MetalProgressive Rock
Avaland release “Chemical Poetry” on 30 October through Storytium. The first advance, “Face The Eternal”, came out on 28 August, after “Faded Away” in June and “Destiny Calls” in May. There are twelve tracks, and it’s the third chapter of the metal opera the French band began with “Theater Of Sorcery” (2021) and “The Legend Of The Storyteller” (2023). Joost van den Broek, who has worked with Epica, Powerwolf, Sabaton, Ayreon and Blind Guardian, produces.
Singer Adrien G. Gzagg says the song they’ve released nearly didn’t make it. “When we had the first demos of the album, this was maybe the weakest track,” he says. “But when we came up with the idea of bringing in a few melodic death metal riffs and the atmosphere that goes with them, it turned radically into a heavy song, the kind you can really headbang to.”
Gzagg and Jeff Kanji lead the band on twin lead vocals, and live they field anywhere from two to five voices counting guests. The band name The Alan Parsons Project, Avantasia, Winger and Savatage as their touchstones.
Text by Roger Estivill