Lost in Space (Part 1)

This little EP is a nice gimmick for collectors and big Avantasia fan boys but of no interest for anyone else. One might discuss why they released two EPs with the same title track at the same moment and nothing for the later double album that closed the new saga two years later but Tobias Sammet had always some strange and mostly bad ideas about how to sell and promote his project.

The title track is an unusual, dreamy pop rock song that may frustrate or irritate at first contact but it will surely grow on you. This EP prepares us mentally that the new saga would have nothing to do at all with the first two power metal masterpieces as the new Avantasia is orientated towards a melodic metal or melodic rock style with a clear influence of the popular pop and rock music of the seventies and eighties. Two cover songs on this record underline this tendency and they are both rather useless even if I must admit that a cover of Lucifer's Friend with KISS drummer Eric Singer on vocals is at least a funny idea.

We can also ignore the short interlude "Return to Avantasia" and might concentrate on the two new purely Avantasia songs offered on this release. "Another angel down" is a catchy and powerful melodic metal song that would also make it on the upcoming record. The song is a good average track with some guts and emotions but nothing extraordinary. "The story ain't over" didn't make it on the album and is easily the highlight of this little record. It's beautifully orchestrated and filled with emotion and passion. It features a memorable chorus and with Tobias Sammet, Amanda Somerville and Bob Catley, there are three gifted singers participitating on this smooth and dreamy track.

That makes a total of two rather useless cover songs, an unimportant interlude, a unusual and courageous title track, another well done album track and a very good new and exclusive Avantasia bonus track. The video clips are interesting but also included on the later special editions of the upcoming album and poster booklet is an enjoyable gimmick. All in all, it's a decent release for faithful fans of the project, nothing more or less.

Alright fellow power metal and old Edguy/Avantasia fans, time to break out the pints of Jagermeister and the box of tissues for crying, because Tobias Sammet has done to both bands what Matt and Trey of “South Park” fame accused Steven Spielburg and George Lucas of doing to “Indiana Jones“. There is literally no other way to fully articulate the non-metal farce that is this EP’s title track, it is that much of a far cry from better days and that much of a one-fingered salute to the concept of heaviness. Combined with the utterly pretentious over-advertising of this abortion of a song via 5 different versions that are spread across 4 separate releases (one of them a promo that also found its way into my collection), any doubts of the entire venture of “The Scarecrow” lacking artistic credibility are cast away like a dying whore.

Naturally if the song was actually good, even by the half metal, half rock standard adopted by Tobias, I’d be more willing to let the venture capitalism going on here slide, but shit is shit no matter how many people it gets sold to. Picture a slightly heavier version of a nightmare in a U2 clone factory and you’ll be close to the nature of “Lost In Space”. And I’m not talking quality U2 circa the late 80s, I’m talking the really banal garbage, laced with comical melodies and nonsensical words that the Irish musical robber barons of our time have been putting out for the past few years. There’s a cute little piano melody that sounds remarkably similar to Coldplay thrown in as well, just to add further insult to injury. There’s maybe a slight semblance of older days to be found in the chorus melody, namely the better post-”Mandrake” stuff put out with EDGUY, but the arrangement has been flooded with so much keyboard presence and stripped of any riff or lead guitar intrigue that it goes mostly unnoticed.

The rest of the contents on here sort of climb a couple rungs on the ladder between being abhorrent and being semi-fun. The Abba and Lucifer’s Friend covers are both fairly pointless. The former is simply adapted to Tobias’ newer brand of pop/rock/metal mixture and is mostly vocally oriented, rather than turned into something that is actually fun to listen to like Helloween’s more metal remake of the song. The latter just goes through the motions musically and doesn’t really differentiate itself from the original version save a modern sounding production. Eric Singer’s vocal work is passable by rock standards, while Tobias is still shouting with a mouth full of phlegm the way he’s been since “Hellfire Club”. “The Story Ain’t Over” sounds like a ballad outtake from the first two Avantasia albums. Bob Catley’s vocals are the chief attraction here, sounding like an impassioned answer to Meatloaf, which is how most of the music tends to listen as well. It has a fairly decent solo and generally rocks out more than any ballads found on “The Scarecrow”, but like any guilt ridden commercialist who’s ashamed of his musical past, Tobias is content to hide this song on an EP rather than place it on a full length that’s aching with guest musicians and lacking actual good songs.

