Last Friday 16th September the Metal Hammer Awards show took place at Kesselhaus in Berlin, Germany. Several Nuclear Blast bands were nominated in the nine categories and three of them took home an award. Congratulations, AVANTASIA, KREATOR and AVATARIUM!
Best Album AVANTASIA – “Ghostlights” Tobias Sammet (lead vocals, bass)
Photo credit: Severin Schweiger
Best German Band KREATOR Miland “Mille” Petrozza (vocals, guitars)
& Sami Yli-Sirniö (guitars)
Photo credit: Severin Schweiger
Up And Coming AVATARIUM Marcus Jidell (guitars)
& Jennie-Ann Smith (vocals)
Photo credit: Severin Schweiger
Order the lastest albums of the three Metal Hammer Award-certified bands here:
Lead singer and guitarist Michael Sweet of STRYPER recently joined Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon on Canada’s The Metal Voiceto review the new album by Avantasia entitled Ghostlights and to give a first impression on the new live DVD/CD/Blu Ray by Judas Priest called Battle Cry
On Michael Sweet’s review on the new Avantasia album Ghostlights
“My first impressions, there are good and bad. The good being there is no denying the talent that is involved in that makes up the band, everybody, the musicianship levels are high, the vocals levels are high. Everything is obviously top notch in that regard . What didn’t do it for me, I guess as a producer, I wasn’t 100% floored by the production. As I kept listening to it, I kept thinking gosh I would have loved to produced this, just to see what it would have sounded like. My first impression it almost sounds like a modern day Meatloaf, that rock opera Jim Steinman, very complicated songs, parts and structures. I just felt like the production was lacking a little bit. I wanted to hear a little more punch, a little more crispness, it just sounded flat in that regard. ”
On Sweet’s first impression on Judas Priest’s new live album/dvd
“My first impression was how great the band sounds, how great the guitar tones sound, the drum tones. Rob being who he is and how old he is, what he has done. I’m thinking gosh this guy sounds amazing, he sounds incredible and I just love Priest. There is an energy, the minute you hear them start playing there is this energy they have that not very many bands have. So I love it, I love Priest. For a live album for what it is it’s awesome.”
Tobias Sammet‘s AVANTASIA release their new rock opera masterpiece “Ghostlights”, on January 29th, 2016, via Nuclear Blast. After the release of the first single, ‘Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose’, and a snippet trailer of album tracks over Christmas, another magical lyric video for the title track ‘Ghostlights’ has been launched today, featuring guest vocals fromMichael Kiske (ex-HELLOWEEN, UNISONIC) and Jorn Lande (ex-MASTERPLAN, JORN). Watch it here:
If you missed ‘Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose,’ listen to it here:
Watch the snippet trailer including parts of ‘Let The Storm Descend Upon You,’ ‘Unchain The Light,’ ‘Master Of The Pendulum,’ ‘Seduction Of Decay,’ and ‘Ghostlights,’ here:
Tuska Festival has announced AVANTASIA to its line-up 2016. The band’s first ever show in Finland will take place at Finland’s heaviest festival in Suvilahti, Helsinki during 1.-3.7.2016. Special prized Early Crow -tickets are on sale until the end of the year.
Avantasia is one of the most significant rock operas of our time. Avantasia’s primus motor Tobias Sammet, also known from power metal giants Edguy, has created a multifaceted metal collective pushing the boundaries of symphonic and melodic metal. Avantasia’s vocal parts have been delivered by such metal greats as Michael Kiske, Jorn Lande, Marco Hietala and Dee Snider. The band’s seventh album, “Ghostlights”, will be released on January 2016 and Avantasia will be embarking on a full-scale world tour in support of the masterpiece.
Besides Avantasia, the following acts have been confirmed for Tuska 2016: GHOST, TESTAMENT, BEHEMOTH, KATATONIA, LORDI, STAM1NA, DIABLO, PRIMORDIAL, TSJUDER, CATTLE DECAPITATION, HAVOK, MYRKUR, DELAIN. More to be announced soon.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
TUSKA 2016 tickets are now on sale through Tiketti, Lippupalvelu and Lippupiste. If you’re coming to Tuska from abroad, check out Festicket and their packages.
Early Crow ticket pricing starts at 115 € while tag for VIP-packages is 255 €. Turbo VIP –ticket holders get i.e. own entrance lane to the fest area, VIP-area with its restaurant services, one hot meal per fest day, VIP-passes and wristbands plus exclusive TUSKA 2016 -doggy bag filled with merchandise stunners. Find detailed list of VIP-package ingredients here. 115 € priced Early Crow tickets are being sold until the end of the year.
Other ticket categories and ticket prices will be announced soon.
ROCKHARZ Open Air has announced the next wave of top acts at the St. Nicholaus’ weekend. Next headliner is Tobias Sammet‘s Metal Opera AVANTASIA, they will bring the new album “Ghostlights” (out on January 29th 2016) with them. Furthermore, TANKARD, AXXIS, ILLDISPOSED (special anniversary show) and HACKNEYED joined the billing for 2016.
