When we look at the „metal opera“ genre, only Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia has achieved any notable commercial success. That doesn’t mean it’s the only act around, and it certainly isn’t the only good one.
In Italy, the promised land of melodic and epic metal, lives a man named Marco Garau. He is the force behind Magic Opera, and this year he released the project’s third album, The Final Flight.
It is the closing chapter of a trilogy set in the kingdom of Amtork. Anyone starting here won’t be lost, but the whole story only fully opens up if you know the previous two records.
There has been one change since last time: guitarist Enrico Pistolese has been replaced by Matteo Baschiera, who does an excellent job.
If bands like Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica and, to a degree, Rhapsody of Fire mean something to you, this will be right up your alley. After a harpsichord intro, the album kicks off straight away with „The Danger’s Growing Dark.“
Marco and his bandmates favor classic speed metal tempos (double bass drumming is their trademark), but their strongest weapon is gorgeous melodies. Worth singling out are „Unholy Alliance,“ „The Black Gem“ and „Fury of the Storm“ (its central melody is simply divine).
Those melodies pair well with the lead vocals. Anton Darusso is slightly reminiscent of Jørn Lande and at times sounds like a „seriously aggressive Jørn Lande.“ He sings four roles: the Narrator, Kama, Dohron and Cordelia.
The story also picks up where the previous album left off. After a great battle, peace returns to Amtork, but it doesn’t last. Shadows of griffins darken the sky, led by the sorceress Cordelia.
She isn’t after revenge but the Black Gem, an artifact that grants immortality and power. Because of it, alliances shift. Old enemies have to unite against a common threat, yet trust between them is fragile, and the gem affects everyone who comes near it.
The Final Flight is definitely worth a listen. It’s worth it for the great music and for one sad reason: Marco told the Czech website metalforever.info that this will be his last release for a long time.
Lineup
- Anton Darusso – vocals
- Luca Sellitto – guitars (solos)
- Matteo Baschiera – guitars
- Ollie Bernstein – bass
- Marco Garau – keyboards and orchestration
- Salvatore Giordano – drums
Tracklist
- The Danger’s Growing Dark
- The Black Gem
- Unholy Alliance
- Fury of the Storm
- Mother of Winter Ice
- Chaos Rising (instrumental)
- When Reason Dies
- Immortal Glory
- Lady of the Wind
- The Clash of Fates
- Steel and Magic
- The Final Flight
Year of release: 2026
Label: Self-released
YouTube preview:
Links:
- https://www.magicopera.it/
- https://www.facebook.com/magicopera
- https://magicopera.bandcamp.com/
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW3-AnAFoRYnGsltVRp6BkA
- https://www.instagram.com/magic_opera_official/
Rating: 5.5/6