Avaland Chemical Poetry Review

Avaland

Chemical Poetry

Storytium SAS

2026

France’s Metal Opera band Avaland is gearing up to release their third effort, “Chemical Poetry.” I’m not going to lie, I’d never heard of the band, but the chance to review/listen came up and I just couldn’t turn away after hearing the band’s single “Face The Eternal.” Avaland has been around for a few years now, and from what I’m reading and hearing, they’ve very much created their own world of fantasy with their releases to date.

To an older Rock Warrior with blown ears who would jump into a van with “Speed Metal records inside” spray-painted on the side without thinking twice, Avaland is something out of the ordinary. That doesn’t mean it’s something I haven’t heard before, though. The band very much reminds me of other Power/Fantasy Metal bands like Kamelot, Blind Guardian and Helloween. That’s not what pulled me in, though. It was the Opera and musical-score aspect that really grabbed me, and that immediately reminded me of the latter years of the largely overlooked and ever-impressive Therion, a band I love dearly.

Another aspect Avaland brings to the table is musicality with a massive amount of Pop sensibility. There are several “jingle-type” moments on “Chemical Poetry” that’ll have you wondering if you’re listening to a soundtrack, Broadway production or something you’ve heard somewhere before. It’s uncanny, wild and somehow sounds great, nonetheless. That’s the beauty of Opera-styled music: it’s telling you a story in each act, with everything eventually coming together to pay off in the end.

These kinds of albums typically aren’t my thing. It’s more my wife’s brand; she clings to music like this, and it’s her preference above all else. The Metal aspect of Avaland is where I come in, though. The riffage, blistering leads and streaks of heart-racing speed are where I find solace and common ground, and there’s plenty of it here.

For me, the familiarity with Power Metal and those Therion connections are what really hooked me into the album. Avaland is so precise and well-rounded that they know exactly what they want and, more importantly, exactly how to achieve it. You don’t always get that with bands operating in this territory. The beginning might be great, but the payoff can sometimes be weak. That isn’t the case with “Chemical Poetry.” You get it all, and it’s continuous. There’s not a weak moment where the band loses sight of the prize or steers off into unnecessary indulgence. Everything has its place, and there’s a purpose behind every choice. That makes perfect sense to a lifer like me.

I can’t begin to comment on the lyrics or storyline behind the album. From what I understand, it’s another chapter in the ever-evolving story Avaland has been building with their previous releases, and that’s fine. I don’t need to know exactly where we are in the timeline to enjoy it. Sometimes you just have to sit back and let the music take you where it wants to go.

If you fancy yourself a fan of Opera, Broadway, Power Metal or Epic Fantasy Metal, Avaland has something for you. “Chemical Poetry” is cinematic and epic beyond imagination. I’ll definitely be checking out the band’s previous releases, although I shudder to think they could be even better than what’s presented here.

The score, arrangements and conducting on this album are spellbinding. Bravo!

Standouts – “Face The Eternal”, “Fallen Leaves” and “When The Night Comes Alive”.

~Black Angel