Mandrake

The new album of Edguy is finally here. I'm a bit amazed by the timing for this new album, after all Avantasia was released in January and yet here we are in September with already a new Edguy album. Not to mention that Avantasia was released not that much after the Savage Poetry 2000 which was a real jewel. Well, let's get one thing clear, the new Edguy is much softer than everything that's been released by the band since Vain Glory Opera, and it's maybe simply the softer album of their discography. But don't let that diminish you, cause it's still Edguy, majestic melodies, great catchy choruses, incredible vocals from Tobias (not to mention song-writing) and like always killer riffs and solos. The overall smells Edguy, but in the same time it sounds different, like I said before it's softer, but there's also a feeling of 80's stuff digged into the songs and that's probably what makes the difference. The drums is a less fast that they were used to be on VGO or on Theater Of Salvation and I believe Mandrake is inferior compared to these albums. I'll get back on the vocals to say that Tobias Sammet doesn't stop impressing me, he's getting better with each release and is slowly but surely becoming my favorite singer. He also completly lost this little funny accent he had in the past, it's completly gone now. The album features a couple of speedy songs like Golden Dawn or Fallen Angels (my two favorite songs on the album with Nailed To The Wheel). There are quite a lot of medium paced songs and like always there's a more than 10 minute long epic song (Pharaoh). One other excellent song is Nailed To The Wheel, one of Edguy's most agressive song (chorus wise) ever that reminds me a lot of The Final Sacrifice from the Avantasia single (duo song with D. Defeis). The ballad of the album is called Wash Away The Poison and is a beautiful song in the veins of Scarlet Rose or Sands Of Time. A little funny thing, the last song (Save Us Now) is really funny and if you've followed a bit Toby's forum on Tobiassammet.com, and remeber what Toby said about the title of the forthcoming album a few month late when a fan asked for the album's title : then you'll end up laughing your ass out without any doubt (thanks for the laughing therapy Toby ;) !). In the end this album is a real good one, but maybe a bit too easy and a tad too soft for Edguy. I guess the band maybe wants to get some Hard'N'Heavy stuff in their discography and I can't blame them, that's where it all started (True Metal) so it would be misplaced to judge such decision. But when I put back the last 3 albums, I can't stop to feel that this one is a bit less of an achievement. Songs like Jerusalem or All The Clowns are maybe a bit too simple and they don't really add anything new. Anyway, I love this new album but I can't give it an award this time, I believe that Edguy are capable of delivering much more than this and that album, although a good one, was an easy, and maybe too quick move to still release an Edguy album between the releases of the Avantasia part II project. For all True Metal fans, you can buy without any hesitation but don't expect that album to beat Vain Glory Opera, Theater Of Salvation or even the extraordinary Savage Poetry 2000 because it won't !