┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Avantasia - Moonglow-(GQCS-90696/7) + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Mar-02-2019 Encoder......L3.98.4 -V0 --lowpas ║ │ │║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2019 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........cd1: 12 cd2: 11 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.tobiassammet.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Avantasia Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Moonglow-(GQCS-90696/7) Label : Ward ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Even if you are only a casual fan of power ║ │ │║ metal, you probably know the name Avantasia. If ║ │ │║ you are a die-hard fan of the genre, you ║ │ │║ probably know them extremely well and have a ║ │ │║ very strong opinion on their material. Most fans ║ │ │║ adore The Metal Opera Parts I and II but have ║ │ │║ varying opinions on Scarecrow and everything ║ │ │║ Avantasia has done since as it is much more rock ║ │ │║ oriented instead of being neoclassical like the ║ │ │║ first two albums. 2017Æs Ghostlights was by far ║ │ │║ the best thing they have done since the first ║ │ │║ two albums and now they follow it up with ║ │ │║ Moonglow, which is the conclusion to Aaron ║ │ │║ BlackwellÆs story. It features the usual cast of ║ │ │║ characters plus a few new notable names, mainly ║ │ │║ Mille Petrozza and the power metal God himself, ║ │ │║ Hansi Kursch. So what does the great Tobias ║ │ │║ Sammet have in store for his listeners this time ║ │ │║ around? ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The album starts off pretty strong with the ║ │ │║ almost 10 minute mid-paced rocker ôGhost in the ║ │ │║ Moon.ö Much like its predecessor, ôMystery of a ║ │ │║ Blood Red Rose,ö it starts as a piano ballad ║ │ │║ with TobiÆs slow lyrics and then turns into a ║ │ │║ booming rock song. The difference here is that ║ │ │║ ôGhost in the Moonö is more of an epic that kind ║ │ │║ of plods along at mid-tempo with solid but ║ │ │║ unspectacular riffs and average drumming. TobiÆs ║ │ │║ lyrics are pretty good but the song does not ║ │ │║ have the same booming effect or the same ║ │ │║ gravitas as ôMystery of a Blood Red Rose,ö which ║ │ │║ interestingly enough is mentioned a handful ║ │ │║ times throughout ôGhost in the Moon.ö ôBook of ║ │ │║ Shallowsö has a killer ╛ tempo main riff and ║ │ │║ guest vocals by the immortal Hansi Kursch along ║ │ │║ with Jorn Lande. Then Mille PetrozzaÆs yelling ║ │ │║ vocals come in and it feels like something is ║ │ │║ wrong. He sounds great and even though that part ║ │ │║ of the song is ôthrashy,ö it does not quite ║ │ │║ work. The chorus is fantastic but we should ║ │ │║ expect nothing less from Tobias. Honestly, the ║ │ │║ whole first half is pretty strong and ôThe Raven ║ │ │║ Childö is an exceptional track due to the ║ │ │║ stirring folk instrumentation and HansiÆs ║ │ │║ amazing vocals. It does have pretty good riffs ║ │ │║ but the folk sections are gorgeous. Oh and the ║ │ │║ chorus? You already know it totally rules. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Overall, the riffs on here are pretty solid with ║ │ │║ several standout moments across the album but ║ │ │║ the lead work overall is a step down from ║ │ │║ Ghostlights. There are some really heavy riffs ║ │ │║ on this album and a couple brilliant guitar ║ │ │║ solos like on ôRequiem for a Dream.