Avantasia
The Scarecrow

In 2002, we left off with the last sweet notes of "The Unknown" with a promise from the inventor of the metal opera Avantasia: "this beautiful project is finished." However, it was foreseeable to hypothesize that in the long run it would be difficult to resist the temptation of certain success, and so it was. A few years later, "Avantasia - The Scarecrow" arrives in stores, followed by part IV in 2009. Big names always respond to the call of Edguy leader Tobias Sammet, but this time there's a change and the departure of Matos, Rob Rock, Sharon Den Adel, and DeFeis is filled with the entry of Alice Cooper, Roy Khan, Amanda Somerville, and Jorn Lande. The formula remains the same as in the past: great voices come together to perform tracks crafted with meticulous attention to tell the audience that melodic metal can still say something important. Re-reading the last sentence, I realize that considering Avantasia III a practically identical CD to the first two (which can safely be defined as summaries of the power metal of the '90s and early '00s) is wrong. Here we are faced with a much more heterogeneous tracklist compared to the past, ranging from pop, to rock, to heavy metal, and even power metal which thus becomes an important element, but no longer the essential backbone.

HIGHS

Jorn Lande: the hottest name at the moment among rock and metal singers in Europe according to critics and the public. Such attention is not undeserved, and just listening to how he caresses and attacks the microphone in "Scarecrow" is enough. An incredible impetus released from a dirty and rough throat that seems to have metal in its mouth and that, despite this, manages not to lose melodiousness. Jorn puts his illustrious signature not only on the already mentioned title track (a great example of hard rock, never overly technical and fast, that one listens to repeatedly), but also on the stormy "Another Angel Down" and "Devil In The Belfry" which showcase their teeth. The usual clichéd power metal, with double bass and lightning-fast solos signed by the Gamma Ray duo Hansen and Richter, is expressed in the good "Shelter From The Rain" with the seasoned Kiske intent on singing like in the good old days.

LOWS

Having a guest with a voice like Roy Khan's is a luxury, and I don't say this just because I appreciate Kamelot but because he has a very particular voice that stands out from those of the entire metal scene. One should write an appropriate piece, not too fast and aggressive, and instead... It is a real shame to confine his performance to a couple of verses of the bland and forbidding opener "Twisted Mind": a heavy mid-tempo that in my view doesn't suit him at all. Thumbs down also for "The Toy Master" with Alice Cooper entangled in a boring track like few others.

SURPRISES

It's no secret that Avantasia is a project linked to more "soft" metal; nevertheless, I did not expect to hear in quick succession two tracks as commercial as "Carry Me Over" and "What Kind Of Love". A pleasant surprise because I do not belong to the category of those metalheads who negatively judge radio hits out of principle. Two moments truly impeccable and MTV-worthy that break up the CD, making it more varied and interesting when it starts up again with a nice riff.

A work therefore not too predictable, well played and sung, which, excluding a couple of chapters, satisfied me. The saga has not been tarnished and even though it's a bit less power and more rock than in the past, I believe it can receive moderately positive feedback from many listeners.