Edguy often feels like a bad night at the Comedy Factory, with frontman Tobias Sammet trying too hard to prove they’re fun guys and that metal doesn’t have to be oh-so-evil and serious all the time. Hasn’t hurt their bottom line, of course, but Sammet’s latest instalment of his wildly popular Avantasia project overshadows anything Edguy has done in recent years. Inviting folks like Alice Cooper, Jorn Lande, Roy Khan and Bob Catley to guest on the album sees Sammet reducing the “whoopee!” factor in his writing, resulting in some of the best music of his career. Lead tune ‘Twisted Mind’ (featuring Khan) starts things off in a very un-Edguy-like manner – sounding pretty damn close to Kamelot musically – sliding into the Lande-led epic 11 minute title track that will forever be a feather in Sammet’s cap. Sheer brilliance. From there the album has its ups and downs, presenting self-proclaimed non-metalhead Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween) doing what he does best on ‘Shelter From The Rain’, and a second blow-the-doors-off contribution from Lande on ‘Another Angel Down’. The record’s second epic, ‘The Toy Master’, features Cooper up front and personal in what may be one of his best performances in recent years, a full power metal song that transforms itself into a bastardized Rock Horror Picture Show number. And through it all Sammet plays musical director, letting his guests shine while he picks up the slack, taking center stage on occasion more as an added spice than an ego trip. It’s kinda unfortunate Sammet and the label opted to go with the two softest songs, ‘Lost In Space’ and ‘Carry Me Over’, as the singles to push the album, but there’s no question it’s a good business move. Appearances are deceiving, however, and the innards of The Scarecrow are far more impressive that what’s on the outside.