It’s been a while since I took a good long listen to the weird world of Avantasia. Tobias Sammet’s enchanting symphonic metal powerhouse is always such a pallet cleanser for me. There are always three things you’re guaranteed going into every Avantasia album: Wonderful vocals, epic orchestration and infinitely creative imagination. Their new album Here Be Dragons is yet another notch on the belt of Sammet’s ever-expanding career and I am so here for it. This album is jam-packed with inventive writing and each song has just the right amount of that over-the-top quality that we all love from them. The 10-track offering in its entirety was written and composed by Tobias Sammet himself, produced and recorded by Sammet together with Sascha Paeth, mixed by Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg. This is the tenth record from the band and man it feels like they reinvent themselves with every release, yet somehow they keep that core that makes the Avantasia experience unique.
Like any good Sammet project, the album opens with a real kicker. The infectious single “Creepshow” kicks everything off. This doesn’t so much set the tone as give the audience a little treat of an appetiser before the real meat of the album gets going. I argue that the album really begins on the second track, the title's namesake “Here Be Dragons” featuring the vocals of the legendary Geoff Tate. The song is the longest on the album clocking in nearly nine minutes long. It absolutely justifies its length with a full, almost cinematic, scope. A full piece that you could easily lose yourself in with the dueling vocals of Sammet and Tate melding into one glorious chorus of wonderful sonic power. It feels like one of those epic sagas that fill the minds of those of us who can get lost in a fantasy realm. The wonderful production swells up to the anthemic chorus line. It almost hits that ceiling that could make it too cheesy but never quite crosses that line.
Each of the guests featured on the record adds something special. I don’t know what it is but Sammet has the uncanny ability to bring out the best performance from the guest he invites onto the albums. Be it the upbeat and triumphant appearance of Bob Cately (Magnum) on the track “Bring On The Night” or the dark and sinister voice of Tommy Karevik (Kamelot) on the song “The Witch”, Sammet just knows how best to utilise all of the guest vocalists. It’s like he has a sixth sense of what would work best on each track. That’s not to downplay Sammet himself, it’s not like he’s hiding, he gives every song some gusto and more. When he wants to just sell you his conviction he goes for broke, like in the song “Unleash The Kraken” when he just completely lets loose. The chemistry that I felt listening to other vocalists take their turn in the world of Avantasia, is just so interesting. You can tell that Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids) was just having so much fun with “Phantasmagoria”. Then you have Kenny Leckromo (H.E.A.T) on the song “Against The Wind”. How can I describe that collaboration? I didn’t know I needed something like this until I heard it. It’s pure, unadulterated over-the-top power metal cheese, in all of the best ways possible.
Enough about the vocals what does this album sound like? Honestly, what can I say about this that hasn’t been said before? It’s an Avantasia album! It’s bound to sound immense. It’s captivating and it takes you on a journey. The drums? Crisp and clean, they add the punctuation marks to the record. The guitars? Utterly mesmerising. They’re not reinventing the wheel but it’s a wonderful feeling to just embrace their tone. I challenge you to listen to the guitar solo on the album closer, “Everybody's Here Until The End” (featuring Roy Khan) and not get emotional. That’s the power of the guitars on this album. The synths and keys? They add the right amount of atmosphere to keep you engrossed in the track while being a stand-out part of the production themselves. I don’t think I can fault any of it. Every part of the production is in service to the song, and collectively, the record.
I know this review feels more like a puff piece rather than a critical analysis. However, I couldn’t find a flaw with this album if you asked me to. The album sounds great, all of the guest vocals fit the track they feature on, and the production is tight and crystal clear. You feel the impact of each song the way it was intended. Sammet just has that magic and Avantasia allows for that creativity and passion to shine through. It’s so good that music like this gets made, I’m sure you could argue that the record might be a little self-indulgent and maybe it’s a little too, well, safe. However, I think that’s why people listen to this type of music. It’s pure escapism. A chance to dive into a fantasy for a while and just exist without worry or fear. I would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest.
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