Artist: AvantasiaAlbum: The ScarecrowReleased: 2008A mixture of styles and genres: Melodic Heavy Power Metal Review:Another album by Avantasia has been released at last... Well, I should say
that it is rather good than shitty, but I have to admit it is inferior to
Metal Opera, especially Part I. I mean there are fewer songs on the
album,
which you want to play several times on end being hugely impressed. But
still, there are some songs, which bring some freshness into the album,
and the mid-tempo title track is among them. I can't call it memorable
and
it does not give me good vibes or something like that, but it is very
enjoyable, I was especially impressed by intro, which sounds a bit
oriental. Other songs that I would like to pick out as better than
average
are Twisted Mind, also a mid-tempo song based on heavy riffs, the
beginning of which also sounds oriental-like, and which has a catchy
chorus"; speedy, "headbangable" and vigorous
Another Angel Down, which I would call the most emotional song on the
album, since it lifts my spirit and fills me with emotions every time I
listen to it, and, of course The Toy Master, another mid-tempo eerie
track
performed by Alice Cooper, and it is really fit to his weird singing
manner. I would call this song (but it is only my opinion) a standout due
to its melody and last but not least due to the way the "shock
rocker" performs it, because the same song sung by Tobias (its
version can be heard on DVD) loses its charm somehow.
The album is done in Power Metal style, but there are some songs that
aren't fit to any particular style, or more Hard Rock, than Power Metal,
for instance, the ballad "What Kind of Love", which is
hardly can be called Metal at all, as it sounds like an ordinary pop
ballad frequently played on the radio, and rather unimpressive
"Cry Just a Little", which cannot be said about
"Lost in Space", a mid-tempo beautiful song with a
touch
of sadness in it. I personally consider it to be among the most special
songs on the album.
Overall, I would rate "The Scarecrow" as good album,
which, sadly, lacks originality. If you take "Shelter from the
Rain", for instance, the first thought, which will come to your
mind, will not be like "It is written in the early Helloween
style", but like "hey, haven't I heard it many times
before?" Songs like this one are like "dead
weight": boring and repetitive.
In the end I would like to mark good guitar job on the album, which is
also a merit of such guitar heroes, as Rudolf Schenker and Kai Hansen,
and
awesome singers like Jorn Lande, Michael Kiske and of course Tobias
Sammet
himself also make their contribution. But to make a perfect album Tobias
has to come up with more fresh musical ideas.
Summary:| Vocals: | 10.00 of 10 | | Instruments: | 10.00 of 10 | | Skill: | 10.00 of 10 | | Originality: | 5.00 of 10 | | TOTAL: | 8.75 of 10 |
Reviewed by: Juliette /10.03.2008/ |
