With Chris and Camille being members since the beginning and Leo and Lucas from early 2020, the band now consists of

Adrien G. Gzagg – Creator, Author, Composer, Lead Singer, Keyboards/Orchestrations, Christophe Feutrier – Guitars,

Lucas Martinez – Guitars, Camille Souffron – Bass, and Leo Mouchonay on Drums.

Based in Grenoble, southeast France, with some members as far as Paris and further north, plans to put on a show in Grenoble with Rhapsody Of Fire were curtailed somewhat due to our current global crisis, but plans to proceed a little later are in the pipeline, and provisionally booked for January 2022.

Adrien, hit the mic at a young age, inspired by Avantasia, Edguy, Ayreon, Alan Parsons, Asia, Savatage, Gamma Ray, Winger and Pagan’s Mind.

Chris cut his teeth with bands such as Witherfall, Adagio, Symphony X, Obscura, and Inferi.

Lucas powers his axe with influences from Technical Death Metal bands such as Necrophagist, Inferi, Equipoise (Cf. Label,The Artisan Era).

Camille comes from a more progressive musical background, finding his feet on bass with Primus, Polyphia, Rush and Dream Theater by his side.

Leo draws his thunder from bands such as Helloween, Carach Angren and Fleshgod Apocalypse.

As a band they lean on many mentors from Classical to Black Metal, through Jazz to Death Metal.

“Our passion for music and our determination”.

With that said, I asked him what the meaning was behind the band name, he went on to tell me;

“It is just a combo of Avalon and Land. This is the land of Avalon and so, Arthurian myths inspire me for the story”.

So I went on to ask what they have learnt about themselves so far on their journey in the music industry, Adrien went on to say;

“We have learnt so many things, personally and technically. Recording Theater Of Sorcery was the first professional studio experience for all of us, so we had to learn to deal with stress and pressure and organization. The realization of the 2 video clips was also a crazy thrill”.

I followed this up by asking Adrien about his songwriting process and how he would overcome any creative blocks, he went on to tell me;

“I first compose all the songs, then we all arrange and increase the compositions to have something really efficient musically that we are all happy with. It’s really hard for me, but hopefully when I’m in the right frame of mind, I can be really creative.
A good way to overcome a creative block is to listen and read various subjects. You can find a positive trigger everywhere”.

With a very theatric and dramatic demeanour on stage, I asked Adrien if this reflects their personalities, and what he enjoys the most about being in this band, he went on to tell me;

“Due to the nature of our music and performance, that would have to be a no.
We see a musical stage as a theater stage, we play characters on stage. You have to be the king of the moment, playing with the audience, leading the show when you’re on the stage, but when the show ends, you come back to reality and your everyday personality. I’m very proud of the team I reunited, and even if being the captain on this ship is so much exhausting, it is also very gratifying”.

I finished by asking Adrien if there was anything he wished he had known before starting a career in music, he told me;

“Such a good question, but I think I’m way too young to answer this one, we’ll see in a few years when I’ll get older and wiser ”.

The sheer depth of Adrien’s creative ability at such a young age holds no bounds.
Throughout, the display of drama, theatrics and intricate composition is one of a true visionary, and one that would normally be described as being from the pen of a true maestro and the result of a lifetimes work. But here, this result of an assumed longevity, only relates to a much shorter period at only 22, which makes his journey of self-discovery and creative ability even more incredible, already reflecting the skill of a true master at work.

This album presents us with the story of a young sorcerer who could bring the light back to the kingdom of Avaland, but has to learn to control his powers that are linked to the Storm.
Set out in chapters, with this masterpiece only being chapter one, listeners can not only look forward to this ongoing story as it unfolds in their collection, put its full performance Live, as they take in its magic straight from the footlights.

Musically, his team of talented troubadours depict every nuance of its lyrical content to perfection, creating the perfect drama, emotion and theatrics that lead the listener or viewer, to a more uplifting state of mind, almost walking us through the storyboard itself in sound alone.

Vocally, Adrien stirs the soul with an operatic delivery, setting the scene and taking us on a journey through myth and mystery and completely losing himself in its mythical majesty.

Lyrically, Adrien truly knows how to tell a story, as he delves deep into the very fabric of time itself, with a rich account of fantasy and mysticism, with every last word well thought out before leaving the pen. And if you yourself want to lose yourself in the mists of time, this is the album for you, for when Avaland finally hit the stage again, this will most certainly be the

show to see.

Star Rating – 10/10

Star Suggestion-

If ever there were 5 tracks to tempt the listener into buying this album, they would be-
“Theater Of Sorcery”, “Holy Kingdom Of Fools”, “Never Let Me Walk Alone”, “Déjà vu”, and “I’ll Be Ready For Your Love”.