Customer Reviews

Theatre of Salvation

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Like melodic metal but think some of the stuff might be a little too cheesy for your tastes? Looking for a band that sounds like Iron Maiden without being a rip-off? Edguy probably fits the bill - fast, bombastic metal with melody (no screaming either) and great musicianship but they don't quite stray into the over-the-top territory that make some bands uncomfortable for the average listener. So if you're not a Mighty Warrior of Steel Fighting For Metal Glory, but like metal, check this band out. (If you are the aforementioned type, you probably already like this band!)

My one gripe with Edguy, (and by association, Avantasia) is that they tend to overexaggerate the transitions - there are a number of places where they hold chords for easily twice as long as good tastes mandates and as a result, a musical idea that would have been great as a subtlety is crammed down the listener's throat. That's it - my only gripe. And it's not all over the album, it's just in a few spots.

On the positive side, Tobias Sammet is an AMAZING singer. I can't stress this enough. He rules behind the microphone. Seriously. His vibrato is to die for. And, if the writings in the booklets are any indication, he is a great guy to meet in person. The guitar solos stay more in the hummable-melody area than the show-off shred stuff, although there is plenty of exciting leadwork to be found here. Very symphonic, and the last track is epic. Lyrically this, like most Edguy material, is a questioning of religious conventions and the issue remains mostly unresolved at the end, despite the title track's "positive" sounding final section. And for those who complain that power metal bands take themselves too seriously, let the last track play on after the song ends for a taste of Tobias's goofy sense of humor!

Bottom line, this is great German metal and truly deserves to be compared to the old-time greats. Great music, no ego, great fun, no pretention.

When I first got this cd I was expecting something more like Savatage (I don't think any such band exists) and was a little disappointed to find that they sounded a lot more like Helloween. After a few listens though, the album began to grow on me (all but the most inane, double-bass driven songs that appear on the album). It is a concept album, but it is a rather poor to mediocre one at that. These criticisms aside, there are a few gems amongst the average which are simply glorious. The band does show its ability to write very good and interesting melodic arrangements (with great Kiske meets Dickinson vocals) on a few points during the album. Most notably on the rocker "Babylon," the Savatage-esque "Land of the Miracle," the piano driven ballad "Another Time," and the 10 minute epic closer "Theater of Salvation." In truth, I would no longer consider my collection complete without these songs, despite the album's tendency to be a little homogeneous in other places. Songs such as these lead me to consider this album a near-essential.

This album is simply a collection of well written melodic speed metal songs with good lyrics. As it happens with most power metal bands, the musicians here really know how to play. Lead singer/writer Tobias Sammet was only 22 when he wrote this album, which is hard to believe because some of the messages he depicts make you think he's much older.
This is some of the best melodic German power bands today. It is not as aggressive as other current bands, and of course it's different from Helloween, a band that arguably started this whole movement (themselves influenced by Accept). A very good album...I strongly recommend it!

Just listen to the samples and you will be hooked.

I cannot say enough about this band. I GUARANTEE you will not be sorry you bought it.

If you would rather listen to Helloween than Eminem or Queensryche Operation Mindcrime over Snoopy diggity dog this is the CD for you!

GERMAN METAL RULES! Unfortunately it is one of the only countries putting out good heavy metal music nowadays (excluding Iced Earth, Savatage, and Overkill of course...okay and a few others)

This is an excellent CD.... I don't understand all the talk about things in metal being soppy, just because they don't write about the standard stuff..... So Land of the miracle and Another time (on this Edguy CD) are written about hope and so forth.. to me that does not mean it is soppy or anything. The lyrics fit the music, and this adds a different dimension to the CD, instead of just flat out power metal... The Title Track is awesome... There are some beautiful parts to it, and it is written well... Overall it is quite a good release, edguy fans, this is worth it.

