Germany's Edguy's ninth album is out now! The hard-rock band led by frontman Tobias Sammet is back after three years from their previous record. This time, they came out with an album that balances the band's current style, developed mainly throughout their previous two records, and the style that pulled them to the top of European heavy metal. For those who follow the band, this record is at the same level of Mandrake and Hellfire Club, their most accomplished works so far.
The first single off the album, "Robin Hood", is a good summary of the general style that pervades the whole record. It is a song that blends mid-tempo hard rock with furious passages where high speeds and instrument dexterity highlight the skills of the other members, Jens Ludwig, Dirk Sauer (guitar), Tobias Exxel (bass) and Felix Bohnke (drums), who, even though being quieter than singer, leader and main composer Sammet, they can shine in their own way. The lyrics are about a character that is not common in this musical genre, loaded with wizards, fairies, unicorns, knights and kings. Robin Hood is, nonetheless, in accordance with the message the band has always wanted to give: that it is possible to make hard music with frivolous lyrics. The video to the song is a perfect example of this attitude toward music.
Age Of The Joker features epic songs such as the abovementioned "Robin Hood" and the glorious "Behind The Gates To Midnight World", songs chock-full of hard riffs and superb effect such as "Nobody's Hero" and "Fire On The Downline", double-bass drumming in "The Arcane Guild", tongue-in-cheek and unserious lyrics in "Two Out Of Seven", keybords which get scarily close to pop in "Breathe" and "Fire On The Downline" and even a (corny?) ballad with all the ingredients that could have made it a worldwide hit, had it been published in the 80s.
It's unforgettable the Irish-flavored ending to "Rock Of Cashel" (Note: Rock of Cashel is a castle in Ireland) as well as the bluesy intro and interlude in "Pandora's Box" (with a clear nod to Aerosmith). This is where Sammet dares to go on challenging conventions: Hard rock and heavy metal can be ironic and funny; they can leave room for playing with other styles, such as blues and pop, and all this without ceasing to be hard rock. This is Edguy's main virtue and in this album they fulfill their goal through and through.
Rating: 9/10
First single: Robin Hood
Unmissable song: Pandora's Box
(Band picture taken from its official website)
