Edguy - Mandrake

Edguy paved a way for themselves throughout the 90s by crafting sharp, head turning albums. Even without the necessary funds for making a polished disc, "Kingdom of Madness" was a step in the right direction despite the suffering production quality. With a little more cash to back them up and the helping hands of Hansi Kursch and Timo Tolkki guestspotting, "Vain Glory Opera" took the world by storm, officially introducing us to the pure talent of this band and their distinctive frontman who truly sounds like no one else on the market. With killer tunes like the epic fists-in-the-air title track, the rousing "Out of Control" and the delicate heartbreaker "Scarlet Rose", Edguy's time had certainly arrived. Two years later came the magnificence of "Theatre of Salvation" that offered a little something for everyone. The splendor of sprawling inspirational epics, gossamer winged teardrop ballads, Helloween-ish speed fests in true German style, and even a track right out of the 80s that combined power with glitzy sleaze. Riding high on the wave of popularity, 2000 gave us the remake of their very first discs, "The Savage Poetry", which turned glimpses of good ideas into remarkablely impressive tunage.

But at the peak of their popularity, Tobias goes off on his own, mining a story idea that placed him in the role of a fantasy hero with the ambitious "Avantasia" that dawned at the beginning of the year, 2001. With an Edguy album scheduled for later that year, and him being the main songwriter for the band, how could he possibly pull it off? Rumors ran rampant of him exhausting the pool of ideas on his sideproject, leaving the well dry for the next band offering.

"Mandrake"'s opening smasher puts the fears at rest. Although playing it on the safe side, the new Edguy is a worthy successor to "TOS" even if it doesn't quite make it to the top of the pedestal "TOS" sits firmly upon. But there's lots here to partake in, stoking the fires of power and including some of the heaviest material of their career. Tobi sounds as wonderful as ever, his accent still a very prominent player in his particular soaring style that has been likened to a cross between Michael Kiske and Bruce Dickinson but sporting a heavier foriegn tilt that comes off impressively smooth. The high notes are hit with an apparent ease and his lower growl is a vocal lover's delight, but the mid range he spends most of the disc singing in is beautiful and at times as spiritual or commanding as the music itself. Axeslinging is top notch as always, the dueling duo of Jens Ludwig and Dirk Sauer never fail to impress with their tastefully flamboyant chops and shredding dazzle. The drummer is blessed mightily by the speed daemon, oftentimes sounding as if he is going to pound right through the skin of the drumset, breaking the sticks along with it. In short, this is what epic power metal is all about: killer musicianship, memorable melodies, and mood setting atmospheres...

01.] "Tears of the Mandrake"
Terrific. This is the way all metal should sound. A subtle, warped opening taking advantage of the unique sound of the Hammond organ and other keyboard tricks sets the stage with the perfect questioning atmosphere, then chaos ensues... The sharp, neck snapping production is used to perfect effect on this no holds barred, rip roarin' showcase piece. The bass drums are absolutely mind blowing, vibrating with pure force while the guitars rip and dance with confidence, fire and a slight not to edgy distortion. But what about the chorus? Its what you come to expect from this band.. tight, catchy as hell and filled to overflowing with the backing voices supporting Tobias' instantly recognizable vocals. Harsh and numbingly heavy, this essential epic is by no means the best of Edguy, but its damn good. An impressive show of skill and might wrapped up in a bass god's wildest dream.

02.] "Golden Dawn"
Straddling the fence between straight up speed metal and a pacing more akin to the higher end of the mid tempo spectrum but not quite falling into the speed trap, this track does succeed with its blazing quality. The instrumental section a little past the mid point is simply to die for with its use of 'too fast to headbang to' drums and the bitingly stark guitar that careful winds its way in circles creating electric labrythine patterns. Many comparisions can be drawn between this and many other bands and songs, with Helloween or Gamma Ray coming to mind more often than not. Its not the kind of song I would listen to repeatedly but for certain moods it fits the bill although there is much better stuff to come, that would make this subpar track stick out like a sore thumb if it weren't for a few exceptional qualities.

03.] "Jerusalem"
Strapping acoustic guitar sparkling with resonance, streaks with such clarity that the pick can clearly be heard plucking the strings, lending the part shortly after the piping grand opening an organic, earthy feel. Accompanying the acoustic is the marked sound of Tobi singing with a confident assurance in this bard-like setting. Tobias carries this one with his striking vocal style sending chills on a one way ticket straight to the soul with the manner in which he twistedly spits out the word "Torn" followed by a world weary "and feathered". This strides directly into the chorus which has the ability to lift the entire affair into a midpaced delight, spiced to a perfection with rolling, solid as rock, drums. The bagpipe-like sounds that started the disc off revisit for the instrumental soloing that has the feeling of being an actual extension of the song instead of an expected add on. Electric rings out with Celtic spirit dancing wildly with pent up excitement before being sent back into the realm of rhythm riffing by a single word.

04.] "All the Clowns"
Slowing the fast paced sprint down a notch is this still well blended tune that strikes its own path completely seperate from the others on this disc, wandering its way into a delightfully hard rocking territority, all while keeping that primal power urge intact. The chorus is magnificence absolute, exploding with sweeping melody. With each repetition it builds upon the one before it until the final round that features a couple of well placed screams for punctuation purposes.

