EDGUY - Age Of The Joker CD Review

ARTIST: Edguy
TITLE: Age Of The Joker
YEAR: 2011
LABEL: Nuclear Blast Records
REVIEWED BY: Caroline Restiaux

So where to start? I could start off like most and make mention of Tobias Sammet's Edguy vs. Avantasia projects. Where would that take us? Probably no where and it would end up just being a filler like a chunk of the songs on 'Rocket Ride'. I could however start off by introducing the German quintet's 9th studio album release 'Age Of The Joker'. The album has been in the works for some time now and the fruit of it's labor is, well, not too bad at it's best.

There is no doubt that Tobias is one of the greatest German power metal singers out there. His vocals are powerful when needed and brought down to a softer tone when ballads require him to do so. When listening to the opening track 'Robin Hood' there is no denying that he can tell a story and is well merited when people say that he has exceptional writing skills. But when he gets into his quirky and profane lyrics, like in 'Two Out Of Seven', you have to question if this is a joke or not.

The CD is like a collection of power ballads for those who are in to something a bit more 'powerful'. Nevertheless there are some big moments on the CD like the solo in 'The Arcane Guild' and the Zakk'ish riffing in 'Faces In The Darkness'. The band remains versatile during the whole 65 minutes with country influences in 'Pandora's Box', a Celtic feel in 'Rock of Cashel' and folky moments in 'Behind The Gates To Midnight World'. There is an obvious 80's rock influence notwithstanding the music is undeniably filled with emotion from beginning to end.

When all is said and done the release appears to be a 'safe' one. It's catchy and fun however it lacks the ability to truly draw your full attention unless you are a long time fan (or enjoyed their last two releases) of Edguy. That being said, it's no Hellfire Club! So if you are cool with quirky power metal that has very few epic moments then 'Age of The Joker' is for you. For those of you who are a bit more critical and didn't like their last couple of releases then fire on down the line!

TRACKLISTING:

01. Robin Hood
02. Nobody's Hero
03. Rock Of Cashel
04. Pandora's Box
05. Breathe
06. Two Out Of Seven
07. Faces In The Darkness*
08. The Arcane Guild*
09. Fire On The Downline
10. Behind The Gates To Midnight World
11. Every Night Without You