Lost in Space, Vols. 1-2 [PA] (CD - 2008)

Personnel: Tobias Sammet (vocals, bass guitar); Eric Singer (vocals, drums); Amanda Somerville, Jorn Lande, Michael Kiske, Bob Catley (vocals); Henjo Richter (guitar); Sascha Paeth (electric guitar); Michael "Miro" Rodenberg (keyboards).

Available together for the first time are the two EPs that served as teasers for Avantasia's 2008 opus, THE SCARECROW. An event unto itself, LOST IN SPACE: PART 1 & 2 contains two songs that appeared on THE SCARECROW ("Lost in Space" and "Another Angel Down"), three different versions of "Lost in Space," four cover songs (ABBA's "Lay All Your Love On Me," Lucifer's Friend's "Ride the Sky," Ultravox's "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes," and Freddie Mercury's "In My Defense"), and a host of previously unreleased studio tracks. While two songs sound like outtakes from THE METAL OPERA, one of the gems on the disc is "Promised Land," which features trade-off lead vocals by Avantasia / Edguy mainman Tobias Sammet, Jorn Lande (Masterplan, Jorn), and Michael Kiske (Helloween).

Originally issued as two separate EPs in 2007, Avantasia's Lost in Space doubleheader never received an official physical release in North America, so the chances that this handy single-CD repack that emerged the following year will piss off their fans are slim to none -- especially with an ABBA cover, "Lay Your Love All Over Me," on hand to draw the brunt of spiteful indignity from the heavy metal faithful. And it doesn't end there; Lost in Space also features a rocking waltz through "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes," by '80s synth-happy new romantics Ultravox; a suitably rococo sashay across Freddie Mercury's slick solo single, "In My Defense"; and, least controversial of all, a faithful bash over one of metal's all-time classic '70s obscurities, "Ride the Sky," by German cult favorites Lucifer's Friend. All of which should make it obvious to close-minded metal heads that Lost in Space -- far from being the musically progressive, two-part concept album that its title might suggest -- is in fact a sojourn into more accessible songwriting regions for Tobias Sammet's pet project. But for those who can appreciate a few well-done cover versions like the above, as well as a couple of well-wrought commercial rock songs, there's much to like about the incredibly infectious modern AOR of the title track (available in three different incarnations, no less) and the flamboyant über-ballad "The Story Ain't Over," boasting a duet with frequent Avantasia collaborator Amanda Somerville. Power metal isn't missing entirely, mind you, just accounting for a minority share for once, via familiar-sounding offerings like "Another Angel Down," "Promised Land," and the Iron Maiden-esque "Scary Eyes." And that's it; all done! That wasn't so bad now, was it? Sure, although the ABBA track may lead to endless ribbing from his metal buddies, Sammet's creative vision for Lost in Space is ultimately about as consistent and impressive as it is for all his other projects, making these oftentimes surprising song choices less important than the element of pleasant surprise that comes with them. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia minimize