#ralf zdiarstek

[nofatclips]

The Glory of Rome by Avantasia from the album The Metal Opera

[improbablecarny]

The Best Good Parts of The Wicked Symphony

As according to me

Two years after The Scarecrow, we got not just one, but TWO albums at once to serve as the conclusion to The Wicked Trilogy. Continuing down the musical path set by their predecessor, The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon have a curious set of songs for you to dive right into.

Storyline: After agreeing to the terms set by his mysterious benefactor, The Scarecrow continues down a righteous path of self-destruction, with little recourse in sight...

Quick Notes

If you were lost trying to figure out the story in The Scarecrow... good luck with these two.

They were also released the year I graduated high school so some emotional imprinting happened there. 

Gonna slap a minor content warning for substance abuse on this one (particularly for Blizzard on a Broken Mirror, Runaway Train and The Edge) but it’s vague enough that you could easily miss it if you weren’t paying attention.

And what do we have here but the link to the album on the official Avantasia Youtube!

Note that this is all on Spotify as well!

The Wicked Symphony

Look out, it’s a ten minute long intro song!

Its also a VERY GOOD intro song, with a deep, smoky instrumental opening

“A seeker enthralled by a flame...” JORN JORN JORN

I’ve been using the chorus as my ringtone for several years

“HEY MAN IN YOUR HIDEAWAY WHERE DO WE GO? FROM. HERE! ANGELS IN A TRAGEDYYYY”

I think Afflatus Divine was also my blog title for a while

The weird dreamy stuff Tobi’s doing in the post-solo section

THEN

DA NA-NANA-NA-NA-NA DA-NANANANANA - CHUKKAWUKKAWUKK

The bass going nuts under the second solo

The live rendition of this with Eric Martin and Amanda Somerville taking the leads is 😍😭🤯

Wastelands

“You / you close your eyes / to blink the tears away...” shit dude I sure do!

“You! You’re old and blind!” The Scarecrow IS a BASTARD!

This is like... the anti-Shelter From the Rain and it hurts so good

Scales of Justice

Ripper is playing Fury and you can tell

The sudden change in tone right before “just close your eyes”

The kick back into the chorus

Dying for an Angel

The album’s single, featuring Klaus Meine, who you may know as the guy who Rocked You Like a Hurricane hint hint (he’s the Scorpions dude)

“Gotta learn to FLY and learn to FALL”

This was the first Avantasia music video ft. a guest singer

Blizzard on a Broken Mirror

Andre Matos returns! Sadly he has not returned to Avantasia since. I wonder what he’s been up to lately... I miss his voice 😭

Spooky opener, really good.

The whole bit starting at “Fortune favors just the brave...”

TIE THE DREAM. I’VE HAD MY FILL

Sands of... tiiiiiime

Runaway Train

Oh here we go, it’s a crying catharsis song that’s 8 mins long

The piano intro

Bob’s entrance

Jorn’s entrance (he knows how to make an entrance... that may be a running theme here)

“DON’T KNOW IF I AM SORRY / BLIND ME! BLIND ME”

The string arrangements

“IT’S ONLY HUMAN NATURE”

The piano ramping up to...

“Reaching out to rule the world...”

This entire passage is bonkers and is very cool to listen to while riding a fast bus going over a bridge.

OH BOY THE ICE WILL BREAK

RIDING ON TO THE WORLD OF FUNNY FLOWERS!

You WILL listen to this and immediately choreograph a dance to this part

“Days gone by... who’d want to live forever?”  🥺

“Fly high / where angels can’t breathe no more”  🥺 🥺 🥺

Crestfallen

The binky bonky intro

The distorted pre-chorus

Then the BADASS CHORUS-CHORUS

“AND YOU’LL FALL AWAY FROM HEAVEN”

“ O͉N̫͓͙̜̦C̢E҉̝Y̬̳͟O̯̬͉̺̻̳̩͠U̞͇̖̦̲̼̤͝K͓̝̲̩͎ͅN͕͎̯̗̝̯̫O͖̗ͅW͉͚̰̘͉ͅY͖O͏̱̩U̩̜̬̼Ç̭ͅA̜̱ͅN̷̥͕̤’̳̰̼ȚT̸A̧̬͚͇̖K̩̜E̗̦ͅN̟̣̤̖͞O̤M҉̖O̢̭̦̻̪̙̜R̤̟̭͞E̜̮̘̲̯͘O̵̥̖F͚͚I̛̺̗T҉͈ ”

