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11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Powerless Metal, February 1, 2006
Well, sadly, all good things must come to an end. I guess the same is true for Edguy. The German Power Metal band who seemed poised to take over as the new kings of Power Metal, having previously taken over all of Europe, were making inroads in the States, then came Rocket Ride. Edguy fans be warned, your band has turned from poised to posed. This is not the same Power Metal you've grown to love and honor. No, it seems that Tobias & company have been influenced by a new producer into "expanding" and changing their trademark sound, either that or they've been locked up in a closet with Def Leppard and Bon Jovi CDs. Yes, as much as it pains me to say this, I fear it is true.
High points, there are a couple, The Asylum, classic Edguy sound. The one long time fans will appreciate. Solid song writing, double bass drum kicks, catchy hooks and melodies. Sacrifice has it's moments, but doesn't hold up when compared to classics from the Mandrake and Hellfire Club album.
Low points, there are many but the worst of them are the Matrix and Trinidad. Tobias must be having fun with us because these have to be jokes. Electronicia? Reggae? From Edguy? Not what we've come to expect from Edguy. Really guys, these should have been bonus tracks on some EP. Production rates 1.5 . Gone for the most part and the double bass drums, wall of sound guitars and harmonized vocals. Overall a very thin production from what we're used to. Fire this producer guys, he is ruining you
and losing you fans.
Songwriting is terrible and rates a 2. Seems like something you'd hear from an 80s hairband. Maybe Edguy is targeting the same audience that listens to the Darkness? You guys were setting trends, why completely change your style and lose your fan base? You think Darkness fans will be loyal to you? Guess again. They will not be loyal to Darkness after a few years.
Muscianship is very average, rates a 3. The songs are simple and the band seems bored going through the motions on these songs.
Let's hope that the fan base responds accordingly and let's Edguy know that they've really missed the mark. I'm all for progression and realize that as an artist you aspire to create new and different songs and albums, but Edguy really had a signature sound. I'm sure there are many other ways they could have retained the Edguy sound without selling out.
Save your money and buy the Mandrake or Hellfire Album instead. And if you have these already, then check out the new Primal Fear, Seven Seals album. Now here is a band that knows how to change and adapt its sound without selling out!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Inconsistency prevents what could have been a 5 star rating, April 17, 2007
Although there have been mixed views on this album, I am one of those who like it very much. In fact I would put it in my top 5 albums of 2006 (either number 4 or 5). Yes, there are some moments where that slightly weird, wacky, German Edguy humor is done just a bit too much, but there are some outstanding tracks on this album as well which make it a worthy purchase for Edguy fans or fans of melodic hard rock/metal.
To me Edguy have always sounded like a cross between Iron Maiden/Bruce Dickinson and Def Leppard, with their previous albums leaning more towards the Iron Maiden/Dickinson type metal sound with Def Lappard type hooks and melodies. With "Rocket Ride" though, they have moved away from that sound a bit, this time leaning more towards a Def Leppard type commercial sound. That's not to say though that Edguy have "wimped out", as some tracks on "Rocket Ride" have a really powerful sound.
The album kicks off with a bang with "Sacrifice", an 8 minute mix of light and shade, piano, power riffs, pumping beat, and the hooks and melodies all Edguy fans love. This is one stand out track.
The title track is also one of the albums best, a fast paced rocker with a mellow moment of reflection in the middle which builds up before the guitar solo, and then the track bursts with pace again.
"Wasted Time" is a classic. With an intro high on atmosphere, it builds up the anticipation before the big riffs come. Then we get acoustic guitars and a soft vocal before the track again rocks with a great chorus to sing along with. Again, a killer guitar solo and another mellow moment in the middle before it kicks off again with that chorus. Wow, this track is good!
"Matrix" is a good track, but not as good as the first three. This one is more commercial in its sound, but it's another with a good chorus.
"Return To The Tribe" is another song that isn't too bad, but it isn't a stand out. It's another typical fast paced Edguy rocker.
