|
After 5 studio albums, Edguy’s popularity has risen to unknown
heights in Germany. Images of fans going mad, pass your mind’s eye,
when you listen to this live registration. Singer Tobias Sammet
knows how to gracefully get round his public, supported by his band,
that already exists eleven years, four of which are with the same
line up. With Edguy, a very professional showband, you always get
your money’s worth. They play with fireworks, wreaths of smoke,
stage attributes, moving stage-properties and a dazzling lightshow.
During their last tour, the time was ripe for some live recordings
and after the success of Avantasia, the project of vocalist Tobias
Sammet, this registration must find a lot of interest, even outside
Germany.
Edguy has everything to catch on with the average metal public:
splashing guitar solos, a vocalist who sounds crystal clear even in
the highest regions and a stage act that appeals to your
imagination. When you buy this double CD, you get 16 tracks, a 32
page booklet with 130 pictures, a list with all the gigs, the lyrics
and a lot more to keep you busy for hours. This promo contains only
pieces of all this but just enough to get a good image of all that’s
offered, so I’m not complaining. “Mandrake” was their last CD before
this one (October 2001) and my copy starts with the title track.
It’s quite obvious that Queensryche and Iron Maiden must have been
the original gurus for Edguy, because when I listen to the first
part of this CD I see images of the public singing along with “Fear
Of The Dark”. This is CD is an indispensable document for the fans,
because they will find a piece of themselves in it.
Up tempo tracks are skilfully alternated with quieter moments like
‘Land of the miracle’. We also get samples of fantasy metal that
stand out with their driven guitar work and especially their
entertainment. Fans of Gamma Ray and Helloween will feel like a fish
in the pond when they hear all of this. Because Edguy means melodic
German entertaining rock that’s not really renovating but I can
imagine that a lot of people can especially enjoy an evening with
it.
Even
the spirit of Queensryche is lurking around some tracks.
Time to look at the track “The Pharaoh”, which you can find on
“Mandrake”, going from slightly epic with its mid tempo passages and
Nile theme, with Iron Maiden peeping through, to a beautiful
intermezzo from the bass and the guitars.
What a fantastic sound!
Especially the dark voice with its threatening middle piece,
changing into a guitar solo full of reverb. At this moment, I had to
admit that Edguy can be a bit fantastico. I think that the public’s
singing along can be irritating for outsiders, but those who were
there will certainly enjoy it. This double CD is an excellent
overview of what Edguy really stands for: quality! |
