Edguy

Kiske/Somerville – City of Heroes Review

By Steel Druhm on April 8, 2015 in 2015, Frontier Records, German Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 52 comments

“Here we have another project band from Frontiers Records which appears to be trying to duplicate the success of the Russell Allen and Jorn Lande pairings. Like those albums, the music here is written by Magnus Karlsson, this time with the help of his Primal Fear band mate, Mat Sinner, and as usual, it walks the line between melodic power metal and radio-ready hard rock. Essentially, this is Allen/Lande with Michael Kiske and Amada Somerville standing in. How you feel about that will depend on the extent of your love for the former Helloween golden boy and the erstwhile queen of symphonic metal backing vocals (Avantasia, Aina, et al).” Do you need to take things down a notch and relax? This might help.

Nocturna – Lucidity Review

By El Cuervo on February 12, 2015 in 2015, English Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Unsigned Bands, 18 comments

“Given AMG and Steel Druhm’s well-documented love for power metal (Sonata Arctica, Riot, Edguy), it’s difficult to claim high profile names within the genre for review. The reviews I just linked were all within the last eight months, and 2015 alone has already seen well-received releases from Blind Guardian, Angra and Orden Ogan. Aside from demonstrating the corrupt poseurs masquerading as our leaders, this leaves us meager staff writers scraping the bottom of the power metal barrel…” Did El Cuervo just call the Metal Tribunal corrupt? That’s a paddlin’ offense.

Crazy Lixx – Crazy Lixx Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on November 3, 2014 in 2014, Cock Rock, Frontiers Records, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Cock Rock, Glam Metal, Hair Metal, Heavy Metal, 11 comments

“You know how Kurt Cobain killed Hair Metal? Of course you know; we’ve been through this already. He didn’t. Yes folks, it’s time for your second dose of hair metal in under a month! You see, while AMG has been distracted dealing with Steel Druhm’s incessant efforts to inject more Jorn onto the site by any means necessary, I’ve launched my own elaborately coiffured campaign to restyle Angry Metal Guy into the far more fabulous Hair Metal Guy.” Jorn in the U.S.A.!

Edguy – Space Police: Defenders of the Crown Review

By Steel Druhm on April 25, 2014 in 2014, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 15 comments

“Edguy and I have an abusive relationship. I loved their early stuff so much that I allowed myself to be taken advantage of and settled for subpar albums like Rocket Ride, though it made me feel dirty and shameful. Making it all the worse, at times it seems Edguy deliberately sets out to troll their fanbase, offering equal doses of quality power metal infused with hard rock alongside mega-cheesy, sleazy cock rock that would make Larry Flynt blush.” Is this the good Edguy or the other…Edguy?

Gamma Ray – Empire of the Undead Review

By Steel Druhm on April 1, 2014 in 2014, EarMusic records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 28 comments

“Wow, these guys have been around forever! Empire of the Undead is Gamma Ray’s eleventh freaking album, and we get it despite the fact their recording studio burned down and everything was lost, except the masters for this baby. So what do you get from a band so beloved and long in the tooth?” After so many albums, what are you expecting? Steel Druhm expects you to read this.

Kaledon – Altor: The King’s Blacksmith Review

By Steel Druhm on April 14, 2013 in 1.5, 2013, Italian Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 10 comments

“This album has been giving me fits. I initially confused the band with a power-prog outfit and volunteered to review it. Well, it’s about as far from power prog as Earth is from the Sun. No, Kaledon is a super mega cheesy symphonic power metal ensemble from Italy and they desperately want to be the next Rhaposdy of Fire. To that end, they pile on the swords, sandals, Spartacus and silliness (and they even roped Fabio Lione into guest vocals somehow). Though this is their seventh album (most being part of concept series called Legends of the Forgotten Realm), I had somehow missed them all, which is fortuitous, because from my investigations, they aren’t very good. In fact, they assault the listener with some of the most generic, uninteresting power metal in recent memory. Altor: The King’s Blacksmith is a heaping helping of cheese coated fruit, unfit for consumption by all but the most ardent LARPer.” Steel Druhm doesn’t like LARPing, but he does like power metal, even cheesy power metal. Doesn’t seem as if he’s liking this slice of spoiled Rhapsody pie though….

Avantasia – The Mystery of Time Review

By Steel Druhm on March 26, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 23 comments

“You have to give Tobias Sammet his steely props. He doesn’t do things half-assed. Nope, he goes big, bold and lets the Metal Gods sort shit out. His Edguy material is plenty pretentious and overblown, but it can’t hold a magic candle to the sheer pretentious pomposity and bombast of his Avantasia project. Taking cues from Arjen Luccasen’s Ayreon outings, Sammet drags in every singer, guitarist and hanger-on he can and it seems he’s playing a metallic version of Pokemon (gotta catch em all). His last feat was the impressive double release of the Angel of Babylon and The Wicked Symphony albums (my fanboyish reviews of which, landed me a spot at AMG Industries, Ltd. for some reason), and I was very curious how he could top those massive platters of symphonic excess.” So how exactly does Mr. Sammet top his prior output? Steel Druhm is here to unravel the mysteries of time.

Mob Rules – Cannibal Nation Review

By Steel Druhm on November 3, 2012 in 2012, 3.5, AFM Records, German Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 3 comments

People say we don’t review enough power metal around here. We haven’t gotten all that much lately and besides that, we’re trying to only review death metal! Regardless, Steel Druhm has a big ole bag of new power metal he needs to review and the first up is Germany’s Mob Rules. Don’t say we never listen to our loyal sheeples.

Emerald – Unleashed Review

By Steel Druhm on August 13, 2012 in 2.5, 2012, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Pure Steel Records, Reviews, Swiss Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 4 comments

We haven’t done power metal in a few weeks, so here’s some from Switzerland, home of the mighty Krokus. SHUT UP, they are MIGHTY!!

Edguy – Age of the Joker Review

By Steel Druhm on September 1, 2011 in 2011, 3.0, Cock Rock, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 4 comments

Just so you feel appropriately thankful, Steel Druhm survived storm, surf and medieval living conditions to bring you this damn review. With that out of the way, there’s a new Edguy album out, its called Age of the Joker. Now, I like old Edguy quite a lot. They had a really classic Euro-power metal sound and some serious songwriting chops. As they went along however, they went from their original power template into more of a hard rock/arena rock style and with an increasing sense of tongue-in-cheek silliness that I didn’t care for (Rocket Ride is a mighty lame album with a few good songs mixed in). Of course, main-man Tobias Sammet is also the mastermind behind the Avantasia albums and I’m a fanboy, especially of 2010’s The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon releases. The man can sing and the man can write, there’s no denying it. Therefore it’s quite a letdown to hear how mellow, safe and uneventful a lot of Age of the Joker is. Sure, there are the usual big Edguy anthems here and there, but by and large, this is a pretty tepid, pedestrian release by a band capable of much much more. Way closer to pompous cock rock than classy Euro-power, it goes down a road I’m not that into but it still has its moments of charm and fun.