Avantasia mastermind Tobias Sammet (Edguy) has checked in with the following update:

“What do Geoff Tate, Dee Snider, Michael Kiske, Robert Mason, Jorn Lande, Bob Catley, Ronnie Atkins, Olli Hartmann and me have in common with Marco Hietala of Nightwish? Yes, we're all good looking, funny and amazingly talented… AND: we'll be on the new Avantasia album, Ghostlights - out on January 29th, 2016.

“It was August 1997 and we were in Helsinki to mix the Vain Glory Opera album of Edguy when someone played the band Tarot to me. That great band seemed to be some sort of a legend in Finland (in Germany Tarot were not really known at the time). A few years later a band called Nightwish had appeared on the map and were about to take the European Metal world upside down.

“Edguy played a festival in England with Saxon and amongst others: Nightwish! I remember even though they had a great female vocalist how much I loved the rendition of Ozzy Osbourne's “Crazy Train” that they did - if I remember correctly - which was sung by their bass player. You know, a lot of bass players are bass players because they wanna be in a band too; and there's only so much damage you can do to the sound of a band with just a bass. Sometimes they're only in the band because they talk enough to organize things or they have a day job to finance the first demo recordings, nice stage clothes, or sun glasses, but at the end of the day, most of them aren't taken seriously because… well, because they're bass players. :) And they're always suspicious... ;)

“Anyway - I don't need a bass player because I play bass myself (not as good as Marco, but I am the cheaper solution for my own project, ha!). AND Marco is more than a bass player, he is a proper musician! I have no clue why it took so long until I eventually asked Marco Hietala (that bass playing vocalist with the two beards and the voice!!) if he could imagine singing a role on an Avantasia album. Now it is happening! And the results kick ass! You will love it! We're putting together an epic metal record I believe…

“Furthermore Robert Mason (Warrant) can been confirmed to sing on the new album as well. Robert first made a name for himself back in the early nineties as the lead singer in Lynch Mob. Robert is an amazing singer coming from what some would call a different musical world, and he contributed something very unique to the Avantasia world. He really gave the songs what they needed! You will hear it!”

More details will be announced soon.

Avantasia - Ghostlights World Tour 2016:

March
4 - Berlin, Germany - Huxley’s
5 - Hamburg, Germany - Große Freiheit
6 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin
8 - London, England - The Forum
9 - Paris, France - Le Trianon
11 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 1
12 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
15 - Frankfurt-Langen, Germany - Stadthalle
16 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum Karlin
18 - Kaufbeuren, Germany - All-Karthalle
19 - Bamberg, Germany - Brose-Arena
20 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
22 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
24 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
25 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
27 - Banska Bystrica, Slovakia - Ice Stadium
28 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Sportshall
29 - Tropolach, Austria - Full Metal Mountain Festival
31 - Saarbruken, Germany - Saarlandhalle

April
1 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Arena
2 - Fulda, Germany - Esperantohalle

Note: No further bands, Avantasia plays 3 hours