During the making of the Scarecrow, the upcoming third Avantasia record, some songs had to be left off and that's where this EP comes from. This one is certainly better than Part 1 and contains a more traditional Avantasia sound.
The title track is nothing new to owners of Part 1. "Lost in Space" is a straight-forward ballad with an obvious direction. It feels like a track made to ease people into the new sound for the record. I'm not sure how indicative it truely is, but I would imagine it contains a lot of the elements to be found in the new album. It is catchy, and somewhat poppy, but does do some different things with the synth melodies in the background. It's a song that has grown on me but yet not one that will ever wow me. It is merely average and certainly does not stand out amongst some of stellar tracks found on the first two Avantasia records.
Track two on the other hand does. "Promised Land" sounds like traditional Avantasia. It's fast, catchy, and contains some great hooks. This is definitely the song that will get stuck in your head and for die-hard Avantasia/Edguy fans this song makes Part Two worth a purchase.
"Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" is a cover whose origins I am not familiar with. I am told it is by a band called Ultravox. It's a pretty poppy sounding ballad and not a bad song at all, but not one that really stands out. If you hate the 80's sound of "Lost in Space" you'll likely despise it though.
"Scary Eyes" sounds like a sequel to Edguy's "Spooks in the Attic" to me. Probably just because of the scary to spooks connection, but whatever. It isn't as good as "Spooks" (which is one of my top 10 Edguy songs) but it's a fun song. It's a rock/metal song in the same vein is present-day Edguy. It doesn't fit the Avantasia mold, but that's why it's on an EP.
"In My Defense" is another cover song, this one of the more mainstream mold as it's a cover of a Queen song. It's a fairly straightforward ballad, and being a cover, is amusing to hear because the lyrical content is not traditional Sammet. I like Queen, so I naturally like this and it doesn't come across as strictly filler for me (which is how I feel about "Dancing...").
The closing number is an acoustic version of "Lost in Space." Most Edguy Ep's contain some acoustic number of the single so this one isn't unexpected. Acoustic is a sound that works well for the title track. It isn't better, but it's not a bad alternative.
Also of note, available exclusively through itunes is the "extended" version of the song "Lost in Space." It's a bit longer and features Michael Kiske on vocals. If you want yet another version of this song, then I can safely recommend it. It's what I would consider the definitive version of the song, but not so much better that it's a must hear.
If you opt for the CD over the electronic download you get some bonus stuff as well. The video clip for "Lost in Space" and a 7-minute feature on the making of the album. Both are worth a look once but nothing more. There's also some pictures and wallpapers that could hardly be labeled essential by even the most infatuated Tobi fan.
Overall, this EP is a great value and contains some nice songs that are pretty much required listening for Tobias Sammett fans. For those that only enjoy the speed metal songs from the first Avantasia records need only check out "Promised Land" and perhaps "Scary Eyes." This certainly is a different direction for Tobi but it's not one I would call a misstep by any means. Of course, the jury is still out until "The Scarecrow" lands in January but this EP provides some nice entertainment while we wait.
Better than Part 1
Good for a single (EP), 'Promised Land' really rocks