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Avantasia strikes again Von Joachim Herbert, 16.01.2008

Interview * Tobias Sammet / “The Scarecrow” released in over 60 countries

Tobias Sammet 4Since more than a decade Tobias Sammet is well known as the lead singer and mastermind of the german powermetal band Edguy. Besides his success with Edguy in South America and Asia, the 30-year-old invented Avantasia, where he gathered different artists around him and released “The Metal Opera” Part I and Part II in 2001 and 2002.

Since then the project was put on ice and Tobias toured with Edguy around the world. Now he breathed new life into his “baby” Avantasia and produced a third album.
A foretaste on “The Scarecrow” are the two EP´s “Lost In Space” Part 1 and Part 2, which entered the German single charts in December at number nine, the Swedish charts even at number three and four.

TOWIU: Tobias, Avantasia was sleeping for six years. What was the reason for starting your project again?
Tobias Sammet: In the last few years I always used to say “I won´t do something like Avantasia again, because it´s too much stress to handle the whole project”. But now it´s different. I know a lot more people in the business and I thought about how easy it could be, realizing a project like Avantasia now. And I had a lot of experiences from the past which made things easier.

TOWIU: You invited rock-heroes like Alice Cooper and Rudolf Schenker to join you on your new album “The Scarecrow”. How did the co-operation happen?
Tobias Sammet: “The Scarecow” is an album, which I wanted to do for myself. So I talked to musicians that I like and asked, if they want to join me.
First thing that was clear to me was that Sascha Paeth was going to be the guitarist and producer. I met Eric Singer, who played drums on the whole album, on a festival, where we exchanged phone numbers. Since Eric plays drums not only with Kiss but also with Alice Cooper, he made contact with Alice.
As you know “The Scarecow” is a concept album with different characters. So I needed a few more singers and started to ask friends like Bob Catley.
With Rudolf Schenker it was different. He always talked positive about my band Edguy in the media and so I made contact with him as well.

TOWIU: You put the cover-versions of “Dancing with tears in my eyes” (Ultravox), “In my defense” (Freddie Mercury), “Lay all your love on me” (ABBA) and “Ride the sky” (Lucifers Friend) on the two EP´s “Lost In Space” Part 1 and Part 2. Why that?
Tobias Sammet: First of all I like theses songs. And for me they are powerful rock-tracks where somebody just forgot to use some guitars.

TOWIU: When “The Scarecrow” was released there where a lot of discussions on You Tube and myspace about the sell-out of Avantasia. It was “too commercial” and “that´s not Avantasia anymore” vs “great music” and “the best Avantasia album”. What´s your opinion concerning these discussions?
Tobias Sammet: To be honest, it sucks. You know, rock fans all over the world see themselves as different, open minded, tolerant, and uncompromising. But dare you don´t do what they expect.
Sure, some people want you to record the “same” music over and over again. But that would be a commercial sell-out.
It´s getting on my nerves if people write about things they don´t know about. You have to have a thick skin to stand all the comments. On the other hand: controversy is the best promotion you can get. People are talking about it.

TOWIU: How would you characterize “The Scarecrow”? What´s different compared to “The Metal Opera” Part I and Part II?
Tobias Sammet: The first two records were composed and arranged by a 20-year-old with very good song-ideas, but less opportunity to convert it into reality.
The story on “The Scarecrow” is different from the first two albums. It´s a mixture of “Edward Scissorhands” and Goethes “Faust” and about a guy with a sensory disorder, who thinks he´s a scarecrow.
On “The Scarecrow” there´s more variety concerning the songs, more grown-up tracks, and less kitsch. You will even find elements of Meat Loaf and Queen on the album.

TOWIU: The production of the album was more expensive than expected. What happened?
Tobias Sammet: We did everything first class, as if it would be out last production. I respect the whole project and my own art a lot more if I choose this approach. For example, we had nine gospel singers in the studio for a choir session, Sascha mixed the songs for 48 days and we shot the video in Belgrade simply because the video director is good.

TOWIU: “The Scarecrow” is going to be released in more than 60 countries. Which are the really exotic ones to a European? And where do you think the album is going to be really successful?
Tobias Sammet: Taiwan, New Zealand and China are really unusual. The album is going to be released all over South America, Central America, in South Africa, Japan and so on. In Germany, Japan and Sweden it´s probably most frequently sold.

TOWIU: What comes next? What are your plans for the next few months?
Tobias Sammet: We are to play some festivals in the summer. We have never played live before and it´s going to be the first time that Avantasia is performing live on stage.

That was the way things stood in January 2008. Now it´s May 2008 and we know that Avantasia is going on a tour around the world which takes the project to Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Serbia, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Germany and Hungary.
It´s going to be a huge production with may different singers as André Matos, Jorn Lande, Bob Catley, Amanda Sommerville, Oliver Hartmann and for a few shows Kai Hansen.

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