Edguy did not put power in power metal, but they certainly keep it there, and through eleven tracks of THEATER OF SALVATION they offer a rollicking, fist-in-the-air, melodic, charming, crushing, thought-provoking smorgasbord of the very best the genre has to offer. No, it's not swords and dragons stuff. Inspirational and uplifting, yes, but not corny or cheesy in any way. The vocals of Tobias Sammet are nothing short of astonishing. A high-note virtuoso with vibrato that rivals any one of the Three Tenors, he couldn't be more perfect for the art of power metal if he'd been genetically engineered Kurt Russell from "Solider". Soaring sing-along choruses infest this disc, but every single one of them is a winner and they're never repetitive. THEATER is one of those albums that, is impossible to dislike unless you're steadfast and opposed to power metal, and even then it might make a believer out of you. It was an instant classic the day it appeared on CD store shelves, and so it remains today. Get it, and understand what the fuss is all about.

Well done! A terrific followup to the glorious "Vain Glory Opera" which is of such quality that it must have been a daunting task trying to surpass it. And they did! But only just barely! The title track is the finest thing Edguy has ever done, period. Absolutely essential, I've listened to this one hundreds of times, its so epic, and triumphant with many time changes and feels that its a trip all of its own! "Holy Shadows" has a touch of the 80s metal feel and it comes across so very well with ripping solos and a superb beat that just can't be shaken from the head. "Land of the Miracle" tries to be uplifting but has a rather silly ending, which matches the theme of the album, yes its a bit silly but just ignore it, for its the music that truly matters! And of course "Another Time" one of the finest ballads of the 90s in any genre. Just simply heartbreaking...this one will make the sensitive ones cry a river or two, as Tobias has such an expressive voice, he MAKES this one be in the class that it is all by himself.

Like speed/power/melodic metal with German influences? Then look no further, this thing packs a powerful punch if you can ignore some of the speedier and uninteresting tracks that are scattered through (which fans of that particular type rave over more than the progressing epic tunes)..

Edguy is a great bad, but with this album it`s the same to gamma Ray, Stratovatius... If you are a fan buy this cd

You can't go wrong buying this album. Every song on the album is great and unique. Edguy is a band composed of talented musicians, and the songs are hard evidence. I can't wait for king of fools ep to come out, hope this reviews helps and will lead you to salvation.

Edguy's "Theater of Salvation" is the final Edguy outing to feature a "typical" European speed-power metal sound although they still touch on that style in places in later releases. I mean the follow up "Mandrake" has some of that speed-power metal style but they've expanded to a more unique sound that would eventually define the band.

But despite this album having a distinctive European power metal style to it, it's an Edguy gem done beautifully. Songs like "Babylon" and "Wake Up The King" are your typical high energy power metal anthems. Songs like "The Headless Game" and "Land of the Miracle" are more midtempo or slow but still beautiful melodically. "Babylon" and "The Headless Game" and "Land of the Miracle" have a similar order to "Vainglory Opera" in "Until We Rise Again" "How Many Miles" and "Scarlet Rose." "Theater..." has this very heavenly sounding atmosphere to it, and that grand piano and string sections on this album are just to die for! Tobias Sammet's voice is also beautiful, he's got a vibrato that he shows off like hell but I didn't find it annoying at all. Great piano moments: Land of the Miracle, Another Time. Great speed metal: Babylon, Wake Up The King, Arrows Fly, The Unbeliever.

I think the epic of the whole album is the title track, which beautifully comes in at the end of the whole album. It's such a spiritual, heavenly song that soars with the angels with every listen, along with "The Piper Never Dies" on "Hellfire Club," this is my favorite Edguy epic. The chants of "Hallelujah! Hallelujah" at the song's climax gives me chills up and down my spine everytime I listen to it! And of course, what's an Edguy album without humor? The track closes off with a very interesting backmasked conversation over cheesy music =)

Well, I say this album is at par with "Vain Glory Opera," - those two have grown to be some of my favorite European styled power metal albums. "Theater of Salvation" is definitely a must-have for power metal fans, and chances are if you love Edguy you've got this album in your library. New to Edguy? You can start with this album!