Avantasia's 'A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society' - Album Review

Quite a few times on this blog I have stated that Avantasia's mastermind, songwriter, and principal singer Tobias Sammet is one of the most consistent and prolific songwriters in metal today. During much of the 2010s, when both Avantasia and Sammet's 'traditional band' Edguy co-existed together, a new album from Sammet was never too far away. In my opinion, Sammet's run from 2008, which included Edguy's hard rocking Tinnitus Sanctus and Avantasia's third opus The Scarecrow, to Avantasia's 2016 release Ghostlights (which I reviewed here), is one of the genre's most impressive. That nine year period saw the release of three Edguy albums and five from Avantasia - and there was very little genuine filler on any of them in my opinion. As great as this run of albums was, such a hectic schedule was clearly not sustainable long-term - and since Ghostlights Sammet had, until October, only released one further album: Avantasia's eighth album Moonglow (which I reviewed here). With Edguy now seemingly a thing of the past, at least for now, it seems that Sammet wants to fully concentrate on the epic rock operas of Avantasia - but those eight albums in nine years had clearly taken their toll. For me, Moonglow was the first Sammet-related release, at least for a long time, that was something of a disappointment. It is certainly not a terrible album, but after the excellent Ghostlights, which was my favourite album of 2016, and Edguy's apparent swansong, 2014's Space Police: Defenders of the Crown (which I reviewed here), Moonglow fell somewhat flat. All of the usual ingredients and some excellent guest singers were present, but for me it felt somewhat uninspired and it is not an album that I have revisited often since 2019. It was probably wise that Sammet took a bit of a break before starting on a new album, then, but it was inevitable that he would write some more over-the-top power metal at some point -  and, true to form, Avantasia's ninth album was released back in October. With the verbose title A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society, it would make sense to assume that Sammet's latest platter was his most expansive and over-the-top yet, but actually the strangely-titled album is probably Avantasia's most concise release - clocking in a relatively modest 54 minutes and including a handful of songs shorter than four minutes in length. Sound-wise, though, A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society is very much classic Sammet. His usual symphonic power metal style is present and correct here, although the snappiness of the album is certainly welcome. Nothing here outstays its welcome, and the album feels more fresh and vibrant as a result - despite the overall formula remaining. Helping Sammet here are many familiar Avantasia alumni, including producer and guitarist Sascha Paeth, Edguy's drummer Felix Bohnke, and the keyboard talents of Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg. A host of familiar singers including Michael Kiske (Helloween; Place Vendrome; Unisonic), Bob Catley (Magnum; Hard Rain), and Jørn Lande (The Snakes; Ark; Beyond Twilight; Masterplan) add their impressive talents to the songs here - with a couple of new faces in Ralf Scheepers (Gamma Ray; Primal Fear) and Floor Jansen (After Forever; ReVamp; Nightwish) joining the fray, too.

Despite the host of guest singers featured throughout the album, A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society opens with the spotlight, rightly, shone on Sammet. He is the sole singer on the opening cut Welcome to the Shadows, and he even performs the song's keyboard solo. In fact he handles most of the album's keyboards, with Miro guesting on two songs, and some of the bass playing - with Paeth playing much of the bass throughout. Welcome to the Shadows, though, is classic Sammet - but there is also a moodiness to the piece. It opens slowly, with some twinkling piano melodies, which Sammet soon starts to croon over - his trebly voice sounding as engaging as ever. The drama builds slowly, with some gothic organ soon joining the fray, but soon Bohnke's drum flourish heralds the entrance of the song's chorus - which is predictably massive. Pretty much every song here has an enormous chorus, which has become Sammet's trademark at this point - and when the symphonic chorus kicks in the classic Avantasia sound is fully established. I like how the song returns to its murkier overall feel for the verses, though. It would have been easy for Sammet to go all out from the off, but I like how Welcome to the Shadows creeps along - with moments of pure bombastic giving the listener a kick. The slow-burning keyboard solo, in place of a more traditional guitar solo, suits this mood, too, and the song helps to add to the overall freshness of the album - despite many of Sammet's classic hallmarks still being present. The Wicked Rule the Night kicks the album into the next gear, though, and Scheepers joins Sammet for the fast-paced power metal anthem. This song introduces Paeth's guitar playing in a big way - with a hypnotic opening melody building towards a melodic guitar solo, which soon gives way to Scheeper's screeching vocals. The verses are heavier than is typical for Avantasia, with Bohnke's relentless double bass drumming recalling Primal Fear's no-nonsense style, and Scheepers really shines - his ageless, gruff voice sounding as good as ever here. Sammet does not get as much time in the spotlight this time, but he starts to dominate more as the chorus approaches - which is still heavy, but it is grander sounding, with strong symphonics and Sammet's excellent vocal melodies. Another guitar solo allows Paeth to let rip a little, with some shredded melodies, before a final reprise of the stirring chorus brings the song to a close.

