EDENBRIDGE – Arcana

Perhaps the best debut album last year (2000) was released by the Austrian band Edenbridge. I didn’t jump through the roof, so then you know how hard a newcomer is being judged. Merely a year later, “Arcana” is put out, and now the band’s flower folds out. Better songs, better sound, and more a band feeling to the product though the formula is the same, you can say that the Nightwish fans can find more to embrace with Sabine Edelsbacher’s beautiful voice. I didn’t intend to draw too many parallels between Edenbridge and Nightwish, but Massacre, the record company, does so by stating that this is a mixture of the Finnish and Edguy. Well, I don’t know about the latter, but I can’t say I found a much better description. Maybe it makes sense to add that the keyboards sometimes remind a little of Rhapsody? Anyway, the guitar player calls himself Lanvall, and if you haven’t noticed his name by now, he makes sure you will. Not only is he the great composer behind Edenbridge, and not only is he an exceptionally talented axeslinger, but he emphasizes that the good harmonies are what matter the most. And good harmonies; you can find them in his playing, and for instance in the songs ”Starlight Reverie”, ”The Palace”, ”Fly On A Rainbow Dream”, ”Susperia” and indeed the title track. All these songs and more are included on “Arcana”, so I think you should know what to do…