Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A solid effort, but not their best album, July 6, 2007
Hailing from Austria, Edenbridge is a fairly unique band in the "metal band with female vocalist" genre. Their particular sound, self-described as "angelic, bombastic metal" is somewhere between Nightwish and melodic rock diva Lana Lane. The music is lush and melodic, with a heavy emphasis on keyboards, and falls squarely in the Helloween/Angra power metal category. The only thing remotely goth-like about this band is their wardrobe. The vocals, which are provided by the lovely and talented Sabine Edelsbacher, are a breath of fresh air in a genre where every female singer seems determined to be a glass-shattering opera star.
I really like this band, but I wasn't as impressed with their 2003 album Aphelion as I was with their previous releases (Sunrise in Eden and Arcana). It opened strong with The Undiscovered Land, but most of the songs after that just seemed to fade into the background, lacking the sense of grandeur that made the songs on Arcana so memorable. All of that can be forgiven though, in light of the album's closing song Red Ball in a Blue Sky, which features a duet between Edelsbacher and Silent Force vocalist D.C. Cooper. Cooper is far and away my favorite vocalist, and hearing these two great singers together is pure magic, as is their contribution to the amazing melodic metal "opera" Missa Mercuria.
Aphelion may not be Edenbridge's finest hour, but it is still a very solid album with a few noteworthy moments. It's well worth checking out, particularly if you're a fan of bands like Nightwish, After Forever, et al and have grown tired of the opera metal style.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A little step back yet still enjoyable, September 23, 2003
Well, I expected a lot from this release, wondering if Arcana could be topped, especially after I heard the first minute of The Undiscovered Land featuring Oriental intro. And I was a little disappointed. First of all, it took me several listens before I started digging all songs; that wasn't the case with Arcana.
This time the band decided to make songs a little longer and heavier, which would be OK too, except...the songs themselves...they sounded a little pale to me, not juicy enough, especially the slower tracks. Every other aspect seemed to be in place though, the band is offering crisp production, tight musicanship and heavenly vocals. The definite highlight of this record is a guest appearance of non other than D.C. Cooper (ex Royal Hunt) in Red Ball In Blue Sky. Him and Sabine form an impressive duet and that makes it worth checking out Aphelion just for that particular song.
Having pointed out pros and cons, I am assuring you it is still a safe purchase if you like hard rock/metal of fine quality performed by talented musicians.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as Arcana, but still grade-A material, January 28, 2004
I was sold by this band after 5 seconds off of one of the songs (I forget which) on their previous effort, Arcana. I was so impressed that I spent the full $25.49 to get this album new. Along with the $22 I wasted on a used copy of After Forever's Decipher, that's the most I've ever spent on a one-disc album. Unlike the previous purchase, this one was 100% worth it. Now, of the three Edenbridge albums, this one is the one I like least, because the songs are shorter and there seems to be a little too much power metal percussion. Also, they have some Nightwish-esque cheesy keyboard moments. However, that does not diminish the fact that it is still a great album, in every aspect. The thing that really upset me though is that, unlike their previous efforts, which were appreciable in length, this one only has two songs over five minutes in length. I didn't care too much for the addition of D.C. Cooper on the last song, but I generally don't care for male power metal vocalists (aside from Tony Kakko and, if you considered Iced Earth a power metal band like some folks do, Matt Barlow). So to be short and sweet, this album rocks, but be sure that you get Arcana first, or at least in the same order. And don't rule out their debut Sunrise in Eden, because these guys (and girl) have yet to produce an album that doesn't deserve a high rating.
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