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News from nuclear blast confirmed that Tobias Sammet the mastermind behind his Avantasia project have announced new album to be release on April 3rd. The new album title" The Wicked Symphony/Angel of Babylon" will feature the following guest musicians:

Klaus Meine (Scorpions)
Eric Singer (Kiss)
Bruce Kullick (ex Kiss)
Ripper Owens (ex Judas Priest)
Jonh Oliva (Savatage)
Bob Catley (Magnum)
Michael Kiske (Helloween)
Jorn Lande (Masterplan)

And many more I am looking forward to the album. I'm a little down that Hansi is not in this album either The new video with Scorpions Klaus Meine has been released you can see it at the nuclear blast site.

It's two albums.... and "who cares" about Hansi not being there, I mean, he's done his fair share of side projects and there's lot of BG music (and new music soon to come) to hear him, I don't want him to become a total vocal whore like Jorn Lande

Yeah, it's actually a pity that Lande has such a great voice but doesn't have a long-term band to lead to total awesomeness. I wish Ark had never disbanded

About the album, I hope it's not old-school boring power metal again.

He does: Masterplan. Check it out: you'll like it.

I'm pretty confident it won't, just like The Scarecrow wasn't...

But didn't Jorn Lande left Masterplan?

He did, and then he rejoined. They're working on a new album as we speak.

The only thing that bothers me about this new release, is that it is split in two. Why not, just like Ayreon's 01011001, a double CD?

Because you can sell two separate cd's for a higher price than a double-cd.

Well, I know Masterplan, but they don't qualify.

1. They aren't a long-term band.
2. Lande isn't leading.
3. They're not awesome.

Not a big fan of Avantasia, but I read that on The Wicked Symphony, there would be a "10 minute vocal battle between Jorn Lande, Russel Allen and myself (Tobias)"

which means I have to purchase the album(s), because Jorn and Russel are amazing

I will ignore the third argument but I would like to point out that the first two make little sense in this context. Ark wasn't led by Jorn either, but by John Macaluso and Tore Østby. Secondly, Masterplan has been around for eight years, whereas Ark has only been active for four years (1999 - 2003).

Yes, they are awesome together, but there are already two albums with both on vocals, so I hope Tobi doesn´t try to copy it in a way.



I wouldn´t say Jorn is a whore, he´s just one of the best singers in the world with an awesome voice and everyone want to have him, and why shouldn´t he sing for them? It´s his job to share his voice with other people...and his work is always amazing with everything he does.

btw, the songtitles are now announced:

Agreed. Jorn is a professional, and part of being a professional is that someone offers you a job, you take it. Most of us do it for 40 hours a week, at least Jorn is allowed to drink beer when he's working.

I know... but it's just weird. The fans (including me) won't worry about it very much though.

What's so weird about it? It seems like a totally logical plan to me. They make more money (which was the whole idea behind releasing the album in the first place), you don't worry, and nobody complains. Seems like a good situation to me.

Well there are people who are upset about it... and I can understand their point, that's what I mean.

Which people, and to what point and purpose?

Apart from the fact of making money, what´s the reason in releasing two CDs? I mean, when you buy one CD then you want to have the other one too otherwise it´s senseless. I can´t imagine that one of us is standing in the shop and buys just one because the other has a bad cover or whatever....musicians have strange ideas sometimes.

I'm a member of the Rhapsody forum, and quite a few people there like some Nuclear Blast-bashing. So this situation, in combination with NB being Avantasia's label, leads to some irritations.

That's pretty naive of them, I would say. Nuclear Blast is a company, and all companies have one thing in common: they're out to make a profit, which basically comes down to earning more money than you spend. But then again, people on the Rhapsody-forum are fans who believe in the Heroic Emerald Brush In The Enchanted Toilet. Or something.

Economic reason: The Rider of Rohan already explained it.
Artistic reason: Sometimes you may feel that the stuff you wrote and recorded works better as two "albums" of their own, rather than a single, double-disc album, because each CD has its own identity....