“I am the fury in your eyes / I am reason, I am VICE”

Forever is a Long Time

This is a fairly simple Tobi/Jorn back-and-forther but something about it just makes me go batshit the entire time

Probably the lilt

Jorn’s “WHOAOAHA YEEEAAAH.... MHMMHMHM” at the beginning

The brief silence and then Tobi’s entrance

“WHEN YOUR FAIRYTALE’S OVER”

“no right OR WROOOONG I just keep goin OOON”

The repetition of the first verse  🤘

Black Wings

The ever-mysterious Ralf Zdiarstek takes home this dark and heavy little ditty

Heavy intro is great but especially

THE COWBELL

(I think it’s a cowbell, whatever it is that’s donking around in the second go at the intro)

I AM FURY, I AM FIRE, I AM THE WORM INSIDE

The whole “who do you think you are” part is VERY “sign me up as scared AND horny!”

States of Matter

Has one of my favourite first verses on the album for some reason

“HATE AND AFFECTION / PLEASURE AND PAIN / MODES OF VIBRATION...”

“UNVELING tooo BEEE alll THE SAME!”

Then later on...

“MIIIIIIND OVER MATTER!”

The clear quality to the guitar solos

The Edge

This song has country energies and I’m here for it

The prechorus... this album has some strong-ass prechoruses

The second verse is really strong just in general

“Fingers BLEED ONTO THE IVORYYYY”

“They dance on the keys...”

“To a churchyard. OF. ANGELS.”

And that chorus!

That’s the Wicked Symphony, but it’s not until we take on the Angel of Babylon that we can say this story is over! Stay tuned...

Cast List:

Tobias Sammet as The Scarecrow Jorn Lande as Mephistopheles Michael Kiske as Mentor Russel Allen as Inspiration Andre Matos as Acedia Bob Catley as Conscience Klaus Meine as Future Scarecrow Tim “Ripper” Owens as Fury Ralf Zdiarstek as Shelter

[and-the-distance]

The Artists of Avantasia:

Ralf Zdiarstek

Vocals: The Metal Opera I & II, The Wicked Symphony

[improbablecarny]

The Best Good Parts of the Metal Opera Pt. I

As according to me

I’m doing it, folks. I’m going through every Avantasia album to tell you about the best parts in some very good music, as according to me, your benevolent host and hopeless metal-romantic. Starting tonight with the one that started it all: The Metal Opera!

Storyline: Hoping to exonerate his stepsister, who has been accused of witchcraft, a monk of the Dominican Order named Gabriel Laymann makes a deal with a druid: to save Anna, he must first help save the world of imagination. Gabriel agrees, and enters a world of elves and dwarves, of ancient evils and theocratic conspiracies - a world called Avantasia. And the rest is heavy metal history!

Fun facts and overview:

This is the first-ever Avantasia album, released in 2001.

The Metal Operas have a much more traditional power metal sound: crazy drums, high-flying guitar lines, a handful of ballads and a crunchy production value. So if that’s your thing, strap in!

All Avantasia albums are narrative but TMO1 is the only one with short musical/spoken word interludes.

This album was partially (if not entirely?) responsible for getting Michael Kiske back into the metal scene. Yay!

Just a reminder: this is NOT going to be a series of fancy smart person reviews, and is 100% a way for me to quarantine my unconditional love for music that I like. You may see a brief snippet of insight now and then but that’s, uh, no guarantee.

Oh, and because it looks like every Avantasia album has been officially posted to Youtube... come on and follow along with me!

Prelude/Reach Out For the Light

A nice, soft, musical intro - wait what’s that oh it’s SICK GUITARS that sound like CHURCH BELLS. This ain’t your granny’s opera, but it should be

The pre-chorus Hell yes

In your miiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The post solo interlude with church bells and marching snares

“ in...your...MIIIIIIIiiiiIIIIiiiind”

Serpents in Paradise

Love the pace on this one

MALLEUS MALEFICARUM THE LAW

YOW

DEMONS AND SPELLS ARE THEY REALITY

Heaven is burning... people are yearning....

THE BREEEAKDOWN

oooOooOOOOOOOO

“Something strange is going on...” CH ILLS

“VANDROIY! CAN YOU TELL ME! WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT IT ALL!”

yes yes yes yes

Malleus Maleficarum

This is not a song but it is in fact a weird spoken word interlude. I understand why Tobi dropped interludes in following albums but it’s a very atmospheric, well-staged one, and I wonder what kind of interludes the other stories would’ve had in another timeline 🤔

Love the introduction of Falk as a complete bastard

Also, Tobi’s old lady voice

Breaking Away

Very standard power metal but it’s a fun romp nonetheless!

