Released By: ROCKSHOTS Records
Release Date: March 31st, 2023
Genre: Symphonic Power Metal/Metal Opera
Links: https://avaland-themetalopera.com/
Line Up:
Adrien G. Gzagg – Vocals, Keyboards
Jeff Kanji – Vocals, Guitars
Lucas Martinez – Guitars
Camille Souffron – Bass
Leo Mouchannay – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Visions feat. Zak Stevens (Narration)
2. Crimson Tyranny feat. Zak Stevens (Vocals), Pierre Carabalona (Vocals), Madie (Vocals)
3. Insurrection
4. To Be the King feat. Pierre Carabalona (Vocals), Jens Ludwig (Guitars)
5. Secret Night feat. Zak Stevens (Vocals), Madie (Vocals), Angèle Macabiès (Vocals)
6. Kingslayer
7. The Gift feat. Ivan Castelli (Vocals)
8. Out of the Fog feat. Angèle Macabiès (Vocals)
9. Betrayers feat. Madie
10. Madness of the Wise feat. Zak Stevens (Vocals)
11. You’ll Be the Legend feat. Bruno Ramos (Guitars)
12. Lies feat. Ivan Castelli (Vocals), Angèle Macabiès (Vocals)
The idea of a metal opera is something I’ve always been quite fond of, and I’ve enjoyed many such projects over the years, with Avantasia being the most notable. Over the years I’ve enjoyed quite a few of these, though more recently I’ve found them to be more common to the point where I’ve become a bit burnt out. When French band Avaland released their debut, Theater of Sorcery, in 2021, I barely gave it any attention at all, and never thought much about the band until I was given a promo for their freshly released follow-up, The Legend of the Storyteller, and decided to give it a go. Having since given both albums a few listens, I can safely say this album is a big improvement for the band and is the kind of power metal/metal opera project I’ll always enjoy, even if the concept isn’t as special to me anymore as it was at first.
One major change between albums is founding member/songwriter and keyboardist Adrian G. Gzagg no longer being the solo lead singer, now being officially joined by guitarist Jeff Kanji, who was a guest vocalist on Theater of Sorcery but has since gone on to join the band as a full-time member. Otherwise, the lineup remains largely the same as before, though musically this album is a definite step up, with a much larger, stronger sound overall, as well as a big increase in the use of symphonic elements. The debut alternated between power metal and melodic metal, and while that’s still mostly the case here, the symphonic elements are much more prominent, which gives even the lighter tracks a much more epic feeling than anything on the debut, and when the band goes all out, they go all out, with some massive vocal melodies and lots of theatricalities. If anything, songwriting is more varied than on the debut, with some faster, more classic power metal tracks, some more epic symphonic metal tracks, a couple of ballads, a huge progressive epic, and a couple of tracks that have a slightly hard rock/AOR feeling to them. The overall sound is of course very light and melodic, with a big focus on the vocals, though the guitars and keyboards are both excellent throughout, with some big melodic moments from both, as well as a bit of heaviness on a couple of tracks. For the most part, fans of more heavy power metal would be best advised to keep their expectations in check.
Theater of Sorcery had a pretty solid group of guests involved, and the same is true of The Legend of the Storyteller. The cast isn’t as big or as impressive as the likes of Avantasia or Ayreon, but there are some pretty solid guests here, most notably Archon Angel/Circle II Circle vocalist Zak Stevens and ex-Nightmare vocalist Madie, along with Edguy guitarist Jens Ludwig performing a solo on one track. I will say, perhaps my one criticism of the album is that while the guests do a great job overall, I find Gzagg and Kanji’s vocals to be less than impressive most of the time, which is unfortunate since they’re the most prominent performers here. Needless to say, I tend to favor the tracks with more guest vocalists involved, though even the tracks without them still have some great vocal melodies and instrumental work to help make them enjoyable. I never paid much attention to the lyrics, though The Legend of the Storyteller is a prequel to Theater of Sorcery, said to be much darker than that album, and indeed, there are some dark and dramatic moments here, though overall there is still an epic and heroic vibe to the songs, more often than not. Production is excellent, with everything sounding great, and for an album that often has a lot going on, it all comes together quite nicely.
Following a brief intro, with some rather obnoxious and badly performed narration, the first full song is “Crimson Tyranny”, and it’s one of the best on the album. It opens up with some light keyboards for the first 30 seconds or so before the melodic guitars kick in and soon the track speeds up, turning into a fun, epic speedy power metal track with blasting drums, epic vocal melodies, and a fantastic chorus. The vocals are solid throughout, with Stevens and Madie being the highlights, though even the lead vocals are fairly decent on this track. Sadly isn’t the case on “Insurrection”, an otherwise highly enjoyable song, where the vocals are sadly a bit irritating throughout. Musically, it’s a fun, upbeat melodic metal track, with a nice balance between bouncy keys, epic symphonic arrangements, and a super catchy, somewhat pop-infused chorus. It’s one of the tracks here that has a bit of an AOR/hard rock feel to it, and it’s very retro sounding, while still having some epic symphonic elements and big choral vocals during the chorus. Aside from the mediocre lead vocals, everything else about the track is excellent.
