Metal Reviews

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Good review, but let me be the first of what will probably be many to say: this album is a huge disappointment. I mean it's pretty good for what it is, and I wish it hadn't taken the Avantasia name, but Avantasia part 1 and 2 are probably the best power metal albums ever released. The Scarecrow is to Avantasia what Rocket Ride is to Edguy. Though this definitely beats the shit out of Rocket Ride.

Still, I'll try not to linger on what disappoints me and instead say what's good about it. Jorn Lande is awesome. Jorn Lande is awesome. I can't say it enough. His performance makes the title track one of the best songs of the year so far.

Twisted Mind, Shelter From The Rain and Devil In The Belfry are pretty good songs. Not great but still high quality songs. The Toy Master and Another Angel Down are okay. The rest should never have left the studio.

All in all a good album. I'd give it somewhere around 70/100.

96? Come on.

Your last three posts have been needless shit talking, and I'm sensing that pattern with you alot. Do you ever bring anything worthwhile to the discussion? For starters, maybe you could explain more in detail why you disagree with the score. As it stands, you've come off sounding like an elitist prick.

I will elaborate further once I listen to the album more extensively. However, pointing out that a score is obviously overrated is not shit-talking. In fact, I'm sure that it will contribute another side to the conversation.

Obviously overrated? Well, that's like...your opinion man.

In all seriousness, though, I'm not a fan of this band and probably won't ever listen to this album, so I'm not defending its content. What I am trying to say to you is that any dumbshit can pop into a review thread and make some ill-informed (by your own admission) and offhand shitty remark. I think Tompa's post much more contributes to the other "side" of the conversation that you are referring to. Maybe you could just try not being so f'n snobby everytime you disagree with a rating or review.

I'll listen to it b/c it's Tobi. I think I am coming to accept the new Edguy material, which will obviously prepare me for this one.

Listening Another Angel Down reminds me how much I miss Jorn in Masterplan. He is great when singing fast power metal. I like the new Avantasia but it's quality is brought down by the awful ballads. I just replace them with Promised Land and Scary Eyes which makes for a much better album.

The moment I saw that Chris did the review I knew it was going to be overscored. I'm used to it by now though. About the review, it was kinda hard to read that long paragraph with the song-by-song description. Just voicing an opinion here.

My wanting to hear for this cd has got less and less after reading the reviews. The new direction it's going doesn't sound like my thing but I'll still get a copy.

I found that the review was really good and I liked it a lot. I actually like this album a lot! But there are a few things I would like to point out. First of all, I think it's important to separate the expectations that the name Avantasia brings from what this album is. As Chris said, Tobias Sammet's Scarecrow would indeed be the perfect title but only because some of us are selfish and want the world to turn the way we like it. Avantasia was Tobias' project and it was supposed to be an experimental form of rock-metal operas. I don't think he ever intended it to be Power Metal's next king-of-all. So let's accept it for what it is and not what we would like it to be. As for that, 10/10 to Tobias for doing what he believed and not giving a damn for what people would say.

Now about the songs, here I have some minor objections to the review. First let me say that I think most if not all vocal performances are excellent, top of their game. But I disagree about Kiske not delivering, I found his performance really good... maybe better and more suited than Sammet's on that song. I agree Kiske's voice has lost its power but it's still a very emotional voice and perfectly controled.

My biggest grip with this album would have to be the sound style he chose for it. It just doesn't fit some songs. First of all, it sounds too much like Edguy and that's a problem because then you know people are going to compare it with Edguy or the previous Avantasia releases (it's like inviting or daring them to do it). For the same reason the two ballads in the middle of the album kinda feel weaker. Not because they are bad musically, no, quite the opposite! It's because they sound wrong, thin, the guitar sound (maybe the other instruments too) on the chorus of Carry me over is simply not appropriate and there's simply not enough depth on What kind of love. Cry just a little is one of the same, amazing singing performances, good music but indifferent to the ear! If you're not paying attention to the singers you will think you've heard it a hundred times before. Just listen to the masterpieces Arjen Lucassen has created on 01011001, there are ballads too but his genius musical mind has given so much feeling, depth and uniqueness on them by clever orchestration, instrumentation and production that they become unforgetable and feel heavier than many thrash-doom songs.

