In early 1999, more than 20 years ago, a widely unknown 21 year old German musician named Tobias Sammet decided to jump in at the deep end and fulfil his dream of initiating a solo project starring his musical idols within the framework of a Rock Opera. Only just a bit heavier than other Rock Operas. When the first single from “Avantasia – The Metal Opera“ was released in 2000 nobody was aware that the album title would also mark the beginning of a new genre in music history:
The term ‘Metal Opera‘ was established.
Today, 20 years later, it‘s time to look back on 8 albums, arena shows, 5 world tours across 4 continents and studio collaborations with legends such as Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine & Rudolf Schenker (SCORPIONS), Jorn Lande, the late André Matos and stars known from acts such as MR. BIG, QUEENSRYCHE, WITHIN TEMPTAION, NIGHTWISH, HELLOWEEN, KISS, SAXON, PRETTY MAIDS, MAGNUM, KREATOR, BLIND GUARDIAN, RAINBOW, BLACKMORE’s NIGHT or URIAH HEEP.
By now, AVANTASIA has become a staple in the Rock World and an arena-sized live spectacle. And 20 years after its birth it’s time to celebrate the journey from “The Metal Opera“ to the most recent number-one-album “Moonglow“ with a special history show at selected summer festivals in 2020.
Tobias says: “It‘s been a long road, an exciting journey full of hard work, taking risks and balancing on the edge at times. But I wouldn‘t want to miss a minute of it.
Looking back now, without the sheltering retreat and the creative freedom and possibilities I’ve found in AVANTASIA, I‘d probably have gone crazy and burnt out in this superficial, super-glossy and super-streamlined music industry, with its often unfulfillable and ludicrous expectations, by now.
The naiveté to dream up AVANTASIA as a 20 year old boy has rewarded me with the chance to create my own little world that has always turned at my own little pace. That said, when you get to work next to your heroes and the best of the best – you don‘t even realize how you constantly break through your own limitations and discover new possibilities – the fuel for inspiration.
20 years and counting – thanks to our fans and my wonderful extended AVANTASIA family. And honestly, there is no better way to celebrate our anniversary than gathering the family on stage and in front of it for a few epic best-of shows featuring the most celebrated anthems of our career plus some songs that we have never or not played in a long time. Again I want to thank everybody who has joined me on my journey so far. And I am looking forward to delivering a great show with some of my amazing companions!“
After triumphantly storming the worldwide charts with new album Moonglow, TOBIAS SAMMET‘s AVANTASIA are premiering an official lyric video for the track ‘Alchemy’, which features the distinctive vocals ofex-Queensrÿchesinger Geoff Tate. Watch the new lyric video for ‘Alchemy’:
TOBIAS SAMMET comments: “When I wrote ‘Alchemy’ I had no one but Geoff Tate in mind. He is one of the most influential singers in the history of Melodic Metal and I have always adored albums like QUEENSRYCHE’s ‘Rage For Order’ and ‘Operation Mindcrime’. And that type of singing was exactly what I imagined to hear in AVANTASIA. When we were in the studio there was magic in the air, Geoff delivered and even though thousands of singers have been inspired by him, there is only one Geoff Tate. What a great addition to the AVANTASIA family. I can‘t wait to travel around the globe with Geoff and the team in a couple of days.”
TOBIAS SAMMET has long been recognized as one of the most accomplished German rock musicians, with releases and chart success in 40 countries across world. Moonglow charted as follows:
– GERMANY #1 – SWEDEN Rock/ Metal #1 – UK Rock Top 40 #1 – SWITZERLAND #3 – AUSTRIA #4 – CANADA Hard Music Albums #5 – FINLAND physical #5 – SPAIN #5 – USA Current Hard Music Albums #5 – SWEDEN #6 – CZECH REPUBLIK #8 – SCOTLAND #9 – FINLAND #13 – JAPAN (western music) #13 – CANADA Top Current Albums #17 – FRANCE TOP 150 physical and download #22 – ITALY #31 – UK #38 – BELGIUM VL #38 – FRANCE TOP 150 #43 – USA Top Albums #46 – NETHERLANDS #83 – BELGIUM WA #121
AVANTASIA’s latest opus, Moonglow is a masterpiece in rock, that ignores the conventional way of creating music and transports fans into a new and magical world. Barricading himself in his studio, aptly called The Great Mystery,Tobias worked tirelessly on new material, until finally 11 tracks were brought together to form Moonglow. „It’s beautiful to see how this worked out for me with a sound, for which – according to the opinion of some experts – there is no place in this generic mainstream-world. And the best thing is: Fans all around the world love the record and we can kick off our world-tour knowing of their support and have lots of fun!“, comments TOBIAS SAMMET on his first #1 in his home country.
