Here it is, the long awaited second part of the trilogy: Avantasia, the Metal Opera. The mastermind behind this project is Tobias Sammet (Edguy). The line-up, including Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), is similar to the 2001 release of part one. Newcomers are Bob Catley (Magnum & Nolan/Wakeman) and Eric Singer (Kiss).

This cd stands for over 57 minutes of adventurous rock/metal. The album starts out with the brilliant "Seven Angels". A daring choice, because this 14-minute epic sets a very high standard. From beginning to end there is adventure due to a great diversity of melodies regularly based on sympho or pop music ("In Quest For" – Strangers On A Train, "The Looking Glass" – Queen). One reference that springs into mind is Ayreon’s debut album The Final Experiment; Avantasia exceeds this record by creating stronger imaginative music and a better balance between the different singers (through the use of multiple vocal refrains).

Weaker tracks on the CD are "Chalice of Agony" and "Memory". Both tracks are too heavily dominated by drum and guitar and are in contrast with the subtle mix of melody and instruments on the rest of the album. "Into The Unknown" is a worthy finale to a worthy project.

After the success of Within Temptation and Nightwish, Avantasia will be the next band that brings metal under the attention of a wider audience. Sammet`s use of some popular and highly recognizable melodies will make sure of this. Despite the lack of unity and some poor links between the songs, I would still highly recommend this record to anyone interested is powerful melodic metal.