Promising things on the horizon - A review of Avantasia's More Moonglow - The Rock Hard EP

More Moonglow - The Rock Hard EP comes for free with German Rock Hard magazine and intends to promote new studio album Moonglow. With six tracks and a total running time just above forty-five minutes, this exclusive release offers value for money for fans of the imaginative power metal project with its numerous gifted guest musicians and vocalists. Occasional fans can perceive this release as an interesting preview but should rather purchase the great studio album itself right away.

This extended play features two very different new tracks that represent Avantasia's different soundscapes very well. "Moonglow" is short and melodic and certainly has a lot of commercial appeal. It has a strong symphonic metal vibe that reminds of bands like Nightwish but the enchanting female vocals and strong instrumental work could also recall a heavier version of Mike Oldfield's commercially successful Singles throughout the eighties. Candice Night on lead vocals had already collaborated with German power metal veterans Helloween fourteen years earlier and if you liked the final result "Light the Universe", you are also going to like "Moonglow" and vice versa. "The Raven Child" is a much more complex song with multiple guest vocalists that combines symphonic, power and folk metal in eleven captivating minutes. It positively reminds of Avantasia tracks like "The Scarecrow" and "Let the Storm Descend upon You " and is certainly among the best tracks in the project's critically acclaimed history. As references to bands with similar songs, I would mention Rhapsody of Fire and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

This release offers one live song which is aforementioned "The Scarecrow" and one of the project's greatest moments. Vocals are performed by Ronnie Atkins instead of Jorn Lande and Michael Kiske. This version sounds a little less elegant but grittier than the original tune which works very well in concert. It's certainly interesting enough to listen to and compare both versions and I think they are equally great for different reasons.

The same can't be said about the three demo tracks that conclude this release. Instead of featuring guest vocalists, Avantasia mastermind Tobias Sammet performs vocals here and even though he is a decent singer himself, he can't equal the performances by his guest singers. Faithful fans might think it's interesting to compare these demo tracks to the finished versions and note some minor changes in melody and rhythm but those songs are rather forgettable for anyone else.

In the end, Avantasia's More Moonglow - The Rock Hard EP is a good release for collectors and faithful fans and still decent for occasional and new fans who might want to discover one of the greatest metal bands in the world these days. However, it would be a much better idea to skip this output and save the money to purchase the brilliant Moonglow in its entirety and catch the project on tour. I have assisted one of its concerts recently and thought it was one of the very best I have ever been to with passionate and professional musicians entertaining you for a whopping three hours and twenty minutes without any breaks.

Final rating: 70%