ROCK POWERHOUSE AVANTASIA UNLEASH NEW SINGLE “AGAINST THE WIND” (FEAT. KENNY LECKREMO)

ROCK POWERHOUSE AVANTASIA UNLEASH NEW SINGLE “AGAINST THE WIND” (FEAT. KENNY LECKREMO)

WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO HERE

NEW STUDIO ALBUM, HERE BE DRAGONS, OUT FEBRUARY 28, 2025 VIA NAPALM RECORDS | PRE-ORDER NOW

SPECIAL LONDON DATE AT THE ROUNDHOUSE ON MARCH 24, 2025

Rock and metal powerhouse AVANTASIA have released new single “Against The Wind” from their upcoming tenth album, Here Be Dragons, out February 28, 2025 via Napalm Records! The heavy metal number features H.E.A.T. vocalist Kenny Leckremo and serves up a stone cold, solid slab of proof of just how versatile AVANTASIA’s iconic sound is.

Tobias Sammet comments, “’Against The Wind’ is an anthemic uptempo rocket that contains a lot of what AVANTASIA stands for. What I especially like about the song is the combination of speed and power, along with an uplifting and elating harmonic and melodic approach. It comes over you with sheer force, but it drags you along to a better place, it gives you strength and encourages you to stay true to yourself in adverse wind and raise the middle finger to those who want to keep you from being yourself. Musically and vocally it’s quite a demanding tune, as you need the full toolkit of a Power Metal singer, but it’s got some loose kind of Journey feeling also in certain places that require a completely different way of feeling the song. So I was looking for a vocal partner who would have metal skills and quite a range, but also understand the background of singers like Sam Cooke or Steve Perry. And I knew that Kenny Leckremo of H.e.a.t would be able to pull it off. In all modesty: I think we both sound amazing together here. I love this song!”

Watch the official lyric video for “Against The Wind” HERE.

Avantasia - Against The Wind lyric video

Here Be Dragons is the most consistent and concise piece of art that the band has ever crafted, giving the celebrated AVANTASIA sound – carefully crafted over a quarter of a century – an exciting and powerful new spin. And although it features AVANTASIA essentials such as spellbinding choirs and theatrical, symphonic metal elements, multi-talented mastermind Tobias Sammet wields a few surprises up his sleeve for fans old and new.

The 10-track offering was written and composed in its entirety by Tobias Sammet, 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.

Pre-order Here Be Dragons here.

Here Be Dragons Tracklisting:

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

In grand AVANTASIA tradition, the new full-length is rich with vivid storytelling and cinematic atmosphere, plus 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. The incredible title track “Here Be Dragons” is unmistakably classic AVANTASIA, and at almost nine minutes, by far the longest on the album. Dark soundscapes of “The Witch” captivate and support the song’s storyline perfectly. Emotional, multifaceted vocal performances mesmerise on “Avalon”, while the heavy metal beast “Against The Wind” serves as further proof of AVANTASIA’s versatility. Well-balanced and cohesive, Here Be Dragons is undeniably AVANTASIA’s most powerful album so far.

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. Secure yours and stay tuned for the first single that will be released very soon!

Here Be Dragons is available in the following formats:

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

The band’s impressive success story has seen nine previous studio albums (including 2019’s Moonglow that charted at #1 in Germany and saw the band headline Wacken festival there), gold awards, hundreds of millions of streams as well as sold-out global arena tours in front of tens of thousands of devoted fans. AVANTASIA are 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.

Don’t miss the dazzling spectacle that is the AVANTASIA live show. Tickets are on sale now for the following dates, which include a stop at London’s beautiful Roundhouse on March 24, 2025.

14.03.25 DE – Hamburg / Sporthalle

15.03.25 BE – Brussels / AB Box

16.03.25 FR – Paris / Olympia

18.03.25 LU – Esch-sur-Alzette / Rockhal

20.03.25 DE – Berlin / Columbiahalle

21.03.25 DE – Bamberg / Brose Arena

22.03.25 DE – Bochum / RuhrCongress

24.03.25 UK – London / The Roundhouse

26.03.25 NL – Tilburg / O13

28.03.25 DE – Stuttgart / Schleyerhalle

29.03.25 CZ – Prague / Forum Karlin – SOLD OUT

30.03.25 CZ – Prague / Forum Karlin – ADDITIONAL SHOW