932. Avantasia / The Wicked Symphony. 2010. 4.5/5

Given the length of time that passed between the initial two albums by the Avantasia project and the third installment The Scarecrow, it came as somewhat of a surprise when a follow up album came so swiftly in the scheme of things. An even bigger surprise came with the announcement that not one, but two albums, would be released simultaneously, and would combine with the previous release to complete the tale of what was now known as the Wicked Trilogy. Thus, the middle chapter of the Wicked Trilogy is told here on The Wicked Symphony.

From the first time I got this album, it felt like a better all round effort than the previous album. There are holes, and soft spots, on The Scarecrow that have always hindered my complete love of the album. The band itself this time is a real conglomerate mixture, with the core who recorded the previous album still on board, though not all of them for all tracks. While Sascha Paeth completed the majority of the guitar tracks, there were guest appearances from Bruce Kulick and Oliver Hartmann who did solo performances on different songs. The drumming was shared between Eric Singer, along with drummer from the original albums Alex Holzwarth and also Tobi's fellow band mate from Edguy, Felix Bohnke. While all of the songs were still written and composed by Tobi Sammet, the mixing of musicians, I think, has helped to give a differing emphasis on the music on different songs throughout the album.
The first half of this album is as strong an opening to an album of this genre of the metal industry as I can think of. The songs are strong lyrically, musically and vocally. Each has its own style, and is not reminiscent of the previous track, yet they all fit together perfectly. The opening title track, "The Wicked Symphony", is a perfect example of how a song of this type should be performed. The opening builds to the crescendo of the crashing opening, before the three characters come into the song. And this is performed brilliantly by the three in question, Tobi Sammet, Jorn Lande and Russell Allen. Each voice is distinctive and amazing, and here all three are used to perfection. It is both anthemic and epic in quality, and kicks off the album in a wonderful fashion. This is followed by "Wastelands", where frequent Avantasia collaborator Michael Kiske revives memories of his great days from the 1980's with a performance which echoes from that time, stretching his vocals to the heights which prove he still has what it takes. It's a great song also. "Scales of Justice" features a genuinely unique performance from first time Avantasia vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens, who in his inimitable style makes this song his own. Some may find it over the top, but it is great to hear Ripper giving it all and leaving his mark on the album as a result. This is then followed by the single lifted from the album, "Dying For An Angel", a duet performed terrifically well between Tobi and Scorpions' Klaus Meine, whose amazing vocals dominate the song and give it the punch it really needs. These four songs to start the album are the pinnacle of Avantasia for me, a quartet that produces great vocal battles and allegiances, and magnificent drumming and guitar riffs. Awesome.
While it may not be to the same standard, the remainder of the album is well above average. "Blizzard on a Broken Mirror" features the excellent vocals of Andre Matos, and along with Tobi they soar through this song, while backed by a perfectly performed backing track. "Runaway Train" softens up the sound of the album, and drops back a notch in tempo as well. While I like the song, I do find it is a bit of a 'wailer', in that the chorus of vocals provided by Bob Catley, Jorn Lande, Michael Kiske and co. doesn't quite bring it back into the genre of the dreaded power metal ballad, and the song itself isn't that, but the vocals feel like they are pushing it in that direction. It's a tad overlong as well. This is followed by "Crestfallen", which in places sounds like an opera piece, though a very metal opera piece.
"Forever is a Long Time" is dominated by the distinctive vocal talents of Jorn Lande, who along with the hard hitting drums from Alex Holzwarth and guitar solo from Oliver Hartmann keeps the tempo on the upside and the vibe of the song positive and enjoyable. "Black Wings" is a soaring emotive song perfectly pitched by Ralf Zdiarstek, and fits surprisingly well in this landscape. "States of Matter" becomes a vehicle for Russell Allen's amazing vocals, and he is the star of this song, driving it along perfectly to the accompaniment of the great guitar riff. The album closes with "The Edge", allowing Tobi to close out the album on a slightly soft rock edge (much like the previous album) which is (just quietly) a little disappointing given everything that has come before it.

I was not as enamoured with the previous album as I was with the first two, but The Wicked Symphony restored my faith and love for the Avantasia project. It is interesting to compare it to the project that two of the heavily featured artists here have elsewhere, the Allen/Lande project, which does not showcase the respective artists talents as well as they are showcased here. What this does it not only further the story of the now-dubbed Wicked Trilogy, it also given us individual songs that work away from the framework of the concept album in place, and that is the true mark of quality. The first five songs, along with "Forever is a Long Time" and "States of Matter" are shining lights. No doubt some will disagree, but I think this is an album that perfectly portrays the best that the European metal genre has to offer.

Rating:   "Way down to the hideaway, where do we go from here, heroes in a tragedy"  4.5/5