EDENBRIDGE – Dynamind

One feature of sympho that’s bound to raise the ire of parts of the metal community is the epic stylings that often accompany it. I mean, don’t these bands know that keyboards and classical hooks belong in Foreigner and Deep Purple? Safe to say that this spluttering silo of opinion has almost oozed its objections for the last time. These days we’re all into texture, odd time sigs and, well, experimentation. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why it’s a genuine joy to hear the latest release from Austrian symphonic powerhouses Edenbridge.

Weighing in at meaty but not indigestible 74 minutes, “Dynamind” exhibits the best of the genre by splashing more than a modicum of tasteful guitar and reflective dynamics into the path of the inevitable bombast. And despite the manifest competence on display here, there’s little doubt that it’s rendered more impressive by the sense of restraint that hangs over the entire collection.

It’s an approach that the band keep on returning to throughout. “On The Other Side” showcases a nice combination of Celtic references and chugging riffage that sounds like the sparkling offspring of traditional metal and an Irish drinking song. “Where Oceans Collide” cherrypicks highlights from the power metal playbook without sounding hackneyed; and “Taurengold” is a real fix of epic that presages tracks to come.

Despite other members of a very capable supporting cast, the true centrepiece of the album is the supremely well-constructed “The Last Of His Kind”, a tour de force of epic metal that still manages to find time to indulge the lyrical element of the band’s playing. Vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher sotto voce demands for human beings to look after their environment blend with later, more urgent passages, until the whole number resolves itself in a tub-thumping arabesque conclusion that lingers vividly in the mind long after the final note has rung out.

This is the band’s 13th album and any suggestion that it’s unlucky for them quickly evaporates on playback. With a nice control of dynamics and a heartening commitment to evolving song structures, there’s more than enough on offer here to please the converted whilst tempting wavering voters (prog fans and gothic metallers in particular) to give it a listen, too.