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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Timo Tolkki's Avalon - Return To Eden-(KICP 1986) + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Oct-24-2019 Encoder......L3.100 -v0 ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2019 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........13 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Timo Tolkki's Avalon Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Return To Eden-(KICP 1986) Label : King ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In the annals of power metalÆs 30 years plus ║ │
│║ history, one of the most pivotal bands in ║ │
│║ shaping the European sound is Finnish pioneering ║ │
│║ act Stratovarius, drawing their name from the ║ │
│║ famed 17th/early 18th century luthier and ║ │
│║ craftsman Antonio Stradivari and putting a ║ │
│║ rock/metal guitarist twist on things. Aside from ║ │
│║ popularizing the idea of incorporating classical ║ │
│║ song styles, composers and terminology into band ║ │
│║ names, they were at the forefront of merging the ║ │
│║ common practice Baroque and Classical virtuoso ║ │
│║ techniques and harmonic structure adopted by ║ │
│║ Ritchie Blackmore, Uli Jon Roth and Yngwie ║ │
│║ Malmsteen with the melodic speed metal ║ │
│║ foundations laid by Helloween and Running Wild. ║ │
│║ At the forefront of StratovariusÆ formative ║ │
│║ years was the songwriting and guitar chops of ║ │
│║ Timo Tolkki, who would find himself alienated ║ │
│║ from his former band and bouncing around various ║ │
│║ projects, occasionally acting as a competitor to ║ │
│║ famed guitarist/songwriter gun for hire Magnus ║ │
│║ Karlsson. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Though Tolkki has seen varying degrees of ║ │
│║ success in merging his signature songwriting ║ │
│║ niche with a number of apt musicians, most of ║ │
│║ them fellow veterans, his highly independent ║ │
│║ nature has caused highly viable projects such as ║ │
│║ Revolution Renaissance and Symfonia to be ║ │
│║ short-lived ventures. His most recent signature ║ │
│║ project, which bears his own name and the ║ │
│║ mythical location of Arthurian lore Avalon, has ║ │
│║ tended to mirror the ensemble vocalist/metal ║ │
│║ opera format that was pioneered by Avantasia, ║ │
│║ albeit with a musical style more in line with ║ │
│║ 90s Stratovarius, but has often found itself ║ │
│║ playing second fiddle to a number of side- ║ │
│║ projects under the Frontiers Records umbrella. ║ │
│║ However, following a period of about 4 years of ║ │
│║ studio silence, something must have lit a fire ║ │
│║ under this Finnish power metal extraordinaire, ║ │
│║ because his newly unleashed third LP under the ║ │
│║ Timo TolkkiÆs Avalon moniker dubbed Return To ║ │
│║ Eden is a full on return to the good old days of ║ │
│║ the millennial power metal revolution circa ║ │
│║ 1998. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Part of what may lie at the heart of this ║ │
│║ outfitÆs sonic renaissance is a total revamp of ║ │
│║ the entire lineup minus its head, as full time ║ │
│║ drummer Tuomo Lassila and keyboardist Antti ║ │
│║ Ikonen wound up vacating the premises ║ │
│║ immediately following the release of Angels Of ║ │
│║ The Apocalypse in 2014, being replaced with ║ │
│║ session musicians of a more power metal-based ║ │
│║ pedigree. Likewise, the usual suspects in the ║ │
│║ lead vocal department have been mostly traded ║ │
│║ out for a number of less commonly seen faces in ║ │
│║ the guest voice department, with the most ║ │
│║ notable figures being Todd Michael Hall of Riot ║ │
│║ V and Jack StarrÆs Burning Star fame and current ║ │
│║ Tristania front-woman Mariangela Demurtas. Be ║ │
│║ this as it may, this is an album that largely ║ │
│║ earns its wings through strong songwriting and a ║ │
│║ highly impressive instrumental display that is ║ │
│║ heavily reminiscent of where Stratovarius was at ║ │
│║ their late 90s peak circa Visions and Destiny, ║ │
│║ not to mention a brilliant first run by producer ║ │
│║ and occasional lead guitarist Aldo Lonobile ║ │
│║ (best known for his work with Secret Sphere), ║ │
│║ who puts together a thunderous and colossal ║ │
│║ sound reminiscent of Jacob HansenÆs production ║ │
│║ work. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Following a somewhat conventional instrumental ║ │
│║ introduction called ôEnlightenö, consisting ║ │