AVANTASIA – »Moonglow World Tour 2019« Presented by Metal Hammer, Piranha, Musix, Rock It! 27.03. SK Presov – Tatran Handball Aréna 28.03. SK Bratislava – Hant Aréna 30.03. DE Kaufbeuren – All-Karthalle *SOLD OUT* 31.03. IT Milan – Alcatraz 02.04. CZ Prague – Forum Karlín *SOLD OUT* 03.04. DE Berlin – Huxleys Neue Welt 05.04. DE Ludwigsburg – MHP Arena *SOLD OUT* 06.04. DE Bamberg – Brose Arena 08.04. DE Fulda – Esperantohalle 09.04. DE Saarbrücken – Saarlandhalle 10.04. FR Paris – Olympia 12.04. DE Osnabrück – Osnabrück Halle 13.04. DE Hamburg – Mehr! Theater *SOLD OUT* 14.04. DE Oberhausen – König-Pilsener-Arena 16.04. UK London – The Forum 18.04. DE Offenbach – Stadthalle 19.04. CH Pratteln – Z7 20.04. CH Pratteln – Z7 *SOLD OUT* 21.04. CH Pratteln – Z7 24.04. ES Bilbao – Santana 27 26.04. ES Barcelona – Razzmatazz 1 27.04. ES Madrid – Palacio Vistalegre 02.05. SE Stockholm – Arenan 04.05. RU Moscow – Glavclub Green Concert 06.05. HU Budapest – Barba Negra Track 09.05. JP Tokyo – Blitz Akasaka 12.05. AU Sydney – Metro Theatre 14.05. AU Melbourne – The Forum 17.05. US San Jose, CA – City National Civic 19.05. US Anaheim, CA – City National Grove 21.05. US Chicago, IL – Patio Theater 23.05. CA Montreal, QC – Metropolis 24.05. US Worcester, MA – Palladium 26.05. MEX Mexico City – Auditorio BlackBerry 29.05. RCH Santiago – Teatro Caupolican 31.05. RA Buenos Aires – El Teatro Flores 02.06. BR São Paulo – Espaço das América
Festivals: 11. – 13.07. D Balingen – Bang Your Head!!! 11. – 14.07. CZ Vizovice – Masters of Rock 09.- 11.08. B Kortrijk – Alcatraz Metal Festival 14. – 17.08. D Dinkelsbühl – Summer Breeze 18.08. BG Varna – Varna Rock 23.08. D Giessen – Giessener Kultursommer
Having reached #2 a total of three times now, AVANTASIA frontman Tobias Sammet canfinally say he has conquered the official German album charts by landing a #1 with his sensational new album “Moonglow“. To celebrate this triumphant success, the elated band leader has released a lyric video for new track, ‘Starlight’.
Watch and listen, here:
“It’s a really extraordinary feeling, to reach the very top after being only second for such a long time“, says TOBIAS SAMMET.
AVANTASIA can now look back on almost 20 years of global success. His previous album „Ghostlights“ hit the charts in more than a dozen countries across the world, including the USA, Canada, UK, Japan and Germany. TOBIAS has worked with the likes of Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine, members of KISS, URIAH HEEP and JUDAS PRIEST, as well as sharing the stage with AEROSMITH, SLASH, SCORPIONS, IRON MAIDEN and DEEP PURPLE. With over a million fans on Facebook, he has played the prestigious Wacken Open Air 10 times in his career, most recently as a headliner. In 2019 the project will be embarking on another world tour that includes dates in Japan, Australia, the Americas, Russia and Europe.
