TOBIAS SAMMET'S AVANTASIA RELEASE NEW SINGLE “THE WITCH” FEAT. KAMELOT’S TOMMY KAREVIK

Leading rock and metal band, Avantasia, have unveiled the third new single from their 10th studio album, Here Be Dragons, entitled “The Witch”. The powerful new anthem features guest vocals from Kamelot singer Tommy Karevik and cinematic dark soundscapes that perfectly support the storyline. “The Witch” arrives with a spellbinding official music video, enhancing the mysterious, ghostly atmosphere of the song and truly mesmerizing the listener.

Tobias Sammet on “The Witch”: “’The Witch’ is a dark and enchanting song that carries many traditional Avantasia trademarks, and yet it has a sinister and magical mood that I think is somehow new in the world of Avantasia, while it perfectly blends with the rest of the album. Tommy Karevik of Kamelot did a wonderful job on this one and I can’t wait to sing this song with Tommy on our forthcoming tour. We’ll bring the great stage setting to turn the stage into the ghost infested old castle resembling the ancient building which we shot the stunning video clip for the track at. It’s a beautiful track, powerful, anthemic, melodic and full of eerie little details. I am extremely proud of the song and the whole album.”

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.

The band’s impressive success story has seen nine previous studio albums (including the 2019 offering Moonglow that charted at #1 in Germany), gold awards, hundreds of millions of streams as well as headline shows at all important metal festivals and worldwide sold-out arena tours with tens of thousands of devoted fans. Avantasia is 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.

In typical Avantasia manner, the new full-length is rich in vivid storytelling and cinematic atmospheres, not to mention the highest level of musicianship. Opening track “Creepshow” is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs in their career. The energizing future hit truly welcomes the listener into the new era of Avantasia and will be an integral part of the band’s spectacular live shows. In contrast, the incredible title track “Here Be Dragons” (feat. Geoff Tate) is a classic Avantasia song and with almost nine minutes by far the longest on the album. Emotional, multifaceted vocal performances by both Tobias Sammet and duet partner Adrienne Cowan mesmerize on “Avalon”, while the heavy metal number “Against The Wind” (feat. Kenny Leckremo) serves as further proof of the versatility of Avantasia’s sound. In addition, Tobias Sammet welcomes Michael Kiske, Ronnie Atkins, Bob Catley and Roy Khan as guests on the album. Remaining well-balanced and cohesive, Here Be Dragons is undeniably Avantasia’s most powerful album so far.

The 10-track offering in its entirety was written and composed by Tobias Sammet himself, 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 marks another masterpiece in the Avantasia catalog, leaving both fans and critics speechless and proving the band’s standing as a main force in the world of rock and metal! The album will be available in several different editions, with bonus albums included on select limited formats.

Here Be Dragons will be available in the following formats:

– 3CD-Artbook – large format, hardcover book incl. 96 pages, over 160 pictures and extensive stories and liner notes
– 3LP Vinyl Box incl 72 Pages 12″ Booklet – strictly limited to 500 copies (Sold Out)
– 1LP Glow in the Dark Vinyl incl 12” Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
– 1LP Yellow/Orange Marbled Vinyl incl 12” Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
– 1LP Blue/White Splattered Vinyl incl 12″ Booklet + Poster + Slipmat- strictly limited to 500 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive ROW
– 1LP Orange incl 12” Booklet
– 1LP Black incl 12” Booklet
– Tape – strictly limited to 100 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive (Sold Out)
– 2CD Mediabook
– 1CD Digipak
– Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:
Creepshow
Here Be Dragons
The Moorlands At Twilight
The Witch
Phantasmagoria
Bring On The Night
Unleash The Kraken
Avalon
Against The Wind
Everybody’s Here Until The End