Edenbridge - Solitaire

June 23, 2010

Reviewer: Chris

Release Date: June 30, 2010
Label: Napalm Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Entree Unique
2.  Solitaire
3.  Higher
4.  Skyline's End
5.  Bon Voyage Vagabond
6.  Come Undone
7.  Out Of This World
8.  Further Afield
9.  A Virtual Dream?
10.  Brothers On Diamir
11.  Exit Unique

Total playing time:  52:46

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*Comments:

Bombastic power metal can either be tiresome or amazing, even after a decade of being ruthlessly watered down to the point of criminality. I don’t even want to think about Nightwish post-Tarja Turunen and Within Temptation, while still good, made a leap into the commercial arena a couple of albums back. Austria’s Edenbridge has been around the arena for a few years now and issues its seventh full-length titled Solitaire later this month. For a vastly overcrowded sub-genre, Edenbridge manages to still stay ahead of the pack.

I first heard the band back on the 2001 epic Arcana, which I gave a glowing review for a mag I was working for back when. Vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher is the metal answer to Sarah Brightman; her clean, yet gorgeous tone is lush and vibrant as it has always been since the 2000 debut Sunrise in Eden. Aside from early Tarja, and Elis’ amazing, sadly-departed Sabine Dunser, Edelsbacher is a vocalist I can certainly enjoy on many levels. Without trying to overpower the listener with loud, howling wailing she keeps it simple and effective by just doing what comes naturally.

The tunes on Solitaire are strong, well-structured mini-epics of grandiose design. Without relying on the vapidity of the current power metal, gothic-female-fronted scene, Solitaire reads like a virtual how-to in the medium. Long before every group of kids hanging outside a mall record store decided it would be cool to form a band with one of their respective girlfriends, Edenbridge was forging ahead on its own steam with both talent and good songs. “Bon Voyage Vagabond” is a beautiful vehicle for both the prowess of the band and Sabine’s ethereal vocal style. Other standouts here are “Entrée Unique”, “Come Undone”, “Higher” and “Further Afield.” While I’d be completely off the mark if I said the latest Edenbridge is going to shatter the complacency and drivel-ridden stagnancy of power gothic metal there is very good music to be had here in large doses.

If you intend on spending money on a female-fronted band this summer, make it Edenbridge and seek out the back catalog as well. For gothic metal at its finest, you can’t find any better than Edenbridge, hands down.