All in all, I think there are 2 problems with this album. The first as pointed out very aptly by Chris in his review is the name Avantasia which just stirs up trouble running against itself. And then secondly as I said above it's Tobias Sammet's persistence of keeping the same style and patterns all around and again and again. Was there a drummer playing there or just a drum-machine? I thought the drums were the same all over the album. The bass player also remembered to join only on some songs, during the rest who knows what happened to him? Guitar sound is also very thin and predictable, not such a bad thing for a typical hard-rock release but it won't do when one has so many different and varied voices and song-styles on the same album. This persistence or stability would not be bad for a thrash metal band, heck not even a power metal release but when he's presenting an Avantasia album I would expect a bit more variety, experimentation, feeling and effort. It's as if Tobias Sammet sat down and worked like a maniac creating music, writing lyrics, singing, getting some of the best voices to sing for him as well and then said.... "ah well I've done my part, here's the music sheets and the lyrics and here are the recordings to all vocals. I don't care what the musicians and the producers do from now on".

But well, my big post sounds like a big whine and maybe it is but that does not detract from the album being good. when I say good I mean 80-90 good which in my opinion is a work to be respected and enjoyed. There are amazing songs in there some of which don't agree with my points above, that have imaginative and artistic touches that give them all the feeling that's missing from the others. For the moment that album is around the 85 mark for me. Maybe it will grow maybe it will fall. My advice to anybody who listens to this is to do so without the typical Edguy-Avantasia expectations, do so with an open mind and ears and enjoy it for what it is not what he'd like it to be.

... that anyone who was expecting this album to be part III can remove at least 20 points from my quote... I implied it, but forgot to put it into the review (which is long enough)

Chris

I think the thing is that most metal fans are catching on to this watered down candy pop metal stuff and have had enough. This thing gets so much hype as being the greatest thing ever but in reality we have heard it all before. This music is just too obvious for me.

On the other hand if you read the review below you will find a band that is not as well known or hyped but that is much better and while still melodic has so much more balls! None of this lite metal. Ironically the score is less but the album is so much more!

You're way off dude. Judging by your comment I doubt you have even listened to the album, or maybe you just saw the videos (which were two terrible songs to represent the album with) and based your statement on that. This album is a lot more guitar driven and doesn't sound much like the first two Avantasia albums (which were quite fluffy indeed). By the way, your statement that "This thing gets so much hype as being the greatest thing ever" is pulled straight out of your ass. I would say the expectations for this album were quite mixed, due to Tobias Sammet's new found love for 80's rock, the mixed reviews for Edguy's latest album and especially the less-than-stellar singles for this album.

Instead of coming here and post stupid nonsense I suggest you try to promote your "ballsier" and less hyped bands so this "candy pop metal" don't take over completely. Maybe create a thread about them? That would be a much better use of time and bandwidth than the post I'm quoting right now.

Opinions on the album coming later...

Håller med precis, Tompa.
I can write my own review with just 3 words:
Disappointment. Disappointment. Disappointment

I like it! and that's it. 85/100.

Longest review ever?

just to be different, i actually quite enjoyed this album and agree with the review almost completely.. maybe for me it would be 90/100. Toy Master is my top pick of the album, although that may be because I am a huge alice fan. You need to approach the album with an open mindset certainly. But if you can do that then the scarecrow should indeed rate highly.

"Was there a drummer playing there or just a drum-machine? I thought the drums were the same all over the album."

It's Eric Singer he should have stuck with Alex Holzwarth who was on the first two cds.

Still too early to say what I think about this album but, damn, one thing is for sure, Jorn Lande is not from this world! What a singer...

For now, I would rate it at 92 but it is growing stronger as I keep listening more.

Singer was on II also.