ALBUM REVIEW: Theater of Sorcery – Avaland

In a genre like power/symphonic metal, melody is king. If a band doesn’t have the hooks or the right melodic construction to grab the listener, there are ten other bands lined up behind them that can do it bigger, better, and with more gusto. This is the pitfall that encompasses the debut album from symphonic metal band AVALAND.

Theater of Sorcery is an album of great ambition spawned from the brain of Adrien Gzagg. It’s an album with talented musicianship and a great number of tropes and textures of the genre, as well as a bevy of guest vocalists to create the characters in this magical metal opera. However, for all its effort, no real melodies or hooks stand out to keep any sort of investment in the story. It all feels very middle of the road. Many times it almost reaches its full potential and glory, but falls short simply due to lackluster melodic construction.

The album doesn’t make a great first impression. The lyrics don’t flow super well on opener Theater of Sorcery, but the track is rollicking and high energy. But it’s the start of the main issue of the album: it just needs more to stand out. The vocals are fine, but not remarkable. The musicians are certainly talented, though, and create lush textures, but none that jump out in a big way. The lead guitar is also washed out in the mix, which dampens the excitement of the solo.

As the story continues, it’s hard to stay invested with Gypsum Flower, which starts with an decent opening riff and some cool synth sounds, but nothing extraordinary can be pulled from its eight minute runtime. There’s just no hook, and it’s discouraging, especially with a track so long so early in the album. Let The Wind Blow is a bit catchier, with a decent enough hook, but not enough to separate itself amidst a sea of better songs from other bands, or even in the context of the record. Storyteller as well has a decent chorus, and its gallop raises the energy. But the lyrics and melody just don’t mesh, and with some melodic tinkering, the song could be much better.

That same point applies to Escape to Paradise. Gzagg sounds very good on this song. There’s a nice use of harmonies in the chorus as well, but the hooks could better here as well. Only a little bit of work and this could have been a magnificent, soaring track that would stand head and shoulders above other tracks. But though it’s the best track so far, it stands only about a foot taller. Holy Kingdom of Fools has a nice vocal dynamic between Gzagg and the guest vocalist, but this is another track where it’s hard to stay invested for long because there is nothing hooky to find. Never Let Me Walk Alone is a step up, but it’s the same story as Escape to Paradise: Just a little more work on exploring the melody could have elevated the song to a new level, but it never quite reaches the heights it scrapes the surface of.

The last four tracks of the record don’t do much to inspire a change of heart from the previous direction of the album. Deja Vu has a bombastic 80s vibe and a catchy piano melody, but beyond that, it doesn’t reach out and grab the listener by the throat. I’ll Be Ready For Your Love feels meandering to get to its epic ending, despite some nice vocal work, and War of Minds certainly feels like a climax of sorts, and the tempo change is welcome, but again, it passes by without much of consequence sticking in the mind. Album closer Rise From the Ashes highlights the ways this album can be summarized: impressive in scope, epic in sound, but needing the right melodic touches to set it apart and inspire repeated listenings.

Gzagg has a bright future ahead of him. He’s only 22 and has created an album full of ambition, and his vision is inspiring. He’s created an entire story and world and created a album of great length and many characters around it. Spending more time on crafting melodies and hooks that truly dig into a listener and cause them to turn their heads and focus their ears on the story at hand while getting them to sing along will only be a strength for a band that clearly has talent to spare. Ears are a commodity, and hooks are the key. Once that falls into place, AVALAND can start to climb the ladder ascended by the giants of the genre. Until then, they’ll unfortunately be stuck in the middle. Certainly not bad by any means, but not inspiring the grand visions that many other bands have worked to create.

Rating: 5/10

Theater Of Sorcery is out now via Rockshots Records.

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