ö As a whole ║ │ │║ though, the leads feel a bit tempered, which is ║ │ │║ unusual for Avantasia. Normally, Tobi pulls out ║ │ │║ all the stops for this project and leaves it all ║ │ │║ on the table with no mystery as to his goals. ║ │ │║ This feels like he left some cards in his hand ║ │ │║ for later or something. The three songs with ║ │ │║ Geoff Tate have some nice riffing but ôAlchemyö ║ │ │║ feels partly like a rehash of ôSeduction of ║ │ │║ Decay,ö a song hardly anyone enjoyed. ôBook of ║ │ │║ Shallowsö might actually have the best riffing ║ │ │║ on the album, which helps because it is a ║ │ │║ monster track. Even SaschaÆs flying solos are ║ │ │║ pinned back for the most part with a big one ║ │ │║ coming in ôThe Raven Childö and another one in ║ │ │║ ôRequiem for a Dream.ö ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Naturally, the orchestrations on this album are ║ │ │║ of epic proportions because that is basically ║ │ │║ what Avantasia is about these days. ôStarlightö ║ │ │║ has a super catchy opening keyboard lick and ║ │ │║ ôThe Raven Childö has booming symphonics that ║ │ │║ almost hold up to tracks like ôSpectresö and ║ │ │║ ôLet the Storm Descend Upon You.ö The background ║ │ │║ symphonics in ôThe Piper at the Gates of Dawnö ║ │ │║ are pretty sweet as well. FelixÆs drumming is ║ │ │║ pretty good and he definitely has his standout ║ │ │║ moments, like all the variation he puts into ║ │ │║ ôThe Raven Child.ö This track has some steady ║ │ │║ beats, great touch cymbal work, heavy beats, a ║ │ │║ couple cool fills and brilliant folk drumming. ║ │ │║ You can hear TobiÆs bass on this track too and ║ │ │║ lest we forget about NadiaÆs gorgeous Celtic ║ │ │║ Harp. Tobi also has a sick little bass solo on ║ │ │║ ôRequiem for a Dreamö that is a rarity for ║ │ │║ Avantasia and thus, very refreshing. He does it ║ │ │║ twice too! ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Vocals are a bit of a tricky business with ║ │ │║ Avantasia since there are so many guest ║ │ │║ vocalists. Tobias sounds great as always and ║ │ │║ frankly, so does everyone else. Even Geoff Tate ║ │ │║ sounds pretty good all things considered though ║ │ │║ his solo tracks are less enjoyable than the rest ║ │ │║ of the album. As previously mentioned, Mille ║ │ │║ PetrozzaÆs guest spot does not really work that ║ │ │║ well though it is good for a laugh. Hansi ║ │ │║ probably sounds the best out of everyone but it ║ │ │║ is Hansi after all. We should expect nothing ║ │ │║ less. His guest vocals fit in perfectly on both ║ │ │║ ôBook of Shallowsö and ôThe Raven Child.ö It is ║ │ │║ disappointing to not have another appearance ║ │ │║ from Herbie Langhans because he kills it live. ║ │ │║ The lack of multiple tracks with Michael Kiske ║ │ │║ is a travesty but he seems to be busy with ║ │ │║ Helloween these days. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ One thing that has always stood out about ║ │ │║ TobiasÆ songwriting is that he often writes ║ │ │║ songs in the style of whoever the main guest ║ │ │║ vocalist is on that track. This is something he ║ │ │║ did brilliantly on Ghostlights but is far less ║ │ │║ prevalent on this album. You can tell that ║ │ │║ ôAlchemyö was written for Geoff Tate and that ║ │ │║ ôRequiem for a Dreamö was written for Kiske (you ║ │ │║ can always tell with Kiske though) but that is ║ │ │║ about it. You could argue that the folk sections ║ │ │║ of ôThe Raven Childö were inspired by Blind ║ │ │║ Guardian and thus Hansi but it is not as ║ │ │║ painfully obvious. The other thing that has ║ │ │║ always stood out about TobiasÆ songwriting is ║ │ │║ his ability to choose guest vocalists who will ║ │ │║ harmonize well with him and with each other. ║ │ │║ This is most evident on ôThe Piper at the Gates ║ │ │║ of Dawn,ö which has a grand total of six ║ │ │║ different vocalists that miraculously harmonize ║ │ │║ beautifully. