AVANTASIA — The Scarecrow (review)

AVANTASIA — The Scarecrow album cover Album · 2008 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
adg211288
The Scarecrow is an album that I have to admit that I had to let grow on me. Had I reviewed this after the first couple of listens I expect that I’d have given it a score somewhere in the region of a 2 or a 3. But I stuck with it and now I really love this album. My advice to new listeners would be to bare with it, and not judge The Scarecrow from the choices of single releases (Carry me Over and Lost in Space), which are actually the weakest tracks from the album.

Overall Tobias Sammet has composed some great songs, with special mention to opener Twisted Mind, the title track, Another Angel Down, The Toy Master and Devil in the Belfry. Others could have been better, Carry Me Over in particular because of its receptiveness, but overall it’s a well balanced bunch. What my real problem here is though is the fact that The Scarecrow is supposed to be a concept album, and from that front, The Scarecrow fails drastically. Although there is no law to say that concept albums should have songs that lead into each other, I personally feel that such an approach is what makes a good concept album, and its absence on The Scarecrow makes these eleven tracks feel just like songs instead of both songs and a story. Musically its fine, but nothing about The Scarecrow feels like a concept album to my ears.

The other fault that I find with this album is that I find it difficult to distinguish between some of the guest singers. Sammet himself is easy to know because as frontman he dominates the album, and Jorn Lande, arguably one of the greatest singers of today’s metal scene is instantly recognisable, but for some of the others, I have to check the booklet to see who’s on the song (it doesn’t reveal who sings what lines). I think my problem here is that some of the singers have been under-used, and Bob Catley for one I know doesn’t have vocal lines for his full potential. But overall it’s a decent enough album.

I think that the biggest problem I have with it, and the reason why it took me so many listens to get into is the radical departure in sound from the previous two albums, The Metal Opera Parts I and II. What we've got here isn't so much symphonic power metal but more like borderline power metal mixed with hard rock/heavy metal. For what it is its actually a strong album, just one that may not sit well with those who really liked what came before it. Personally I'd rate it a better album now I fully appreciate it than the second Metal Opera, but each to their own and while all may not agree with this review, I feel a solid 8 is deserved for this album.

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven)
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