Avantasia

. In November 2001 he disappeared once again; this time he did not return, and was found dead in a room at the Best Western Plaza Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 16, 2001.[1] (http://starbulletin.com/2001/12/18/news/story4.html), http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=50&id=1700742001. The band itself consisted of guitarists Jens Ludwig (Edguy) and Henjo Richter (Gamma Ray), bassist Markus Grosskopf (Helloween), and drummer Alex Holzwarth (Rhapsody). There were also reports of battles with alcohol. The music was written and composed by Tobias Sammet, and he recruited different vocalists; Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray), Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius), David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), André Matos (formerly Angra), Rob Rock (Warrior) and Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation). In 1999 he disappeared for a time before resurfacing stating that he had needed some time off. Avantasia is the name of a country in the storyline. Of some concern, however, was the mental health of lead singer Adamson.

Gnosticism, Catholicism and elves and dwarves feature heavily in the plot. One more hit followed with "Look Away" from 1986's The Seer, but since then Big Country have been a minor act, popping up in the lower echelons of the charts in the UK and Europe every now and then while churning out mild-selling album after album. The opera is set in medieval Europe. Their second album Steeltown appeared in 1984, and was a hit out of the gate, but soon faded as fans and critics turned away from Big Country's bombastic sound. Both albums were released by Century Media. The song featured heavily engineered guitar playing strongly reminiscent of bagpipes, and the band have spent every day of the next two decades answering the question "How did you make your guitars sound like bagpipes?" with slowly eroding patience. The Metal Opera (Part I) was released in 2001, while The Metal Opera (Part II) came in 2002. The album was a crossover hit in the United States, powered by the single "In a Big Country".

Avantasia (The Metal Opera) is a two-part metal opera album written by Tobias Sammet, vocalist in the power metal group Edguy. Their first hit was 1983's "Fields of Fire", which reached the UK's Top Ten and was rapidly followed by the album The Crossing. Into the Unknown. Canonically composed of Stuart Adamson (formerly of The Skids, vocals, guitar, piano), Mark Brzezicki (drums), Tony Butler (bass guitar), and Bruce Watson (guitar), though a variety of other musicians have been in the band during their long wanderings in post-popularity. Memory. Big Country is a rock band from Dunfermline, Scotland, popular in the early to mid 1980s, but still releasing material for a cult following as recently as 2004. Chalice of Agony. From The Front Row...Live! (2003).

Anywhere. John Wayne's Dream (2002). Neverland. Driving To Damascus (2002). The Final Sacrifice. Live in Cologne (2002). In Quest For. Undercover (2001).

The Looking Glass. Big Country: The Nashville Album (2000). No Return. Come Up Screaming (live) (2000). The Seven Angels. Going Out Screaming (live) (2000). The Tower. Restless Natives & Rarities (1998).

Sign of the Cross. Brighton Rock (live) (1997). Inside. King Biscuit Flower Hour (live) (1997). A New Dimension (Interlude). Eclectic (live) (1996). Avantasia. BBC Live in Concert (1995).

In Nomine Patris (Interlude). Why the Long Face? (1995). The Glory of Rome. Radio 1 Sessions (live) (1994). Farewell. Without the Aid of a Safety Net (live) (1994). Breaking Away. The Buffalo Skinners (1993).

Malleus Maleficarum (Interlude). No Place Like Home (1991). Serpents in Paradise. Peace in Our Time (1988). Reach Out for the Light. The Seer (1986). Prelude (Intro). Kings of Emotion (EP) (1984).

Steeltown (1984). The Crossing (1983).