minute shorter, not sure if there are any other differences. They should have got every vocalist to do a verse.

It is followed up by "The Final Sacrifice". This is an angry duet between Gabriel and Jakob. From the lyrics, it sounds like Gabriel has cast Jakob into Hell. I'm not overly fond of it.

Get ready for the Brimstone, getting blisters on the eyes.
The power of the spirit was their final sacrifice.

Anyhow - a damned fine album, very complex and masterfully composed and arranged by young Tobias. It's kind of funny to psycho-analyse this actually - he has portrayed Kiske and Defeis as sort of "father figures" to his young novice, and Kiske in particular is probably one of the most admired voices of metal - even if he wants to break the ties with metal and become a Rock God instead. So, one cannot help but think that perhaps this was why he created the character of Vandroiy. It was a grandiose project, and one that came to valiant fruition - and he has gone on to create further Avantasia metal operas - not just the sequel to this one but many others. They even toured! I would dearly, dearly love to see Avantasia live (with Kiske, please with Kiske).

I couldn't possibly give this epic masterpiece anything less than 10/10.

* For reasons of his own, Michael Kiske did not wish for his name to appear on this album. Possibly because he did not want to be considered to be getting back into metal. Not that his voice isn't instantly recognisable anywhere.

** Whoops, wrong metal opera, we'll do that one next time.

*** Directly quoted from the booklet. I wish someone could have done that on Earth so that we could still have some of our lost "nice creatures".

**** "...Stranger steal the seal..." wonder how many times he tripped over those words. And how come he didn't recognise his own novice?