Review AVANTASIA “Here By Dragons”

Avantasia started as a side project of Edguy in the late 90’s and became a huge success. Today, Edguy is on hiatus while Avantasia has become one of the most successful rock and metal acts. Tobias Sammet, the driving force behind the outfit, found two excellent companions in Sascha Paeth and Miro Rodenberg, who have been co-shaping the sound of Avantasia since 2006.

With “Here is Dragons” the band has a new record in the starting blocks. It is the 10th studio album of Avantasia and it lives up to expectations. Ten new songs with a running time of 50 minutes show the trademarks of the band from beginning to end.

The first two songs of the record set the stage for the musical adventure called “Here Be Dragons”. The opener, “Creepshow,” served as the lead single and showcased the band’s very commercial feel. With the perfect single release length, catchy melodies and not too heavy, “Creepshow” is the song that allows a wider audience to dive into the music of Avantasia.

A little bit of a counterpart to the captivating opener can be found in the title track. Sammet’s work with guest singers is nothing new, and the latest album also features many vocalists. Former Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate joins Sammet on vocals for “Here Be Dragons”. The result is a rock-opera song that clocks in at eight minutes. It is the epic moment of the album, a versatile piece of rock with a lot of details to explore. These two songs pretty much describe the musical range of the album.

With “The Moonlands at Twilight” the gears are shifted as the song is one of the faster ones on the album and Michael Kiske’s (Helloween) voice fits perfectly to this up-tempo metal anthem. Things get darker with “The Witch”. Still counting on excellently crafted hooks, the song features Tommy Karevik and it is a cinematic vibe that runs through “The Witch”.

We continue with two songs that feature contributions from regular guests. The vibrant “Phantasmagoria” includes the vocals of Ronnie Atkins while “Bring on the Night” features the voice of Magnum, Bob Catley. Both Atkins and Catley have always provided superb vocals to the Avantasia sound and Sammet knows how to write melodies that suit their voices. While “Phantasmagoria” is a vivid metal song with a great melody, it is “Bring on the Night” that adds the melodic and dramatic sound of hard rock to the mix.

Pure metal is what roars out of the loudspeakers with “Unleash the Kraken” which is one of the heaviest tracks on the album before “Avalon” brings back the powerful but more metal opera driven sound with Adrienne Cowan sharing the vocal duties with Sammet. Having all these different singers and respecting their musical style gives the album a great flow that always reveals some extra nuances. And it is the cleverness of Sammet to preserve the trademark sound of Avantasia.

Fast and furious is “Against The Wind”. With H.E.A.T. frontman Kenny Leckremo on vocals, the track is a masterfully crafted melodic metal anthem that finds the sweet spot between melody and pounding intensity.

“Everybody’s Here Until the End” is the final chapter of “Here By Dragons”. It is an epic and slightly melancholic finale of an album that fits perfectly into the Avantasia discography. Tobias Sammet and his bandmates have forged another longplayer that contains all the musical trademarks of the band. From cinematic moments to metallic blasts, the album contains everything fans could ask for. Avantasia fully lives up to expectations, launching an album that contains many facets of rock and metal. Lasting entertainment, that is what Avantasia stands for and that is what the latest release brings to the plate.