Darkness descends over the hall, and the curtain rises. Dear audience, welcome to the wondrous otherworld of AVANTASIA! I caught up with musician, and composer Tobias Sammet (Avantasia, Edguy) to discuss the Ninth Avantasia epic “A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society”, songwriting, guests, and all things Avantasia. The latest album “A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society” is due out October 21st through Nuclear Blast.
Order the album here: https://avantasia.bfan.link/APEWTMS
It is a captivating, deeply magical universe that Tobias Sammet has built over the past two decades. Since his debut “The Metal Opera” (2001), the Peter Pan of international rock and metal has romped between metal, classical and rock, beguiling the biggest festivals around the world with his traveling circus and working with the greatest voices in the metal world including Alice Cooper and Scorpions’ Klaus Meine.
The reward for his passionate work and years on the road: number one in the German album charts for the latest record “Moonglow” (2019), more than three million albums sold, over 250 million streams, sold-out world tours, and a fan base that listens to him live and in front of the home speakers with excitement and enthusiasm.
A truly powerful, enchanted album was created in his new studio that proves to be equally furious, playful, orchestral, and epic profits from Tobias Sammet’s musical past and upbringing. “I’m a child of the eighties. I grew up with ‘Holy Diver,’ Queen, but also ‘Take On Me.’ Maybe I have given a little more room to my many influences yet the result feels very consistent and coherent.” One thing is for sure: AVANTASIA has never sounded so fresh, so dynamic and refined, so detached from time and space – a perfect union of the young, hot-headed Sammet and the accomplished storyteller of the here and now. Because above all, AVANTASIA is about stories, set in a strange, mythical and unique world. “I have processed many things from my life and tailored them to my fantastic characters. As a result, the songs develop a life of their own that others can identify with,” Sammet says. “Songs are therapeutical for me, so there is always something personal behind the fantastic themes. I want to stimulate the listener’s imagination, but not simply offer bland escapism. AVANTASIA is not a musical where the wizard defeats the evil forest spirit in the seventh song. There’s always more to it.” Also on “A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society” a lot of old acquaintances duel with Tobias Sammet in the vocal department: Eric Martin, Michael Kiske, Ronnie Atkins, Geoff Tate, or Bob Catley, for example. “I wanted a classic AVANTASIA album, so of course, I relied on people who accompany AVANTASIA for a long time. They are also part of this band, thus there is no need to change that all of a sudden.”
Still, of course, there are still voices he has always wanted to work with. On his new album, the contributions from Floor Jansen and Ralf Scheepers make him particularly happy. He had intended the power ballad ‘Misplaced Among the Angels‘ for the Nightwish vocalist. “The song was ready and she could well imagine to sing it but was not sure if it would fit her tone“, Sammet details. So, he quickly wrote the rocking, symphonic “Kill The Pain Away” for their duet. “The rest was a matter of days and after she had finished nailing this track, she was more comfortable with “Misplaced Among the Angels”, too, and sang it without further ado. And delivered like a beast!” From the mystical, driving title track to fragile moments like in “Paper Planes” to the ten-minute closing sensation “Arabesque,” AVANTASIA go all in. And hit the jackpot. And this ominous Moonflower Society? For Sammet, it symbolizes his band: “A moonflower is a creature of the night that blossoms when the world is asleep. For me, it stands on one hand for the weird characters I populate my songs with, and on the other, for the weird characters I surround myself with in AVANTASIA.”
AVANTASIA album: https://avantasia.bfan.link/APEWTMS.yde SUBSCRIBE to NUCLEAR BLAST: http://nblast.de/NBytb | SUBSCRIBE to AVANTASIA: https://nblast.de/Avantasia-YT-Subs The new AVANTASIA album, ‘A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society’, is out now! Listen on your favourite platform and order your vinyl, CD or box set via: https://avantasia.bfan.link/APEWTMS
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