AVANTASIA’s latest opus, “Moonglow“ is a masterpiece in rock, that transports fans on a fantastic journey to another world. Without the pressure of time or obligation, and free from the constraints of the music industry, the singer songwriter barricaded himself in his home studio and worked on new material night and day, until “Moonglow” was finally born.
„It’s beautiful to see how this worked out for me with a sound, for which – according to the opinion of some experts – there is no place in this generic mainstream world. And the best thing is: Fans all around the world love the record and we can kick off our world tour knowing of their support and have lots of fun!“ comments TOBIAS SAMMET about his first #1 in his home country.
AVANTASIA – »Moonglow World Tour 2019« Presented by Metal Hammer, Piranha, Musix, Rock It! 27.03. SK Presov – Tatran Handball Aréna 28.03. SK Bratislava – Hant Aréna 30.03. DE Kaufbeuren – All-Karthalle 31.03. IT Milan – Alcatraz 02.04. CZ Prague – Forum Karlín *SOLD OUT* 03.04. DE Berlin – Huxleys Neue Welt 05.04. DE Ludwigsburg – MHP Arena 06.04. DE Bamberg – Brose Arena 08.04. DE Fulda – Esperantohalle 09.04. DE Saarbrücken – Saarlandhalle 10.04. FR Paris – Olympia 12.04. DE Osnabrück – Osnabrück Halle 13.04. DE Hamburg – Mehr! Theater *SOLD OUT* 14.04. DE Oberhausen – König-Pilsener-Arena 16.04. UK London – The Forum 18.04. DE Offenbach – Stadthalle 19.04. CH Pratteln – Z7 20.04. CH Pratteln – Z7 24.04. ES Bilbao – Santana 27 26.04. ES Barcelona – Razzmatazz 1 27.04. ES Madrid – Palacio Vistalegre 02.05. SE Stockholm – Arenan 04.05. RU Moscow – Glavclub Green Concert 06.05. HU Budapest – Barba Negra Track 09.05. JP Tokyo – Blitz Akasaka 12.05. AU Sydney – Metro Theatre 14.05. AU Melbourne – The Forum 17.05. US San Jose, CA – City National Civic 19.05. US Anaheim, CA – City National Grove 21.05. US Chicago, IL – Patio Theater 23.05. CA Montreal, QC – Metropolis 24.05. US Worcester, MA – Palladium 26.05. MEX Mexico City – Auditorio BlackBerry 29.05. RCH Santiago – Teatro Caupolican 31.05. RA Buenos Aires – El Teatro Flores 02.06. BR São Paulo – Espaço das América
Festivals: 11. – 13.07. D Balingen – Bang Your Head!!! 11. – 14.07. CZ Vizovice – Masters of Rock 09.- 11.08. B Kortrijk – Alcatraz Metal Festival 14. – 17.08. D Dinkelsbühl – Summer Breeze 18.08 BG Varna – Varna Rock
With his project AVANTASIA he has long been recognised as one of the most accomplished German rock musicians. With releases and chart success in 40 countries across the world throughout his career and now TOBIAS SAMMET has reached the top of the charts in his home country as well. After three times reaching #2 in the official German album charts he has finally achieved a sensational #1 with „Moonglow“.
“It’s a really extraordinary feeling, to reach the very top after being only second for such a long time“, says TOBIAS SAMMET. AVANTASIA can now look back to almost 20 years of global success. His previous album „Ghostlights“ alone hit the charts in more than a dozen countries around the world – among them are the USA, Canada, the UK, Japan, and Germany, where he reached #2. In the recording studio TOBIAS SAMMET has worked with the likes of Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine, members of KISS, URIAH HEEP and JUDAS PRIEST. He’s shared the stage with AEROSMITH, SLASH, SCORPIONS, IRON MAIDEN and DEEP PURPLE. With over a million fans on Facebook, he has played the prestigious Wacken Open Air 10 times in his career, most recently as a headliner. In 2019 the project will be embarking on another world tour that includes dates in Japan, Australia, the Americas, Russia and Europe.
