Moonglow (album)

Moonglow is the eighth full-length album by Tobias Sammet's metal opera project Avantasia. It was released on February 15, 2019, through Nuclear Blast.[9][10] As with previous Avantasia projects, the album features extensive collaborations with returning and new guest vocalists.[9][11] It features 11 tracks (12 including its bonus track) and is supported by a world tour.[9][12]

Moonglow
Studio album by
Avantasia
ReleasedFebruary 15, 2019
StudioPathway Studio and GateStudio, Wolfsburg, Germany;
Madhat2, Birmingham, UK;
Chefrock-Studio, Hamburg, Germany;
Klangetage, Frankfurt, Germany;
Cove City Sound Studios, New York, New York, US;
Studio 69, San Francisco, California, US;
Twilight Hall Studio, Krefeld, Germany;
Hansen Studios, Ribe, Denmark[1]
GenreSymphonic power metal
Length66:45 (standard edition)
70:30 (limited edition)
Label
  • Nuclear Blast (International edition)
  • Chaos Reigns (Japanese edition)
Producer
Avantasia chronology
Ghostlights
(2016)		 Moonglow
(2019)
Singles from Moonglow
  1. "The Raven Child"
    Released: December 14, 2018
  2. "Moonglow"
    Released: January 25, 2019[2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
laut.de[3]
Metal.de10/10[4]
Metal Hammer6/7[5]
Metal Storm8.1/10[6]
sputnikmusic3.7/5[7]
Ultimate Guitar Archive9/10[8]

Background and composition

Following the Ghostlights World Tour, Tobias Sammet felt exhausted and decided to take a break. He started to write songs for what would maybe become a solo album, but he realized the songs sounded like Avantasia and decided to write a follow-up to the 2016 album. Unlike previous releases, he did not have a deadline for Moonglow.[13]

Sammet commented that he believes Moonglow is the most "adorned and detailed album we've ever produced", including "Celtic elements, world music elements, big choirs, atmospheric stuff, [and] amazing guest vocal performances".[9] In another interview, he added that the record would contain "great vocal performances, great songs, epic stuff, fantastic stuff, diverse stuff... world music, power metal, pop... everything."[14] Part of the album was written and recorded in England, a country Sammet considers to be highly inspiring for him.[13]

The album marks Hansi Kürsch's and Candice Night's first guest performances on an Avantasia album. Sammet first wanted to have Kürsch sing in The Metal Opera, but wasn't able to do so due to scheduling conflicts. When he wrote "Moonglow", he didn't initially have Night in mind, but when he tried to think of someone to sing on the track, she seemed the ideal name.[15]

Title and theme

Inspiration for the album title came from Sammet's fascination for the Moon. The story follows a nocturnal creature struggling to cope with the reality of boldness and beauty and ends up resorting to the darkness of the moonglow to hide itself from the world.[16]

Lyrics deal with themes such as adjustment and non-adjustment, expectations, convictions and feeling out of place and fall within the Victorian gothic and dark romanticism genres.[16]

Artwork

The album cover is influenced by Tim Burton; it was created by Swedish painter Alexander Jansson based on what Sammet told him about the character's story.[16]

Track listing

All songs are written by Tobias Sammet, except "Maniac" by Dennis Matkosky and Michael Sembello.

No.TitleGuest vocalist(s)Length
1."Ghost in the Moon" 9:51
2."Book of Shallows"Hansi Kürsch, Ronnie Atkins, Jørn Lande, Mille Petrozza5:00
3."Moonglow"Candice Night3:56
4."The Raven Child"Kürsch, Lande11:16
5."Starlight"Atkins3:38
6."Invincible"Geoff Tate3:07
7."Alchemy"Tate7:28
8."The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"Atkins, Lande, Eric Martin, Bob Catley, Tate7:20
9."Lavender"Catley4:30
10."Requiem for a Dream"Michael Kiske6:08
11."Maniac" (Michael Sembello cover)Martin4:31
Total length:66:45
Limited edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Heart" (bonus track)3:45

