AVANTASIA: Here Be Dragons

[KingsGene]

Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA Announce Here Be Dragons Album And Arena Tour For 2025​

"... In March 2025, Avantasia are going to ring in a new age in the spooky and enchanting lands of Avantasia, embarking on an arena world tour in support of their 10th studio album, Here Be Dragons, which is currently in the works and will be released early next year....

Tobias Sammet states:

This year’s summer festival season has been only the beginning of a new era of Avantasia, an appetizer so to speak. The shows of our own Here Be Dragons tour are going to be the real deal, a trip to a world of wonder where people can forget about everything else in their real lives and join me on the other side. It’s an immersive experience with special effects and a huge production, bigger and better than anything we’ve ever done. And: there is amazing new music in the works; anthemic and epic songs that will fit in seamlessly with our classics and some almost forgotten songs that may make it into the live setlist as well. I can’t wait to finish and unleash our brand new album Here Be Dragons to the world and take this new stage spectacle to the road. Yes indeed, Avantasia is back![\QUOTE]

 

[KingsGene]

Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA Ink Deal With Napalm Records​

"... Having cemented the band’s standing as a leading force in the metal scene over the years, Avantasia is not showing any signs of slowing down. The band has an extensive European arena tour scheduled for spring 2025, promising to deliver fans an immersive experience through their biggest and most epic production ever. Stay tuned for information about Avantasia’s Napalm Records debut coming soon and get your tickets for the “Here Be Dragons” tour now....

Tobias Sammet comments :

Avantasia is back, and with the biggest show we've ever put on during this year's festival season, we've already given you a taste of what's to come. Fueled by the incredible spirit and energy of our tour, we headed back to the studio to channel that momentum into creating our most powerful album yet: Here Be Dragons. We're also thrilled to announce our new partnership with Napalm Records. Their passion, commitment, and deep love for the world of Avantasia have been truly inspiring and they’re just as enthusiastic as we are to bring this new chapter to life. I couldn’t be more excited about the future. Avantasia is back, bigger and stronger than ever!

2025 tour dates:

March
14 - Hamburg, Germany - Sporthalle
15 - Brussels, Belgium - AB Box
16 - Paris, France - Olympia
18 - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal
20 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
21 - Bamberg, Germany - Brose Arena
22 - Bochum, Germany - RuhrCongress
24 - London, England - The Roundhouse
26 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13
28 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schleyerhalle
29 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum Karlin

April
1 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
2 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
4 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
5 - Frankfurt am Main, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle
6 - Cologne, Germany - Palladium
8 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
9 - Zurich, Switzerland - The Hall
11 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
12 - Madrid, Spain - Vistalegre

 

[KingsGene]

Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA To Release Here Be Dragons Album In February; Details Revealed​

"... Leading rock and metal force, Avantasia, is set to unleash their bombastic 10th studio album and Napalm Records debut, Here Be Dragons, on February 28. Featuring absolute Avantasia essentials such as spellbinding choirs and theatrical symphonic metal elements, multitalented mastermind and frontman Tobias Sammet also surprises fans old and new with plenty of intriguing fresh soundscapes. Here Be Dragons gives the celebrated Avantasia sound that has been carefully crafted over a quarter of a century an exciting and powerful spin. The new album is the most consistent and concise piece of art that the band has ever crafted...."

Tobias Sammet comments:

This new album carries the most adventurous and bold spirit my music has had in decades. And it's rather reckless, fearless, powerful, and uplifting and not introverted at all. While my previous albums allowed me to get a lot off my chest, this time I dove headfirst into the creative flood, crafting ten discrete, musical pictures, that miraculously merged into what I believe is the tightest chapter in Avantasia’s history. I did everything exactly how I wanted it, approaching the album with unrelenting determination and a carefree attitude, that was reminiscent of my early days way before the Metal Opera thing, when I felt unstoppable and let instinct just write songs. Right now I’m bursting with energy and can’t wait to unleash Here Be Dragons and then kick off the big tour with our new stage. We’ll present the new material alongside our classics and some rarities in the most spectacular stage show Avantasia has ever delivered. An early Merry Christmas, everyone!

Pre-order here.

 

[Cronopio]

Here's the tracklist:

01. Creepshow
02. Here Be Dragons
03. The Moorland at Twilight
04. The Witch
05. Phantasmagoria
06. Bring on the Night
07. Unleash the Kraken
08. Avalon
09. Against the Wind
10. Everybody's Here Until the End

Hopefully there will be some power metal on this. I wouldn't mind him revisiting the sound of Mystery of Time, to be honest.

 

[KingsGene]

Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA Release "Creepshow" Single And Music Video​

Tobias Sammet on the single and video:

'Creepshow' is a perfect single. It’s short and catchy, and it emphasizes a facet of my work that has taken a backseat in my music in recent years. It’s light-hearted and the opposite of melancholic. And it's fresh, boisterous and unabashed - a straightforward kick-ass anthem. Also, even though it may seem like a reminiscence of my earlier writing, I think we managed to turn the whole thing into a trademark Avantasia tune, as we accentuated with the music video. We rented a haunted castle in North England and celebrated a night in the world of spectres and undead creatures. This is the most vibrant and eccentric music video I’ve ever shot in my entire career, not dead-serious, but certainly of serious quality! I can’t wait to play 'Creepshow' live on our tour next year, I can already see the whole venue jumping up and down and screaming along!

 

[KingsGene]

AVANTASIA - Here Be Dragons Title Track Features GEOFF TATE, “Is The Longest Song On The Album,” Says TOBIAS SAMMET​

Writes Sammet, Track by Track:

‘Here Be Dragons’ is the longest song on the album and features a great duet with my good friend and one of my vocal heroes since his early days in Queensrÿche, Mr. Geoff Tate, who’s outdone himself on the track. It’s a groovy mid-tempo song with enchanting melodies, orchestral elements, big keyboard passages and a powerful guitar riffing driving the main parts of the song. Even though you can hear some classic Dio, Queensrÿche and even Marillion elements in there, it’s a typical Avantasia song and a very unqiue one. It has two different choruses and a very emotional and big sounding mid-section. The song wasn’t meant to be that long, but there isn’t a single note I would change or leave out if I listen to the final result now.

 

[KingsGene]

AVANTASIA – “The Moorlands At Twilight” Features MICHAEL KISKE, “A Rampant Speed Metal Anthem,” Says TOBIAS SAMMET​

Sammet writes:

Track by Track: ‘The Moorlands At Twilight’ is a really rampant speed metal anthem with my lovely brother in Avantasia since the early days, Michael Kiske delivering a killer vocal performance. I guess that type of music is just in my DNA and even though it's a classic Avantasia song I think that the atmosphere is different to anything we've done before. I can hear some early Helloween influence in there, even though the song is very unique with its playful neo-classical elements and wild approach. Also, the lead guitars are extreme and quite virtuous: Sascha Paeth and Arne Wiegand have delivered an extensive, fast and hymnic axe battle that made my jaw drop. When ‘power metal’ is done like that, I absolutely love it!