There's a new Metal Opera in town...

[Power_Metal_Dom]

Frontiers Records will reveal the complete details on a new metal opera project next Monday (February 25th), named "The Land of New Hope".

The band will feature the following artists:

• Russell Allan (Symphony X)
• Elize Ryd (Amaranthe)
• Rob Rock
• Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica)
• Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation)
• Micheal Kiske (Helloween, Unisonic)
• Jens Johansson (Stratovarius)
• Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater)
• More TBA!

There's also a teaser trailer here: http://www.bravewords.com/news/199075

Honestly don't know how a project can ever hope to hold a candle to Avantasia but it's always awesome to see super-collaborations like this! Can't wait to hear more material. Get Kai Hansen involved please!

 

[Free Spirit]

Sounds awesome, particularly the involvement of Allen and Kiske. Two great singers for sure.

 

[Kingface]

Most intriguing.

 

[looseunit]

will be cool if Kiske is doing most of the singing

 

[1928]

Very interested in this because Avantasia has just confused me with their last few albums (although there is STELLAR music on it) and I think the lineup of vocalists on this album is much better and more representative of a real 'metal opera' than what Avantasia has been doing, especially with The Mystery of Time. If Tolkki actually makes this sound awesome (and not simply cookie-cutter catchy power metal like Symfonia was) and can keep with it, I'll be on board, but I'm still skeptical because... well, it's Tolkki.

 

[Andiferum]

My erection just got stronger.

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

If Tolkki actually makes this sound awesome (and not simply cookie-cutter catchy power metal like Symfonia was) and can keep with it, I'll be on board, but I'm still skeptical because... well, it's Tolkki.

Tolkki's involved? Is this official, where did you hear it? I'd seriously *love* to see him back in the game.

p.s. Avantasia confusing? And Symfonia was exceptional not generic!

 

[Free Spirit]

Very interested in this because Avantasia has just confused me with their last few albums (although there is STELLAR music on it) and I think the lineup of vocalists on this album is much better and more representative of a real 'metal opera' than what Avantasia has been doing, especially with The Mystery of Time. If Tolkki actually makes this sound awesome (and not simply cookie-cutter catchy power metal like Symfonia was) and can keep with it, I'll be on board, but I'm still skeptical because... well, it's Tolkki.

Tolkki's involved eh? If its true, then its just awesome! Makes me even more excited than I already am now. To be honest, since he cancelled his pledgemusic thing, I didnt understand what he was going to do next.

 

[1928]

It has to be Tolkki's project because when Tolkki cancelled his Credo project, he said he already had something much bigger and much more exciting in store, and this totally sounds like a title he would create. Jens, Kiske, Derek were already on board a year ago during the Credo project; I'm pretty sure he had several others lined up too which I am willing to bet are on this as well. The samples scream Timo Tolkki to me, I'd be incredibly shocked if this was anybody but him.

 

[Free Spirit]

It has to be Tolkki's project because when Tolkki cancelled his Credo project, he said he already had something much bigger and much more exciting in store, and this totally sounds like a title he would create. Jens, Kiske, Derek were already on board a year ago during the Credo project; I'm pretty sure he had several others lined up too which I am willing to bet are on this as well. The samples scream Timo Tolkki to me, I'd be incredibly shocked if this was anybody but him.

Oh, but his involvement wasnt announced officially yet? Its just that he never actually said what he's going to do next after canceling Credo. Ive heard he opened a new studio, but other than that didnt hear about a new project he's going to be involved in. I was hoping you mentioned him because it was officially announced somewhere. Im kinda sad to realize it was only your speculation. I really hope you're right about this though, Tolkki really needs to take part in something. Actually I wish he never disbanded Symfonia, but thats just me.

 

[BodomGaiden]

That lineup looks like something Tolkki would have picked. And the fact that they are using the "legendary" title to describe him sounds like it supports Mr 1928s speculation even more.

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

Mr Mike called it right!

Timo's the mastermind and Avalon is the band title with The Land of New Hope being the project title.

Commence good-natured teasing about him poaching a lot of Avantasia guests and naming the project after the first part of Avantasia (which is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia"). Also with Symfonia they had the song Fields of Avalon! Timo's obsessed

 

[Kingface]

Because the picture is really big, I only saw "Timo" and "Ava" at first and thought it was going to be a joke logo reading "Timo Tolkki's Avantasia"!

 

[Free Spirit]

Because the picture is really big, I only saw "Timo" and "Ava" at first and thought it was going to be a joke logo reading "Timo Tolkki's Avantasia"!

Hahahahaha!

Also, this is just great news! 1928 was right as always, just like most other Aquarius people. Tolkki is a great musician and Im sure this new project is gonna kick ass for sure. I look forward to hearing their new upcoming album, planned for a release sometime in May it seems. 3 months to wait till then, but no problem, I'll wait patiently.

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

Timo's new site is very revealing, especially his FAQ which describes his mental health and why he left Stratovarius: http://tolkki.org/faq

He's also looking good! Very svelte compared to....well...

 

[1928]

Psyched psyched PSYCHED!!! I can tell from the samples this is going to impress, but I just really hope Avalon's debut has more to the cake, so to say, than just the icing... like Symfonia. Symfonia is catchy as hell but the problem is it's so cookie-cutter and self-derivative that it's not all that impressive in the big picture; it doesn't age well (or at least hasn't for me).

With a guest lineup like this (and more we don't know about, I suppose), he can't fuck this up. I'm crossing my fingers... and really hope this is what I've been waiting for Tolkki to release for a long time!

 

[1928]

And yeah, he definitely looks a lot more svelte, as Dom eloquently put it!

 

[Free Spirit]

I just hope there's no possibility of him canceling this project just like he canceled Credo. Symfonia and RR were quite repetitive bands in my opinion. But with so many vocalists in this new Avalon project that there's no possibility of repetitiveness this time. Actually, what matters the most, to me at least is the singer. And multiple singers on a single album has always been a great thing. It makes every song extremely diverse and exciting to hear because you dont just hear a single voice. Also, singers like Russell Allen and Kiske are probably one of the best in the metal world. Yep then, basically, this project's gonna be incredible Im sure.

 

[1928]

It's already past Credo in that it's already been recorded and will be released very soon. He's done a good job of keeping the production of it a secret. Maybe that's been the key all along - let's just hope the music rocks.

 

[Free Spirit]

It's already past Credo in that it's already been recorded and will be released very soon. He's done a good job of keeping the production of it a secret. Maybe that's been the key all along - let's just hope the music rocks.

Im quite sure it will rock, because with a mastermind like Tolkki and a bunch of great vocalists on board, together they can be pretty destructive in the way the music comes out......and I like supergroups like this to be honest because they do a really great job when they work together.