Search - Avantasia :: Metal Opera V.2

Not in my wildest dreams...

Mark Lahren | Bismarck, North Dakota USA | 05/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...Did I ever imagine I'd ever purchase any CD remotely connected to "Metal". I'm 46 years old, grew up with 70's progressive rock, and anyone who knows me knows I thought 'metal' was nothing but repetitive, annoying thrash-noise.



Back around 2000 or 2001, I wandered into a local music to store to look for some old Donna Summer CD (of all things), and the first Avantasia CD was playing on the store's sound system, though I had no idea what it was called at that moment. It immediately caught my ear. I wanted to dismiss it, as I recognised the metal stuff, and yet...this was something more. Way more. There were progressive rock influences, classical influences, and catchy hooks along with complex arrangements and harmonizing guitars and vocals. I was transfixed. It was very skillfuly done, and the variety of chord changes had me hanging on every turn of the melody. I stood in that store, listening to most of the CD before finally working up the courage (after all, I'm an old guy) to go ask the kid at the counter what I was listening to. He told me it was "Avantasia: Metal Opera". I asked him if they had any in stock, and he laughed and told me it was out of print already, and good luck finding a copy. What we were listening to was his own personal import copy that could not be ordered anymore.



Obsessed, I ran home and checked the internet. He was right. It was no longer available, except on eBay, where I found an occasional copy for greatly inflated prices. I passed, and forgot about the whole thing.



Until recently, when I suddenly remembered to check again. I was astonished to find not only the first CD, but also a "Part 2", which wasn't around when I heard that first one. I ordered both (import versions) from Amazon, and I am thrilled that I finally own both, as the sound quality is superb, and I am in prog rock/ classical/ metal/ opera heaven.



I've only heard each CD a few times now, but love them both about equally so far, and am looking forward to the third CD, which is supposedly due out later this year.



A great CD (both of them really--get both), which I can attest will appeal to a wide variety of age groups. I'm still not into metal music, but this is something I refuse to call metal. It tough to categorize, but suffice it to say that if you like listening to music for its compositional structure, I highly recommend this (along with its predecessor)."