Raise the curtain, roll the drums and set off the flashbombs! Set your amp to ten and tune up that guitar, as we go in search of more rock and metal operas, of which there are more than you might expect. Our last outing was a triple-album affair, but it's no exaggeration to say that mammoth opuses like that will be very much in the minority, and most if not all of what we deal with here will turn out to be single or possibly double albums, but it's unlikely we should come across a similar situation to “Genius”.
Normal operas usually take for their inspiration love stories, classic mixup
a la “The prince and the pauper” (and, if you're a Blackadder fan, the Porpoise!), telling a story by setting it to music, introducing characters and settings and almost invariably singing in a language other than English. Thankfully, rock and metal operas usually stick to English, as they have a much tougher sell: metalheads and rockers are much less likely to be attracted to the very idea of opera --- even a rock one --- and so have to be catered for much more carefully.
The subjects fuelling metal and rock operas, too, vary, but usually go in a different direction to standard opera, heading out into space, perhaps, or the future, or in the case of “Genius”, inside the mind. There has to be some hook to get the rocker's attention, and let's be honest, fat women rolling around the stage in huge hoop skirts and guys with dodgy moustaches challenging each other to duels is not going to work. So often a marriage of futuristic, sci-fi themes and hard rock music is the thing, and indeed, this is what we come across in our next example.
Days of rising doom --- Aina --- 2003 (Transmission)
Gathering a huge cast of stars, Aina --- the entity set up to take on the task of this metal opera --- exists only here, as this was the only album they put out, and after nine years I think we can assume it will remain so. Involving some of the cream from the world of rock and metal, like Glenn Hughes, Tobias Sammet, Damian Wilson, Jens Johansson, Oliver Hartmann, Derek Sherinian, Thomas Youngblood and Erik Norlander to name but a few, “Days of rising doom” is set in the fictional land of Aina, where a power struggle is taking place. As the story opens, the old king is dying, and his two sons, Torek and Talon, are vying for power.
The overture is on piano and keyboard, joined by snarling guitar as Kamelot's Youngblood and Nightwish's Erno Emppu Vuorinen attack, then the style settles down into an introspective guitar piece as “Revelations” introduces King Taetius who is dying, and is being warned by the Prophets of danger ahead. Nice choir in this, then the guitars and drums pound in, kicking the speed right up as the song takes off, Damian Wilson from Threshold taking the role of the dying king. Good heavy keyboard passages here, courtesy of Norlander, then we're into “Silver maiden”, which introduces the lady Oria Allyahan, who will become the love interest in the story, and the cause of a war.
Nice laidback piece on acoustic guitar and what sounds like harp, lovely strings and a high female vocal from Candice Night. The story is narrated in song by Helloween's Michael Kiske. Very filmic and dramatic, with crashing drums, strings and lush keyboards, and Kiske's voice high and clear. Oria is to be married to one of the two sons of the king, Talon or Torek, and though it is Torek who becomes king on the death of his father, he is enraged and humilated to such a degree when his rival brother wins the hand of the lady that he flees the kingdom, swearing revenge.
In “Flight of Torek” everything punches into top gear as Thomas Rettke (Heaven's Gate) in the role of the spurned brother declares his anger and his vow for revenge. It's a real power rocker as the keyboards and drums drive the song along, aided by frenetic guitar from Thomas Youngblood. This then slows down later in the song into a lazy, lovely blues passage, with some sumptuous strings and keyboard as Talon (Glenn Hughes) excitedly declares to his brother his love for Oria, and that that love is reciprocated. Tobias Sammet narrates the scene, relating Torek's fury as the music speeds back up and the drumming like a steamhammer sees Torek vow revenge as he flies from the land.
