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Edguy frontman Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia project indulges his love of rock opera, inviting various special guests along the way.

Alice Cooper has already bought into the Avantasia concept, as have members and alumni of Saxon, the Scorpions, Kiss, Helloween and Symphony X. Now Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Within Temptation’s Sharon den Adel, ex-Queensrÿche singer Geoff Tate and Nightwish bassist Marco Hietala join the cast of Avantasia’s seventh album, which feels like a Broadway musical stuffed with soaring hard rock anthems.

Snider brings a brooding malevolence to The Haunting, while den Adel shimmers majestically on the Celtic-flavoured Isle Of Evermore, and if opener Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose sounds like a prime slice of Jim Steinman bombast then that’s because Tobias wrote it for Meat Loaf but ended up singing it himself.

The songs and performances are consistently strong, and the German’s sense of ambition can only be applauded.

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.