Avantasia's new album, Moonglow, will be released on February 15th via Nuclear Blast. A lyric video for the first single, "The Raven Child", can be found below.

More than 11 minutes long and featuring vocals of Tobias, Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian and Jorn Lande, "The Raven Child" is quite an unusual choice for a first single.

Tobias comments: "We have never been a typical radio band with two-and-a-half-minutes hit singles, so even though some music industry friends thought we are nuts, it’s not a weird move to go with 'Raven Child‘ if you ask me. The song showcases the variety of Avantasia, many aspects of what defines my sound, songwriting and musical journey. It’s a trip to a dark and fantastic world, with Celtic elements, heavy elements, anthemic vocal lines, Gregorian chants, a canon type choir and I am sure, many of our fan understand and appreciate the song. Yes, it may be a Heavy Radio song and not a Commercial Radio song, but at this point it’s a good start to give long-time Avantasia fans an idea of what to expect if they get the new Avantasia album."

Moonglow will be available in the following formats:

- CD
- Digibook (36 pages)
- 2CD-Artbook (64 pages)
- 2LP (different colours) in gatefold
- BOX * (Digibook + CD in Sleeve + 2LP (ice blue + dark blue marble) in gatefold + bonus 10" (black) im sleeve + signed photo card + certificate + poster)

* NB-Mailorder exclusive

Pre-order the album here.

Comments Tobias Sammet: "I really can’t wait to unleash Moonglow. First reactions by press and friends are the most enthusiastic comments I have ever gotten in my whole career of 27 years. No bullshit, it’s the truth, Sascha and I are overwhelmed!

In order to avoid boredom, in the middle of promotion and tour preparations I was getting myself involved in every detail of the album sleeves, booklets and packaging, to make sure the album drags the listener into a different world. I wanted Moonglow to be an overall experience for escapists like myself. My favourite edition is the giant super strictly limited art book edition with bonus track and a bonus CD. A massive coffee table book with photos, interview, liner notes and illustrations of Victorian painter Grimshaw, who has been very inspirational to me. This book edition is everything it takes to invite the listener into the world of Moonglow and its productional process.

There is also a smaller digibook version that features one bonus track and that is limited and beautiful as well. And of course there are also vinyl editions to hug, feel, watch, smell and caress. I am extremely proud of all these little treasures and can’t wait to unleash them!"

Comprising 11 tracks, the new opus once again features several guest vocalists. This time round, Tobias worked not only with well-known faces such as Ronnie Atkins, Jørn Lande, Eric Martin, Geoff Tate, Michael Kiske and Bob Catley, but also with new singers like Candice Night, Hansi Kürsch as well as Mille Petrozza who help to vitalize the new Avantasia record. Its cover artwork was created by Alexander Jansson.

Comments Tobias Sammet, "It's alive! After more than two years of hard work - and what felt like 71 overnight shifts back to back recently - we're ready to unleash Moonglow upon the universe. I believe it's the most adorned and detailed album we've ever produced. Not over ambitious, but there is a lot of love for detail in there. Avantasia is the ultimate playground for a musician's wildest fantasies to come true: Celtic elements, world music elements, big choirs, atmopsheric stuff, amazing guest vocal performances and of course all that wrapped up in what I consider to be the typical Avantasia sound. Someone in the music business just told me that the embellished nature of the sound makes it hard to market it, it doesn't fit in the contemporary musical landscape and "if you take a look around, no one really sounds like that." - EXACTLY! THANK YOU! I can't wait to release Moonglow, take my friends of the Avantasia family and hit the road for the big Moonglow World Tour."

Moonglow tracklisting:

"Ghost In The Moon"
"Book Of Shallows"
"Moonglow"
"The Raven Child"
"Starlight"
"Invincible"
"Alchemy"
"The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn"
"Lavender"
"Requiem For A Dream"
"Maniac"

Bonus Track:
"Heart"

Trailer:

On October 13th, BraveWords attended a listening session for the record in Munich, Germany at MSM Studios. An interview with masterminds Tobias Sammet (vocals) and Sascha Paeth (guitars) will be published soon, but for now BraveWords scribe Carl Begai offers some insight on Moonglow:

"Simply put, Moonglow is the most diverse Avantasia record since The Scarecrow (released in 2008). The ebb and flow of the album is captivating in that you have no idea where the songs are going to go. In fact, the only predictable moment is 'Requiem For A Dream', which is Tobi's expected high- speed Helloween fanboy entry trading vocals with Michael Kiske (who does what he does best at a level nobody can touch). Other than that... the way Sammet and Paeth shaped the songs using Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Candice Night (Blackmore's Night), Mille Petrozza (Kreator) and Geoff Tate (ex-Queensryche) is pure ear candy and not what you're expecting of the singers. For example.... no, Ms. Night does not go Celtic or sappy ballad on Moonglow. And Tate... he should put Operation: Mindcrime on ice and join Avantasia full time, as the material lets his voice shine. He hasn't sounded this good in 20 years. No small wonder he appears on three tracks on Moonglow.

Lead track 'Ghost In The Moon' is Avantasia's gradiose Meatloaf-esque moment, clocking in around 10 minutes, in contrast to the crushing metal of 'Book Of Shallows' featuring Sammet, Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), Kürsch, Petrozza and Jorn Lande. 'The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' is an equally rousing metal assault, while 'Invincible' and 'Alchemy' feature two sides of Tate back-to-back. Bets are on 'The Raven Child' becoming THE fan favourite on the record, which is Avantasia rock opera brilliance coupled with a Savatage-esque stomp that goes for miles. It doesn't feel like 11 minutes. As for the cover of 'Maniac'... yeah, well, to each his own."

Watch for the exclusive Avantasia listening session interview coming soon.

(Photo - Avantasia Facebook)