The current billing for 2016:
ANNIHILATOR
ASP
AVANTASIA
AXXIS
DEADLOCK
DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT
DRACONIAN
DUST BOLT
ENSLAVED
ENTOMBED A.D.
FINNTROLL
GLORYHAMMER
GRAND MAGUS
HACKNEYED
HÄMATOM
HARPYIE
ILLDISPOSED
KAMPFAR
KÄRBHOLZ
KNORKATOR
NITROGODS
OMNIUM GATHERUM
PRIMORDIAL
SALTATIO MORTIS
SATYRICON
SAXON
SONATA ARCTICA
SUBWAY TO SALLY
TANKARD
TANZWUT
TWILIGHT FORCE
ROCKHARZ 2016 takes place at the airport Ballenstedt from July 7th to July 9th 2016.
Tobias Sammet‘s AVANTASIA returns with a brand new album and single, ‘Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose’, a four minutes song which Tobias described as a short opera within the rock opera. The choirs for this song alone took over 40 hours to record! The album includes guest appearances from: Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Geoff Tate (ex-Queensryche), Michael Kiske (ex- Helloween), Marco Hietala (Nightwish), Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation), Bob Catley (Magnum) and many more. Stream the song here:
As previously announced, AVANTASIA‘s outstanding seventh album, “Ghostlights”, will be released worldwide on January 29th, 2016 via Nuclear Blast. The opus features guest appearances of Dee Snider, Geoff Tate, Marco Hietala, Sharon Den Adel, Michael Kiske, Ronnie Atkins, Bob Catley, Jorn Lande, Bruce Kulick, Robert Mason, Herbie Langhans, Oliver Hartmann and Sascha Paeth.
The record contains twelve songs and was produced by Tobias and Sascha Paeth in Gatestudio Wolfsburg, Germany. Paeth is responsible for engineering and mixing “Ghostlights”, too. Mastering was done by Michael Rodenberg.
The instrumentalists on “Ghostlights” are the following: Sascha Paeth – rhythm guitars, lead guitars, bass, additional keys Michael Rodenberg – orchestration, keys TobiasSammet – additional keys and bass Bruce Kulick – lead guitars Oliver Hartmann – lead guitars Felix Bohnke – drums
CD
01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose
Lead vocals: Tobias
Lead guitar: Sascha Paeth
02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You
Lead vocals: Tobias, Jorn Lande, Ronnie Atkins, Robert Mason
Lead guitar: Oliver Hartmann
03. The Haunting
Lead vocals: Dee Snider, Tobias
Lead guitar: Sascha Paeth
04. Seduction Of Decay
Lead vocals: Geoff Tate, Tobias
Lead guitar: Sascha Paeth
05. Ghostlights
Lead vocals: Michael Kiske, Tobias, Jorn Lande
Lead guitar: Sascha Paeth, Oliver Hartmann
06. Draconian Love
Lead vocals: Herbie Langhans, Tobias
Lead guitar: Sascha Paeth
07. Master Of The Pendulum
Lead vocals: Marco Hietala, Tobias
Lead guitar: Sascha Paeth
08. Isle Of Evermore
Lead vocals: Sharon Den Adel, Tobias
09. Babylon Vampyres
Lead vocals: Tobias, Robert Mason
Lead guitar: Bruce Kulick, Oliver Hartmann, Sascha Paeth
10. Lucifer
Lead vocals: Jorn Lande, Tobias
Lead guitar: Bruce Kulick
11. Unchain The Light
Lead vocals: Tobias, Ronnie Atkins, Michael Kiske
Lead guitar: Sascha Paeth, Oliver Hartmann
12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies
Lead vocals: Bob Catley, Tobias
Lead guitar: Bruce Kulick
Don’t miss AVANTASIA on their upcoming world tour!
“Ghostlights World Tour 2016”
04.03. D Berlin – Huxley´s*
05.03. D Hamburg – Große Freiheit*
06.03. D Bremen – Aladin*
08.03. UK London – The Forum*
09.03. F Paris – Le Trianon*
11.03. E Barcelona – Razzmatazz 1*
12.03. E Madrid – La Riviera*
13.03. E Madrid – La Riviera*
15.03. D Frankfurt-Langen – Stadthalle*
16.03. CZ Prague – Forum Karlin*
18.03. D Kaufbeuren – All-Karthalle*
19.03. D Bamberg – Brose-Arena*
20.03. D Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle*
22.03. I Milan – Alcatraz*
24.03. CH Pratteln – Z7*
25.03. CH Pratteln – Z7*
27.03. SK Banska Bystrica – Ice Stadium*
28.03. SK Bratislava – Sportshall*
29.03. A Tröpolach – Full Metal Mountain Festival
31.03. D Saarbrücken – Saarlandhalle*
01.04. D Ludwigsburg – Arena*
02.04. D Fulda – Esperantohalle*
06.04. RUS Moscow – Arena Moscow*
08.-11.06. S Sölvesborg – Sweden Rock Festival
*AVANTASIA play at least three hours, no more bands!
More dates in other countries in the works!
The Madrid show is sold out, an additional show has been scheduled. More dates about to sell out shortly. Concerts on other continents to be announced soon!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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