Avantasia - 'The Wicked Trilogy'

The Wicked Trilogy is a three album story about The Scarecrow. The story started with their 2008 album, The Scarecrow, and is concluded by The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon.
Plot:

The story behind the Scarecrow albums is largely open to interpretation. Sammet has stated "I don't wanna ruin the myth. It's not possible to tell the story like a fairytale. I can't go "once upon a time" because it's not as simple as that. You don't have to understand the story, you have to feel it."

"The Scarecrow is a tragic story of a lonesome creature, emotionally isolated from his environment and suffering from a distorted sensory perception. His feelings for the love of his life unrequited, he sets off on a journey exploring the left-hand path, striving for inner peace, sloughing his way to approval and eventually facing temptation at the inner depths of the human soul..." Tobias Sammet.

The Band:

Tobias Sammet – Vocal, Bass guitar, Additional Keyboards

Sascha Paeth – Guitars,

Miro – Keyboards, Orchestration

Eric Singer – Drums

Cast:

Tobias Sammet - The Scarecrow / The Protagonist

Roy Khan - A psychiatrist treating the protagonist

Jørn Lande - A Mephistopheles figure, the embodiment of vanity and temptation

Amanda Somerville - The unrequited love of the protagonist

Bob Catley - The protagonist's good conscience

Michael Kiske - The mentor of the protagonist

Alice Cooper - A tycoon who flogs off art to the desperate

Oliver Hartmann - A man who introduces the protagonist to the dark side of life (listed as 'Fornication')

Russell Allen - Inspiration

Ripper Owens - Fury

Andre Matos - Acedia, irresponsibility against yourself

Klaus Meine - A glorius future vision of the protagonist

Ralf Zdiarstek - The sheltering and healing aspect of fury

Jon Oliva - A loony ghost who sold his soul for eternal wealth long ago

Cloudy Yang - A character in a side story ("In reality, there are millions of scarecrows out there" - Sammet)

The Scarecrow - 2008

This is the first Album of the trilogy.

Guest Musicians:

Henjo Richter – Lead guitars
Kai Hansen – Lead guitars
Rudolf Schenker – Lead guitars 

Guest Vocalists:

Roy Khan (ex-Kamelot, Conception) 

Jørn Lande (Jorn, Masterplan) 

Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween, Place Vendome, SupaRed, Unisonic) 

Bob Catley (Magnum) 

Amanda Somerville 

Alice Cooper (Alice Cooper) 

Oliver Hartmann (ex-At Vance) 

TrackList     

...All songs written and composed by Tobias Sammet.      

                            Guest vocalists

1. "Twisted Mind" Roy Khan 6:14
2. "The Scarecrow" Jørn Lande, Michael Kiske 11:12
3. "Shelter from the Rain" Michael Kiske, Bob Catley 6:09
4. "Carry Me Over" 3:52
5. "What Kind of Love" Amanda Somerville, Michael Kiske 4:56
6. "Another Angel Down" Jørn Lande 5:41
7. "The Toy Master" Alice Cooper 6:21
8. "Devil in the Belfry" Jørn Lande 4:42
9. "Cry Just a Little" Bob Catley 5:15
10. "I Don't Believe in Your Love" Oliver Hartmann 5:34
11. "Lost in Space" Amanda Somerville 3:53

The Wickd Simphony - 2010

Tobias Sammet describes the title track in his own words, "a ten minute track featuring a vocal battle between Jørn Lande, Russell Allen and me"

Guest Musicians:

Bruce Kulick- Lead Guitar

Oliver Hartmann- Lead Guitar

Felix Bohnke- Drums

Alex Holzwarth- Drums

Simon Oberender- Organ 

Guest Vocalists:

Jørn Lande
Michael Kiske
Russell Allen
Bob Catley
Klaus Meine
Tim "Ripper" Owens
André Matos
Ralf Zdiarstek 

TrackList:

...All songs written and composed by Tobias Sammet.      

                            Guest vocalists

1. "The Wicked Symphony" Jørn Lande, Russell Allen 9:28
2. "Wastelands" Michael Kiske, 4:44
3. "Scales of Justice" Tim "Ripper" Owens 5:04
4. "Dying for an Angel" Klaus Meine 4:32
5. "Blizzard On a Broken Mirror" André Matos 6:07
6. "Runaway Train" Jørn Lande, Michael Kiske,Bob Catley 8:42
7. "Crestfallen" Jørn Lande 4:02
8. "Forever is a Long Time" Jørn Lande 5:05
9. "Black Wings" Ralf Zdiarstek 4:37
10. "States of Matter" Russell Allen 3:57
11. "The Edge" 4:12

Angel Of Babylon - 2010

This Album is the final part of the trilogy.

Guest Musicians:

Bruce Kulick- Lead Guitar

Oliver Hartmann- Lead Guitar

Henjo Richter- Lead Guitar

Felix Bohnke- Drums

Alex Holzwarth- Drums

Jens Johansson- Keyboards

Simon Oberender- Organ

Guest Vocalists:

Jørn Lande 

Michael Kiske 

Russell Allen 

Bob Catley 

Cloudy Yang 

Jon Oliva 

TrackList

...All songs written and composed by Tobias Sammet.      

                            Guest vocalists

1. "Stargazers" Jørn Lande, Michael Kiske,Russell Allen 9:33
2. "Angel of Babylon" Jørn Lande 5:29
3. "Your Love is Evil" 3:53
4. "Death is Just a Feeling" Jon Oliva 5:21
5. "Rat Race" Jørn Lande 4:07
6. "Down in the Dark" Jørn Lande 4:23
7. "Blowing Out the Flame" 4:51
8. "Symphony of Life" Cloudy Yang 4:30
9. "Alone I Remember" Jørn Lande 4:48
10. "Promised Land" Jørn Lande, Michael Kiske 4:47
11. "Journey to Arcadia" Russell Allen, Bob Catley 7:12