The highlights are the 2 remaining songs on here, which stylistically fit in with the symphonic power metal moniker that this project flies under. “Return To Avantasia” is an brief instrumental symphonic number, carrying the same theme as the opening overture of “The Metal Opera (Part 1)”. It’s a brief moment of nostalgia for anyone who liked the older incarnation of this band, before it became a commercial dumpster for Tobias’ non-Edguy compositions. “Another Angel Down” is the only thing here that can pass for power metal, or metal at all for that matter. Jorn Lande upstages Tobias like nobody’s business and all but morphs a song that is already similar to stuff heard on MASTERPLAN’S debut into something that sounds so much like it that you wonder what the hell Tobias is even doing on it. It’s a cliché song that follows suit behind an army of variations on Gary Moore’s “Out In The Fields” with double bass beneath it. But it works and is a fun listen regardless of any shortcomings in the originality department.

It’s pretty upsetting that a lot of artists decide to shit on their legacies like a drunken idiot in a pub lavatory, but maybe that’s to be expected as Tobias Sammet is now the self-proclaimed “Lavatory Love Machine”. There is basically no resemblance between what is on here and what Avantasia has put out in the past, so any deluded fools who knowingly buy this and expect to hear as such, despite Toby’s new Emo look plastered on the album cover for all to see, are destined for disappointment. I got this and its almost as ugly sequel online for $2, and I still feel cheated.

Originally submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on March 25, 2009.

While it's usually a good idea to take anything a metal musician says of their own music with a grain of salt (or the whole saltshaker), Sammet has a point when he says that he doesn't want his music to be labeled according to any one specific subgenre. Indeed, what we have on these EP siblings is a variety of styles, from power metal to pop-rock.

A common and rather unfounded criticism of any band who dares to branch from metal is to attack the fact that the songs are not metal, rather than judging their quality as non-metal songs. Sammet's non-metal side shows its face immediately with the title track, an accessible and catchy number. The song follows a typical verse-chorus structure, and neatly finishes up and bows out - it doesn't pretend to be anything more. So it's a neat little song, and I have no issue with it.

As for the other new songs on the EP - Another Angel Down is on deck for The Scarecrow next month, and things couldn't be sounding more promising. Ex-Masterplan fronter Jorn Lande and our man Sammet's vocal trade-offs are made with passionate deliveries and powerful melodies are there as always to keep the foot tapping and the head banging. Sammet may have been branching out in recent years, but he can still deliver unforgettable and satisfying slices of power metal. The Story Ain't Over is an interesting one: this more or less half-ballad treads the line between downbeat and inspirational, its lyrics about a broken relationship unconventional but well-supported by Bob Catley's soothing delivery and the gang chorus that actually fits very well, as opposed to said choruses all over Rocket Ride where it began to get repetitive. (And that, coming from someone who supports that album as a fairly decent effort!) Its uplifting solo is excellent.

Return To Avantasia is essentially a recycled, remixed version of Prelude from the first Metal Opera. That said, the Reach Out For The Light melody is a good one. It's not necessary at all, but I wouldn't take points off for it being here.

The covers are done decently. Abba is...Abba, and I haven't heard the original - nor have I heard the original Lucifer's Heritage cover - so it would be unfair to judge based on those. The songs as they appear here are fairly catchy on their own merits, be it Sammet's wry delivery of the former or Eric Singer's more raw, throaty singing on the latter.

So really, these EPs aren't a bad deal. This in my opinion is the lesser of the two, but for completists like me, it just feels better to have part one sitting next to part two on the shelf, you know? Here's looking forward to a great release in The Scarecrow that will hopefully live up to the Metal Operas.