Look at Therion, in 2004 they released two albums together at the same time (Sirius B and Lemuria), and in 2007 they released a single album (Gothic Kabbalah) that was on two discs. Evidently the label and Sammet found satisfying for both parties the release of two albums, rather than a double one...

If I remember it right the reason for separating Sirius B and Lemuria was because Nuclear Blast had to make a lot of money back from the albums before. Theli was the most expensive Nb-record ever made, the Therion-digipacks were amongst the most expensive ones on the label, and so on and so forth.

I can imagine the same applies to Avantasia. When you look at the amount of singers, you can safely say that it must've costed a fortune to get them.

The titles sound very Glam-ish sometimes... and some of them you can even hear the double bass kicking...



Who the hell does he think he is? It's Jorn FUCKING Lande we're talking about.. not Avril Lavigne.. geez.. Sammet completely lost it..

He never implies he'd be a victor in such a battle. Chill out man, sheesh.

Besides, I personally think Sammet is a great vocalist, not out of his league at all with Lande or Allen.

The only negative thing I could say about that vocal battle thing is that it's obvious where Tobi got his inspiration from: from the Allen/Lande project. But as long as it sounds good, who cares?

Yeah for a talking vagina he actually sings quite well.

A talking vagina oh my god I almost pee in my pants from laughing so hard oh man good one.

The new single, "Dying for an Angel", can be heard on the Avantasia website, it's a duet with Klaus Meine from Scorpions... obviously it must be the most commercial track on the album, but it's nice!

I am very curious how the new album is going to turn out.
I really admire their first two works, yet their 3 effort was far beneath these two first records (in my opinion).

Nice to read that I'm not the only one who likes that song

You're not, and I'd rather get an hard rock tune with a memorable chorus rather than a failed attempt to re-write Reach out for the Light or Sign of the Cross

I love the Metal Opera for what it is and I love The Scarecrow for what it is, and I want these two new albums to continue in the more mature and twisted Scarecrow style, not going back to an attempt to re-do something that came already nice anyway.

You speak words of wisdom. And yes, the chorus is nice indeed.

True, it's a great song.

Indeed a nice poppy hard rock song, just as commercial but way better than Lost in Space, which was somewhat boring to me.

I used to like the Metal Opera albums a whole lot, but nowadays I don't get much out of them, aside from some nostalgic vibes. I much prefer The Scarecrow, especially the title track is great.

The Kiske fanclub did an interview with Tobi. You can read it here

http://michaelkiske.net/_web/archives/i ... bias10.php

so, i'm not the only one who knows how some album-booklets smell...

The album is still not online, despite the april 3rd releasedate. NB did a good job at preventing the album being leaked this time.

Good thing. I always feel like an asshole when I buy a new album that's to be found on the internet already

Funny, here I was thinking that it's more asshole-y to download an album that's not in the stores yet.

Guess I'm that kind of an asshole because I can't get any of the albums I want in my country, besides I have saved A LOT of money downloading them on the internet. The two Avantasia albums I will download them eventually and then I will add them to my Ipod. There's no need for me to buy a CD anymore since my stereo died years ago.

Then you also have to buy a new stereo installation then.


Yeah I know... but still...

Here are long and useful samples of the new albums:


http://www.7digital.com/artists/avantas ... -symphony/

http://www.7digital.com/artists/avantas ... f-babylon/

Listened to a few samples. I luvvit, thanks

Well, start feeling like an asshole then, because it's available on Pirate Bay today.

Yes, indeed although i got it directly from Nuclear Blast promo department.
Nonetheless, i have just schedule one phone interview with Tobias so i will drope the final link when I finish this interview.

Make sure to ask why Hansi didn't sing on the new album

^Good question


>.< Damn...

yeah after a couple of spins the album didn't impress me much...
I'd say Wicked Symphony is far superior than Angel of Babylon which right now I consider pretty weak. I'll have to listen to it a bit more but I'll still buy the record when it'll came out.

I may order this in, as a birthday present to me