Already with six other rock operas under their belt, what is Avantasia founding member/composer/singer Tobias Sammet (Edguy) to do with number seven? Well, for starters, first single ‘Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose’ could very well be a lost Meat Loaf song in structure, instrumentation, and vocals. ‘Let The Storm Descend Upon You’ continues Tobi’s talent for making sure each song on an Avantasia album is different, while having that bombastic feel, depending on the song, as he trades off lead vocals duties with Jorn Lande, Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), and Warrant’s Robert Mason. As that ominous piano begins ‘The Haunting’, I couldn’t think of a more fitting melody/orchestral sounds, to feature Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider as the voice. The song is so well arranged for Snider’s voice, that I couldn’t help instantly getting the feel of ‘The Toy Master’ from “The Scarecrow” (which featured Alice Cooper on vocals), and ‘Death Is Just A Feeling’ that came to eerie life because of Savatage’s Jon Oliva. Really, you could string together an excellent dark opera trilogy.

Up next early in the tracklisting comes another vocal heavyweight, Geoff Tate (ex Queensryche), offers his services to ‘Seduction Of Decay’, a slower slab of metal that includes some mild backing orchestration and a verse trade off with Sammet. Hearing Geoff on such a track makes this longtime fan miss his earlier years with the Ryche. The title track, and ‘Unchain The Light’, featuring ex Helloween screamer Michael Kiske, naturally are both influenced by the European power metal founding fathers. With Herbie Langhans’ tone, and accompanying keyboards, ‘Draconian Love’ is a moody gothic rocker, followed by ‘Master Of The Pendulum’ which gets heavier in the aggression department as Nightwish’s Marco Hietala voice will bringing in fans of his day job. Within Temptation’s Sharon Janny den Adel accents the new age feel to ballad ‘Isle Of Evermore’. ‘A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies’ closes the album with Magnum’s Bob Catley taking lead vocals for this heart felt up beat feel good ballad/rocker. Such an epic and catchy chorus I could sing for days.

My only complaint…after six albums, and ten from Edguy, I could do without the fast Euro power metal tunes, Avantasia is more effective and creative without them. Looking forward to the band’s first east coast show in NYC this spring!