AVANTASIA - founded by EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet - released their new double DVD concert film and documentary, called The Flying Opera: Around The World In 20 Days, on March 18th via Nuclear Blast Records. The title will be released in Japan/East-Asia on Avalon-Marquee.

The 4-disc box edition has entered the official Austrian charts at #1. In Germany the double DVD that comes along with a double CD has entered the official album charts at #18.

Started only as a studio project, in 2008 Avantasia embarked on a world tour to write heavy metal history. For the first time a giant all-star project like that did not only gather in the studio to record an album, but The Metal Opera went on tour to play to hundreds of thousands of fans all over the globe within just a few weeks.

Fans get the chance to relive the experience with the 2DVD package. One DVD will feature a full concert film in stereo and Dolby 5.1, recorded during their shows at Wacken Open Air 2008 and Masters Of Rock Festival 2008, the second DVD contains a documentary, shot by a camera team that followed the giant trek around the globe to give viewers the chance to catch a glimpse of never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, interview-material, the start of Avantasia and its history and all the video clips that Avantasia has ever shot.

The limited edition also contains two CDs featuring the concert and many never before seen photos.

Sammet says: "I am so proud of this DVD package and the featured footage, even though it took a little longer to finally complete it. It gives people an idea of what an impact the first appearance of Avantasia on stage had, and you will get an idea of how everything went beyond our expectations and what the roots and the seeds for the current Avantasia tour are. It portrays one year in Avantasia's history, maybe the most important year in the project's history because that is when a studio-project became a traveling institution. There are many Metal Operas, but we made it something real, something to take hold of. Something alive..."