My joy at the news of a new Avantasia CD was almost immediately tempered by the little voice in the back of my head saying "Uhh... 'Rocket ride'?" Anticipation soon turned to anxiety: Tobias Sammet couldn't really reduce Avantasia to the substandard hard rock style he had put forward on the most recent Edguy CD, could he? Going by the new 2-part EP release, 'Lost in space', the answer would seem to be "yes and no." But let's take a little step back, shall we?

The marketing machine really went into overdrive for these EPs, the first of which is our current subject of review. They have been endlessly plugged as being great value for money with each having 6 tracks, and 5 of those being exclusive (with the title track appearing on both versions).

In actuality, both "Lost in space" and "Another angel down" will feature on the forthcoming full-length, 'The Scarecrow'. 2 of the remaining 4 songs are covers (one recorded at least partially live) and "Return to avantasia" is a 45-second reprise of the intro track to "The metal opera pt. l". Still sounding like a bargain buy? Regardless of whether the EP is worth the money being asked, the songs themselves prove to be something of a mixed bag.

"Lost in space" itself is, unfortunately, an atrocious song. Soft to the point of making it seem a stretch to describe it as rock, never mind metal, the song is a short, lifeless piece of mercantile nonsense. With softly-softly verses racing through to a catchy – in the annoying sense - chorus backed by 'heavy' (read: louder than in the rest of the song) guitars, it is commercial so-called metal down to a tee.

Thankfully, the other 2 original songs are far better fare. 'Another angel down' is a raucous, rocking power metal song aided by the bellowing vocals of Jorn Lande and scintillating lead playing of Henjo Richter (now relegated to guest musician status). Actually more reminiscent of Edguy's 'Hellfire club' than either their most recent CD or the Avantasia of old, it shows Sammet can still write quality metal and gives great hope for 'The scarecrow'.

Surprisingly though, the best song on the CD is "The story ain't over" - a beautifully touching ballad where Sammet has thankfully turned over the biggest percentage of the vocals to returning guest vocalist Bob Catley. I've always had a soft spot for the Magnum veteran's kindly tones, and they fit this song perfectly. It is as if Sammet has had a go at writing a Magnum song of his own, and Tony Clarkin himself would be proud of the results. Sad yet uplifting, with a brilliant, almost Jim Steinman-esque chorus, it proves an unexpected highlight on an EP of rather mixed fortunes.

The cover of Abba's "Lay all your love on me" is fairly amusing (even if it has been done before), but while the chorus transfers quite well to a metal song, the verses – played mostly on bass – are more irritating than anything. The other cover version, "Ride the sky", is originally by the fairly obscure German proto-metal band Lucifer's Friend (not Helloween as some were probably expecting) and features drummer Eric Singer as, erm, the singer. Sammet of course still gets in on the act vocally, but Singer's brusque voice suits the basic musicianship of the song well and ends the EP on an unexpected, yet altogether decent note.

Despite the novelty value of the covers (and a nicely spruced-up interlude track), in the end only 2 of the songs on "Lost in space pt. 1" are really of any great value, and with one of them slated to appear on 'The Scarecrow' anyway, it devalues the product somewhat. While narrowly avoiding the dreaded 'collectors only' tag, caution is advised to those considering parting with some of their hard-earned money for what in the end is part of a pretty cynical double release.

(Originally written for http://www.metalcdratings.com/)

Hahaha! And to think we doubted Tobias Sammet. This is the first glimpse of the new Avantasia, and while it's not perfect in any respect, I haven't had quite this much fun listening to a power metal album in ages. Tobias has touted this as "an honest pomp album from my heart, not living up to the industry, not following any trend and not any Metal cliché," and I was initially very skeptical of this, as the man has always let his mouth run freely without caring about the consequences, but this time he has actually put out something pretty close to his claims.

If you went into this expecting the same old power metal generica from the previous albums, then prepare to be disappointed! The music here doesn't really fit snugly into any one genre. There are a whole lot of elements from 80s hard rock and stadium rock in the song structures, with several huge, frantic shout-aloud choruses, and the solos are pure power metal bliss. It might not be the beginning of any new musical movements, but it is some of the best stuff that Tobi has written since Edguy's Hellfire Club, and also sounding more akin to that great album than anything else. We have guest vocals from Jorn Lande, Bob Catley, Amanda Somerville and Michael Kiske, alongside Tobias' familiar hard rock/power metal wailing, and the production is just about the best Avantasia or Edguy has ever gotten; clear as a baby's bottom and with no instruments left behind, unlike Avantasia's first two albums.

