RATING: ****1/2, YEAR'S TOP TEN

BEST SONGS: "Serpents In Paradise," "Breaking Away," "Farewell"

Simply put, a great effort, and definitely more "metal" than Ayreon. A pretty intricate and twisted plot, telling the tale of a medieval monk discovering a secret pathway to the magical land of Avantasia and having to fight everybody including the Pope himself to defend this land. It actually took me a couple of reads to understand it completely. Musically, it's similar to Edguy, but the music is more majestic, and, of course, there are plenty of glorious vocalists to choose from. Btw, most songs are sang in duets, trios, or more, including Tobias (as the main character) and celebrities at hand. On this album they include David Defeis of Virgin Steele, Timo Tolkki of Stratovarius, Marcus Grosskopf of Helloween, Andre Matos (formerly of Angra), Rob Rock (formerly of Warrior), Alex Holzwarth of Rhapsody, Eric Singer (formerly of Kiss), and, the most bizarre of all, Michael Kiske of Helloween's fabled late 80s era (credited in the album as "Ernie"). Songs are catchy, light, easy-flowing, plenty of melody, and, though it's not very heavy, they are all good, quality "Hollywood metal." Highlights include "Serpents In Paradise," "Breaking Away," "Glory Of Rome," and title track. My favorite from the album is a waltz-like "Farewell." All guitars are played by Henjo Richter, which is very strange, as two world-famous axmen, Kai Hansen and Timo Tolkki, only contribute the vocals. Bass parts are played by Markus Grosskopf, who is in process of making up with Hansen. I have a bonus track, and it's pretty cool too, though not the best. A strong contender for both Side Project and Concept Album of the Year, and definitely worth getting.

RATING: ****

BEST SONGS: "No Return," "Final Sacrifice," "Chalice Of Agony"

Not quite as strong as the first half, mostly due to the weaker songwriting, but still quite enjoyable. Most of the people resented the idea of starting an album with a 15 minute epic, but I don't think it's such a big deal: "Seven Angels" has a very good first half, rocking and setting the proper mood. After all the album is pretty formulaic as is, at least HERE there is some originality. Some tracks are power metal at its best, most noteably, David DeFeis-led "Final Sacrifice," the most aggressive piece on either album. "Chalice Of Agony" is very similar to the anthis from the first half, in both quality and execution. But I must point out that many songs simply don't go anywhere besides mere enjoyment. Other cool tunes are "Neverland," "Looking Glass," and oft-overlooked "Miory." But. Except "FS" and "Chalice," none of the songs were really able to kick me in the rear, like so many tunes from Part I did, and sappy tunes like "In Quest," with its awful "Your quest is your purpose" chorus are a big turnoff. Anyway, still a must-have for all NWOEPM fans, for the line-up alone.

RATING: ****1/2, YEAR'S TOP TEN

BEST SONGS: title track, "Another Angel Down," "The Toy Master"

I’m glad Tobias decided not to continue the story of Andreas and his adventures. Yes, this is what brought Avantasia fame and fortune, but it was clearly the time to move on. So he did. The third release from this all-star project is a whole different story, not your typical sword-and-sorcery, good-vs-evil power metal fantasy. It’s still very much a rock opera, only this time dealing with the exploration of inner shores, instead of other worlds. According to Tobias, the story is very loosely based on "Faust," only the protagonist is preoccupied with emotions and struggle of an artist, instead of a scientist or a humanist. The cast is every bit as formidable as before: aside from Tobias himself (naturally playing "the protagonist") and staple Michael Kiske ("the positive outside influence"), we have Kamelot’s Khan ("the psychologist"), Jorn ("the cynical spirit"), Bob Catley ("the inner good"), Alice Cooper ("the trickster"), ex-At Vance’s Oliver Hartmann ("the fornication"), and some unknown girl ("the girl"). The instrumental parts are handled by Heavens Gate’s Sascha Paeth, his loyal buddy Miro, Kiss’s Eric Singer, as well as other usual suspects: Henjo Richter, Kai Hansen, and Scorpions’ Rudy Schenker. Tobias also plays bass. The music is not as happy as before, but still quite uplifting. The only truly NWOEPM moments are those sung by Kiske, as he is once again grudgingly squashes his disdain for all things metal as soon as the a paycheck comes-a-callin’. He still does it remarkably well though ("Shelter from the Rain"). The title track is the best Celtic-sounding epic since Dio’s "Losing My Insanity." I love it. Alice Cooper’s track, "The Toy Master" stands apart because of its sinister feel and Alice’s famous whine. Other great moments are "Twisted Mind," "Another Angel Down," and "Devil in the Belfry." Honestly, the only skipable tracks are the slow ones. Tobias was never the ballad master, from him they come out sounding rather poppy. Album’s first single, "Lost in Space," is of the same ilk: it sounds incredibly commercial, without any punch or bite. But most of the time the material is splendid. Jorn simply slays, and he is clearly the frontrunner for the Vocalist of the Year (both for this and his own "Lonely Are The Brave" album). In fact, when Tobias, Michael, and Jorn all scream out "We rock the boat!" in "Another Angel Down," this moment is instantly orgasmic. The music is more complex than before: virtually every track contains at least 3-4 themes. I honestly don’t understand how can Herr Sammet keep up his creative output for two bands, in addition to touring. Just to conceive this album must have taken a long time, let alone arrange it, play it, and bring all those guests to the studio. All in all, I rate "The Scarecrow" a tad below the debut, but above #2.