Dueting at “And now the time has come to go another way.”

Farewell

Love those synthetic Bagged Pipes

Iconic ballad, especially when performed live.

SUPER love the 6/8 chorus and its lilting, heartfelt crescendo.

Kiske outtro 👍

The Glory of Rome

Three words for you: Heavy metal pope

“Holding IN MY HAND”

This whole part really but especially

“AND ITS BEEN FORETOLD

AFTER TOUCHING

THE LIIIiiiIiIIiIIGHT”

In Nomine Patris / A New Dimension

These are both short musical interludes so I’m just gonna stick them together, but I really like them and they both have a cinematic quality to them so hey, here’s a shoutout

Avantasia

The sound starting off grainy and distant AND THEN

It’s a great feeling seeing this one live let me tell you

Uuuuuse your mind... you will leave the FLESH DIMENSIONS BEHIND

“We are the kingdom of light and dreams” yes, yes you are 🥺

Inside

Sweet non-power ballad

Andre Matos as an elf prince was genius casting

Sign of the Cross

“FROM A WORLD OF REIGN - THEY COME!”

The CHUG-CHUG-A-WUG rhythm

I love this song as their standard concert finale

The sudden Kai Hansen bit

“These enchanting colours~”

The Tower

Piaaaaaano piano piano

Where do iiiiiiiiiii

GOOOOOOOOO (Never had a etc)

Down DOWN down DownDOWN

HALLELUJAH

Creepy ass spoken interlude with the Tower immediately followed by Vandroiy’s revelation about its naaaatuuuure... I REALIIIIIIIIZE

The Mozarty string thing

OOOOOOOO OOO OOOoooOo

“Was it my fault?... or was it no one’s fault...at all?”

Though it isn’t present in the lyrics, there is apparently an ELF PLANE involved here. An ELF PLANE!

Every Avantasia album hosts a whole whack of metal vocalists that you may or may not know. So if it’s discovering new faces or rediscovering ones you know and love, check out the cast list and do a bit of poking around:

Cast List:

Tobias Sammet as Gabriel Laymann  Michael Kiske as Lugaid Vandroiy David DeFeis as Friar Jakob Ralf Zdiarstek as Bailiff Falk von Kronberg Sharon den Adel as Anna Held Andre Matos as Elderane the Elf Kai Hansen as Regrin the Dwarf  Rob Rock as Bishop Johann von Bicken Oliver Hartmann as Pope Clement VIII Timo Tolkki as Voice of the Tower

[improbablecarny]

The Best Good Parts of The Metal Opera Pt. II

As according to me

Here we go again! The second act to the Metal Opera is underway and I’m here to tell you why it’s good. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll throw your horns up high as we conclude this story with a bang (and some sick riffs).

Storyline: After the events at the Tower, Gabriel continues to seek answers and find a way to not only save Anna, but the lost souls of both worlds.

Quick Notes:

Part II drops the interludes - it’s all metal from here on out. Well, metal and some piano ballads.

The cast lineup is essentially the same here, with the addition of Bob Catley. The Magnum frontman is a key part of the lineup to this day, both live and in the studio. This marks his first Avantasia appearance, in which he plays a talking tree.

As with the first album, you can find The Metal Opera Pt. II on the official Avantasia YouTube channel, so dive right on in!

The Seven Angels

I’m not much one for scale ratings or top tens but I can confidently say that The Seven Angels is not only one of the best Avantasia songs, it’s one of the best examples of the genre entirely.

It’s also nearly 15 minutes long with five distinct movements so... hang on.

The soft, mysterious choir intro? Tingleworthy.

NOW THE TIME HAS COME, THE END’S BEGUN!

The vocal layering and tradeoff here is just INSANE

The chorus? ICONIC. I know I keep saying ICONIC but it IS.

The second run at “I DONT KNOW HOW COULD I PROVE / NOTHING BUT THE CLOVEN HOOF”

Then the voice of the Tower’s like WOE TO YOU LONGING FOR THE WISDOM WOE TO YOU LONGING FOR THE LIGHT and your face melts off

“Once I had been lost, in what they told me to believe” the whole passage is a great dramatic showtune and is a foreshadowing of what I like to call the project’s eventual “Meatloafification”

“I had been alone till the madman came along / with the knowledge and the silver long beard” is a crazy line to rock out to but it absolutely deserves it

GO ALL THE WAY INTO THE WORLD OF MINDS!!!