Next is “To Be the King”, a slower-paced, more relaxed track, which is especially calm and subdued during the verses, before opening up with another big chorus, where the choral vocals are especially strong. Vocals are generally solid on this track, while musically it’s a very nice melodic metal track, with a strong theatrical feel to it, as well as an excellent guitar solo in the second half, performed by Jens Ludwig. The first ballad on the album is “Secret Night”, a folk-infused track with some very beautiful folk melodies and instrumentation, as well as some nice vocals from Stevens, Madie, and Angèle Macabiès, with the latter in particular having a very soft voice that fits the music perfectly. It’s a very nice track overall, and one of my favorites on the first half of the album. Once again, we go from great vocals back to merely decent vocals on “Kingslayer”, another mid-paced, melodic metal track with a slight folk feel to the keyboards, and it’s another more subdued track during the verses, before picking up a bit for a more intense, very catchy chorus. The lead vocals are a bit weak but don’t get in the way of some excellent melodies and lyrics, and it’s one of the better tracks on the album, with the chorus and guitar solo toward the end being especially great.
Perhaps the heaviest track on the album is “The Gift”, a more prog/power-sounding track, along the lines of Symphony X and DGM. It features a mix of light keyboards and some rather heavy riffs, as well as being one of a couple of tracks to have a rather dark atmosphere to the keys and overall melodies at times. It moves at a fairly subdued pace most of the way through, speeding up a bit during the chorus, and instrumentally it’s one of the heaviest and most interesting tracks, while Lionsoul vocalist Ivan Castelli offers some rather animated vocals, and does a pretty solid job in fitting in with the music. Next is “Out of the Fog”, a light, mid-paced melodic metal track with a big emphasis on the symphonic elements and keyboards. The verses are once again quite subdued and atmospheric, with some nice vocals from Angèle Macabiès, and then the chorus is huge, with some of the best vocal melodies on the album, as well as some excellent choral vocals. The track speeds up at times, with some wonderful melodic guitar work, and overall it’s probably my favorite on the album. Another heavier track comes next, in the form of “Betrayers”, which moves along at a relentless pace during the verses, offering up some heavy guitars and melodic keys, as well as some excellent vocals from Madie. The chorus is more melodic but maintains a fast pace, and is equal parts catchy, epic, and intense.
Moving towards the end of the album, “Madness of the Wise” is perhaps the darkest, most atmospheric track on the album, with the keys having a sinister vibe to them, and there are bursts of heaviness in the guitars to match this. The track alternates nicely between slow and speedy passages, with the chorus, in particular, being quite interesting, though it’s certainly not one of the catchier songs on the album, instead being more dark and complex. The second ballad is “You’ll Be the Legend”, a track that presents itself as a light piano ballad for the bulk of its duration, with some very nice vocal melodies, and light symphonic backing, leading into a nice guitar solo from Sortilège guitarist Bruno Ramos, before suddenly speeding up and turning into an all-out power metal assault for the last 90 seconds or so. The change is so unexpected, I initially thought a new track had started, but that is not the case, and the song keeps going at this point, with some epic vocals to match the intense instrumental work. Closing out the album is “Lies”, a 12-minute epic, which has a lot going on throughout, and it’s by far the most epic, most symphonic, and most theatrical track on the album. It starts softly, before opening up with a big chorus, and from there it alternates nicely between soft and loud moments, never fully speeding up, but there are certainly some interesting instrumental passages, as well as some nice vocal sections, again featuring Castelli and Macabiès. It’s the most progressive and epic song on the album, and it closes out the album perfectly, with the chorus, in particular, being fantastic.
Overall, The Legend of the Storyteller is an excellent album, with solid guest vocal performances, excellent instrumental work and songwriting, and some excellent melodies all around. As far as metal operas go, I’d say Avaland isn’t quite a top tier just yet, but this album is a definite step up from their debut, thanks to the increased symphonic elements, better songwriting, and overall improved sound. Fans of that album are sure to love it, while anyone else looking for some epic symphonic power metal, or an epic metal opera, would be recommended to give this album a shot.
Ratings: 8/10
Written by: Travis Green
My Global Mind – Staff Writer
Travis Green is a Canadian based writer for My Global Mind, with a particular passion for power metal, as well as an interest metal in all its forms.
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