Shine
Straight in at the deep end with what has to be my favourite track in the whole universe. I love songs that capture the imagination and cunjure up mental images of a scene in the mind, and Shine certainly succeeds in doing that for all eight and a half minutes. A wonderful guitar and violin-screech (a la Psycho) intro which recurs several times throughout the piece, Sabine's voice leads you headlong into what I tend to imagine as some titanic battle. While the verses are going on, the piano is soft and melodic. When the choruses and sub-choruses go, the guitar seems to move in perfect synch. Only complaint? It isn't long enough. An absolute must for any fan of the genre. This is a song that kickstarts an album, "fires the imagination so far, and gives rise to hope".
Move Along Home
With Shine as a kicker for the album, Move Along Home had quite a lot to live up to. It kicks off with something reminiscent of Nightwish's Tutankhamen song, a somewhat Egyptian theme in the music that quickly moves into a lovely little guitar riff. One thing I love about Edenbridge is that it is a band where music and song work in harmony, with the guitar appearing and disappearing at just the right time. Perhaps not Sabine's best lyrically, but the music keeps you firmly entertained. It does have a nice rhythm, and you find yourself singing along, even if the lyrics, as with Shine and many others, make little in the way of sense.
Centennial Legend
After being thoroughly energised by tracks one and two, track three is a long, slow piano tune. Sabine's lyrics can be accused of being a bit out once more, but it is a nice soothing track all the same. It's also a nice song, but a tad let down by her execution. Not to say it's not good singing, but not quite as good as a couple of other lyricists I could name. Were a cover to be done by WT, Tarja Turunen (lol, I can't really say Nightwish anymore can I?) or Evanesence, the cover would probably be better than the original.
Wild Chase
The first half a minute or so certainly gears you up for one, but Wild Chase doesn't quite deliver it. You get a guitar + violin (played in a hoedown banjo-ish style) riff which goes through most of the song. What lets down somewhat is, again the lyrics. It has its nice sections in the verse, but the chorus is the killer. It doesn't flow very well into the chorus IMO. A shame there, I think, as her voice does the verse well, but the chorus is really disruptive.
And The Road Goes On
This song is made by Sabine's haunting lyrics. The dark guitar riff doesn't cut into her effect at all, and she sings it with a real edge to her voice, and the backers cover the ends of each line of the chorus well also. It's an oddly slow-paced song, even though it feels like a faster-paced one. A lot of held notes contrast a bit with the guitar, but it actually works. Unusual, I feel, but nice overall, and gels nicely.
What You Leave Behind
One of my other favourites from the album. Were songs stories, and there to be a prequel to Stand My Ground by Within Temptation, it could very well be What You Leave Behind. A fantastic intro and wonderful flowing vocals seem to pull you along a journey to a conflict-rife climax in the choruses, which are rather inspiring and rousing. The verse rhythm seems to be 'running', while the chorus feels like what you're running to. I don't quite understand what would happen if 'wishes were horses and hopes were butterflies', but they're interesting lyrics in what is definitely a very interesting song. Captivating the imagination is something Edenbridge manage to do well in many of their songs in this album alone. Wait till I review the others!
Elsewhere
One of the more forgettable songs of the album, but it follows the idea of putting a slow and calming song after a couple of rousing ones. The song is nice and melodious enough in itself, but it's just not very memorable. If you ask me, Elsewhere should've been the introductory song to the album, as it feels more like an introduction than a middle song.
October Sky
Despite the pumping guitar and drum intro, I would have to rate this as probably the weakest link of the album. Action-packed, stylish, but let down wholly by poor lyrical design. If you can ignore the lyrics, or could remove them, this would make a great instrumnental.
The Canterville Prophecy
Now, I haven't really a clue what's going on here. Again, we have a song that'd probably make a good introduction...but I suppose it is an introduction to the next song. Really soft, and certainly cunjures a sense of foreboding, but it doesn't need to be here. Were the two Cantervilles to be released as part of a single, yes, it would make sense. As it stands, I just think it's leading on to the next song.
The Canterville Ghost
A very unusual song in many ways, but it has a great rhythm and tempo, and it's a head-bopper if ever there was one. By no means truly memorable on any measure, but it is a song that oozes mystery, and I think that was by intent. It's certainly a nice filler song, but quickly overshadowed by the following song.
On Sacred Ground
A lovely round-up song from start to end, you really do feel like you've concluded a journey through a fantasy world, and have come across the unspoiled haven which is described in the song (one of the few which actually have coherent lyrics). The lyrics and the quietly mysterious and invitingly idyllic music suck you right in once more. Only criticism I can level is that the song could've done without the guitar towards the end, but it's not a detriment (the guitar is actually good, but just unnecessary) to what is otherwise a lovely enchanting song which ends the album on a really uplifting note. Roam awhile on sacred ground.
To sum up, Edenbridge really does know how to encapsulate the heart and the mind's eye, and to fill both with emotive imagery. Nobody can accuse them of being dull in this album. If you have a vivid imagination, you could do worse than to at least give them a try. A couple of weak link tracks, but that's more due to forgettability and lack of flair above anything else. Edenbridge get the singer-music ratio spot-on, and the effect is songs that are worthy of honourable mentions within the genre. The fact they don't get so is utterly shameful to fans of the genre. What are you waiting for, Nightwish/Within Temptation fans? Get this album in your collection. The new album's out on May 5th, and I'm excited about it, for sure.