Just recently Metal Shock Finland’s David Araneda reviewed “Moonglow”, read it here.
AVANTASIA’s latest opus, “Moonglow“ is a masterpiece in rock, that intentionally refuses to follow the spirit of today and goes out to all the fans that are ready to be taken away on a fantastic journey to another world. Only few of the spectacles that nature offers us are as ambivalent as moonlight is. Without the pressure of time or obligation and free from the constraints of the music industry, the singer and songwriter barricaded himself in his own “The Great Mystery“-studio and worked on new material night and day, until finally 11 tracks were put together to form “Moonglow”. „It’s beautiful to see how this worked out for me with a sound, for which – according to the opinion of some experts – there is no place in this generic mainstream-world. And the best thing is: Fans all around the world love the record and we can kick off our world-tour knowing of their support and have lots of fun!“ comments TOBIAS SAMMET about his first #1 in his home country.
AVANTASIA, the all-star rock opera spaceship piloted by EDGUY singer, songwriter and producer Tobias Sammet, release their eighth full-length album, ‘Moonglow’, via Nuclear Blast Records this upcoming Friday, on February 15th.
This new 11-song record sees Sammet, among the most talented and popular names in German hard rock and metal, reunited with some familiar faces from previous AVANTASIA albums. These include original QUEENSRYCHE lead singer Geoff Tate, PRETTY MAIDSfrontman Ronnie Atkins, Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN, Jørn Lande (ex-MASTERPLAN), Eric Martin (MR BIG) and MAGNUM’s Bob Catley. ‘Moonglow’ also introduces new collaborators Hansi Kürsch of BLIND GUARDIAN, KREATOR’s Mille Petrozza and BLACKMORE’S NIGHT frontwoman Candice Night in truly spectacular fashion.
Today, AVANTASIA release the last one of three interview trailers, in which Tobias Sammet talks about what inspired him when writing “Moonglow”. Watch it here:
Tobias Sammet comments: „Yes, we’ve found a song on the new album that is below the 4 minutes benchmark and it would work as a single. And despite being rather short it’s also representative for the world of AVANTASIA. Somehow in hindsight I think that my admiration for Mike Oldfield shines through here, which wasn’t intentional but you can’t really control that. And by and large I find the song to be a typical AVANTASIA song nevertheless. The enchanting Candice Night did an amazing vocal job, and in all modesty, I think so did I, ha! ‘Moonglow’ is a declaration of love to the moon, the night; it’s about entering a different world and the sacred experiences that go along with it.“
»Moonglow« – Track Listing: 01. Ghost In The Moon 02. Book Of Shallows 03. Moonglow 04. The Raven Child 05. Starlight 06. Invincible 07. Alchemy 08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 09. Lavender 10. Requiem For A Dream 11. Maniac Bonus Track 12. Heart
AVANTASIA – »Moonglow World Tour 2019« Presented by Metal Hammer, Piranha, Musix, Rock It! 27.03. SK Presov – Tatran Handball Aréna 28.03. SK Bratislava – Hant Aréna 30.03. DE Kaufbeuren – All-Karthalle *SOLD OUT* 31.03. IT Milan – Alcatraz 02.04. CZ Prague – Forum Karlín *SOLD OUT* 03.04. DE Berlin – Huxleys Neue Welt 05.04. DE Ludwigsburg – MHP Arena 06.04. DE Bamberg – Brose Arena 08.04. DE Fulda – Esperantohalle 09.04. DE Saarbrücken – Saarlandhalle 10.04. FR Paris – Olympia 12.04. DE Osnabrück – Osnabrück Halle 13.04. DE Hamburg – Mehr! Theater *SOLD OUT* 14.04. DE Oberhausen – König-Pilsener-Arena 16.04. UK London – The Forum 18.04. DE Offenbach – Stadthalle 19.04. CH Pratteln – Z7 20.04. CH Pratteln – Z7 24.04. ES Bilbao – Santana 27 26.04. ES Barcelona – Razzmatazz 1 27.04. ES Madrid – Palacio Vistalegre 02.05. SE Stockholm – Arenan 04.05. RU Moscow – Glavclub Green Concert 06.05. HU Budapest – Barba Negra Track 09.05. JP Tokyo – Blitz Akasaka 12.05. AU Sydney – Metro Theatre 14.05. AU Melbourne – The Forum 17.05. US San Jose, CA – City National Civic 19.05. US Anaheim, CA – City National Grove 21.05. US Chicago, IL – Patio Theater 23.05. CA Montreal, QC – Metropolis 24.05. US Worcester, MA – Palladium 26.05. MEX Mexico City – Auditorio BlackBerry 29.05. RCH Santiago – Teatro Caupolican 31.05. RA Buenos Aires – El Teatro Flores 02.06. BR São Paulo – Espaço das Américas
