Angel of Babylon is the third and final chapter of Avantasia’s Scarecrow Trilogy. I can only imagine the pressure on mastermind Tobias Sammet as he tried to effectively wrap up this project. After how impressive The Wicked Symphony was, I couldn’t wait to hear more Avantasia. Unfortunately, this isn’t the incredible ending I was hoping for.
Starting off with a bang, “Stargazers” is a speedy 9 minute track featuring Avantasia veterans Jorn Lande (Masterplan), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), and Russell Allen (Symphony X). It’s epics like this that really shine in Avantasia, and that is exactly what Angel of Babylon lacks.
Unlike The Wicked Symphony, Angel of Babylon is plagued with dull power metal tracks such as “Rat Race”, “Your Love is Evil”, and “Down in the Dark”. One track that really piqued my interest was “Alone I Remember”. It starts off with a very Skid Row-esque guitar riff, and the song has a hard rock influence all up to the chorus. The chorus sharply contrasts the rest of the song, which instead has a poppier feel. Because of this, the song seems to lose focus and makes for a sort of confusing listen.
Unfortunately, Alice Cooper didn’t make an appearance this time around, but we still have a song similar in mood as “The Toy Master”. Lead by Jon Oliva’s (Savatage) powerful, raspy voice, he delivers with “Death Is Just a Feeling”, and it quickly became a favorite of mine. Next, “Blowing Out the Flame” is the only ballad in the Scarecrow Trilogy I’ve enjoyed, probably because it doesn’t sound like it belongs in a Disney movie (hear “What Kind of Love” and you’ll know what I mean). Sammet leads this song, and he does a fantastic job. The strangest of all the inclusions on Angel of Babylon has to be “Symphony of Life”. Sung by another newcomer, Cloudy Yang, it is a very dark track and doesn’t fit in well with the overall upbeat mood of the album.
If you have heard the “Lost in Space” EPs, “Promised Land” makes a return, minus Michael Kiske. Instead, Jorn Lande takes the reigns, and while it’s not as fun to hear as Kiske, Sammet, and Lande taking turns, it’s still an enjoyable take on the song. Finally, the album closes with another gem, “Journey to Arcadia”, a 7 minute track that ends the trilogy on a high note. Unfortunately, “Journey to Arcadia” is such a quality track that the rest of the album pales in comparison, and as a result, is a bit of a letdown.
Don’t get me wrong, Angel of Babylon isn’t a bad album, but it is mildly disappointing. I can still appreciate the work put into it, but the originality of the tracks and a few questionable choices make this a mixed bag. If you are an Avantasia fan, I would still recommend buying it to finish the trilogy and snatch up a few good tracks, but for everyone else, I would have to point you toward The Wicked Symphony.
Key Tracks: Stargazers, Death Is Just a Feeling, Journey to Acardia
A.H. Keith - MuzikReviews.com Contributor
July 26, 2010
