Edenbridge - Shine
CD Info
2004
Massacre Records
12 Tracks
English lyrics
Edenbridge is an Austrian band fronted by guitarist Lanvall and singer Sabine Edelsbacher. They play symphonic metal, not unlike Nightwish. Shine was the fourth studio album from this band. I remember when I first heard samples from Shine from their official site—I was really blown away (as well as being quite obsessed with listening to the samples). Unfortunately, at the time, I didn’t know of any place that sold this album (it was before I discovered Sonic Cathedral) other than buying a very expensive import from Amazon. To this day, this album remains to be the most expensive album I bought. Did I regret it?
Well, before I get to that, I’ll try to describe the music a bit. The vocals in Edenbridge are very different than many female fronted bands. I’m not quite sure how I’d describe Sabine’s singing—it’s sort of operatic, but not really. She must have had some unorthodox vocal training because she sings very uniquely! To this day she has one of the most distinctive vocals of any female fronted band that I’ve heard. I suggest going to find a sample of Sabine singing before delving into an album—she won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Personally, I find her voice great if a bit warbley at times. The guitar playing also has a certain "flavor" to it that isn’t present in any other band. The only way I can describe the guitar plays is that is smooth and "bright". The symphonic elements present on this record are also very well done!
The songs are the best Edenbridge have ever come up with. The only iffy song would be "Elsewhere", which is a boring and short ballad. Still, the rest of the songs more than make up for it. The songs sound quite epic—half the songs are over five minutes in length. "Shine" starts the album off very well and gives you great idea of what to expect from the rest of the album: bombast, excellent vocals, and cheesy lyrics. "The Wild Chase" is another highlight with a wonderful violin melody—this being one of the best songs Edenbridge has ever produced. "The Canterville Prophecy/The Canterville Ghost" is the climax to the album. "The Canterville Prophecy" is the intro to "The Canterville Ghost" (though I feel it should have just been merged with "The Canterville Ghost") and it starts quite hauntingly. After this little intro, "The Canterville Ghost" starts off very bombastically, and continues to present excellent melodies throughout. The rest of the songs do not disappoint either.
To answer my question earlier: no, I do not regret it. This is still one of my favorite albums to listen to. The album is full of excellent tracks that are sure to please many symphonic metal fans. If you’re already an Edenbridge fan and do not have this album, get it; if you’re just into symphonic metal, I’d say to try this album. There aren’t many albums I’d call a classic, but this would be one. http://www.edenbridge.org
9.5 / 10
