Here Be Dragons gives the famous AVANTASIA sound, which has been carefully crafted over a quarter of a century, an exciting and energetic feel. The new album is the most consistent and concise work of art the band has ever created. The band's impressive success story includes nine previous studio albums (including 2019's “Moonglow”, which topped the chart in Germany), gold awards, hundreds of millions of streaming listens, as well as headlining shows at every significant metal festival and world tours with tens of thousands of devoted fans in arenas. AVANTASIA shows no signs of slowing down - soon after the release of Here Be Dragons, the band will embark on an extensive arena tour of Europe, promising to give fans the thrill of their biggest and most epic album ever. In typical AVANTASIA fashion, the new full-length album is rich in vivid stories and cinematic atmosphere, not to mention the highest level of musicianship. Opening track ‘Creepshow’ is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs of the band's career. The rousing future hit truly welcomes the listener into the new era of AVANTASIA and will be an integral part of the band's impressive live performances. In contrast, the incredible title track ‘Here Be Dragons’ is a classic AVANTASIA song and with nearly nine minutes is the longest on the album. The cinematic dystopian landscapes of ‘The Witch’ are mesmerising and support the song's plot perfectly. The emotional, multi-faceted vocal parts are mesmerising in ‘Avalon’ and the heavy metal number ‘Against The Wind’ serves as further proof of the versatility of AVANTASIA's sound.
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!
