There is still plenty of bombast here, though, but it all just feels a bit more natural. Sammet has the tendency to go big just for the sake of it - and I think that is what holds Moonglow back somewhat for me. A Paranormal Evening at the Moonflower Society seemed like a reaction against that, but the songwriting was not as strong. Here Be Dragons seems manage to tread the line between the two sounds pretty well, though, and there is a good mix here of catchy songwriting and power metal bombast. It helps that the opening cut Creepshow is a real earworm. It is one of two songs here that Sammet sings alone - and it is short by Avantasia's standards at just over three minutes. It genuinely feels like an Edguy song but with a bit more of a synth presence - so it was unsurprisingly the album's first single. As always, producer Sascha Paeth handles the guitars and Sammet's Edguy bandmate Felix Bohnke plays the drums - with Sammet himself on bass guitar and keyboard duties. Following a brief spooky intro, Paeth lays down a slightly juddering riff - over which Sammet immediately lays down a paired back version of the song's chorus. There is really no standing on ceremony here, then, and a driving 1980s hard rock riff soon gives way to a verse which starts a little more restrained - before it grows towards a first rendition of the chorus proper, which is packed with snappy vocal hooks and plenty of harmonies. Instrumentally, the song never really gets a chance to breathe. The riffing is mostly all sung over, although Paeth does lay down a snappy and melodic guitar solo later on, but this is a song all about Sammet and his knack for a hook. It is the sort of song which sticks in the brain from the off - and it has been an earworm since I first heard the album. The title track, which follows, is more typical of Avantasia's sprawling sound. It is the only real 'epic' on the album, though, at just under nine minutes, but it covers a lot of ground - taking a more melancholic mood early on. The opening clean guitars are immediately different from the opening song, setting a darker tone, and the song overall feels a bit more morose - although there is still plenty of bombast. The chorus, which is first reached after a couple of minutes, is one of the album's best symphonic moments in my opinion, backed by Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg's orchestrations - but the verses leading up to it tread a number of different vibes, from moody ballad-esque vibes to modern hard rock. With the exception of two songs here, Sammet is joined by a different guest vocalist on each track - and Here Be Dragons features the reformed talents of Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche; Operation: Mindcrime; Sweet Oblivion). Much of Tate's best work in recent years has come on Avantasia albums - and he fits this more progressive and moody track perfectly, whilst still having gravitas for when something more bombastic is needed. He might not be the singer he once was, but his tone is still chillingly unique - and some of the quieter moments here when he croons in a lower register smoulder with power. Sammet does most of the heavy lifting chorus-wise, but Tate remains a class act. Like many of Avantasia's longer songs, and The Scarecrow comes to mind, it does not quite always hang together - but there is enough good here to make it a strong effort.
Changing tack again, The Moorlands at Twilight is a fast-paced power metal anthem - going for that smoother, neo-classical power metal sound which was all the rage throughout the late 1990s/early 2000s. Paeth's opening guitar leads would not have sounded out of place on a classic Stratovarius album thanks to the neo-classic approach taken - but the song itself just sounds very much Avantasia through and through. The original The Metal Opera duo of albums were packed with soaring, double bass-led power metal like this - and it is fitting that Michael Kiske (Helloween; Place Vendrome; Unisonic) is the one to join Sammet to sing this one. Sammet probably needs to be credited with bringing Kiske back into the metal fold, which eventually led to him re-joining Helloween, and an Avantasia album would be strange without the still-rich voice of Kiske belting out a smooth, galloping power metal anthem. This one is probably not as hooky as some, but there is still a strong chorus and both singers sound great - whilst there is a blistering and lengthy guitar solo section which sees Paeth trading leads and shredding with Arne Wiegand who has filled the second guitar spot live with the Avantasia in recent years. As if wanting to showcase Sammet's diversity, The Witch changes pace yet again. It is another more moody track, similar in tone to parts of Where Be Dragons, but this one feels tailor made for the singer who joins Sammet here - with the synth hooks and gothic melodrama perfect for Tommy Karevik's (Seventh Wonder; Kamelot) warm tones. Despite the main synth hook feeling quite jaunty, the song's verses are so similar to Kamelot's last few albums in tone that only Karevik could have pulled off the vibe successfully. Sometimes Avantasia does feel a bit like wish-fulfilment for Sammet, and this song is so Kamelot-esque at times that it is a bit on the nose, but thankfully the chorus does change things up quite a bit - with a soaring, power metal chorus feeling more classic Avantasia in sound. The mix of a more gothic approach and the big hooks of the chorus works well, though, and Sammet's synth solo, in place of a more traditional guitar solo, also provides a point of difference. Returning to Sammet's core sound, though, Phantasmagoria feels like the sort of song he has been writing for Avantasia for years. There are also hints of mid-period Edguy throughout, but the bombast and plentiful vocal harmonies set the two bands apart - and the flashy synth hook which sits over Paeth's crunchy guitars as the song kicks in is full of energy. The gruffer voice of Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids; Nordic Union) is another regularly heard on Avantasia's albums, and he adds plenty of heaviness throughout the song. It is a pretty tough-sounding song anyway, despite the synth hooks, but the rasp of Atkins meshes nicely with the crunchy guitars - and the snappy chorus soars thanks to the two vocalists adding their power.
