Review Summary: A strong contender for the best power metal of our generation.
I sit at the edge of the forest. The wind blows into my face, the sunset in the horizon is a orange and golden blaze, over the skyline of Fife. My jacket flaps freely with the cold air, my hair dangles, also flying in the same rhythm of my jacket. I close my eyes as a single tear slides down my face. The only thing I hear, secluded from humanity, is "Hang on to a Runaway Train / No turning back / Tethered to a Runaway Train / Take Me Away". Avantasia's The Wicked Symphony. One of the greatest, most emotionally thought-provoking, and most interesting albums of this decade. As I worked my way through an otherwise masterpiece of an album, the effect that it left, like a cataclysm, it shook me. The music would stay by me for an otherwise long life. It was heartbreaking. It was adventurous. A fantastic tale about love, death, and the amazing power of the human soul. The Wicked Symphony, an album that has to be heard to believe.
What it was that took me for the incredible journey that was The Wicked Symphony, I have no idea. Whether it was the deeply personal, thought-provoking story of
Runaway Train, the distress and ponderous
Wastelands, the desperation of love in
Dying for an Angel, the violent realism of power and temptation in
"Forever Is A Long Time", or the true question of life and why we have to suffer in the real world in
The Wicked Symphony, I don't know. It's hard to describe how heartfelt this album can be. It's a journey through salvation, pain, love, survival, hope, peace, evil, and belief in yourself. The lyrical emotions in The Wicked Symphony are like a scar, they stick with you for a long time. Tobias Sammet, the head composer for this metal opera, just lets his emotions go, and takes on a whole different perception on how to write a song, and how to make sure it stays. Jorn Lande, Michael Kiske, Tim Owens, Tobias Sammet, everybody, help make a memorable experience like none other.
The composition is BREATHTAKING. Whether it be the thunderous beats and adventurous rhythm in "The Wicked Symphony", the overwhelming piano intro and middle instrumental section in "Runaway Train", the smooth, acoustic work on "The Edge", and the heavy guitar lashing in "Forever Is A Long Time", the men on the instruments are simply amazing. Listening to these work of arts, it made me realize that power metal isn't just noise; it can be a journey. Hearing the excellent bass rhythm and smooth, charming keyboard progression in "Dying for an Angel" is an experience you do not want to miss. The Wicked Symphony gives a fresh new perspective on music, and LIFE.
Blizzard on a Broken Mirror, Runaway Train, The Wicked Symphony, all of them, are unique and simply astounding. Whereas other bands are lifeless and sterile, Avantasia is emotional, subversive, and all the way about the true power of the human spirit. Absolutely fabulous. The Wicked Symphony is an adventure. A journey. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. Something that can reside in someone's heart for a long time. With an absolutely beautiful, and all the way masterful nature to it, The Wicked Symphony could quite possibly be one of the greatest albums of the decade.
