Theater of Salvation

Edguy

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 11, 2000)
• Original Release Date: July 11, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Metal Blade
• ASIN: B00004U065
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #117,938 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Grand, November 26, 2003

By	"aiylyn" (Washington, Mi United States) - See all my reviews

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Power metal done right, October 20, 2000

By	Matt from www.prog.web.com - See all my reviews

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good melodic metal, October 20, 2002

By	electricphase (Mexico City) - See all my reviews

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!