Edguy new album

And just like that they suck me right back in. Figures after Sabre & Torch they just so happen to hit the 80s sound right on the damn head and blow me away. I am just a mess with this band. It's like a bad relationship :lol:
 
Sure wasn't expecting this! Not a fan of the intentional bad animation (looks like China, IL on Adult Swim). But the song is still awesome.
 
So uh, the new album... actually rocks pretty hard! So much more double bass and guitar activity during the verses than on Age of the Joker, it actually has balls at times. Tobi does some cool things with his voice that I never would've expected, and although Rock Me Amadeus is weird, it's a well-done cover and even Do Me Like A Caveman has a pretty solid hook, nice little piano work in that one. The 'progressive edit' version of Space Police is awesome.

I think this is the album they've been trying to make for a few years... really does justice to the 80s sound with Love Tyger and Aychim in Hysteria reeks of Def Leppard's Hysteria (of course). The others are more power metal. Much like Sonata Arctica, I think they did a pretty good job this time creating the album they've WANTED to make. Not the best Edguy album ever but this is definitely above AOTJ to my ears... might be the best since Rocket Ride.

Artwork still sucks something fierce but I'm quite (pleasantly) surprised with this...
 
A comment on the packaging of the deluxe edition: fantastic! It's one of those fragile fold-open book-style covers but it's of some kind of plastic so it's a bit sturdier; halfway to a hardbook style, basically.

And the booklet has backstories for every song on the main album. Great stuff, that's what I love about booklets!!
 
Dozens of spins into this now...and while it's an improvement on the last album, it's not a massive leap forward. It's a step towards the glory days of Hellfire Club but still another world away. Some of the themes feel like they could've been interesting if they weren't drenched in tiresome Tobi-humour. I guess you expect that from Edguy though, it just doesn't feel like an album I can take seriously and what tasty bits are there are overpowered somewhat by genericity.

Not bad, not great, could be better, see me after class.
 
Given this 3 spins now and I'm quite disappointed with it. The background stories in the book about the songs are far more interesting than the songs themselves. Aside from 'Love Tyger' and 'The Eternal Wayfarer', the songs just feel very laboured and mostly boring. 'Sabre & Torch' is still awful. Tobi's voice doesn't sound too good in my view and in fact I'd say his voice sounds best on the bonus track 'Aychim in Hysteria'.

At least the song 'England' is a good laugh.
 
Given this 3 spins now and I'm quite disappointed with it. The background stories in the book about the songs are far more interesting than the songs themselves. Aside from 'Love Tyger' and 'The Eternal Wayfarer', the songs just feel very laboured and mostly boring. 'Sabre & Torch' is still awful. Tobi's voice doesn't sound too good in my view and in fact I'd say his voice sounds best on the bonus track 'Aychim in Hysteria'.

At least the song 'England' is a good laugh.

Man, I feel so differently about this album months later! The only song I dislike is The Eternal Wayfarer - well, I don't even dislike it, it's just the weakest on the album, I think. I can't get enough of this album! So many good hooks, the energy is through the roof, and I love it! Totally redeemed themselves from Age of the Joker.

Wait... Sabre & Torch. I forget about that one. Can't stand it. So TEW is actually not bad in comparison to me!
 
Ok I'll just put my opinion out there, plus the obligatory flame shield...

Tobias' songwriting isn't bad, but he needs to step the fuck away from the mic and hire someone who can actually sing. This approach he's been using since Hellfire Club is unlistenable at this point (I've grown to despise it more with each sequential album). Now I'm completely baffled as to how it's even possible to enjoy the music with his nasal wailing festering over it. :err:

Hell, bring Oliver Hartmann in as a replacement full-time vocalist or something.

/end-rant
 
Interesting POV korruption, and one I myself had for years, ever since The Scarecrow up until Space Police. I'm not sure what it is about this album that makes it work for me - I can identify the nasally whining and shouting everywhere, but somehow it just clicks with me. The music under his voice just seems to... fit. I think he does a lovely job on Alone In Myself, as quirky a tune as it is. And it has a snarling aggression in The Realms of Baba Yaga that makes me want to floor it when I'm driving. Funny how tastes differ, eh? ;)
 
Interesting POV korruption, and one I myself had for years, ever since The Scarecrow up until Space Police. I'm not sure what it is about this album that makes it work for me - I can identify the nasally whining and shouting everywhere, but somehow it just clicks with me. The music under his voice just seems to... fit. I think he does a lovely job on Alone In Myself, as quirky a tune as it is. And it has a snarling aggression in The Realms of Baba Yaga that makes me want to floor it when I'm driving. Funny how tastes differ, eh? ;)

Alone in Myself is... I really like this song! In fact, I actually liked Lost in Space from his Avantasia 'The Scarecrow' album when it seemed everybody else hated it. Not much of his aggressive vocals that gradually drove a screw loose in my head that causes me to ragestop the song otherwise. When he goes back to his old style, it's cool. I just wish Sascha Paeth either didn't ruin Tobi's vocals, or that Tobi would've flipped him the bird at the idea of changing his singing.

I still wish Hartmann was the main vocalist, though. I'd buy 10 copies of this new album and 'Age of the Joker'. :D

Funny sometimes how tastes differ, sir. Other times it just sucks. :(
 
I wish I had some sort of proof to back up my theories that Sascha Paeth has changed Avantasia and by extension Tobi's approach to songwriting and singing but I don't. I think the only thing I have is the statement in The Metal Opera Gold Edition that Sascha helped change his vibrato, and now Tobi can't stand to hear the way he sang 15-ish years ago, so that's something, but not much. I do think it's a strange coincidence that once Avantasia came back it sounded so, so different from the Metal Operas and how the last 4 albums have had a similar vibe...
 
I just don't enjoy his style of playing. Like on Scales of Justice on Wicked Symphony - the song is great up until that one bridge after the second chorus, I think. A weird shift of style, I don't like that type of riffing he does. It's tainted a lot of good Avantasia songs since 07 imo. Thankfully I don't hear much of that on Space Police, but I also like Jens and Dirk a little more than Sascha ;)