Edenbridge: Shangri-La

Shangri-La is the eleventh studio album by Austrian symphonic power metal band Edenbridge. Here we find the same exact lineup that recorded and released Dynamind (2019) which is comprised of Sabine on vocals, Dominik Sebastian on guitars, Johannes Jungreithmeier on drums, Steven Hall on bass, and Lanvall on all types of guitars, keyboards, and electric sitar. It is also the third consecutive album released as a double album, with the second CD being an instrumental version of CD 1, a tradition they started back in 2017 with The Great Momentum, something mostly appreciated.

A spectacular album from the get-go and all the expected ingredients are present, the power metal rhythmic section, the metallic riffing and melodic virtuoso soloing, the anthemic choruses, the symphonic details, the memorable hooks, all in! A more than solid record in the vein of their best material, if not the best. The mini epic opener “At First Light� already gives a sneak peak of what’s to come in the next 50 minutes or so of high-quality music. An album by a traditional symphonic metal band that sounds more like a progressive rock/metal band with an enormous and clear vocalization by the great Sabine, she sounds spectacular. The guitar work is phenomenal as usual; however, it seems Lanvall is getting used to add different sonic layers to his music with a variety of cool instruments that help him craft the perfect arrangements, enhancing the journey. “The Call of Eden� might be my less favorite song in the album, not bad at all, just too commercial sounding, even the guitar solo sounds a little too produced. “Hall of Shame� is fast and furious, a place where producer Karl Groom feels very comfortable… his mixing hand can be felt and almost touched, the record has that same power found on the Threshold catalog, with every instrument sounding as clear as glass and perfectly mixed. “Savage Land� is one of my favorites, besides the immediate ballad-like hooks, the song also has some of the best arrangements on the album, like those of the guitars, the Tull-sounding flute, the Floydian psychedelic atmosphere, and the supreme vocals.

‘Somewhere Else but Here� brings back the prog metal formula with the heavy guitar riffs and fat bass lines, the vocal melodies might be the catchiest yet and, alongside “Freedom is a Roof Made of Stars�, we find the heaviest and fastest 10 minutes of music here, without jeopardizing the melodic signature of the band, good tandem of songs. Mellow acoustic guitars and piano lead the way on “Arcadia (The Great Escape)�, less dynamic and immediate than her twin ballad-like “Savage Land�, still manages to bring the anthemic choruses and melodies, beautiful lyrical content, and another great performance from Sabine. Just in case the listener is not yet convinced of the quality of this record, the band delivers their last punches with the best 20 minutes of music, at first with the beautiful and enigmatic quasi-title track “The Road to Shangri-La�, and then with the five part epic suite “The Bonding (Part II)�, the former probably has the best guitar work by both Lanvall and Sebastian, and the latter portrays everything a from symphonic prog, progressive rock, folk rock, progressive metal, the haunting melodies, the rhythmic transitions, the twin guitars, keys vs guitars, and the musical fantasy… stupendous!

Track Listing:

1) At First Light (8:03)
2) The Call of Eden (3:49)
3) Hall of Shame (4:59)
4) Savage Land (4:32)
5) Somewhere Else but Here (4:26)
6) Freedom is a Roof Made of Stars (5:51)
7) Arcadia (The Great Escape) (5:11)
8) The Road to Shangri-La (4:56)
9) The Bonding (Part II) (16:08)
Overture
Alpha and Omega
The Eleventh Hour
Round and Round
The Timeless Now (Finale)

Added: October 24th 2022
Reviewer: Jose Antonio Marmol
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 463
Language: english

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