Avalon (Finnish band)
| Timo Tolkki's Avalon | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Finland |
| Genres | Symphonic power metal |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Frontiers Records |
| Associated acts | Timo Tolkki, Stratovarius, Revolution Renaissance, Symfonia, Amaranthe, Michael Kiske, Unisonic, Helloween, Symphony X, Within Temptation, Rob Rock, Impellitteri, Axel Rudi Pell, Sonata Arctica, Rhapsody of Fire, Derek Sherinian, Dream Theater, Yngwie Malmsteen |
| Website | tolkki |
| Members | Timo Tolkki |
Timo Tolkki's Avalon (also known simply as Avalon) is a metal opera project created by Timo Tolkki (ex-Stratovarius, ex-Revolution Renaissance, ex-Symfonia) in 2013.[1]
According to Tolkki "I find the Metal Opera concept fascinating and logical to me at this point of my career. I love classical music and just like in Classical Opera, in the Metal Opera you can also create stories and have almost limitless possibilities musically".[2]
Contents
History
The Land of New Hope (2013)
The project's debut album, The Land of New Hope, was released on May 17, 2013 through Frontiers Records. The album features performances by vocalists Elize Ryd, Rob Rock, Michael Kiske, Russell Allen, Sharon den Adel and Tony Kakko, as well as the participation of guest musicians Alex Holzwarth on drums and both Jens Johansson and Derek Sherinian on keyboards.[3]
Tobias Sammet, German musician and mentor of Avantasia, another metal opera which had its 6th album released on March 2013, received the news of Timo Tolkki's own project with initial sarcasm, stating: "Wow, someone is extraordinarily creative here: the title, the guests, the timing... What a funny coincidence, isn't it?! But there have been thousands of Metal Operas, especially after Avantasia. Such is business...".[4] However, he later stated: "There are a lot of metal operas out there, and I have to deal with that. If something is very successful or even not successful then other people may feel inspired by it. It's Timo Tolkki (laughs) what can I say, he's a great guy and he does what he does. I wish him the best of luck."[5]
When asked about if he was aware that this project would be compared to Avantasia, Timo replied that "Nobody owns a franchise to 'metal operas' which is not really an operatic format because it doesn't have any real dialogue between the singers."[6]
Angels of the Apocalypse (2013-present)
On October 2013, Timo launched a news website for the project in which he announced the sequel to The Land of New Hope, which was provisionally titled Avalon II.[7] The cast of guest musicians will be revealed one by one.[7] Simone Simons of Epica fame is the first confirmed singer.[8] Floor Jansen will play the leading role.[9] It was also announced that Timo's former bandmates in Stratovarius, drummer Tuomo Lassila and keyboardist Antti Ikonen will play on this album.[10][11]
A European tour is planned for May 2014, coinciding with the release of the album.[9]
On January 28, Timo revealed title of the album (Angels of the Apocalypse) and the rest of the cast: Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire, Angra), David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), Elize Ryd (Amaranthe) and Caterina Nix.[12] Timo also announced that there will be a contest for guitar and keyboard players, with the winners getting a chance to perform a solo with him in one of the songs.[12]
Members
Instrumentalists
| Name | Associated bands | The Land of New Hope | Angels of the Apocalypse |
|---|---|---|---|
 Timo Tolkki |
ex-(Stratovarius, Revolution Renaissance, Symfonia) | guitar, bass on all tracks | guitar, bass on all tracks |
 Alex Holzwarth |
Rhapsody of Fire | drums on all tracks | |
| Mikko Härkin |
ex-(Sonata Arctica, Symfonia), Luca Turilli's Rhapsody | keyboards on all tracks, except 8 | |
 Derek Sherinian |
ex-(Dream Theater, Black Country Communion) | keyboards on track 8 | |
 Jens Johansson |
Stratovarius | keyboards on track 8 | |
| Tuomo Lassila |
ex-Stratovarius | drums on all tracks | |
| Antti Ikonen |
ex-Stratovarius | keyboards on all tracks | |
 Nicolas Jeudy |
orchestration |
Singers
| Name | Associated bands | The Land of New Hope | Angels of the Apocalypse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elize Ryd |
Amaranthe | lead vocals on tracks 1-4, 6, 9 | lead vocals on tracks 9-10 |
| Rob Rock |
Impellitteri | lead vocals on tracks 1-2, 4-5, 7-8 | |
| Russell Allen |
Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob, Allen-Lande, Star One | lead vocals on tracks 1-2, 4 | |
| Michael Kiske |
Unisonic, Place Vendome, Kiske/Somerville, ex-Helloween | lead vocals on track 10 | |
| Tony Kakko |
Sonata Arctica | lead vocals on track 5 | |
 Sharon den Adel |
Within Temptation | lead vocals on track 6 | |
| Floor Jansen |
Nightwish, ReVamp, ex-After Forever, Star One | lead vocals on track 3, 6-7, 10 | |
| Simone Simons |
Epica | lead vocals on tracks 9-10 | |
 Fabio Lione |
Rhapsody of Fire, Vision Divine, Angra | lead vocals on tracks 1-2, 5 | |
| David DeFeis |
Virgin Steele | lead vocals on track 4 | |
| Zachary Stevens |
Circle II Circle, ex-Savatage | lead vocals on track 8 | |
 Caterina Nix |
ex-Aghonya | lead vocals on tracks 9-10 |
Discography
| Year | Album | Peak positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (Wa) [13] |
FIN [14] |
SWE [15] |
SUI [16] |
||
| 2013 | The Land of New Hope | 102 | 7 | 42 | 59 |
| 2014 | Angels of the Apocalypse | — | 42 | — | — |
References
- ↑ Avalon - The Land of New Hope on May 17th March 14, 2013. Retrieved on March 29, 2013. Grande Rock.
- ↑ Timo Tolkki returns. Frontiers Records. Retrieved on March 30, 2013.
- ↑ TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON: 'The Land Of New Hope' Details Revealed Blabbermouth.net. March 14, 2013. Retrieved on March 29, 2013.
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- ↑ http://www.ultratop.be/fr/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2013&date=20130525
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- ↑ http://swisscharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2013&date=20130602