Personnel

Adapted from the album's booklet, Nuclear Blast and Blabbermouth.net.[9][10]

Avantasia
Guest vocalists
Additional musicians
  • Nadia Birkenstock – Celtic Harp
  • Oliver Hartmann – additional lead guitar on track 4 & backing vocals
  • Herbie Langhans, Billy King, Bridget Fogle, Lerato Sebele, Alvin Le-Bass, Stokely Van Daal – backing vocals

Charts
Chart (2019) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[17] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 38
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] 121
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[20] 8
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] 83
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[22] 13
French Albums (SNEP)[23] 43
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[24] 1
Italian Albums (FIMI)[25] 31
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[26] 48
Scottish Albums (OCC)[27] 9
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[28] 5
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[29] 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[31] 38
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gollark: WELL YOUR REQUEST IS ENTIRELY UNREASONABLE.
gollark: Yes, I have seen it.
gollark: Soooo... why is <@236628809158230018> (meant to be) making a new shop with a confusing acronym when he already has Simplify?
gollark: It's hard to make one which:* does not crash immediately* connects to wallet okay* can be mined on* does not have messed up block value

References
  1. Moccia, Francesco (2019). Moonglow (booklet). Avantasia. Nuclear Blast. NB 4531-2.
  2. "Avantasia: Lyric Video For 'Moonglow' Title Track Feat. Candice Night". Blabbermouth.net. 25 January 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  3. ""Moonglow" von Avantasia". laut.de (in German). 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  4. "Avantasia - Moonglow". Metal.de (in German). 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  5. "Avantasia - MOONGLOW". Metal Hammer (in German). 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  6. "Avantasia - Moonglow review". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  7. "Review: Avantasia - Moonglow". sputnikmusic. 2019-02-16. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  8. "Moonglow review by Avantasia". Ultimate Guitar Archive. 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  9. "AVANTASIA – to release new album "Moonglow" on February 1, 2019!". Nuclear Blast. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  10. "AVANTASIA: First Trailer For 'Moonglow' Album". Blabbermouth.net. December 8, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  11. "AVANTASIA: 'Moonglow' Cover Artwork, Track Listing, Guest Vocalists Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. October 12, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  12. Cafagna, Federica (October 12, 2018). "Avantasia, a new album in 2019 and tour with a date in Italy". Metal Hammer Italy (in Italian). Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  13. "AVANTASIA – Moonglow – Interview Part III (OFFICIAL TRAILER)". Nuclear Blast's official YouTube channel. YouTube. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  14. "Avantasia's 'Moonglow' Album To Feature Guest Appearances By Kreator, Helloween, Magnum Singers". Blabbermouth.net. October 4, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  15. "AVANTASIA – Moonglow – Interview Part II (OFFICIAL TRAILER)". Nuclear Blast's official YouTube channel. YouTube. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  16. "AVANTASIA – Moonglow – Interview Part I (OFFICIAL TRAILER)". Nuclear Blast's official YouTube channel. YouTube. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  17. "Austriancharts.at – Tobias Sammet's Avantasia – Moonglow" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  18. "Ultratop.be – Tobias Sammet's Avantasia – Moonglow" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  19. "Ultratop.be – Tobias Sammet's Avantasia – Moonglow" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  20. "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 201908 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  21. "Dutchcharts.nl – Tobias Sammet's Avantasia – Moonglow" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  22. "Avantasia: Moonglow" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  23. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 8, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tobias Sammet's Avantasia – Moonglow" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  25. "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 8 (dal 15.02.2019 al 21.02.2019)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  26. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2019-02-25" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  27. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  28. "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 8: del 15.2.2019 al 21.2.2019" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  29. "Sverigetopplistan – Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved February 23, 2019. Click on "Veckans albumlista".
  30. "Swisscharts.com – Tobias Sammet's Avantasia – Moonglow". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  31. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
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