EDGUY front-man Tobias Sammet‘s AVANTASIA project ’s ninth studio album “A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society” will be released worldwide via Nuclear Blast Records on October 21st. The album’s enchanting artwork has been painted by Swedish illustrator luminary Alexander Jansson and can be seen now below.
“A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society” is going to present eleven magical and powerful songs that feature numerous prestigious guest stars. The album’s track list reads as follows:
“A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society” Album Artwork
1. Welcome to the Shadows
2. The Wicked Rule the Night
3. Kill the Pain Away
4. The Inmost Light
5. Misplaced among the Angels
6. I Tame the Storm
7. Paper Plane
8. The Moonflower Society
9. Rhyme and Reason
10. Scars
11. Arabesque
Tobias Sammet says about the album “From the first song ideas back in 2018 / 2019 to the production, orchestration, keyboards, arrangements, details, I have been personally involved so deeply in every little aspect and detail of this album, that you can’t get an album any more personal or closer to my vision than this one. I had the time, nothing else to do in the past two and a half years, it was a slow movement life with music and my Mysteryhausen studio serving as a portal to another world, full of music and quirky encounters with my muses, that kept me sane and hopeful. I am super proud of the album, some of my best songs, some of my most emotional and extreme vocal performances, some of the strongest guest performances ever. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome and when you’ll hear it, you will know why!”
The album was produced by Tobias with Avantasia guitarist Sascha Paeth, who’s also responsible for the powerful and timeless mix of the album. Pre-orders are going to start soon, limited editions with goodies and autographs will be available at the official band merchandise store.
Recently Avantasia released a new single, “The Wicked Rule The Night”. The song, which features a guest appearance by PRIMAL FEAR singer Ralf Scheepers, is taken from the ninth AVANTASIA album, “A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society”, due in the fall via Nuclear Blast. The disc will be the follow-up to “Moonglow”, which came out in 2019.
In addition to Sammet and Scheepers, “The Wicked Rule The Night” features Sascha Paeth on guitar and Felix Bohnke on drums. An animated lyric video for “The Wicked Rule The Night”, created by Costin Chioreanu, can be seen below.
Sammet comments: “I’m so happy with the upcoming album that you could put out any song as the first single. But somehow, after the last two years, I felt the need to go full steam ahead as soon as I’m let off the leash. And honestly, it’s also cool to know that many would probably have expected a less extreme track to accompany AVANTASIA‘s re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. But AVANTASIA is not stylistically fixed — anything goes, commercial, epic, grotesque or full on the bell, doesn’t matter: all that is part of AVANTASIA‘s very own world. We have found our own pigeonhole and different laws apply there. The fans of the first hour know that. And so I have the feeling that ‘The Wicked Rule The Night’ is unpredictable, exciting, fresh and new, despite my trademarks, as you know them partly from AVANTASIA or also EDGUY. Playing it safe is a lot of hogwash.”
“Moonglow” hit number one on the album charts in Germany and charted in 17 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas before AVANTASIA embarked on a ten-month tour of Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America.
Since its beginnings in 1999, AVANTASIA‘s past releases have featured international stars such as Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (SCORPIONS),Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION),Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS),Eric Martin (MR. BIG),SAXON‘s Biff Byford, TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider and many more.
AVANTASIA will make a dozen or so festival appearances this summer, starting on June 24 at Spain’s Rock Imperium.
