  
Napalm/Sound Pollution
EDENBRIDGE have just completed album number seven since 2000. The Austrians have been adamant on the road both as support for the likes of AXXIS and PINK CREAM 69, and headliners. They are famed for their symphonic, preferably orchestrated metal, but also for their vocalist Sabine Edelbacher. The others in the band are; multiinstrumentalist Lanvall, guitarist Dominik Sebastian, and drummer Max Pointner. They have made room for some guests too; Robby Valentine, Dennis Ward and violinist Astrid Stockhammer.
The intro is orchestrated and pompous. The title track follows and the professional sound is augmented by the mixing by Karl Groom (THRESHOLD) and the mastering by Mika Jussila at Finvox. Sabine has a slightly darker voice than the trendiest “beauty-singers” on the market. The feeling of the title track is a bit like when RAINBOW did Beethoven´s 9th, but in those days orchestration was a surprise. Not a style with plenty of practitioners. Lanvall dominates the sound picture with both guitars and keyboards. The whole seems well composed and they make themselves accessible with refrains like “Higher”. To many symphonic bands it is often a hard nut to crack not to be too intricate for possible fans. “Out of This World” is a pulsating more pop-like variation of the band, still there is enough distortion to keep metal fans happy. They rock out in “A Virtual Dream”, making this a varied album, filled with fine individual contributions. EDENBRIDGE stay loyal to their basic idea of symphonic metal but vary their trade in fine fashion. Some more sing-along refrains would have been welcome but I guess you can´t have it all.
Track List
Entree Unique
Solitaire
Higher
Skyline´s End
Bon Voyage Vagabond
Come Undone
Further Afield
a Virtual Dream
Brothers Damir
Exit Unique
www.napalmrecords.com www.myspace.com/edenbridge
|
