I think "The Metal Opera" is more epic than The Scarecrow... Don't know if it's better though...

They are good in different ways

Exactly... it's all in the way one defines "epic". I'm in the camp of considering "The Scarecrow" more epic than "The Metal Operas... at least in terms of long term value.

I must say.. I think the Metal Opera Pt I & II is only OK. They have som good songs, but they're not so epic, original and creative as "The Scarecrow". "The Scarecrow" is not only one genre.. it's.. much more than that!

This...kind of. The thing about the Metal Opera albums is that they're straight power metal. I'm a fan of power metal, but I very rarely am a fan of albums with the kind of power metal onslaught that those two albums presented. I liked them, but they weren't completely my cup of tea.

Me...I've always leaned towards power metal fusion (not a term, I know)...you know, power metal hard rock songs, power/heavy metal, power/prog, power metal pop...the Scarecrow lets me divulge on lots of these without growing stale or losing momentum, and that's why it became one of my favorite albums.

Either way, I'm not going to hold the new albums to the standard of the Scarecrow...at least not right away. I would love it if they matched (or even surpassed! Imagine that!) the likes of the Scarecrow's significance to me.

I don't know why but I'm especially excited for Down in the Dark!

I think Journey to Arcadia sounds like a song very much like Into the Unknown. Some kind of a grande finale on the entire opus. Can't wait..

Yeah, Journey to Arcadia better be epic. I can't see the story ending on a note that isn't gigantic!

Not sure if anybody else has seen this, but it's very sad news and yeah, found it on Kiske's fansite and I don't remember reading it previously.

Tobias Sammet said about the new albums: "Looking at the music industry today with all the CD burning and downloading, I guess in the near future many of us traditional rock and metal bands won't be able to spend such a production budget. I am afraid I won't be able to afford so many guests and such a big production with orchestration and a choir and all that. That's why this production takes so much time; it may be the last big epic I will be able to afford, and I want it to be the biggest piece I have worked on so far."

That is sad. Tobi can bet that I'm going to buy these new albums, just like I bought The Scarecrow. Just produce an Amazon link and consider it ordered.

If you're reading this, Tobi, you can be sure I'll be plunking down for the deluxe edition. I was going to anyway, but I mention it because every little bit is that much more.

I sure wish we could get an Amazon download link already though.

Well I made my order a couple of weeks ago for 166.62 euros including 28 euros for shipping, I plan on buying any rare boxsets if they are released, Tobi has my full support, I don't believe money is degrading the system that badly, but I suppose I used to download all the time and with the economy how it is, people can't afford music anymore - maybe this is why? Either way I have paid my share for this release

166 euros! I thought it was like...38 euros.

I bought more than just one copy of one type of release... to say the least.
If you don't know me by now mate, I'd be worried - you've seen my collection in the "show us your collection" thread, well this is simply a way to make that collection bigger

I do plan on buying another copy of the LP's, but not just yet.

Oh, I've got it. ^_^

I wonder when we'll get tracklengths now.

When they will be available for pre-order on Amazon, Ebay and all online retailers
That will be VERY interesting though, I wonder if he did one longer than the Kingdom?

Not that I am counting, but facebook says there is 50 days 6 hours and 14 minutes till they is released!

I don't think there will be longer tracks than Kingdom, he already has a lot of songs, I don't know if he can afford a song of almost 20 minutes...
I think we'll get 3-4 10 minute tracks (2 on each album) which is even better IMO...

Let's predict the long songs.

Assuming that there are two long songs on each album, both title tracks will more than likely be (we already known that TWS is).

I predict the other long ones to be "Blizzard on a Broken Mirror" from TWS and "Journey to Arcadia" from AoB.

Agreed on Blizzard On The Broken Mirror.
For AoB, I would say Symphony of Life is the epic...Journey To Arcadia will be a kind of semi-epic 7-8 minutes...