Avantasia / Edguy mastermind Tobias Sammet has checked in with a new message reflecting on the 18th anniversary of Edguy’s 2004 album, Hellfire Club.

“Happy 18th anniversary, Hellfire Club! 

“It was our first album on a big record label and I think that's when we were at the beginning of our real prime. 

“It was my first album after the first Avantasia chapter had been closed. The Metal Operas had fueled my creativity and given me a new visional angle, and the success of Avantasia had helped putting us on the map of new fans and bigger record labels alike. 

“As a songwriter I had gained a lot of experience which inspired me to move on to the next level. HC and Rocket Ride had been very important albums in this regard, as I managed to incorporate both, my love for European speed metal and classic rock.

“It was a good time for metal and music in general, the record label was hungry, so was the band. All gear wheels intertwined.

“An extreme album and when a friend of mine says that some of the attitude of my new Avantasia album reminds him of my approach in those years, I guess he means it as a compliment and I am proud of that!

“On a funny side note, I just realized that the title reflected my love for Old-English eerie occult things even back then. It's like a thread that runs through everything I do. I read a lot about secret societies back then already, and I had to call the album that, even though it meant it wouldn't have a title track.”