Post by Admin on Feb 1, 2016 20:31:43 GMT
In addition to fronting the band Edguy, Tobias Sammet is also the mastermind behind the power metal all-star project Avantasia. For the past 15 years, the band with a rotating cast of guest vocalists and musicians has been delivering epic albums. That continues with their latest opus Ghostlights.
The core of Avantasia is Sammet and guitarist/producer Sascha Paeth along with keyboardist Miro Rodenberg, who also handles the orchestration, a vital part of the band’s sound. For this album, Sammet’s Edguy bandmate Felix Bohnke played drums on all the tracks.
For Ghostlights, there are a wide variety of guest vocalists. Some are Avantasia mainstays, others returned after an absence of one or more albums, and several appear for the first time. Perhaps the most surprising guest is Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, who wouldn’t seem to fit the bill for a power metal band. He shows his power metal chops on “The Haunting,” alternating between subdued crooning and full-out belting.
Another Avantasia newcomer is Geoff Tate (Operation Mindcrime, ex-Queensryche). “Seduction Of Decay” has a definite Queensryche vibe with a really good performance from Tate, who uses his trademark vibrato and has no problem hitting the high notes. The most epic track on the album is the 12 plus minute “Let The Storm Descend Upon You.” It features the return of Jorn Lande, who didn’t appear on 2013‘s The Mystery of Time. The other vocalists are Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids) and Robert Mason (Warrant). The song is symphonic and dramatic, but also very catchy.