Opening slowly, with warm keyboards and orchestrations, Bring on the Night is another classic-sounding Avantasia piece - this time at the sweeping, more majestic end of Sammet's writing. At first it seems as if the song could be a ballad, with elder statesman and one of Sammet's heroes Bob Catley (Magnum; Hard Rain) crooning the opening lyrics in his warm, inimitable manner, but the track soon morphs into a pretty grand-sounding mid-paced rocker - with a subtle guitar crunch and plenty of keyboard depth. Both Sammet and Catley are well suited to songs like this, and they sound powerful duetting here without having to keep up with the pace of many of the other songs on the album - with the choral approach during the chorus sounding as big as ever. Paeth's guitar solo is more restrained, but it is still packed with melody - and it just suits the overall feel that the song is attempting. An Avantasia album without Catley at this point would not feel right - and it is great that Sammet keeps bringing him back. Hearing Catley sing Sammet's songs always makes me hope that one day Sammet will write a solo album for Catley - which I would like to hear even more than ever now that it is extremely unlikely that there will be any more Magnum albums. Unleash the Kraken ups the pace again and it is the only other song here alongside Creepshow which does not feature a guest singer. Sammet gets all of the song to himself, then, and it showcases him really pushing himself vocally at times. The opening riff is fast-paced and heavy, and this riff later forms the basis of parts of the chorus. I like Sammet's voice but he does not have always have the true range of some of his peers - but he really goes for it during the chorus, and generally pulls it off. He lays down some pretty high-pitched screams during the chorus, and there are some which are actually quite rough around the edges which has a pleasing impact given the song's overall heaviness. Paeth's later guitar solo is suitably busy, too, and there are even some pretty thrashy riffs and drum beats during an instrumental section which follows the solo. Unleash the Kraken is easily the heaviest song on the album, then, but it is full of power and bombast as a result - showcasing something a bit different. The following track Avalon feels a little tame in comparison, but it still impresses - and it feels like a song from Avantasia's past. The folk metal melodies and the overall mid-paced feel place the track in The Scarecrow era in my opinion - but there is plenty of bombast, too. Paeth's guitar leads throughout are packed full of melody, whilst the choir is used to dramatic effect during the strident chorus, and Adrienne Cowan (Seven Spires; Light & Shade; FirstBourne; Winds of Plague; Sascha Paeth's Master of Ceremony) is a perfect fit for this sort of grand, folky anthem with her symphonic metal background and smooth delivery. It is nice to see that, on more recent albums, Sammet has finally allowed women to sing songs which are not ballads - and Cowan is the latest in a long line of ladies to bring a lot of class to Sammet's compositions. Paeth's guitar solo is suitably folky, too, and the song is one of the album's biggest growers in my opinion.
The penultimate track here is the album's last fast-paced power metal anthem - with Against the Wind being another that races out of the traps and never really lets up. Sitting somewhere between the neo-classical smoothness of The Moorlands at Twilight and the thrashy Unleash the Kraken, Against the Wind is hard-driving power metal with crunchy riffing and plenty of double bass drumming. The chorus certainly leans more towards the smoother end of power metal, though, with Sammet unleashing lots of long-held notes to bring the theatrical chorus to life. Sammet's vocal partner this time is Kenny Leckremo (H.E.A.T) - and it is great to hear him singing something much heavier than he is generally known for. H.E.A.T are one of the best modern AOR bands, and they can rock out when they need - but nothing H.E.A.T have done has allowed Leckremo to let rip like he does here. He has always been a great singer, but his power really shines through here - and him and Sammet actually sound quite similar at times. They have comparable vocal tones I think, which allows their harmonies to mesh nicely - whilst a brief piano break later in the song allows for a moment of calm in what is otherwise a fast-paced and epic slab of classic power metal. The album then comes to a close with Everybody's Here Until the End, a much more melancholic song which is the only cut here that could really be called a ballad. The chorus is pretty bombastic, though, and perhaps a bit too theatrical to be considered a true ballad, but the verses are slow-burners - with delicate piano melodies and a simple drum pattern. Roy Khan (Conception; Kamelot) contributes to his second Avantasia song here, but I feel that his talents are pretty underused. He sings the second verse with all of the delicate power he is known for, alongside something of a later bridge, but he never gets to really let rip - so that gothic, semi-operatic delivery that he is largely known for is not present. This is a real shame, as he definitely still has it in him, but he adds a touch of class to the more sombre moments of the song - and it is fun to hear Kamelot's two best-known singers appearing on the same album (Sammet should have tried to get Mark Vanderbilt to complete the trio, if he even still sings that is). It is certainly not a bad song, and the chorus is memorable, but it is probably my least favourite here due to Khan's underuse. Despite ending on a slight low note, though, Here Be Dragons is easily my favourite thing from Sammet since Ghostlights. Moonglow certainly has individual songs which are up there in quality - but from start to finish this latest release eclipses both Moonglow and A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society. I was pretty positive about the latter at the time but it is probably now my least favourite Avantasia album - and Here Be Dragons feels like the album it was trying to be. It shows that Sammet can still write punchy songs without the need for endless epics - and I can only see my opinion on it improving as the hooks sink deeper and deeper in. I imagine I will hear quite a few of the songs played live next week, too, and I am looking forward to the spectacle which is to come.
The album was released on 28th February 2025 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Creepshow.
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