AFM Records [Release date: 16.09.22]
Edenbridge’s Sabine Edelsbacher has such an expressive voice. It flows, taking its time, making its mark. Her clear, classy enunciation adds an element of sophistication to every note she sings.
Band leader, Arne “Lanvall” Stockhammer, plays every stringed instrument known to man, and he plays them all on this album, plus keyboards, and he writes and arranges with skill and imagination.
It’s a potent combination, and yet this, their 11th album is probably their most uneven recording of the series.
None of the songs really fail at what they intend to do. The meat and two veg melodic metal of ‘Hall Of Shame’ and ‘Freedom Is A Roof Made Of Stars’ resonate at a low level, but they are completely shaded out by a handful of songs that succeed beyond expectation.
It’s important to understand the lyrical concept of the album. The title is a huge clue. The focus is clearly on our interpretation (if we have one) of paradise, heaven, life hereafter, whatever we believe in, or don’t.
The big production numbers, full of towering, wall to wall choruses and harmonies begin, quite naturally, with the opening track, the 8 minute ‘At First Light’. It’s a wake up call and it has everything … lyrical axe soloing, choirs, strings, slick changes of pace, a sophisticated orchestral arrangement, all creating a sense of urgency, aiming for a psychological depth seldom realised in this genre.
By interweaving human frailty with climate wars and the fight for the planet, ‘Call Of Eden’, ‘Arcadia’ and ‘Savage Land’ become the album’s calling cards.
All three are dressed in the band’s most fluent and impressive symphonic rock finery. ‘Savage Land’ particularly stands out, haunting, mesmerising, almost spiritual, but all three trade off emotions and yearning, share epic, uplifting choruses, and stay with you long after the last note has sounded.
The title track is a little disappointing, the chorus doesn’t quite have the pulse quickening impact the lyrics demand, and the 16 minute closer, ‘The Bonding Pt2′ never really gets off the ground, despite some beautiful choral moments, and a lot of absorbing vocal swordplay between Edelsbacher and guest vocalist, Erik (Eclipse) Martensson.
Still, the really good stuff is outstanding. ****
Review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)
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