Kill the Pain Away then takes more of a symphonic path - which is fitting since this is where Jansen is utilised. Sammet starts the song vocally, the piece soon turns into a duet - with Jansen generally making use of her powerful lower range during the crunchy verses - before she really lets rip during the bombastic chorus. Sammet knows how to write to bring the best out of his guests. Just like the previous song's verses had a Primal Fear vibe, there is some Nightwish to be heard during Kill the Pain Away's chorus - with strong symphonics and a choral backing to allow Jansen's big vocal hooks to shine. It is great seeing a female singer really letting rip on an Avantasia song, too, as Sammet has a habit of using them pretty exclusively on ballads - and Kill the Pain Away brings the best out of Jansen thanks to its pace and bombast. It would not be an Avantasia album without a fast-paced old-school power metal song featuring Kiske, and with The Inmost Light Sammet has once again mined at the seam of Keeper of the Seven Keys to put together another speedy, yet highly melodic, song that brings the best out of Kiske's evergreen voice. The song never really lets up pace-wise, and it opens with another shredded Paeth solo, but there is a bit of a lighter touch taken throughout. Sammet's keyboards are much more prominent here, and the guitars are generally much more rhythmic - owing to the production style often used on the early classics of the power metal genre. There is still plenty of guitar firepower, though, including a great back-and-forth between Paeth and regular Avantasia collaborator Oliver Hartmann (At Vance), but the focus is very much on the vocals this time - with Kiske elevating the chorus with his insanely smooth delivery. Misplaced Among the Angels then slows the pace and goes for more of a ballad-esque approach. Driven by Miro's piano, the piece opens slowly, with Sammet crooning against his delicate playing, but it builds as it moves along - with the chorus featuring a heavier arrangement. The song's chorus is one of the album's most symphonic moments, and Sammet sounds great against the dancing string backing - and it only sounds better during later reprisals with Jansen adding some harmonies (she did end up on the ballad after all). Jansen does handle the second verse, too, but generally this is Sammet's song - but the combination of their voices helps the latter choruses to really shine, and the song is really memorable as a result.