Festivals: 11. – 13.07. D Balingen – Bang Your Head!!! 11. – 14.07. CZ Vizovice – Masters of Rock 14. – 17.08. D Dinkelsbühl – Summer Breeze
Artist: AVANTASIA
Album: “Moonglow”
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release date: 15th February 2019
Tracklist: 01. Ghost In The Moon
02. Book Of Shallows
03. Moonglow
04. The Raven Child
05. Starlight
06. Invincible
07. Alchemy
08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
09. Lavender
10. Requiem For A Dream
11. Maniac
12. Heart (Bonus track, only limited edition)
At this point in time AVANTASIA doesn’t need major introductions. This rock and metal opera commanded by mastermind Tobias Sammet has been catching a lot of attention from the metal world for over twenty years now, creating a lot of expectation with each release due to the amount of musicians involved. With time the style of the band has evolved from traditional power metal into something way more miscellaneous. In this occasion we had the joy to analyze “Moonglow”, their eight full-length studio release, which will be soon available via Nuclear Blast. For this new album the main line-up of the band remained unchanged compared to their latest releases, with Sascha Paeth in charge of the strings, Michael Rodenberg aka “Miro” on keyboards and orchestrations, plus Felix Bohnke on drums.
After a short break following AVANTASIA’s “Ghostlights Tour” and EDGUY’s compilation “Monuments”, Sammet faced no contractual obligations for the first time in many years, with complete freedom to plan the future of these two projects. This freedom allowed Tobias to get inspired in a natural way and without time restrains, taking creative breaks in England. This is very relevant when we examine the themes of “Moonglow”, a conceptual album which tells the story of a misfit creature who searches for shelter in the darkness. Both the lyrics and the fabulous cover (a brilliant illustration created by Alexander Jansson) were influenced by Victorian novels written by the likes of Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood.
Going straight to the music, the album opens with ‘Ghost in the Moon’,a ten-minute epic track. The soft piano introduction and melodic tone of the song remind us of some of the latest releases from AVANTASIA, with a sound that gets close to the eighties-inspired AOR à laMeat Loaf. Sammet’s self-references to his previous work become evident with phrases such as “mystery of a blood red rose”, which make us feel like we’re inside an Avatasian universe with a life of its own. Toby takes over the main vocals and shines with a dramatic performance. As usual, the vocal arrangements and orchestrations are top-notch, making this track a promising beginning to this musical journey.
Without a break they put all the meat on the grill (as we say in Spanish) with ‘Book of Shallows’, a powerful and straight forward song, with a mind-blowing list of singers. We hear for the first time the unique voice of Hansi Kürsch, together with some old fellows such as Jørn Lande and Ronnie Atkins. But maybe the most unexpected apparition is that of Mille Petrozza, taking AVANTASIA to previously unknown levels of aggressiveness, though keeping its pomposity untouched. ‘Moonglow’ was the second single, making some people doubt about the musical direction of the album due to its Disney Channel-inspired melody and structure. Personally, I like it more with every listen, especially the lovely contribution of Candice Night, who adds a dream-like feeling to the song.