│║ largely of a serene piano line with obligatory ║ │
│║ cinematic bluster at key points, the bulk of ║ │
│║ this album consists of a largely conventional ║ │
│║ affair for anyone familiar with Finnish power ║ │
│║ metal as it has largely sounded since the late ║ │
│║ 90s. Most of the anthems found on here are ║ │
│║ fairly compact and follow conventional song ║ │
│║ structures, avoiding any long-winded epic fair ║ │
│║ that has often been a staple of TimoÆs ║ │
│║ songwriting in the past, nor any really drastic ║ │
│║ forays into genre-bending territory. Where it ║ │
│║ truly succeeds is in the sheer quality of the ║ │
│║ ideas that are placed within an otherwise highly ║ │
│║ symmetrical and predictable box, matched with a ║ │
│║ highly impressive array of guitar and keyboard ║ │
│║ gymnastics and highly poignant and/or dramatic ║ │
│║ vocal displays out of the various vocalists. ║ │
│║ Nobody on here really sounds like Timo ║ │
│║ Koltipelto or Michael Kiske, the two most common ║ │
│║ voices in TolkkiÆs past, but everything gels ║ │
│║ seamlessly with his consonant and hook-driven ║ │
│║ anthems. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ What ends up making this effort more distinct ║ │
│║ from its immediate predecessors bearing the ║ │
│║ Avalon moniker is the degree of impact relative ║ │
│║ to atmosphere and slower-paced groove. When ║ │
│║ considering riff happy speed metal anthems such ║ │
│║ as ôPromisesö, ôLimitsö and ôGive Me Hopeö, itÆs ║ │
│║ pretty clear that Timo is drawing heavily from ║ │
│║ the same well that brought out such high octane ║ │
│║ anthems as ôLegionsö and ôNo Turning Backö. Then ║ │
│║ again, the fast-paced mayhem of this albumÆs ║ │
│║ closer ôGuiding Starö finds a more angelic voice ║ │
│║ befitting a nod to Epica thanks to DemurtasÆ ║ │
│║ soaring soprano. Similarly, the shuffling and ║ │
│║ somewhat folksy rocker ôReturn To Edenö is given ║ │
│║ a highly theatrical and gritty quality thanks to ║ │
│║ Zak StevensÆ input, while the highly catchy ║ │
│║ mid-paced sing-along romp ôNow And Foreverö ║ │
│║ strikes a familiar chord for those who loved ║ │
│║ ôHunting High And Lowö and ôEagleheartö. All the ║ │
│║ same, the more slow-paced and symphonic ║ │
│║ offerings ôHear My Callö and ôWe Are The Onesö ║ │
│║ find a more gothic character, due in no small ║ │
│║ part to Anneke Van GiersbergenÆs voice breathing ║ │
│║ a fatalistic glow into the dense textures and ║ │
│║ minimalist grooves Tolkki conjures out of his ║ │
│║ more recent past. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ With the arguable exception of the lone album to ║ │
│║ come out of Symfonia In Paradisium, fronted by ║ │
│║ the now dearly departed Andre Matos (R.I.P.), ║ │
│║ this is the greatest album that Timo has put ║ │
│║ together in about 20 years. Whether it is the ║ │
│║ consequence of taking more time to hone these ║ │
│║ songs and taking time to recharge his batteries, ║ │
│║ or because of bringing in a fresh batch of ║ │
│║ musicians who are mostly new to this format, ║ │
│║ this is the definition of symphonic power metal ║ │
│║ pay dirt. It incorporates all of the best ║ │
│║ elements of his more recent projects under the ║ │
│║ Frontiers Records brand, most particularly his ║ │
│║ ongoing practice of taking things a bit slower ║ │
│║ and often utilizing a female voice, with the ║ │
│║ signature blend of technical and speed-based ║ │
│║ power metal that originally put his name of the ║ │
│║ metal map. Though it is by no means a ║ │
│║ competition in any official capacity, Tolkki has ║ │
│║ thrown down an impressive gauntlet to his former ║ │
│║ band, itÆll be interesting to see how ║ │
│║ Stratovarius will match this. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Originally written for Sonic Perspectives ║ │
│║ (www.sonicperspectives.com) ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Enlighten [01:08] │
│ 02 - Promises [04:46] │
│ 03 - Return To Eden [04:47] │
│ 04 - Hear My Call [05:15] │
│ 05 - Now And Forever [04:10] │
│ 06 - Miles Away [04:53] │
│ 07 - Limits [04:51] │
│ 08 - We Are The One [05:03] │
│ 09 - Godsend [04:26] │
│ 10 - Give Me Hope [05:05] │
│ 11 - Wasted Dreams [05:30] │
│ 12 - Guiding Star [04:20] │
│ 13 - Godsend (Orchestral Version) (Bonus Track) [04:41] │
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│ Total Length : [58:55 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
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