Tobias Sammet already enjoyed a certain prestige on the scene thanks to his work in Edguy, when he decided to put into practice the project Avantasia (combination of words and Fantasy Avalon). The idea of a metal opera, with characters played by different singers were not really original. But that would make room for a whole new generation of musicians left for the same proposal. Who did better is strictly a matter of personal taste. But the fact is that none matched the success of this here, which continues today. Still, it is important to note that the original story boils down to these two chapters that we bring here.
And when it comes to a style that gradually fell into a slump, bands and albums with repetitive, we can say that the merits of Tobias is even greater. The two sides of Metal Opera are among the best works in the history of the genre, with songs and sticky quality music education. And the greatest merit, arguably, was a gathering of singers conjutno that represented what was best in the scene. The feat of getting out of exile Michael Kiske music (the first part using the pseudonym Enie) that was missing was the icing on the delicious cake made by the composer and main character.
The story is set in the year 1602, the novice monk Dominican Laymann Gabriel (Tobias Sammet) trying to free his half-sister, Anna Held (Sharon Den Adel), which is about to be judged by the Roman Catholic Church as a witch. After being discovered by his mentor, the monk Bruder Jakob (David DeFeis), he is imprisoned in a dungeon. There, he meets Lugaid Vandroiy (Michael Kiske), an old man who becomes his guide in the quest to save Anna. To escape from prison, the two access a parallel world known as Avantasia. Arriving there, they know the elf Elderane (Andre Matos) and Pixie Regrin (Kai Hansen).
Musically, the two parts of The Metal Opera is exquisite. The base is Power Metal, but especially in Part 2 there are some tentative approaches from the Hard Rock would still be higher in later works. Proof of this are the shares of Bob Catley and Eric Singer in the second chapter, two figures with deep roots in this style. The commercial success surprised even Tobias, with gold in great locations in Germany and several European charts. Something else that just because we are dealing with referential moments in the history of Heavy Metal. Indispensable material in the collection of any fan of Rock. And a definitive proof that intelligence and success can coexist in harmony.
The Metal Opera [2001]
Tobias Sammet (vocals on 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 & 13; keyboards, piano & orchestration)
Ernie/Michael Kiske (vocals on 2, 5, 6, 9 & 13)
David DeFeis (vocals on 3 & 13)
Ralf Zdiarstek (vocals on 4 & 7)
Sharon Den Adel (vocals on 6)
Rob Rock (vocals on 7 & 12)
Oliver Hartmann (vocals on 7, 12 & 13)
Andre Matos (vocals on 11, 12 & 13)
Kai Hansen (vocals on 11 & 12)
Timo Tolkki (vocals on 13)
Henjo Richter (guitars)
Markus Grosskopf (bass)
Alex Holzwarth (drums)
Norman Meiritz (acoustic guitar on 6)
Frank Tischer (piano on 11)
Jens Ludwig (guitars on 12 & 13)
01. Prelude
02. Reach Out For the Light
03. Serpents In Paradise
04. Malleus Maleficarum
05. Breaking Away
06. Farewell
07. Glory Of Rome
08. In Nomine Patris
09. Avantasia
10. A New Dimension
11. Inside
12. Sign Of the Cross
13. The Tower
http://www.mediafire.com/?8brj86tv6v1z21u
The Metal Opera Part 2 [2002]
Tobias Sammet (vocals, keyboards, orchestration, bass on 10)
Michael Kiske (vocals on 1 & 2)
David DeFeis (vocals on 1 & 5)
Ralf Zdiarstek (vocals on 9)
Sharon Den Adel (vocals on 10)
Rob Rock (vocals on 1 & 6)
Oliver Hartmann (vocals on 1)
Andre Matos (vocals on 1, 2 & 8)
Kai Hansen (vocals on 1 & 8)
Bob Catley (vocals on 3 & 4)
Henjo Richter (guitars)
Markus Grosskopf (bass)
Alex Holzwarth (drums)
Eric Singer (drums on 10)
Frank Tischer (piano on 1, 4 & 7)
Norman Meiritz (guitars on 10)
Timo Tolkki (guitars on 1 & 10)
Jens Ludwig (guitars on 5 & 9)
01. The Seven Angels
02. No Return
03. The Looking Glass
04. In Quest For
05. The Final Sacrifice
06. Neverland
07. Anywhere
08. Chalice of Agony
09. Memory
10. Into the Unknown
http://www.mediafire.com/?vdzkhzaabeue41b
