The Enigma Birth
Album cover art
Studio album by
Avalon
ReleasedJune 18, 2021 (2021-06-18)
GenreSymphonic power metal[1][2]
Length58:43[3]
LabelFrontiers Records
ProducerTimo Tolkki, Aldo Lonobile
Avalon chronology
Return to Eden
(2019)		 The Enigma Birth
(2021)
Singles from The Enigma Birth
  1. "Beauty and War"
    Released: 14 April 2021
  2. "Master of Hell"
    Released: 27 April 2021
  3. "The Fire and the Sinner"
    Released: 10 May 2021
  4. "Beautiful Lie"
    Released: 18 June 2021

The Enigma Birth is the fourth full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon, released on June 18, 2021.[4]

As with the previous effort, several heavy metal singers were invited to play the characters of the story of the album.[4]

The album was announced on 14 April 2021 alongside a video for "Beauty and War" (featuring Raphael Mendes).[5] On 27 of the same month, a video for "Master of Hell", also featuring Mendes, was released.[6] On 10 May, Avalon released a video for "The Fire and the Sinner" (featuring Jake E and Brittney Slayes).[7] On the day of the album's release, a lyric video for "Beautiful Lie" (featuring James LaBrie) was published.[8]

According to Tolkki, he created a fourth part for the trilogy out of contractual obligations with Frontiers Records. In September, he wrote around 10 tracks for the album and the label picked about half for the final track list; the remaining songs were written by a team of unacquainted Italian songwriters. He also claimed he doesn't know most of the guests, who were all suggested by the label.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Metal.dePositive[2]
Sonic Perspectives9.4/10[1]

Writing for Metal.de, Jannik Kleemann praised the performances of the guest singers, called Tolkki "a good guitarist" that "can write good material", but said "the atmosphere of projects like Avantasia is clearly denser". Nevertheless, he concluded his review by saying that "what remains is a decent, symphonic power metal album".[2]

Jonathan Smith, at Sonic Perspectives, said that "for an album that isn't that much of a stylistic enigma, it nevertheless provides an assortment of anthems so fun and varied that frequent replays are a virtual certainty" and ultimately called it "an album not to be missed".[1]

Track listing

The Enigma Birth track listing
No.TitleGuest vocalist(s)[4][5]Length
1."The Enigma Birth"PelleK4:33
2."I Just Collapse"Caterina Nix6:13
3."Memories"Nix, Brittney Slayes5:43
4."Master of Hell"Raphael Mendes3:51
5."Beautiful Lie"James LaBrie3:51
6."Truth"Jake E3:48
7."Another Day"Marina La Torraca5:04
8."Beauty and War"Mendes5:17
9."Dreaming"Fabio Lione6:30
10."The Fire and the Sinner"E, Slayes3:05
11."Time"Torraca5:58
12."Without Fear"Lione4:50
Total length:58:43[3]
Japan edition bonus track[10]
No.TitleLength
13."The Fire and the Sinner" (Acoustic Version)3:13
Total length:62:04

Personnel

Per sources.[4]

Instrumentalists

Vocalists

Production

  • Timo Tolkki & Aldo Lonobile - production

Charts

Chart performance for The Enigma Birth
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 46
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 43

References

  1. 1 2 3 Smith, Jonathan (24 June 2021). "Timo Tolkki's Avalon – The Enigma Birth (Album Review)". Sonic Perspectives. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Kleemann, Jannik (26 June 2021). "Timo Tolkki's Avalon - The Enigma Birth". Metal.de (in German). Hi-Media S.A.
  3. 1 2 "The Enigma Birth by Timo Tolkki's Avalon". Apple Music. Apple Inc. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON "The Enigma Birth"". Frontiers Music Srl. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  5. 1 2 Michels, Alexandra (14 April 2021). "TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON - "The Enigma Birth"-Album kommt im Juni". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Michels, Alexandra (27 April 2021). "TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON - 'Master Of Hell'-Video enthüllt". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Bauer, Simon (10 May 2021). "TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON - 'The Fire And The Sinner'-Video mit Jake E und Brittney Slayes ist online". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  8. ↑ "TIMO TOLKKI's AVALON Debut Lyric Video For "Beautiful Lie" Feat. DREAM THEATER Singer JAMES LABRIE". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Mäenpää, Arto (18 June 2021). Exclusive: Timo Tolkki interview about "The Enigma Birth". Chaoszine. YouTube. Event occurs at 3:00. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  10. ↑ "「ティモ・トルキズ・アヴァロン/ジ・エニグマ・バース」|MARQUEE". アヴァロン| AVALON online (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  11. ↑ "Timo Tolkki's Avalon: The Enigma Birth" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Timo Tolkki's Avalon – The Enigma Birth". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
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