Heavatar, the new project from Van Canto mastermind Stefan Schmidt, has inked a deal with Napalm Records. Heavatar's debut album, "Opus I - All My Kingdoms", will be released on February 22. Each song on the Cd borrows, some more, some less, a motif from classical composers, ranging from Bach to Paganini and Beethoven. On "All My Kingdoms", Stefan takes care of rhythm guitar and vocals, and is supported by drummer Jörg Michael (ex-Stratovarius), among other musicians. The epic songs are filled with mighty choirs, which are performed by members of the Blind Guardian choir team and of course, Stefan's friends in Van Canto. The artwork was created by the renowned fantasy artist Kerem Beyit.

"Opus I - All My Kingdoms" track listing:

01. Replica
02. Abracadabra
03. All My Kingdoms
04. Elysium At Dawn
05. Long Way Home
06. Born To Fly
07. Luna! Luna!
08. The Look Above
09. To The Metal

Says Stefan Schmidt: "I am very happy, that Heavatar cooperates with Napalm Records. They are doing a great job for Van Canto and I am convinced that together we can get a lot of people hooked on Heavatar. To the metal!"

Nadir, A&R representative at Napalm Records, states: "Never change a winning team. For three years we've been doing our best for our a capella heroes Van Canto. Thus, it was a no-brainer that we also sign Stef's new band Heavatar. 'All My Kingdoms' turned out to be a melodic power metal beast that will also take new fans by storm, who prefer 'traditional' metal with guitars and bass!"