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Overall, this is another very solid album in ║ │ │║ AvantasiaÆs brilliant discography. Like every ║ │ │║ album, it has its strengths and its ║ │ │║ shortcomings. It seems to conclude Aaron ║ │ │║ BlackwellÆs story nicely despite being the clear ║ │ │║ weak link of the trilogy. Like all power metal, ║ │ │║ this album is meant to be played LOUD and will ║ │ │║ undoubtedly be epic in a live setting. This ║ │ │║ album does take a little bit of time to grow on ║ │ │║ you though. It is not the same instant ║ │ │║ gratification that Ghostlights was but it still ║ │ │║ has plenty of great tunes with an epic and ║ │ │║ hilarious but also completely expected ║ │ │║ conclusion. See, anyone who knows TobiasÆ tastes ║ │ │║ in music well knows that he loves cheesy music, ║ │ │║ especially 80s pop. The man covered ABBA and now ║ │ │║ he gives us his take on Michael SembelloÆs ║ │ │║ classic tune, ôManiac.ö The funny part is that ║ │ │║ it is actually pretty good. FirewindÆs cover is ║ │ │║ still better though. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Review written by SlayerDeath666 for www.metal- ║ │ │║ observer.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Tobias Sammet - Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Piano, ║ │ │║ Orchestrations ║ │ │║ Sascha Paeth - Guitars, Keyboards, Piano, ║ │ │║ Orchestrations ║ │ │║ Michael Rodenberg - Keyboards, Orchestrations ║ │ │║ Felix Bohnke - Drums ║ │ │║ Oliver Hartmann - Guitars, Vocals ║ │ │║ Nadia Birkenstock - Celtic Harp ║ │ │║ Mille Petrozza - Vocals (Track 2) ║ │ │║ Alvin Le Bass - Vocals (Backing) ║ │ │║ J°rn Lande - Vocals (Tracks 2, 4, 8 ) ║ │ │║ Geoff Tate - Vocals (Tracks 6, 7, 8 ) ║ │ │║ Bridget Fogle - Vocals (Backing) ║ │ │║ Bob Catley - Vocals (Tracks 8, 9) ║ │ │║ Lerato Sebele - Vocals (Backing) ║ │ │║ Hansi Kⁿrsch - Vocals (Tracks 2, 4) ║ │ │║ Ronnie Atkins - Vocals (Tracks 2, 5, 8 ) ║ │ │║ Billy King - Vocals (Backing) ║ │ │║ Eric Martin - Vocals (Track 8, 11) ║ │ │║ Michael Kiske - Vocals (Track 10) ║ │ │║ Herbie Langhans - Vocals (Backing) ║ │ │║ Candice Night - Vocals (Track 3) ║ │ │║ Stokely Van Dall - Vocals (Backing) ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ - CD1 [ ] │ │ - [ ] │ │ 01 - Ghost In The Moon [09:52] │ │ 02 - Book Of Shallows [05:01] │ │ 03 - Moonglow [03:57] │ │ 04 - The Raven Child [11:15] │ │ 05 - Starlight [03:39] │ │ 06 - Invincible [03:08] │ │ 07 - Alchemy [07:29] │ │ 08 - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn [07:21] │ │ 09 - Lavender [04:31] │ │ 10 - Requiem For A Dream [06:09] │ │ 11 - Maniac [04:32] │ │ 12 - Heart (Bonus Track) [03:49] │ │ - [ ] │ │ - CD2 [ ] │ │ - [ ] │ │ 01 - Ghost In The Moon (Instrumental) [09:52] │ │ 02 - Book Of Shallows (Instrumental) [05:01] │ │ 03 - Moonglow (Instrumental) [03:57] │ │ 04 - The Raven Child (Instrumental) [11:15] │ │ 05 - Starfight (Instrumental) [03:39] │ │ 06 - Invincible (Instrumental) [03:08] │ │ 07 - Alchemy (Instrumental) [07:29] │ │ 08 - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Instrument [07:21] │ │ 09 - Lavender (Instrumental) [04:31] │ │ 10 - Requiem For A Dream (Instrumental) [06:09] │ │ 11 - Maniac (Instrumental) [04:27] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [137:3] min │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