In “Naschtok is born”,Torek travels the land, his anger and humilation burning within him, until he comes to an ugly place which an even uglier, beast-like race call home. Deciding that this will be from where he launches his invasion of Aina --- it's not really made clear if Torek has abdicated the throne, but if not, why would he need to invade his own kingdom? --- he introduces himself to the people, the Krakhon, as their god, Sorvahr, and sets about his plans. The Krakhon, filled with hate, are happy to accept him blindly as the god who will lead them to battle and victory. It's a fast rocker, a real metal scorcher with angry guitar and pounding drums, and Rettke giving a fine performance as Torek's anger and humilation spills over into madness and megalomania.
Rettke stays in the spotlight for another powerful rocker, although in “The beast within”, the best I can guess at is that Torek performs some ritual which somehow allows the spirit of the Krakhons' god to enter his own soul, thus melding the two. The song is taken up with Torek performing the rite while his new people watch on. Lots of heavy guitar and thundering drums, Youngblood in fine form as Robert Hunecke-Rizzo keeps the drumkit steaming along.
Battle plans are laid then in “The siege of Aina”, a deceptively gentle guitar melody opening the song but soon giving way to a marching, chanting metal cruncher as Torek in the guise of Sorvahr tells his troops to slay rape and destroy, but they must leave the royal castle alone, as he has a score to settle there. The song quickly kicks into another full-blooded fast rocker though as Baktuk, advisor to the deposed king, consults with his lord and they prepare to invade. However when they reach the city Talon (Glenn Hughes) meets them and offers their surrender, saying that they only wish to be left in peace. Torek, however, is in no mood to be magnanimous towards the man who stole the woman he sees as his, but Oria is prepared to offer herself to Talon's brother if he will only spare her husband. Thomas Rettke steals the show here, the full force of his insanity and anger at his brother, and at his wife, bubbling to the surface like some sort of evil stew.
Gilmouresque guitar intro and heavy synth opens “Talon's last hope”, as the (presumably) king of Aina weeps at the loss of his wife (what a wimp!) and wonders what has become of her since his brother took her. Solid, heavy drums carry the track with a punchy bassline, and some very lush keys. Talon's counsellors advise him that Torek will return and that the city will fall, and that they should get his daughter, Oriana (god help us!) away from there before he comes back. She is their last hope to continue the royal lineage, and must be protected. Who wrote this stuff?? Oh yeah: Amanda Somerville. Well, I wouldn't be taking too much credit... The music's good though, sort of a heavy ballad. Nice keyboard passages.
Meanwhile, to no-one's surprise, Torek rapes Oria, in the imaginatively titled, um, “Rape of Oria”. Candice Night, in her last vocal performance, does well, the music eerie and disturbing, synth passages and piano runs, with doomy drums as Oria accepts her fate. Well, she doesn't really have any choice now, does she? Some really nice emotional strings accompaniment takes the song to its conclusion, and then we're into “Son of Sorvahr”, where we learn that the result of this unholy union is Syrius, a boychild, whom Torek intends to help him take back the throne that he abandoned.
Another hard rocker with another great turn from Thomas Rettke, fully immersed in his role as Sorvahr, declaiming the birth of the son who will restore his glory and destroy his enemies. Some really over-the-top organ is provided by Axel Naschke of Gamma Ray, then we're treated to a rather nice pastoral piece, with some gentle acoustic guitar as Michael Kiske reprises his role as narrator, covering the years that pass as Syrius and Oriana grow to adulthood. Meeting one day they fall in love, unaware they are in fact brother and sister (where's Jerry Springer when you need him?)
“Lalae amer” --- which I think I've figured out translates from the inbuilt language used on the album (Ainaese?) as “long love” or something similar --- concerns Oriana's conscience, as it tells her everything will be all right and she will be with Syrius forever. Little does she know... The writer herself makes an appearance here as the conscience, the song itself quite eastern in flavour, mid-paced and generally mostly laidback, a lot of flute and sitar sounds on the synth I would say, solid but controlled drumming, and a great guitar solo from Thomas Youngblood.
