The new album is solid, there are no bad songs IMO. As a whole it works pretty well, although the material blends into one, but that's the genre's style. I enjoy it, more than the half of it which is good. Like the previous album.
The singles are catchy and worked enough. The title track is a 9 minute song with a great melancholic chorus and lots of vocals (calm parts) but no melodic interlude and a very short solo, it has a Queensryche vibe.
''The Moorlands At Twilight'' is a typical Tobi/Kiske collab, nice and memorable enough, more of the same. ''Phantasmagoria'' is an awesome short rocker, probably my favorite song on the album, such a memorable vocal ideas. ''Bring On The Night'' brings a Nightwish-esque (like the 3rd single)/80's slower vibe, while ''Unleash The Kraken'' has a more metal vibe. ''Avalon'' (with Adrienne) is beautiful with its symphonic melodies (plus longer solo) - and the closer (''Return To The Opera'') is a classic Helloween/Gamma Ray/Edguy power metal. It could have been an opener, it's a great closer, like the title track or Avalon would be. Oh, and the ballad ''Everybody's Here Until The End isn't bad.
Overall, the choruses shine, as we'd expect and that's the real strength.