I Tame the Storm then returns to a much heavier territory, but the opening guitar lead is very hooky - and there is a real classic rock strut throughout the piece, as both Sammet and vocal powerhouse Lande work their magic. Bohnke's drums are very groove-based here, and there is less of the speed that has featured elsewhere. This allows the guitar riffing to sound meatier, which suits Lande's later vocals - but early on Sammet dominates. The chorus gets more of a symphonic treatment, allowing the hooks to shine, but the highlight of the song for me is Lande's vocal performance. The man is a force of nature, and he sounds excellent as always throughout the second verse and chorus - which leads into a great, aching solo from Paeth. Lande, like Kiske, is essentially an Avantasia mainstay at this point, and I always look forward to hearing him and Sammet battling it out vocally - as their two voices work well together. Paper Plane introduces another fairly regular collaborator in Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids; Nordic Union). The song opens slowly, with pulsing synths and subtle strings, which Sammet sings over in a more wistful way than usual. This is a song that does not really ever explode into something as heavy as much of the rest of the album - with more of a laid back AOR sound present throughout. I would have expected Akins to sing something tougher, but I like how he has been used here. His voice has a real richness to it when he sings something slower-paced, and that is evident throughout the song's second verse - and during the choruses where he and Sammet harmonise well together. It is a song which has grown on me over repeated listens to the album, as it is a bit different from Avantasia's usual style. It works well, though, adding something a bit more easy-going to the generally heavy album - and showcases a different side of Atkins' talents. Another genuine part of the Avantasia furniture of Catley. Sammet's love of Magnum is well-documented, and I always look forward to hearing Catley's contributions to each Avantasia album - and The Moonflower Society is another great collaboration between the two. I like how the song is generally sung as a true duet, too, rather than each singer taking a portion of the track. The verses tend to be dominated by one or the other, but the choruses feature lots of back and forth - with Catley's aged voice still sounding powerful and melodic. Catley has often been used on ballads or more sweeping Avantasia tracks in the past, so hearing him on a full-blown heavy rocker is great. The chorus is one of the album's best, with the aforementioned vocal interplay being a big reason why, and instead of a guitar solo the song instead features a bombastic orchestral instrumental section before one final chorus cements the song as one of the album's best cuts - and it reinforces my belief that if Catley is to do another solo album then Sammet should write and produce it.

Rhyme and Reason maintains a similar pace, but does change the overall arrangement as it introduces another of Sammet's recent collaborators Eric Martin (Mr. Big). The enigmatic singer has always been a strange choice for Avantasia on paper, but his bluesy tones work surprisingly well - and the bombast tends to be stripped away during his parts, and builds back up when Sammet takes over. Martin allows for a different vibe to be established, then, and he adds some warmth to the track - which contrasts nicely against Sammet's usual bombast. I generally prefer Avantasia when they are going full-tilt, but Martin allows for a more organic edge tobe added to the album - and Rhyme and Reason is fun as a result. Scars features the vocal talents of Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche; Operation: Mindcrime; Sweet Oblivion), another of Sammet's recent Avantasia helpers. Like his previous songs with the group, Scars is quite atmospheric and moody - which allows the rich tones of Tate's aged voice to shine. There is little of the histrionics that he made his name with, but when Tate croons in 2022 he sounds powerful. As such, his parts here are very much the counter to Sammet's bombast - and he still knows how to inject some emotion into his delivery. Tate can still deliver when he needs to, and the swirling atmospherics of the piece are brought to life by this sultry tones and rich delivery. The album then comes to a close with Arabesque, the sole lengthy track here - with Kiske and Lande joining Sammet throughout. Given the song's title, there are lots of Middle Eastern melodies throughout parts of the track - with Miro's swirling keyboards creating a strong atmosphere. The orchestrations ensure that the song sounds huge, but it is not always as bombastic as might be expected. Like parts of the album's opening, there is a creeping atmosphere throughout - which Miro's keyboards enforce. The vocal performances also do this, as there is generally a moodiness to the way that much of the song is sung - which then contrasts nicely with the more bombastic sections when Sammet's usual symphonic power metal does kick in. As such, the song is very varied - but there is little time for any real instrumental prowess, despite Paeth including a folky guitar solo towards the end of the piece. The track is very musical theatre in its delivery, then, but this works well given Avantasia's overall style - and the varied melodic structure brings the album to a dramatic close. Whilst this album may not reach the heights of some of the real highs of Avantasia's past, for me it is a big improvement over the weaker Moonglow and I think that Sammet has freshened up his approach here whilst still maintaining Avantasia's core sound. This is an album that is easy to listen to over and over, and the focus on melody throughout makes pretty much every song stick in the brain. There is a lot to love here, and fans of Sammet's writing style will find plenty to enjoy throughout the album's 11 songs - which showcase a surprising diversity despite a core sound being maintained.

The album was released on 21st October 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Moonflower Society.