Review of the album "Kingdom of Madness" by German Power Metal Band Edguy
Introducing Edguy's 2nd Album "Kingdom of Madness"
Kingdom of Madness is the 2nd studio album by German power metal band Edguy and if The Savage Poetry was any indication of their power metal creativity and prowess, Kingdom of Madness may just be a slight musical improvement over that album (if we count the original version of their debut album). The drummer for the band’s first two albums is Dominik Storch. Many times, I will review an album as I go through the songs and listen to them.
The Album Cover for Kingdom of Madness
Wings of a Dream Is the Best Song In This Album
The opening song called "Paradise" starts with acoustic guitar before transitioning into a power metal song. The song is about someone that has returned to try and ruin the paradise of others. One of the great things about Edguy is their lyrics are usually positive, introspective, and philosophical as they did in their debut album. However, the song "Wings of a Dream" is the best song in this album! The song Paradise starts out with some Iron Maiden style guitar.
Why Is Wings of a Dream the Best Song In the Album?
The riffs are impressive and there is a great chanting part by Tobias Sammett later on in the song. The song is about someone who is captured by soldiers and taken to his prison cell. I’m assuming that they are referring to someone that has been captured as a P.O.W. When we are in tough and challenging situations, we tend to daydream to try and come up with solutions as to how to get out of these situations.
"Wings of a Dream"
Dark Symphony and Deadmaker are Other Notable Tracks on the Album
The beautiful song "Heart of Twilight" is about both love and philosophy as the song is about a person that looks inside their heart only to find that he has both love and hate in his heart. He notices that he is getting into depression and he is asking for forgiveness should he come back and read the Scriptures of the Bible to reconnect with GOD our Creator. "Dark Symphony" is a short, classically influenced instrumental and then comes the song called "Deadmaker." The chorus is impressive as the song talks about someone or a certain force that will come down to paralyze people, making their lives more difficult.
Angel Rebellion Can Be Thought of as a Life Changing Song
The next song called Angel Rebellion has a terrific opening riff and this shows the musical brilliance of Edguy early in their career. When you can play that beautifully when you are in your 20’s like these guys were at the time, you know you are destined for success later in life. Tobias sings well melodically as he says in the song about someone trying to set their life on fire because they are not happy with the direction that their life is going.
When a Hero Cries Is One More Reason to Listen to Edguy
"When a Hero Cries" is a ballad dominated by piano play. The song is about someone who feels the need to cry because they are all alone. They are separated from their lover. Edguy can do ballads and even though they may not be the best at these types of songs, they still do a good enough job. No matter how heroic we may feel, we will cry sometimes as well. Sadness is a normal human emotion.
The Song Called "Angel Rebellion"
"When a Hero Cries"
How are the Last Two Songs Steel Church and The Kingdom?
"Steel Church" is a power metal song that showcases good riff selection. The song once again is about a similar theme and this theme is a false kind of love. The album ends with the very long song called "The Kingdom." It has a beautiful beginning as the song Angel Rebellion though. The song can refer to the Kingdom of GOD. Those of us that have realized our strong faith do not need to be in fear to pray. The song has another message and that message is that there is nothing wrong with analyzing your brain and making sure that you clean out the negativity that has built up in it. The song is also about what can happen to someone that is accused of being a heretic.
The Cons of the Album "Kingdom of Madness"
The only real cons that I see with Kingdom of Madness is the less than stellar production and the cover art could have been much better. Other than that, Kingdom of Madness has solid songs, good melodic vocals, and it is an enjoyable album from one of the elite power metal bands in Germany.
Kingdom of Madness is Not Quite as Good as The Savage Poetry
Is Kingdom of Madness as good as The Savage Poetry? It is a tough call but since the production on that 2000 re-release is better I will have to say that Kingdom of Madness is just a step below that album even though it is very good!
This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
© 2017 Ara Vahanian
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