05.] "Nailed to the Wheel"
Finally screeching all proceedings to a halt is this lulling track, balladesque and beautiful, but with lyrics not quite suited to a beginning so petite and pretty. Shouldn't this be a cry from the heart? A love lost anthem? Steel yourselves! The hammer comes crashing down and shades of Judas Priest creep in. The chorus has Tobias not singing but literally screaming each line a'la Rob Halford. The remainder of the song hops between having the words rushed together like a mile long traffic jam and the 'regular' operatic style that is the usual for Edguy. Bits of the guitar near the ending are reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen during his darker days. Deliriously heavy and wickedly quick, there's plenty of appeal in this one even if its a very different taste for the band.

06.] "Pharoah"
Alot of bands have used the Egyptian themes throughout the history of metal most likely due to its exotic flavour and unique nature it can lend to what would otherwise be a bland track. Unfortunately, most tend to feel like a throwback to the pioneers of the Egypt influences, Rainbow with their memorable "Gates of Babylon". Luckily Edguy has managed to take this into an entirely new direction that sounds fresh and made all their own on what is definitely the most important song on the entire album. The epic is always the centerpiece, and thank heavens its a killer, although not quite up to par with the truly exceptional "Theater of Salvation". They managed to pack all ten and a half minutes with enough majesty, unexpected time changes and lulls with their inevitable explosions, keeping the listener on the edge of the seat wondering what shall come next during this onslaught of sound. Most notably is the thick and thumping opening that is packed with bass and sounds superb at high sound levels. The excellent use of Sammet's voice is to be commended, especially during the chorus and some of those lush vibrato filled notes he holds so evenly afterwards. A few of the instrumental sections are also more than worth mentioning, especially the powerful bit that follows the first few rounds of the chorus. The rhythm guitar is lumberingly heavy, obliterating most everything except for the lead which literally shreds in circles around it, notes flying faster than the beating of a hummingbird's wings. Then a minute before the midway point comes another little vocal-less part that is a true mood setter, stark and sparse like the desert with what sounds like a sitar echoing with a quiet eerieness. Then the multilayered vocals come rushing in like a dust storm, the first track of Tobias quickly running through his lines while the one overshadowing laying each word down with wavering vibrato in a competition where both fall out almost simultaneously. It is a moment that remains with you throughout the duration of the song...

07.] "Wash Away the Poison"
Beautiful. Perhaps Edguy are the masters of the modern day ballad? It all began with such as "The Scarlet Rose" and "Sands of Time", and now the legacy continues with "Wash Away the Poison", which follows in the footsteps of all that came before it. Not quite as delicate or tear streaked as "Another Time", this one deals not with matters of the heart, but rather with fear of the future, of death and what, if anything lays beyond 'the pool of life' and the aligment of the soul. Musically the song is crafted with a sense of searching trepidation, a quiet lost reflection into the questioning darkness.

08.] "Fallen Angels"
Another Helloween-ish speed thingy, with more than its fair share of thumpin bass and double drums. Its chorus holds together well and while familiar, it still has a little different feeling than some of the other experiments on the disc. Amazingly high pitched screams, held with exceptional length I might add, seem ripped right out of Sammet's throat! Pretty typical but not bad, a basic power metal tune that could have easily been lifted from "Vain Glory Opera". Unfortunately, I was hoping for a little more from this one.

09.] "Painting On the Wall"
One of my favorites, perfect in almost every way: length, structure and overall presentation. Its more hard rock than anything else but still sports those ultra spiffy power metal trappings. The guitars, right along with the chorus flow with melodic electricity, instantly grabbing the attention and holding it spellbound. Tobias sounds like a golden throated angel when he simply sings, such as on this song, instead of trying to do some of the acrobatics seen earlier on the discs. The lyrics are a magical brush with insanity but on the flip side of the very same coin also cling firmly to a reality that can easily be seen by only taking a glance through the looking glass...

10.] "Save Us Now"
Speaking of insane, the disc is wrapped up with this bizarre example of a total loss of sanity. This is the tale of the alien drum bunny who apparently has it in for the world wanting to make all on the planet deaf with his overly loud drumming skills, complete with thunderous sound effects. As you can imagine, this little cheddar infected track is a jabbing joke about the band's drummer, Felix Bohnke and features his exceptional use of skin pounding. Its loud, proud and silly as can be. Fans will eat it up, the rest will just wonder what the hell is going on.

11.] "The Devil & The Savant"
But wait, there's more! It doesn't end with ten, apparently this is a 'limited edition bonustrack' just for us! Aww how sweet, and eleven is definitely preferable to ten, although I certainly would not have minded a baker's dozen. A tantalizing teaser with synthesizer that twinkles like hundreds of tiny stars chiming against a midnight hour's stark black sky. The climbing heaviness provides a great backdrop against the lead vocals. And the chorus is killer, similiar to the technique used on "Fallen Angels" but with a more relaxed pacing that allows every note to sink in with rousing conviction. I much prefer this sort of mid paced power over the knock the wind out of your lungs, super speed stuff that grates on the nerves at times. The use of synthesizers is perfect although not nearly used enough, providing a rousing contrast to the typical metal instrumental setup. Sort of like a mini "Theater of Salvation", this is a very satisfying way to end the album.