Avantasia - The Metal Opera Part 2

Rodrigo

Heat in 7
Apr 17, 2001
883
3
18
Southern California
AVANTASIA – THE METAL OPERA PART 2
Century Media - 2002

avantasia_metalopera2.jpg


By Rodrigo Escandon

The long-awaited second part to Tobias Sammet’s ambitious Metal Opera project features more of the same enormous vocal melodies, huge choruses and symphonic arrangements that grazed the first part. The same musicians and singers that were in part 1 are also found here as well as two new additions in Eric Singer and Bob Catley. What Tobias has conjured up is really just a continuation from the first album that does show enough differences to distinguish the two albums but unfortunately at the end it just does not live up to the excellence of the first album.

While I have no real negatives to talk about, the problem with this album is that there aren’t enough memorable moments like there was with the first album. It seems like all the excellent ideas where used up for the first album and with this one we got the leftovers, which are not bad but rather than having the same meal twice I prefer to have something entirely new. It also doesn’t help matters that “The Final Sacrifice” was originally released in the single that preceded the release of the first album. While it is a great song, I would have rather heard something new rather than something that was released more than a year and a half ago.

The ballads that are featured are simply downright annoying. I had never had a problem with the ballads in either Edguy and Avantasia but “Anywhere”, “In Quest For” and “Onto the Unknown” are downright annoying. I also can’t understand why “Onto the Unknown” is the last song of the entire Avantasia project. It is an extremely weak song for such a strong story to end with and if it wasn’t for the bonus tracks in the US edition, I would have a really bad taste in my mouth each time this album ends.

There are a few shining moments in this album that rivals the moments in the first album. First would be the excellent aggressive and melodic “Chalice of Agony”. Everything is perfect, the use of the different singers, the guitar leads, the drumming and it reminds me of “Sign of the Cross” from the first album in which both of these are my favorites from each album. The other song would be the 14-minute epic “The Seven Angels” which actually could have been a little shorter if they take the slow middle section out.

However the rest of the songs are just good not great. When I sit here listening to both albums back to back and looking at the track listing for each album, I sit there and compare them and there is no going around the fact that one album is better than the other one and it simply isn’t this one.

Century Media Website
Avantasia Official Website
 
I think that Avantasia pt II it's a good album, but the expectatives were so high that not everyone can see how good this albums is.
Anyway i think that last song it's lame, it's the last song of the proyect Tobias!!! it's supossed to be the greatest song of all time, but it's a waste of time!