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Next up for inspection from Tobias we have Angel of Babylon, the second of the two Avantasia albums released this year and the third part of "The Scarecrow Trilogy". Returning from The Wicked Symphony we see Jorn Lande, Russell Allen, Bob Catley, and of course Michael Kiske, and rounding off the new guests we see the addition of Jon Oliva and Cloudy Yang. It's also nice to see Henjo Richter return to the fold, adding guitars to "Promised Land". Whilst this does not have as many guests as The Wicked Symphony we're still in very good hands with the talent on offer, and yet again they don't disappoint.

Once again we're treated to a massive opener track, this time around Tobias unleashes a glorious power metal romp, cue double kicking, a massive chorus, and a top notch solo – again it's hard not to beam from ear to ear. In comparison to The Wicked Symphony there are a few dud tracks (see "Symphony of Life" and Blowing Out the Flame", the former an attempt at gothic metal that feels out of place, the latter a throwaway ballad). The rest of the tracks on offer are great, although this is noticeably less metal than The Wicked Symphony exuding a minor stench of 80's melodic metal/hard rock that could certainly offend some – hell "Alone I Remember" is a dead ringer for Skid Row's "Monkey Business". Minor niggles out of the way, power metal fans should be pointed in the direction of "Promised Land" featuring Henjo Richter's immense guitar work and of course enough melodies and harmonies to keep us all happy.

Other choice cuts include the insanely theatrical "Death is Just a Feeling" which whilst some will no doubt dismiss as gorgonzola I've found to be one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album, Jon Oliva completely steals the show, delivering a chorus I dare you to get out of your head. The title track is a wonderful melodic metal number, again with the catchy chorus. Overall this isn't quite as good as The Wicked Symphony although it's certainly not far off. As I said in my review for that album, fans of The Scarecrow are going to feel right at home here. Again, power metal fans approach with an open mind because this isn't The Metal Opera. Tobias is in top form with Avantasia right now, I'd suggest you catch it while it's hot.