The house lights dimmed, and a hush fell over the historic Gasometer in Vienna – the kind of silence that trembles with anticipation. The anticipation of the first Avantasia show in Vienna. Then came the unmistakable rock and roll riff of “Creepshow”, echoing from behind the curtain – the rumble of something vast stirring in the dark. The crowd leaned in, already shouting, and just as the opening bars hit their stride, the curtain dropped. Before us stood towering gothic gates flanked by flickering torches, with a backdrop of a stormy, LED-lit sky that looked plucked from the pages of a dark fantasy novel. The energy exploded instantly – an eruption of sound, lights, and bodies in motion as we were catapulted headfirst into a world of operatic metal. For the next three hours, reality blurred into a spectacular opera of light, sound, and heavy metal.
As the dust of the opening banger settled, the imposing stage was the first thing to leave a major impression. The production has stepped up dramatically: frequent bursts of pyrotechnics punctuated the epic highs, adding weight to each chorus and elevating moments that were already emotionally potent. In a world where many bands strip things down to basics, Avantasia doubles down on spectacle – and it pays off.
The setlist leaned heavily into the band’s latest chapter, “Here Be Dragons”, with half-a-dozen songs off the new album weaving seamlessly into the set. And rightly so. For all its divisiveness, the album has a strong identity, and hearing tracks like “Avalon” or the title track live gave them new weight. Fittingly, “The Scarecrow” was equally present in the set, almost forming a mirror across time – both albums marking creative reinventions and personal crossroads for Tobias Sammet. This set didn’t just showcase a band touring a new record. It was a curated reflection of two pivotal moments in Avantasia’s evolution.
More than ever, Avantasia feels like Sammet’s undisputed domain. With Edguy on indefinite hiatus, he’s no longer splitting creative energy between two worlds. The result? A frontman fully immersed in his creation. That clarity came through in his performance. Sammet tackled vocal duties on tracks resurrected from the last pages of setlist.fm, including the haunting “Death is Just a Feeling” and the snarling “The Toy Master,” both previously rendered live mostly by Kai Hansen. And he nailed them. Gone are the attempts to stretch toward unreachable notes – in their place, a wiser, more seasoned voice that knows exactly when to soar and when to hold back. In doing so, Tobias showed off not just stamina but control and emotional intelligence as a performer.
Of course, no Avantasia show is complete without its cast of characters, and this tour brings with it a significant shift in that ensemble. Longtime staples like Jorn Lande and Michael Kiske have been absent for some time, a fact no fan can overlook, but the torch was passed with care. Tommy Karevik (Kamelot) and Kenny Leckremo (H.E.A.T.) stepped up in spectacular fashion. Their rendition of “The Wicked Symphony,” a personal favorite of mine and a track I had doubts about hearing without Sammet’s usual emotional delivery, was nothing short of breathtaking. Leckremo’s range and Karevik’s theatrical precision made it one of the night’s standouts. Meanwhile, Herbie Langhans, long relegated to background vocals, stepped into the spotlight with effortless authority, taking on the Jorn-heavy anthems like “Let the Storm Descend Upon You” and “Devil in the Belfry” without missing a beat.
Avantasia has long thrived on its ability to gather world-class talent under one roof. For years, they were one of the few stages where fans could hear Kiske and Jorn live. But this new chapter proves that Sammet no longer needs marketable names to carry the project. He’s grown into a leader not just of a band but of an institution. And while I once thought I’d already witnessed the band at their peak, this show in Vienna left me with something I may not have expected: excitement for what comes next.
Jovan Ristić