Album Guests Zak Stevens (ex-Savatage/TSO), Jens Ludwig (Edguy), and many more
By Luiz Athayde
French symphonic power metal brigade Avaland are in the preparations to release their second studio album, The Legend Of The Storyteller, under the Rockshots Records imprint.
And the first appetizer came in the form of a lyric video. “Crimson Tyranny” goes in the same direction of great names of the style, and even shows a preview of the carat of special participations. Here, who shines is Pierre “Cara” Carabalona from Eltharia, Madie (ex-Nightmare/Faith in Agony), and Zak Stevens, one of the iconic voices of Savatage and also the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
“This song is the first one I composed for this album.” says one of the vocalists, Adrien G. Gzagg. “It defines the atmosphere for this new album: darker than “Theater Of Sorcery”, but also more epic, especially with its mighty chorus (with some Blind Guardian influences). It’s a mind-sticking song, beware of this infernal hook “Crimson! Tyranny!”. The title of the song is a tribute to “In the Court of the Crimson King” by King Crimson.”
The forthcoming work will be a follow-up to Theater of Sorcery, out in 2021, and from its single, it echoes a heavier and even more epic sound. In the words of the band, it will come “full of anthems for fans to sing along to as they are taken on a journey through twelve theatrical tracks.
Also among the team of guests are Jens Ludwig (Edguy), Ivan Castelli (Lionsoul), Angèle Macabiès and Bruno Ramos (Sortilège/ex-Manigance), who share the microphones with Gzagg and Jeff Kanji. The rest of the line-up is as solid as ever, with Lucas Martinez (guitar), Camille Souffron (bass), and Leo Mouchonay (drums).
Following the example of the giants Avantasia, Rhapsody of Fire and the aforementioned Blind Guardian, “The Legend…” will be a conceptual work, like the fantasy novels – which even the genre demands – but here having the story told before its first record. Adrien explains the concept below:
“This album, as the first one, is a journey, a trip out of our world, into the universe of Avaland. We enjoy seeing Avaland as a great saga, as a movie, or series. We feel like listening to Avaland is like watching Game Of Thrones, The Lord Of The Rings, or reading comics, it’s an escape from everyday life. For this album, we took a lot of inspiration from Game Of Thrones and Arthurian Myths. We love fantasy and mythologies and we also find ourselves having a great fascination for alchemy and esoterism. Time is also a great subject, it’s mystical… in fact, time will be at the center of this saga. This new opus is showing a heavier and darker atmosphere of Avaland’s theatrical universe. Are you ready to be part of “The Legend Of The Storyteller”?”
The Legend Of The Storyteller is officially out on March 31st, but its pre-order in CD format can be accessed at Rockshots’ online store at this link. Check out the lyric video below:
Also: more details including cover art and the full album tracklist:
1. The Vision – 2:03
2. Crimson Tyranny – 6:45
3. Insurrection – 4:42
4. To Be The King – 4:34
5. Secret Night – 3:24
6. Kingslayer – 4:10
7. The Gift – 4:48
8. Out Of The Fog – 5:11
9. Betrayers – 5:23
10. Madness Of The Wise – 5:27
11. You’ll Be The Legend – 5:17
12. Lies – 10:29
(Bonus Track – La Folie Du Sage)
Album Length: 1:02:19