Despite past comments to the contrary, it appears that Edguy mastermind Tobias Sammet has not only decided to record a new Avantasia album but he's already begun recording it! A posting on TobiasSammet.net reads as follows:

• We have just received the following statement from Tobias Sammet:

  “I've heard rumors going around and - yes - they're true. Quite some time ago I've started working on another Avantasia adventure! Again it's going to be a conceptual album with different musicians and singers. More about it from now on at this site http://www.avantasia.net. You ask why I am doing it? Because I can! Because I am dying to go for it! And because the time has come that I feel ready and strong enough to start something big, bombastic and monumental again! Believe me: you won't find any other man on the face of the earth who has got more work and stress right now - and who's yet as happy as I am. It's so exciting to see another dream of mine take shape. I wish you a successful year 2007 and - most important - I wish you happiness, health and a lot of good sex!”

Sammet has previously released two Avantasia albums, The Metal Opera, Part I (2001) and Part II (2002). In 2004, responding to a fan question about a future Avantasia release, Sammet said:

• “There is so much work to do, I always want to make sure that whatever I do — I give my best and try to release only great stuff. Now, if I would focus on too many things I couldn't guarantee it anymore. You should always follow your heart and only do things if you feel that you really want to do it. By the way: that's the reason, why there is no Edguy DVD available so far. 'Cause we wait until the time is right and until we can guarantee that it's a high-quality product that we can give to you. At the moment another Avantasia album wouldn't be a challenge for me as I do not feel I have to do it from the bottom of my heart. It would be good for my wallet maybe, but that's it. And no matter what people think: so far I had the luxury to be able to only do what I really want to do, not paying too much attention to the money thing. So I do not know, maybe in ten years I will do something like Avantasia again, I do not know. But if I do it one day, I do it because I really want to do it (or if I ended living under a bridge). At the moment there's many things to fight for with my Edguy buddies...”

MetalReviews.com has confirmed that Sammet is not currently living under a bridge.