The Kai/Andre tradeoff in the last movement... the feelings. The heart. The bombast.

I owe this song my life, basically.

No Return

Classic power metal shredathon

“Into the morning light!

Illuminate the night!

Be the guide!

On our side!

THE GNOOoooOoSiiis”

The instrumental repetition of the prechorus before:

Half-time Andre Matos passage 👊😭🤘

“Go and face the tree... of knowledge and be FREE!!!”

The Looking Glass

The weird spoken word parts are super cool and spooky

WHEN I GAZE AT THE MAN / WHO IS GAZING AT ME

WHEN I STAREINTOTHELOOKING GLASS

WHEN I ASK. WHAT. HE SEES!

Bob Catley time!

CRAZY LAUGH

How proud would the buildings of ROOOOME...LOOK WITHOUT A SINGLE STOOOONE

In Quest For

That piano intro is like floating on the back of a swan or something.

It’s a very sweet ballad that still gets me in the childhood.

🥺 “you’re the one to show me / you can tell my spirit how / to grow...”

“For you have always tried to get inside” 😭😭😭

Relistening to this song right now within the current context of everything is making me 👌 this close to openly weeping at the bus stop

The “nnuuuh” at the end

The Final Sacrifice

That Dracula-ass opener

This one goes HARD, ladies and theydies

The galloping chuggas right before the first verse

I forgot how much Tobi gives ‘er screamy-wise on this album

GET READY FOR THE BRIMSTONE 🤘🗣

“Ooooooooooooo!”

“The heart of castigation now!”

Now the breakdown 🤘🔥🤘

YOW

WUIIIUUGH

OOOOOOOOOOO

🔥 GET READY 🔥

Neverland

Back to sweet cornball power metal

“And while they are pulling strings... while they are in COMMAND!”

Catchy chorus incoming

LEEEAD US to EEEEEDEEeeen

Place of many eyes.....

Anywhere

Another piano

Very minimal ballad, angst time

Until the END

WAITING FOR TOMORROW FOR A LITTLE RAY OF LIGHT

Chalice of Agony

“....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH”

“Don’t you waste your life” 🥺

this song is about sneaking into secrets tunnels under the Vatican to tip over a cup full of souls and I think there’s a Minotaur there

“Out of the wine / out of the chalice of agony / WELCOME TO A-VAN-TA-SI-AAAA”

Regrin 😔

When the chorus starts briefly a capella!!

Memory

FUCK YEAH

GREAT ASS VILLAIN SONG/CLIMAX

ooooOoooooOooooooAAAAAAAAIIIE

“I... dare not to... sleeeep.... ANYMORE...”

“And when I DREAM A DREAM of FLOWERS”

I could quote this whole thing all night

“Is it JUST A DReeeeeAAAAAAM?”

“.... ORJUSTAWICKED MEMORY”

“AAAAAoaoAAAooo oh oh”

“Fromtheopenwindowisitjustadream?”

Perspective cut to Gabriel giving us some radical sweet milky guitar

“Maybe if Jakob could talk to the bailiff for you?” he says 2 seconds after Jakob stabs the bailiff

Round of applause for Ralf Zdiarstek’s performance as Falk and also being a complete enigma who does not appear to exist in any additionally googleable capacity

Into the Unknown

Setting the standard for bittersweet epilogues here

Vandroiy  😔

“Oh you can’t kill the dream / and killing the dreamer can’t tear it down”

“DREAMERS COME AND GO BUT A DREAM’S FOREVER” 😭😭😭

And that’s that!...for The Metal Opera, that is. These two albums are a perennial source of nostalgia for me, and there’s something so vivid and honest about the story being told and the way it’s being told that I can’t help but smile myself silly when I think about it. I hope you all know what I’m talking about!

Cast List:

Tobias Sammet as Gabriel Laymann Michael Kiske as Lugaid Vandroiy David DeFeis as Friar Jakob Ralf Zdiarstek as Bailiff Falk von Kronberg Sharon den Adel as Anna Held Andre Matos as Elderane the Elf Kai Hansen as Regrin the Dwarf Rob Rock as Bishop Johann von Bicken Oliver Hartmann as Pope Clement VIII Timo Tolkki as Voice of the Tower Bob Catley as The Tree of Knowledge

[improbablecarny]

Still doing these writeups and trying to find out more about Cloudy Yang and Ralf Zdiarstek... who are you... you’re so good but just completely invisible on the online...