After releasing their greatest hits album, entitled "The Singles," Edguy has released a new album with fresh power metal material that we've all been waiting for. The name of the new album is "Age Of The Joker." It's got symphonic refrains with flying vocals and beautiful melodies mixed with a twist of interesting lyrics and of course, electrifying guitar solos.
"Robin Hood" opens the album with over eight minutes of pure energy and excitement. Organs and deafening guitar chords start it off as uplifting string glide up and down behind them. Lead singer Tobias Sammet wastes no time, as he jumps right into the verse with gorgeous clean singing. The chorus is full of catchy riffs as the lyrics carry you deep into the story of the adventures of Robin Hood. There is a quick scene in the middle of the song as epic strings take over with light guitars rocking underneath. A narrating voice enters briefly while sound effects of arrows and running footsteps are played in the background. Meanwhile the guitars and strings build up louder and louder until Sammet comes flying back in with high vocals as booming drums fill the air. A monstrous solo comes spinning its way in with wild guitar notes going in every direction. Before ending, the refrain repeats one last time pretty much guaranteeing it to be stuck in your head for days. Honestly, it took me four or five replays before I finally moved on to track two. I'm sure you'll be stuck for a while as well.
"Nobody's Hero" means business, as the beginning starts with blasting guitar riffs and rapid kick and snare action. This is when your head will bob as your devil horns rock in the air. The guitar riffs are very bright and soar high next to Sammets incredible vocals. You'll find similar elements in "Rock Of Cashel." A destructive guitar solo starts this one off as cymbals crash heavily after every drum fill. The guitars cut out when the verse starts as the bass and drums carry the lyrics. You will find the verses to be very catchy and you aren't even near the refrain yet. You definitely won't be able to help but to play this one over again.
You might be a little thrown off by this next one but hey, what more do you expect from these guys. "Pandora's Box," surprisingly enough, actually starts with a southern twang type of tone in its guitars. This quickly gets heavier after the first verse as blaring guitars chug away with aggression. The country melody comes back in each verse after this. The refrain has a great build up as Sammet soars over the instruments with his powerful voice delivering a likable melody that grabs your ear and pulls you close. The guitar solo towards the end is absolutely phenomenal as the southern country tones take over the background gently. When you hear the vocals in the last section of the song, you are going to be blown away with the notes the Sammet holds and the pitch that he reaches. It's truly remarkable.
"Two Out Of Seven" is typical Edguy, telling another hilarious story. As for the instruments, there are some catchy little synths in the beginning that come back later in the chorus as you'll find the melody of the vocals to go along perfectly with it. This is another song that I had a hard time getting away from. Definitely make sure you take some time to look up the lyrics to this one. You're going to love it. Leaning towards the end of the album, track ten, "Behind The Gates To Midnight World," has got a little bit of everything. From fast upbeat refrains to slow emotional verses. The instrumentation is interesting as you'll hear everything from pianos to organs, and distorted guitars to angelic orchestrated strings. The solo in the middle of the song is gorgeous with its soft delivery and soothing melody.
After this nine minute masterpiece comes the final track on the album, entitled "Every Night Without You." It definitely falls towards the ballad side of things as the beginning sounds like it could be part of a Disney soundtrack. It's definitely got some emotional lyrics, and you can feel the passion in Sammet's voice as he belts the chorus. You might as well get the repeat button ready because it's just that catchy. The lyrics will ring in your head for weeks. You're also hit with a beautiful solo that you're going to want to hear again as well.
For those of you who don't know Edguy, this is the perfect time to check out their material. This is another epic adventure created by none other than Tobias Sammet and his crew. With fun lyrics and upbeat melodies, "Age Of The Joker" is fit for everyone. Metal fans young and old can agree, this is an album you have to hear. It will be awesome to see Edguy perform these songs live!
9/10
Official Site - http://www.edguy.net/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/edguy
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