Things get rocking again then for “Rebellion”, as Talon finally grows a pair and raises an army to take back Aina with his daughter. The criminally-underused Glenn Hughes finally comes into his own here as he prepares to march to war with his brother and take back the throne that, er, isn't rightfully his. Or is. Who can tell? Good keyboards here, but as is often the case with metal operas, a lot of the music is very similar. Youngblood does attempt something close to an Irish jig here, lending at least this track a sense of humour, and Erik Norlander racks off one of his famous keyboard solos as the song trundles along.
Point of interest: no mention is made of the fate or Oria, though I assume we can take it she died, or was killed, after she gave birth. Still, it would have been nice to have had this cleared up. At any rate, “Oriana's wrath” opens on growling synth, then choral vocals and heavy guitar as the armies are lined up against each other. However, on the battlefield the terrible truth is revealed, and Oriana faces Syrius on the opposing army. Unwilling either to kill the other, they both declare a truce, but Sorvahr (Torek) is again enraged (is he ever any other way?) and kills Syrius. This leads Oriana in grief and anger to fight his army. She and her father win, and the kingdom is restored as she takes the throne. Hoorah!
Nice piano ending with some soaring strings and choral vocals, and it certainly paints this as the climax of the album, but then the “final battle” was always going to be the focal point. “Restoration” is the coda to the album, as such, the “presenting medals scene in Star Wars”, the “all lived happily ever after” bit, but rather than a slow, gentle, strings and piano and acoustic guitar ending it's a hard rock cruncher, which I find a little odd. I feel this particular style is at odds with the ending of the story, and though I guess it could be seen as a triumphant march, it just doesn't really ring true. Michael Kiske as the Narrator has the final word, as indeed he had the first, so in that sense the story, and album, are brought full circle.
Well, it's not anywhere near as innovative or indeed interesting as Daniel Lannier's “Genius” trilogy, in fact the story is so hackneyed that it's almost embarrassing. The lyrical content is not that great either; I find that, with rock operas: a lot of the time the lyricist(s) worr(ies)y more about getting words to rhyme than to make sense, but in fairness that was the same with “Genius”, although English is not Lannier's first language, so you would have to allow him some latitude here.
So, if the story is not anything particularly special, does the music save “Days of rising doom”? Well, I'd have to say no. That's not to say the music is poorly written or played, because it's not, but then you'd expect perfect performances from the stars involved. But it's nothing new. The story is quite trite; this sort of thing happens all the time in sword and sorcery novels, and there's little innovation in the plot. But the music, though it's good, is just that: good but not great. It's just too banal, too ordinary. You could be listening to any metal or rock album really. Unlike the “Genius” trilogy, it doesn't engender the sense of wonder and drama that it should.
No, after spending some hours this afternoon putting this review together, I definitely feel that my time could have been better spent. Still, that's not to say that it's a bad album. Just not a great one. And I suppose that's borne out by the fact that they didn't try this again. One day of rising doom, it would appear, was more than enough.
TRACKLISTING
1. Aina overture
2. Revelations
3. Silver maiden
4. Flight of Torek
5. Naschtok is born
6. The beast within
7. The siege of Aina
8. Talon's last hope
9. Rape of Oria
10. Son of Sorvahr
11. Serendipity
12. Lalae Amer
13. Rebellion
14. Oriana's wrath
15. Restoration
Cast of characters
Narrator: Michael Kiske
Talon: Glenn Hughes
Torek/Sorvahr: Michael Rettke
Oria: Candice Night
Oriana: Sarah "Sass" Jordan
Syrius: Marco Hietala
Narrator II: Tobias Sammet
King Taetius: Damian Wilson
Oriana's conscience: Amanda Somerville
The Prophets: Oliver Hartmann/Herbie Langhans
Baktuk: Olaf Hayer
Main musicians
Erik Norlander: Keyboards
Thomas Youngblood: Guitars
Derek Sherinian: Keyboards
Jens Johansson: Keyboards
TM Stevens: Bass
Axel Naschke: Organ
Erno Emppu Vuorinen: Guitars
Olaf Reitmeier: Acoustic guitars