The raw energy here is through the fucking roof, too, with every song being played at about 120% power. The title track is a harmless, catchy radio cut that doesn't really do the rest of the stuff here justice, but then we kick into "Lay All Your Love on Me," the ABBA cover, and things start getting electric. Tobias' vocals are in top form, and the chorus is catchier than AIDS. The man has always done above-average covers of these sappy, cheesy 80s pop songs, and this is no exception. Then...boom! "Another Angel Down" fucking smokes all the way through, a high-octane power metal blazer with a massive, screaming chorus and a long, winding solo that will knock you out of your seat. This one will be on The Scarecrow in 2008, so if "Another Angel Down" is representative of the quality of the new album, then it'll be something to look forward to. "The Story Ain't Over" is another excellent track, layered with light, fluttery pianos and even some Celtic sounding strings here and there, with a hymn-wide chorus that is sure to be a concert-closer, and an excellent one at that. Very, very high quality song.

Then we dip into mediocrity with the pointless "Return to Avantasia" and the limp, weak "Ride the Sky," which is a cover of a song by 70s rock band Lucifer's Friend. I haven't heard the original, but I can't say this is a very good song; very short and pointless with blunt, shabby riffs and no real direction to it. Definitely could've been excluded.

So, with 6 tracks and 5 that are very listenable and good, I'd say this was a success. As a preview for what's to come, this succeeds, as I'll be looking out for The Scarecrow next year. Get this if you like high quality power metal.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

Tobias Sammet has stated in interviews that he didn't want to play it 'safe' with his new Avantasia project, which will consist of 2 EPs of new material and cover songs followed up by a full-length release. And it is clear that there's nothing 'safe' about Lost in Space (Part 1). Right off the bat, we have the album single, Lost in Space, a symphonic power-pop ballad which completely defies the conventional metallic formula of putting your hardest songs first. Instead, the single lays out a nice groundwork for the rest of the EP. Despite it's pop-rock feel, the song is subtle and well done with some good backing female vocals to compliment Mr. Sammet. It's one of those very catchy tunes that easily gets stuck in one's head.

Avantasia haven't shed off their power metal skin yet, though; there are still some hard-edged moments reminiscent of The Metal Opera. We'll get to that in a moment. In the spirit of bombast and flamboyance, Tobias decided an ABBA cover would be appropriate for the EP. Surprisingly, it actually works nicely, fits the mold one has come to expect from this character, and gives Markus Grosskopf a chance to show off some of his bass playing skills.

Jorn Lande has a great voice for a band such as Avantasia. The track which features his vocal talents, Another Angel Down, is more of a straightforward, harmony-laden power metal song which hearkens back to The Metal Opera. Return To Avantasia is a brief interlude which is simply the melody to Reach Out For the Light, one of their older tunes.

Guest vocalists Bob Catley and Amanda Somerville do a fantastic job with the The Story Ain't Over. Overall the singing is superb throughout the EP. Another symphonic track with an epic chorus and some exceptional guitar soloing.

Rounding out this album is something truly unexpected - a cover of obscure German heavy rock band Lucifer's Friend. Namely, one of their bigger songs originally recorded in 1970. Eric Singer, the drummer of KISS does all the singing on this song, and his shouted vocals very accurately match that of the original.

Tobias Sammet had a considerable task in the creation of the entire Lost in Space/The Scarecrow endeavor. He wanted to expand and create something not encompassed by The Metal Opera. He took a huge risk with the pop ballad Lost in Space. He gathered numerous like-minded rockstars like Alice Cooper and Eric Singer of KISS to participate in a metal album. And he had to do all this without sounding like his primary band Edguy. Ultimately, the result is a refreshing and balanced piece of European symphonic metal which should both satisfy fans of The Metal Opera as well as expand the Avantasia fanbase for the future.