ROCK AND METAL FLAGSHIP AVANTASIA ANNOUNCES 10TH STUDIO ALBUM, HERE BE DRAGONS
27th November 2024Leading rock and metal force AVANTASIA are set to unleash their extravagant 10th studio album Here Be Dragons on February 28, 2025 via Napam Records. Featuring AVANTASIA essentials such as spellbinding choirs and theatrical, symphonic metal elements, multi-talented mastermind Tobias Sammet also wields a few surprises up his sleeve for fans old and new.
Here Be Dragons is the most consistent and concise piece of art that the band has ever crafted, giving the celebrated AVANTASIA sound – carefully crafted over a quarter of a century – an exciting and powerful new spin.
The band’s impressive success story has seen nine previous studio albums (including 2019’s Moonglow that charted at #1 in Germany and saw the band headline Wacken festival there), gold awards, hundreds of millions of streams as well as sold-out global arena tours in front of tens of thousands of devoted fans. AVANTASIA are not showing any signs of slowing down – soon after the release of Here Be Dragons, the band will head out on an extensive arena tour across Europe, promising to deliver fans an immersive experience with their biggest and most epic production ever.
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 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 just let instinct 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 Be Dragons here.
Here Be Dragons Tracklisting:
- Creepshow
- Here Be Dragons
- The Moorland At Twilight
- The Witch
- Phantasmagoria
- Bring On The Night
- Unleash The Kraken
- Avalon
- Against The Wind
- Everybody’s Here Until The End
In grand AVANTASIA tradition, the new full-length is rich with vivid storytelling and cinematic atmosphere, plus the highest level of musicianship. Opening track “Creepshow” is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs in their career and welcomes the listener into a new era of AVANTASIA – expect it to be an integral part of the band’s spectacular live shows. In contrast, the incredible title track “Here Be Dragons” is instant classic AVANTASIA, and at almost nine minutes, by far the longest on the album. Dark soundscapes of “The Witch” captivate and support the song’s storyline perfectly. Emotional, multifaceted vocal performances mesmerise on “Avalon”, while the heavy metal beast “Against The Wind” serves as further proof of AVANTASIA‘s versatility. Well-balanced and cohesive, Here Be Dragons is undeniably AVANTASIA’s most powerful album so far.The 10-track offering was written and composed in its entirety by Tobias Sammet, produced and recorded by Tobias Sammet together with Sascha Paeth, mixed by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg. The stunning cover art was once again created by acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews.
Here Be Dragons is now available for pre-order in several exciting physical editions, with bonus albums included in select limited formats, like a 3CD hardcover artbook with 96 pages, over 160 pictures, drawings of Rodney Matthews and extensive stories to accompany the music and pictures. Secure yours and stay tuned for the first single that will be released very soon!
Here Be Dragons will be available in the following formats:- 3-CD Artbook – large format, hardcover book incl. 96 pages, over 160 pictures and extensive stories and liner notes
- 3-LP Vinyl Box incl 72 Pages 12″ Booklet – strictly limited to 500 copies
- 1-LP Glow in the Dark Vinyl incl 12” Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
- 1-LP Yellow/Orange Marbled Vinyl incl 12” Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
- 1-LP Blue/White Splattered Vinyl incl 12″ Booklet + Poster + Slipmat – strictly limited to 500 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive ROW
- 1-LP Orange/Black Splatter Vinyl incl 12” Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Avantasia Mailorder exclusive
- 1-LP Marbled White Viola Red Royal Blue Vinyl incl 12” Booklet – strictly limited to 500 copies – Avantasia Mailorder exclusive
- 1-LP Orange incl 12” Booklet
- 1-LP Black incl 12” Booklet
- Tape – strictly limited to 100 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
- 2CD Mediabook
- 1CD Digipak
Don’t miss the dazzling extravaganza that is the AVANTASIA live show. Tickets are on sale now for the following dates, which include a stop at London’s beautiful Roundhouse on March 24, 2025. 14.03.25 DE – Hamburg / Sporthalle
15.03.25 BE – Brussels / AB Box
16.03.25 FR – Paris / Olympia
18.03.25 LU – Esch-sur-Alzette / Rockhal
20.03.25 DE – Berlin / Columbiahalle
21.03.25 DE – Bamberg / Brose Arena
22.03.25 DE – Bochum / RuhrCongress
24.03.25 UK – London / The Roundhouse
26.03.25 NL – Tilburg / O13
28.03.25 DE – Stuttgart / Schleyerhalle
29.03.25 CZ – Prague / Forum Karlin
01.04.25 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra
02.04.25 AT – Vienna / Gasometer
04.04.25 DE – Munich / Zenith
05.04.25 DE – Frankfurt am Main / Jahrhunderthalle
06.04.25 DE – Cologne / Palladium
08.04.25 IT – Milan / Alcatraz
09.04.25 CH – Zurich / The Hall
11.04.25 ES – Barcelona / Razzmatazz
12.04.25 ES – Madrid / Vistalegre
23.04.25 FI – Helsinki / Black Box
25.04.25 NO – Oslo / Sentrum Scene
26.04.25 SE – Stockholm / Arenan Fryshuset
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