#regrin the dwarf

[stormylewirmy]

YOOO anyone else remember that one low budget Metal Opera movie that only air once in the basement of Tobias Sammet?

[signofthefloss]

Lugaid Vandroiy, Anna Held, and Regrin the Dwarf

full body illustration? idk when lol

[sea-of-machines]

I'm sorry this is horrible

[starsirrah]

I hope you don't mind me infodumping here I love talking Avantasia plot and lore XD

-The Metal Opera I will keep brief since you have the booklet, but the gist is: Gabriel is a monk in the 17th century, his sister gets arrested for witchcraft, and while trying to find info, Gabriel is betrayed by his mentor Jakob and arrested himself.

In prison, he meets a druid named Lugaid who recruits Gabriel to save a magic world called Avantasia, and in return Lugaid will free Anna. Gabriel yeets mentally to Avantasia, meets Elderane the elf, and Regrin the dwarf, and ends up going on a quest to the dangerous wastelands to retrieve magic seals from an evil force named "The Tower" to save Avantasia from ruin. Gabriel gets the seals back, almost dies, then risks his life and Regrin's to save Jakob's soul from the Tower. Regrin dies in the process, but Jakob is freed.

Once free, Jakob and Lugaid team up to save Anna, though Lugaid dies in the process. The album ends with both Anna and Gabriel free, with it implied they are moving to live in Avantasia together.

-The Scarecrow is probably Tobi's best story. If you would like song-specific deets, please message me or @sunsetroseart we are Crow experts! XD But for this one, the story follows an "artist" who goes by "The Scarecrow". It is not stated what art he does, whether it be physical art, music, or acting.

The story starts with him in a mental hospital with a bad doctor calling him a "freak of nature". The story then flashes back to before that moment, with Crow lamenting how he's destined for greatness but isn't recognized. The demon Mephistopheles then finds him, and starts to tempt him, trying to get him to exchange his soul for fame in a demonic deal. The first album shows Crow mostly lamenting on his failed life, and a woman who he loves who doesn't love him back.

By the second album, he has accepted Meph's deal and sold his soul, and was given fame, but he's still not happy. He doesn't have love, and the woman wants nothing to do with him. He also begins a spiral of drugs, drinking, and implied self harm. By the last album, he's depressed and in ruin, all alone, and broken. But, he soon realizes his mistake, steps back, and starts over. He curses Meph out and kicks him out of his life, and begins healing and starts a new journey on a hopeful note.

-Mystery/Ghostlights follows Aaron Blackwell, a victorian scientist and clock engineer who can see ghosts. This is not explained, though it's implied Aaron is ashamed of this ability. After saving an old man from a ghost, the old man gives Aaron a broken clock to fix.

Aaron struggles to fix the clock, and meanwhile, a cult finds him, run by a Nobleman who wants to use Aaron for their cause (either due to Aaron's genius or his ghost ability). The cult reveals they wish to alter mankind's perception of time, causing people to not Waste time anymore, though in the second album it's reveled they want to mind control people.

The two albums focus mainly on Aaron's internal struggles, going into him and his fears of being forgotten, obsolete, of seeing ghosts, and of what he should do about the cultists. His mind tells him to help them, but his heart (and the old man/Antiquarian) tells him to do the right thing and nOt mess with time and people's minds.

In the end, its implied the broken clock had a spirit trapped inside it, and Aaron does the right thing, not helping the cultists. Though the ending is vague and can be interpreted various ways, I take it as that, and him being trapped in the spirit world in the end, starting a journey home.

-Moonglow/Moonflower is the hardest to explain, as Tobi did not really intend for a plot. Characters also do not have names. My take away is the albums follow a half-human being, who lost his memories, and is harmed by the light, so he hides in the dark. It's implied he is manipulated by others, and helped by some too. This one really is up to the listener for interpretation, but these themes seem to carry over!

I HOPE Y'ALL LIKED If anyone wants song-specific deets just PM me I'd love to explain and chat Avantasia more! (I also am an Ayreon expert👀) Thanks for reading ^-^✨🌙

can someone please explain the avantasia storylines to me heheskdfj

now that i've listened to the avantasia albums a few times i Still have no clue what's going on

i was able to find the metal opera booklets and i have a pretty good grasp on the plot of the scarecrow,,, but everything after that is very abstract to me lmao

[starsirrah]

Avantasia fanart!✨

Have kid Elderane and kid Regrin!✨Childhood friends just enjoying a clear Avantasian summer's evening🌌

[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

[stormylewirmy]

Bit of a dump here, I have finally made my Elderane design! Y'know I had to draw some Gaberane art

And bonus meme redraw

[stormylewirmy]

Been in a Metal Opera mood for a good minute and decided to redesign my designs for the Avantasia trio

[stormylewirmy]

Gabriel meeting Regrin and Elderane but make it a children's book

Lowkey I kinda fucked up Gab's colors so I'll take it as it is

[signofthefloss]

ok The Metal Opera canonwise i feel like the Avantasia world (Sesidhbana specifically) is very advanced in general and im gonna guess its like 2 centuries advanced at most since in the actual story it's stated that the Elves had developed Flying Machines or basically airplanes. so im guessing its like the planes from the 1800's or whatever beyond that that can actually fly far

so i definitely can get why gabriel was scared w flying if he ever was, that little priest-to-be was so secluded in his monastery room doing the same ol' monastery routines, preaching bout god and condemning wrongdoers then the next day his hands filled w black marks and getting locked up in a cell w a crazy old man that hypnotized him to sleep his ass away to meet the ruler of Avantasia and that hairy dwarf to help save their magical fantasy world and went to The Tower that i dont remember the details much then he was running through a whole battlefield w his Long Fantastical Legs ™ w fire shit falling from the sky and he was SNATCHED away mid air. shit is horrifying. who wouldn't be as scared as him especially when its their first time flying?

[sea-of-machines]

Elderane: why don't you think of all those who will come, don't you waste your life

Gabriel: don't you try show me the way, don't need your advice

Gabriel later: Regrin my friend we are passing the gate back into my world

[sea-of-machines]

Regrin the dwarf

[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