‘The Raven Child’ is one of the highlights of the album, with eleven minutes filled with magic and fantasy that delighted us already last December. From its subtle introduction with medieval atmosphere and the voice of Hansi the Bard, it takes us to ancient times, evolving into segments with higher intensity and the apparition of mastermind Toby and Viking Lande, a true King Midas of rock and roll. I think Jørn could sing reggaeton and make it sound classy, what a voice for the love of Jebus! It is worth mentioning that this song is not exempt of references to earlier AVANTASIA works, and that no one would have been surprised if this track was entitled “The Scarecrow Part II”.
They continue with ‘Stralight’, a mid-tempo track with a sound of traditional heavy/power melodic metal. The Danish gentleman Ronnie Atkins shines once more in an outstanding duet with Sammet. The vocal line is very catchy and the song is full of energy and groove, with lots of positive vibes. Happy Metal at its best. ‘Invincible’ is the compulsory ballad, with the great Geoff Tate stealing the show and claiming back his reputation. The former Queensrÿche front man delivers a performance that justifies why he is considered one of the best voices in rock history. In a short duel full of sentiment with Toby, they build up the tension for the next epic moment of “Moonglow”.
I’m talking about ‘Alchemy’, a song with a more intricate and progressive structure in which Tate delivers once more his immeasurable talent, giving a masterclass in vocal power. The chorus is one of the catchiest and more addictive within the album, together with exquisite orchestral arrangements courtesy of Miro. A killer track, no questions asked. The next in line is ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’, perhaps the most interesting song of the album in terms of the amount vocalists involved. In addition to Sammet, Atkins, Tate and Lande we have Eric Martin and Bob Catley, becoming an international dream team of rock and metal. Musically speaking this is a very effective melodic power metal track, one of those that feature plenty of bombastic double bass drum and that fans will always embrace.
With ‘Lavender’ they go back to the AOR sound that Toby usually chooses for Bob Catley’s apparitions. I appreciate the intention to keep the variety in the album but this effort lacks the necessary novelty and freshness to make it a memorable one. But since we’re speaking of memorable, ‘Requiem for a Dream’ is what we were waiting for since the beginning of the album, the starring contribution of Michael Kiske. Michi has been part of the AVANTASIA family since day one and “Moonglow” is no exception, adding his superb vocals, astonishing as usual. The bass arrangements à la Grosskopf give this song a taste of Helloween, while we wait for the upcoming album from the Pumpkins United.
The record closes with ‘Maniac’, a peculiar version of the eighties classic originally by Michael Sembello. In a curious decision, this track is part of the official album and not a bonus one. Despite of the good vocal work by Sammet and Martin, this cover version feels a little out of place, since it sounds more like a wedding band than a metal opera. Anyways, we all know Toby is a guy with a great sense of humor and also a musical chameleon who’s always trying to surprise us with his crazy ideas. The limited edition of the album includes a bonus track called ‘Heart’,which works as a personal tribute from Sammet to the legendary band Journey and his classic vocalist Steve Perry.
In a nutshell, “Moonglow” is a fine piece of work that brings together some of the best voices of nowadays melodic rock and metal. Sammet is without a question a creative genius whose ideas don’t seem to run out or lose its relevance. Even if this album doesn’t bring too many new elements to the table, the amount of references to the world of rock music elevate Toby to the category of the Tarantino of metal, mixing and reusing the right ingredients in the perfect amounts to create a unique and unforgettable music experience. Not every song in this album reaches the mark of masterpiece or instant classic, but there are no bad tracks either. The order of the tracklist makes the record flow naturally and gracefully.
Furthermore, “Moonglow” easily takes a high place in AVANTASIA’s discography, perhaps only behind “The Metal Opera”, “The Scarecrow” and “The Mystery of Time”. We appreciate the variety and energy in the compositions, in addition to the flawless production and beautiful artwork. The presence of singers with such iconic voices such as Hansi and Mille, together with Kiske’s commitments with Helloween, leaves us waiting for the confirmation of the live line-up that will hit the road in March. Regarding the “Moonglow World Tour”, Sammet has promised plenty of surprises and three hours of music, making it one of the most anticipated live shows of the year. ¡Avantasia is back, ladies and gentlemen!
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 