A mammoth assemblage of Metal talent brought together by EDGUY's Tobias Sammet. Formulated in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate during Spring 1999, The 'Metal Opera' AVANTASIA is described by Sammet as "a world beyond imagination" the title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia". Included in the first sessions were core members of EDGUY guitarist Jens Ludwig, RHAPSODY drummer Alex Holzwarth, GAMMA RAY,'s Kai Hansen and Henjo Richter and HELLOWEEN's Marcus Großkopf.

Vocals were on hand from VIRGIN STEELE's David De Feis, as the character Friar Jakob, AT VANCE's Oliver Hartmann, as Pope Clement VIII, STRATOVARIUS' Timo Tolkki, as the voice of the tower, ex-ANGRA man Andre Matos, as Elderane the Elf, former IMPELLITERRI and AXEL RUDI PELL singer ROB ROCK, as Bishop Johann van Bicken, Kai Hansen from GAMMA RAY as Regrin the Dwarf, Ralf Zdiarstek as Bailiff Falk von Kronberg, MICHAEL KISKE, ex-HELLOWEEN, as the druid Lugaid Vandroiy and Sharon Den Adel of WITHIN TEMPTATION performing as Anna Held. Sammet himself portrayed Gabriel Laymann. The July 2001 'Avantasia: The Metal Opera - Part I' album would prove an instant success shifting enough copies to even crack the national German album charts. It would be swiftly licensed to Century Media Records for an American release.

The second AVANTASIA album of 2002, 'Avantasia: The Metal Opera - Part II", would once again benefit from a huge wealth of outside talent including former HELLOWEEN singer MICHAEL KISKE, GAMMA RAY's Kai Hansen, VIRGIN STEELE frontman David DeFeis, HELLOWEEN's Marcus Großkopf, KISS drummer Eric Singer, STRATOVARIUS man Timo Tolkki, MAGNUM's Bob Catley, as new character the tree of knowledge, and Andre Matos of SHAMAN. The album would break into the top twenty of the national German charts.

In December 2006 Tobias Sammet revealed work had commenced on a third AVANTASIA album. January 2007 found the KISS, BLACK SABBATH and ALICE COOPER credited Eric Singer laying down drums at Vox Klangstudio in Hamburg. Also featured would be KAMELOT's Roy Kahn on 'Twisted Mind', ALICE COOPER, on 'The Toy Master', former MASTERPLAN singer Jørn Lande on the title track, 'Another Angel Down' and 'Devil In The Belfry', BOB CATLEY of MAGNUM on 'Shelter From The Rain' and 'Cry Just A Little', Rudolf Schenker of the SCORPIONS, Oliver Hartmann, on 'I Don't Believe In Your Love', and renowned guitarist MICHAEL SCHENKER. The schedule was slightly delayed in early August when Tobias Sammet underwent appendix surgery.

AVANTASIA pre-empted the album with an EP double set entitled 'Lost In Space', issued through Nuclear Blast in November 2007. The first six track affair featured two cover versions in ABBA's 'Lay All Your Love On Me' and 'Ride The Sky' originally by LUCIFER'S FRIEND. The second variant also hosted cover versions with ULTRAVOX's 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes' and FREDDIE MERCURY's 'In My Defense'. 'The Scarecrow' saw release in January 2008, backed by a second single, 'Carry Me Over'.

Ambitiously, Sammet took AVANTASIA on the road in mid 2008, performing across Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia and Mexico. The touring roster of musicians comprised Tobias Sammet, Jørn Lande, André Matos, AINA's Amanda Somerville, Olli Hartmann, Bob Catley, Sascha Paeth, the KAMELOT credited keyboard player Michael Rodenberg, bassist Robert Hunecke, Claudy Yang and EDGUY drummer Felix Bohnke.

AVANTASIA filmed the band's 10th July 2008 performance at the 'Masters Of Rock' festival in Vizovice, Czech Republic for a commercial DVD.

Tobias Sammet would spend the spring of 2009 composing fresh AVANTASIA material. In a rare guest appearance, SCORPIONS vocalist Klaus Meine recorded a duet with Tobias Sammet for this next project.

The AVANTASIA project celebrated its comeback in 3rd April 2010 with a new epic set spread of material, released as two separate albums and in a limited edition box-set edition entitled 'The Wicked Symphony' and 'Angel Of Babylon'. Featured guests included vocalists Ripper Owens, Bob Catley, Oliver Hartmann, André Matos, Jon Oliva, Jorn Lande, Russell Allen and Michael Kiske, guitarist Bruce Kulick plus drummer Eric Singer.

Garry Sharpe-Young