Band : Avantasia
Album title : The Flying Opera – Around the World in 20 Days
Label : Nuclear Blast Records
Distributor : PIAS
Release Date : 01/04/2011
Release : DVD

Each release so far by Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia has repeatedly found it’s way back to my CD player.  Not only are the songs themselves exquisite, but he also manages to surround himself with some of the best vocalists in the rock genre, and to top it of the other musicians are also very high quality.

It’s a small wonder, judging the fact that Avantasia started out as some kind of project, that they were able to actually play some live shows in 2008, and that’s exactly where these DVD was recorded.

Since I don’t need to emphasize that the music in itself is great, judging by the footage both the band and the audiences also enjoyed the shows.  Maybe here and there it takes a bit too long to announce the next song, but hey, that’s easily forgotten if you see and hear with what energy they went into it.
It’s too sad this performance will not many times be repeated.  They did a few shows in 2010 as well, but these images were filmed in 2008 at ‘Wacken Open Air’ (Germany) and ‘Masters Of Rock’ (Czech Republic).  This is what’s on the first DVD.

The second disc contains the video’s that were shot, as well as a documentary.
Viewing this, I can only say that this show is worth to be on the biggest podia.  Sadly enough in 20011 they will probably only appear on ‘Wacken Open Air’ in august, and this time with an even more formidable cast then in the one one the DVD.  Why oh why can’s someone tell the organizer of Graspop Metal Meeting that this would be a real headliner for Sunday, instead of placing bands like Slipknot as final band ?

98/100

Erik Morren.