Finnish project TIMO TOLKKI’S AVALON is the creative vehicle of former Stratovarious member Timo Tolkki, a project for his compositions where numerous guest musicians are invited to execute theme-oriented metal operas. The project was instigated in 2012, with two full length productions created so far. “Angels of the Apocalypse” is the most recent of these, and was released through Italian label Frontiers Music in 2014.
Rock and metal operas have been around for many years, with a history going back to the late 1960’s and bands like The Pretty Things and The Who creating the first thematic rock albums that would inspire the later rock and metal opera creations. In the last 20 or so years metal operas have become quite the popular niche in metal, usually with an array of vocalists and plenty of more or less well known musicians contributing when such projects are recorded, with the long ongoing Ayreon project from the Netherlands among the most acclaimed of these.
Tolkki operates in a somewhat different territory with his Avalon project however. He shies away from the progressive metal aspect of ventures such as Ayreon first and foremost, and he tends to opt for compositions limited to one voice given room in each of the compositions. In addition he’s a bit more fond of orchestration.
It is the dramatic, almost Wagnerian orchestrated symphonic metal approach that takes hold early on here, intriguingly executed I might add, but as this album unfolds we’re quickly taken in a slightly different direction with songs more careful in style and approach, toning down the dramatic elements and shifting to a style with more of a Porcupine Tree oriented nature, and then moving on to more delicate ballad and power ballad type of creations, although with the occasional dip into a more dramatic symphonic metal style again from time to time, culminating in the majestic, powerful title track, a piece that also features operatic lead vocals emphasizing the dramatic intent of this creation. That a delicate, atmospheric laden instrumental is chosen as the concluding track is a nice touch, bringing the listener down to Earth again in an elegant manner.
This is a well made and well executed production too, with one exception: There’s a track here called Rise of the 4th Reich, and while the instrumental backing is a compelling, toned down dramatic one, the lead vocals on this song are just plain, dead wrong. Unless I’m much mistaken attempts have been made to adjust the balancing and mix on this creation to try to make the vocals blend in better, but ultimately it’s the vocals themselves that is a powerful destructive element, not functioning as a standalone element nor as a part of the total context. Those with a taste for vocals that are truly intense and emotional should enjoy this one though, but those of us who swear allegiance to the harmonic lead vocals will most likely be forced to skip this one.
“Angels of the Apocalypse” comes across as a well made symphonic metal album, touching base with some elegant Porcupine Tree mannerisms as well as the expected ballads along the way but otherwise staying put in a tight and powerful expression with orchestration details of a dramatic and Wagnerian nature a key trait. If you tend to enjoy metal operas of the symphonic variety this is an album you might want to give a spin.
My rating: 71/100
