Description

20th anniversary edition on black vinyls with two bonus tracks and gatefold cover

We left Edguy at the top of their game with Theater Of Salvation and nowhere on the follow-up Mandrake are there signs of slowing down. To show the world even more of what he was capable of, Tobias Sammet sandwiched this release in between his two Avantasia Metal Operas, the first one being a stone cold power metal classic, the second being not too shabby in its own right. Three records in little over a year, even Tommy Reinxeed would have to admit that’s just crazy. There will undoubtedly be a time and a place to discuss Avantasia’s early triumphs, but we are here to look at Edguy. While Sammet’s hand is clear in the songwriting of both projects, because of the nature of Avantasia and the slew of guest singers the two are too clearly distinguishable to invite immediate comparison. Mandrake also continues down the lyrical path of previous works, while Avantasia tells a story of its own, albeit based on the same principles. More on that later. Up to this point Edguy often hid their first real kicker behind a short opening track, but here they burst straight out of the gate with the stately keyboard intro of “Tears Of A Mandrake” which transforms into a steady riff, never betraying any of the overt bombast that so marked the opening of Vain Glory Opera. The verses build some gripping menace, slowing down for a pre-chorus that finally catapults the whole lot into a chorus for the ages. One so divine that countrymen Domain managed to get away with copying it years later on “Picture The Beauty” from The Chronicles Of Love, Hate & Sorrow. It’s a shame they don’t seem to play it that much live, because it easily deserves a place in the pantheon of greatest-ever Edguy tracks. Mandrake is Edguy at their most creative and intellectual level, using the foundation of Theater Of Salvation to craft a more versatile album, both in musical and lyrical content. The first half thunders, while the second half slowly fizzles out, but nonetheless Mandrake more than solidified Edguy’s reputation as one of the premier power metal bands of their time. Soon they would start to gamble with that reputation on the turning point of their career, the illustrious Hellfire Club.

Track listing:
1. Tears Of A Mandrake
2. Golden Dawn
3. Jerusalem
4. All The Clowns
5. Nailed To The Wheel
6. Pharoah
7. Wash Away The Poison
8. Fallen Angels
9. Painting On The Wall
10. Save Us Now
11. The Devil And The Savant
12. Wings Of A Dream-2001 version