Earlier today, TOBIAS SAMMET’S AVANTASIA entered the preliminary round of the Eurovision Song Contest for Germany. Despite the great performance, the band finished in third position, with Jamie-Lee Kriewitz going through to the competition in Stockholm, Sweden.
According to the official Eurovision website, Jamie-Lee Kriewitz had won against third-placed Avantasia and second-placed Alex Diehl. These three acts had first topped the ranking in the first round of voting among the 10 candidate acts. 1.89 million votes were cast by televoting, SMS voting and the official Eurovision app.
Tobias Sammet stated this evening via the official AVANTASIAFacebook page:
“Hey folks, thanx for your votes. It was great fun! Germany is not a Rock’n Roll country, but that girl has got great talent. I wish her all the best for her future, I’ve met a lot of great vocalists here. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT and now we’ll get ready for the world tour! Can’t wait to present you our new stage production. Cheerz, T”
The Eurovision Song Contest Deutschland official Facebook page posted the video of AVANTASIA‘s performance, which was their hit single ‘Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose’ from current album “Ghostlights”. Check it out below:
Check out our recent interview with Tobi, discussing the forthcoming world tour and much more, at this location. The “Ghostlights World Tour” starts on 4th March in Berlin, check all the dates here.
Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA release their new rock opera masterpiece “Ghostlights” tomorrow, Friday 29th January via Nuclear Blast. Today, you can already listen to the entire album over on Bild.de at this location.
Furthermore a new music video for the song ‘Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose‘ premieres over on MyVideo.de here.
Don’t forget, AVANTASIA will take part in the German preliminary round of the Eurovision Song Contest on February 25th (German National TV ARD, 8.15pm CET, live from Cologne). The band will perform ‘Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose’.
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!
This week’s Blackdiamond’s Metal Mayhem on Tuesday 26th January from 6PM GMT will be an AVANTASIA special, featuring creator, composer and main man Tobias Sammet!
Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA are set to unleash their seventh album “Ghostlights” to fans worldwide on 29th January via Nuclear Blast and it is the sequel to 2013’s “The Mystery Of Time”. Tune into http://www.totalrock.com to hear an in depth chat with Tobi about “Ghostlights” and an insight into the album, as well as why the first single sounds so much like Meatloaf! Also including the huge forthcoming tour and their Eurovision entry, plus plenty more, along with an update on EDGUY. As well as all that, some epic new tracks from the album will be played!
The show also has great new singles from SABATON,MORTIIS (on the META(L)SCOPE), FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, CAIRO SON and more! Plus a couple of tracks dedicated to Jimmy Bain who passed away at the weekend.
For more information on Blackdiamond’s Metal Mayhem, check the official website here and the Facebook page at this location.
Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA are set to unleash their seventh album “Ghostlights” to fans, which is the sequel to 2013’s “The Mystery Of Time”. The rock operatic opus will be released worldwide on 29th January via Nuclear Blast Records. Tobias is well known for not doing things by halves, which the new album proves in stunning fashion!
In true AVANTASIA style, there are some regular artists the fans know and love on the new album, including Bob Catley, Michael Kiske, Amanda Somerville, Jorn Lande and Ronnie Atkins. Also welcomed to the ensemble are some new guests, such as Dee Snider, Marco Hietala and Geoff Tate.
I caught up recently with Tobi for an in depth chat about “Ghostlights” and an insight into the album, as well as why the first single sounds so much like Meatloaf! Also including the huge forthcoming tour and their Eurovision entry, plus plenty more, along with an update on EDGUY. Check out some excerpts from our discussion below and listen to the full interview, (which Tobi always makes so entertaining!) on the audio player:
Talking of the guests on the album, Tobi discussed some of his choices and the process he went through:
“When I write a song like the title track for the new album, I know Michael Kiske would be the singer for that song. I have it in the back of my mind, then I’d do it right from the start.
But sometimes you have a song, for example ‘The Haunting’ with Dee Snider – the music had been written and I was standing in my basement (which is the music part of the house) and I was in there listening to the material and then I tried to imagine who could be the proper singer for that song. ‘The Haunting’ was in need of a vocalist who would be both theatrical actor, but at the same time dramatic vocalist and the song was very very eery. And I imagined somebody who should sound like a crossing between something very flamboyant and the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (laughs).
And of course I was going through my record collection and thought ‘Dee Snider’s got to be in it!’ It was not obvious I would ask Dee Snider for such a track, because it’s not exactly ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ or ‘I Wanna Rock’, but if you listen to the final result, it sounds like no one else could have done that and in the end it fits. It’s not a choice that comes across as reasonable before you finally do it, but after you’ve done it, it sounds like nothing else could have been better and that’s something I’m really proud of.”
Tobi continued:
“Everything comes together based on intuition. At first I’m a music lover, much more than a music producer or songwriter. I want to put the singers on there that I would want to listen to as a fan.”
Regarding the forthcoming “Ghostlights” World Tour, Tobi revealed:
“I don’t believe we’re gonna do another tour within the next three, four, five years, there are so many people involved with individual schedules. So it should not be taken for granted that everybody is available and why we want to seize the chance that we are all available for this tour. We’ll play for three hours minimum, I think it’s gonna be a little longer and we’re gonna do 24 or 25 tracks. It’s gonna be a journey through the history of Avantasia and it’s going to be very visual, we’re going to bring the whole stage production, it’s gonna be an amazing scene and something quite unique. I can highly recommend it to anyone that’s into Avantasia, it’s gonna be the last time in a very long time that you will have a chance to do so.”
Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA are set to unleash their seventh album “Ghostlights” to fans, which is the sequel to 2013’s “The Mystery Of Time”. The rock operatic opus will be released worldwide on 29th January via Nuclear Blast Records. Tobias is well known for not doing things by halves, which the new album proves in stunning fashion!
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 