Rock and metal flagship, Avantasia, will release their 10th studio album and Napalm Records debut, Here Be Dragons, on February 28. Today, the band unleashes the energizing first new single, “Creepshow”.

The new track is one of the catchiest songs of Avantasia’s career so far, and it arrives with an exciting, cinematic music video. The guaranteed future hit rings in a new era of Avantasia and will be an integral part of Avantasia’s spectacular live shows.

In their 25 years of existence, Avantasia has become one of the biggest leading forces in metal, boasting nine successful previous albums (such as the #1 charting Moonglow), worldwide sold-out arena tours and headline shows at all of the most important metal festivals. Here Be Dragons is sure to exceed all expectations as the most powerful Avantasia album so far.

Tobias Sammet on the single and video: "'Creepshow' is a perfect single. It’s short and catchy, and it emphasizes a facet of my work that has taken a backseat in my music in recent years. It’s light-hearted and the opposite of melancholic. And it's fresh, boisterous and unabashed - a straightforward kick-ass anthem. Also, even though it may seem like a reminiscence of my earlier writing, I think we managed to turn the whole thing into a trademark Avantasia tune, as we accentuated with the music video. We rented a haunted castle in North England and celebrated a night in the world of spectres and undead creatures. This is the most vibrant and eccentric music video I’ve ever shot in my entire career, not dead-serious, but certainly of serious quality! I can’t wait to play 'Creepshow' live on our tour next year, I can already see the whole venue jumping up and down and screaming along!”

Watch the official music video for “Creepshow”:

Featuring absolute Avantasia essentials such as spellbinding choirs and theatrical symphonic metal elements, multitalented mastermind and frontman Tobias Sammet also surprises fans old and new with plenty of intriguing fresh soundscapes. Here Be Dragons gives the celebrated Avantasia sound that has been carefully crafted over a quarter of a century an exciting and powerful spin. The new album is the most consistent and concise piece of art that the band has ever crafted.

Avantasia is not showing any signs of slowing down - soon after the release of Here Be Dragons, the band will head out on an extensive arena tour across Europe, promising to deliver fans an immersive experience with their biggest and most epic production ever.

In grand Avantasia tradition, the new full-length is rich in vivid storytelling and cinematic atmospheres, not to mention the highest level of musicianship. Opening track “Creepshow” is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs in their career. The energizing future hit truly welcomes the listener into the new era of Avantasia and will be an integral part of the band’s spectacular live shows. In contrast, the incredible title track “Here Be Dragons” is a classic Avantasia song, and at almost nine minutes, is by far the longest on the album. The cinematic dark soundscapes of “The Witch” captivate and support the song’s storyline perfectly. Emotional, multifaceted vocal performances mesmerize on “Avalon”, while the heavy metal number “Against The Wind” serves as further proof of the versatility of Avantasia’s sound. Remaining well-balanced and cohesive, Here Be Dragons is undeniably Avantasia’s most powerful album so far.

The 10-track offering was written and composed in its entirety by Tobias Sammet himself, produced and recorded by Tobias Sammet together with Sascha Paeth, mixed by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg. The stunning cover art was once again created by acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. Here Be Dragons marks another masterpiece in the Avantasia catalog, leaving both fans and critics speechless and proving the band’s standing as a main force in the world of rock and metal!

Here Be Dragons is now available for pre-order in several exciting physical editions, with bonus albums included in select limited formats, like a 3CD hardcover artbook with 96 pages, over 160 pictures, drawings of Rodney Matthews and extensive stories to accompany the music and pictures. 

Here Be Dragons will be available in the following formats:

- 3CD-Artbook – large format, hardcover book incl. 96 pages, over 160 pictures and extensive stories and liner notes
- 3LP Vinyl Box incl 72 Pages 12" Booklet – strictly limited to 500 copies
- 1LP Glow in the Dark Vinyl incl 12'' Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
- 1LP Yellow/Orange Marbled Vinyl incl 12'' Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
- 1LP Blue/White Splattered Vinyl incl 12" Booklet + Poster + Slipmat – strictly limited to 500 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive ROW
- 1LP Orange incl 12'' Booklet     
- 1LP Black incl 12'' Booklet         
- Tape – strictly limited to 100 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive           
- 2CD Mediabook              
- 1CD Digipak                     
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Here Be Dragons tracklisting:

"Creepshow"
"Here Be Dragons"
"The Moorland At Twilight"
"The Witch"
"Phantasmagoria"
"Bring On The Night"
"Unleash The Kraken"
"Avalon"
"Against The Wind"
"Everybody's Here Until The End"

2025 tour dates:

March
14 - Hamburg, Germany - Sporthalle
15 - Brussels, Belgium - AB Box
16 - Paris, France - Olympia
18 - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal
20 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
21 - Bamberg, Germany - Brose Arena
22 - Bochum, Germany - RuhrCongress
24 - London, England - The Roundhouse
26 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13
28 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schleyerhalle
29 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum Karlin

April
1 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
2 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
4 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
5 - Frankfurt am Main, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle
6 - Cologne, Germany - Palladium
8 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
9 - Zurich, Switzerland - The Hall
11 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
12 - Madrid, Spain - Vistalegre
23 - Helsinki, Finland - Black Box
25 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
26 - Stockholm, Sweden - Arenan Fryshuset

(Photo - Kevin Nixon)