"The Asylum" clocks in at over 7 and a half minutes, and is my favorite track of the album. Like some of the other tracks on the album, this is one which builds up and has a mix of light and shade. Starting with acoustic guitar and vocals only, it sounds quite mellow as if it's going to be a ballad. But then you can tell by the way Sammet builds up with the vocals that something big is coming, and man...it sure does. A high pitched wail, power riffs and drums kick in, followed by a more mellow, melodic verse. Then the power builds up again to the chorus. This track is high on intensity and power. The break/guitar solo starts off mellow and builds up as per the formula of the song, to finish powerfully. I think this is one of Edguys best songs ever, I love it.
"Save Me" is a ballad, and a very good one, perhaps Edguys best ballad so far.
"Catch Of The Century" is another pretty good track, more of a hard rock type song than metal. It finishes with a bit of that wacky Edguy humor but this doesn't detract from what is a good song.
"Out Of Vogue" is nothing fantastic, but it's not too bad. Just another average Edguy rocker.
"Superheroes" is the track picked to be a single, so as you would expect it is very commercial in its sound. It has a guitar part which sounds like the theme music for a comic book hero TV show or something, but it fits well with the song. There is a chorus which you just can't help singing along with, and is one of the better tracks on the album but not meant to be taken too seriously.
"Trinidad" is cr#p. This is a prime example of that Edguy humor done too much. It's obviously intended as a joke song, but it's just over done. A little bit of humor is okay, but this isn't that funny and even if the lyrics were serious the style of the song doesn't appeal to me with that Caribbean type sound to it. This sort of song should be relegated to being a bonus track at the end of the album, or as a bonus track on a single if they feel the need to do it at all.
"F#cking With Fire (Hair Force One)". With a title like that it's obvious that this is another example of Edguy humor. However this one is better than the previous because at least this one has some power to the song and you do find yourself singing the chorus!
I got the digi-pack version of this album which also has a bonus live track "Land Of The Miracle". Nothing special with this track, it's ok, but a live ballad? Not a good choice for a bonus track.
In conclusion, this album has some excellent tracks which really are stand outs, and some others which are pretty good too. However what lets it down is the finish. To finish off with these joke songs is just a silly idea in itself, and it's this that prevents me from giving the album a 5 star rating. This is a shame because the album did deserve to have a better finish after being so good up until then.
I also recommend getting the "Superheroes" EP if you like this album. It has four non-album tracks plus a piano only version of "Superheroes" which sounds really good. The non-album tracks are quite good, especially "Judas At The Opera" which has Michael Kiske sharing vocals in a song with many changes in it. In fact, I like these songs better than those at the end of the album itself!
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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Here there be no dragons, January 27, 2006
Edguy's last full length, Hellfire Club, was absolutely a landmark and a breath of fresh air for metal. Rocket Ride continues in the same vein and is consistently good - if you heard the excellent Superheroes EP, you have a pretty good idea what to expect - and it's already gotten a lot of listens over the past month or so even though there isn't any one song on here that totally sends me through the roof like the very best ones on HC. I'd probably give this one 4.5 stars if I could.
Standout tracks for me are Wasting Time and Catch of the Century - two uptempo, shorter, and very catchy tunes, the sort of thing that Edguy is almost alone in doing these days - and The Asylum, a longer and more structurally varied track that's in the line of Mandrake and The Piper Never Dies. Superheroes is an instant classic with notably good lyrics. But while the diversity on the album is enormous (every track stands out, unlike so many totally homogenous power metal albums), the quality is also consistently high, and there isn't one throw-away track on the whole album, which is great. On the other hand, there isn't anything really fast and agressive, and I think the album would have been better for having something a little more violent for contrast.
With Rocket Ride, Edguy will continue to annoy folks who think that metal has to consist only of "epic" songs about dragons, kings, and steel; there's not a fantasy cliche in sight, and there's quite a lot of joking around. If Hellfire Club's "Lavatory Love Machine" wasn't your cup of tea, then Catch of the Century, Trinidad, and, ah, the Fire song aren't going to do it for you this time either, not to mention the cartoony cover art. But me, I'm glad there are some bands with this level of technical ability who are willing to just rock out and have fun - and when Tobi and the guys get out on tour for this one, don't miss it. You'll never have a better time at a show.
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by Edguy 
