The following message has been posted at the official AVANTASIA website:

"In the name of Odin - Father Christmas has got some amazing present for you here at tobiassammet.com .

Are you a true Avantasia-warrior? If so, then get ready to take your chance. The master of Opera Metal and Metal Opera offers his army of loyal fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance of winning something really cool!

All you have to do is talk to the mayor of your home town or the city closest to you into putting up a stone monument in honor of Tobias Sammet on a public square. The monument has to be made from solid stone, have a minimum height of 4 meters (approx 13 foot), and it should be clear that the shown person is Tobias Sammet himself.

Once built, take a photo of the monument and send it to monument@tobiassammet.com.

The reward for the best monument (as chosen by a jury at tobiassammet.com) will be the publication of the photo on one of the forthcoming DVDs and a poster, signed by members of Avantasia (depending on availability).

Take your chance! Now!!!

Deadline is the 24th of December so pictures submitted after the deadline cannot be taken into consideration. Good look and toy toy tobi!"

Tobias Sammet recently provided BraveWords.com with the following update:

Early next year a new epic of Tobias Sammet's Avantasia project will be released in two chapters: The Wicked Symphony and Angel Of Babylon.

Tobias is in the studio right now, working with producer Sascha Paeth on this new "Rock Opera" which is starring musicians like Klaus Meine (SCORPIONS), Ripper Owens (ex-JUDAS PRIET), Michael Kiske (ex-HELLOWEEN), Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN), Bob Catley (MAGNUM), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Eric Singer (KISS), Felix Bohnke (EDGUY), Alex Holzwarth (RHAPSODY) and some more that will be announced soon.

The most recent contribution comes from the guy who is known amongst metal fans all over the world as one of the best neo-classical keyboarders in the world. He was the keyboard player who fought duels with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN at the speed of light in the eighties, he played with RONNIE JAMES DIO, he is a key member of STRATOVARIUS and early next year the arrowy solo skills of his fingers can be heard on the next chapter of Avantasia: Ladies and gentlemen, from Sweden, the one and only Mr. Jens Johansson!

Tobias says: "I've known Jens for years now, there has always been a friendship between Edguy and Stratovarius. We became friends when Jens was playing in the solo band of Timo Kotipelto when they joined Edguy for a tour of South America some years ago. We got shitfaced on several occasions and Jens always captured any possible embarrassment with his Powershot G5. He's a genius on his instrument -and beyond- and the stuff he played for me sounds amazing. A lot of people can shred and play fast, but unlike most of them every note that Jens plays is tasteful and exactly where it belongs. I don't know if he is the fastest keyboarder in the world, but I'd like to think so, at least I have never heard a faster one. You gotta check it out..."

Stay tuned for further updates.