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Rating: The best album by Edguy and there's no arguing about it.
Despite their young age, it really seems that these five guys have many years of experience, proving themselves as true masters with their “VAIN GLORY OPERA”! Naturally, they are sons of Germany, and as tradition goes, they choose to play “Power”, a beautiful genre characterized by fast, epic, powerful sounds… with lyrics about fantastic and surreal situations; moreover, it’s also the cleanest genre (naturally after the “White”) and generally far from all that damn occult crap!
Who are the members of this band? We can put it this way: Tobias Sammet (vocals) + Dirk Sauer (guitar) + Jens Ludwig (guitar) + Tobias Exxel (bass) + Felix Bohnke (drums) = EDGUY. Notice that this operation might almost enjoy the commutative property because the members (especially Sammet) can play multiple instruments, but perhaps this is the ideal lineup to bring out the best. Changing the order of the terms only changes the result a bit. To increase the allure of the album, we find guest appearances by (honorary guests) Hansi Kursch from Blind Guardian and Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius, who act a bit like father and uncle.
As with many power albums, it starts with a brief intro: "Overture", a good calling card that immediately shows us what we're dealing with, hurling us into wonderland. "Until We Rise Again", based on 100% power, talks about a futuristic world ruled by robots against whom men must redeem themselves to prevail. "How Many Miles" if you don't like it, I’ll ask: "How Many Miles" away are you from the stereo??!! Shivers down the spine when listening to the fourth track: "Scarlet Rose" My goodness!!! What a song!!! (If it’s summer and you’re wearing a coat, your hair will still stand on end!). This ballad starts with a sweet acoustic sound very well sung, preceding a spectacular riff deserving a standing ovation that does not allow you to sit still. "Out Of Control" makes me lose control (will it be the song?) where TWO DIFFERENT SONIC WONDERS reign caused by the muscle contractions of Tobias’s and Hansi’s vocal cords, in which the former tightens his glottic slit more, leading to a thinner voice, while the latter tightens it less, singing with a thicker voice but compensates with power that, to me, is earthquake-like (watch out for objects near the speakers if they’re not in a very stable position).
Guitar virtuosity, preceded by a start like “The Final Countdown”, shines in the title track OPERA by the titanic Tolkki along with Kursch's voice again. The seventh is "Fairytale", which with an elegant guitar solo gets promoted like the following "Walk On Fighting". The ninth corresponds to the second ballad of the album, which is "Tomorrow" (a catchy and indispensable piece). Finally, it concludes with a very hard piece and decidedly different from the other tracks, which is called "No More Foolin". Best album of the year 1998 along with “Nightfall In Middle Earth” by Blind Guardian and “Fireworks” by Angra (a power trilogy dated 98 that I recommend to everyone).
Now excuse me, but my acoustic path is suddenly in dire need of listening to this album. See you later!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Until We Rise Again (04:27)
2080 - Our world is an empty domain
Emotions have died
Men bleeding oil are the heroes for children today
Drinking the blood of the weak dictators bring pain
But they show us a smile
Feelings and love are kept hidden in a Madhouse cave
It's a mad revolution
And the spirits will die
Oh escape the confusion
Take my hand
Now take my hand
Take me now
Take my hand
We won't be so free
Until we rise again
Eden is mad so enjoy it and fly to the sun
Don't you return
Your breath and your heartbeat are gifts
You've been given for life - oh yeah
Oh our deepest emotions
Are a sign of our life and our love
No robot can stop us
Take my hand
Now take my hand
Take me now
Take my hand
We won't be so free
Until we rise again
...yeah...
03 How Many Miles (05:38)
Oh yeah...
Watching a face and a smile and a light
When you`re walking alone in the street
I know your look always gives you the might
Many miles from your ass to your feet
And I dream- what I`ve seen
Is what I want it to be - selfmade reality
How many miles to the gate of reality
How many steps left to go to my dreams
How many miles to the land where my dreams come true
Dreams which come true just have died
Look like a queen but you talk like a pawn
And I know you`re a fool in disguise
Godfather tell me how to carry on
Blinded by fantasies of lies
And I dream- what I`ve seen
Is what I want it to be - selfmade reality
How many miles to the gate of reality
How many steps left to go to my dreams
How many miles to the land where my dreams come true
Dreams which come true just have died
I see your smile, a golden masquerade
And I know my dream will be my fate
Time has stolen my fantasy
Cause it has become a pale reality
05 Out of Control (05:04)
Into a place of darkness, he was born to live alone
He got one big desire, one day he'd get the crown
Hey devil, come on help me now
Be the one to pull my string
Let me be your slave to serve you
To let me be the king
Just give me a sign
Take on my mind and let me stay blind
A victim of life too weak to be kind
Out of control
My life is a chamber of tears, fear and hate
Out of control
Help me to gain the crown, here is my fate
Wherever I may roam there will be hate and pain
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, respect is what I gain
I look up to Mr. Crowley, evil powers: now unite
I will be your darkest nightmare
My life's a fatal fight
Just give me a sign
Take on my mind and let me stay blind
A victim of life too weak to be kind
Out of control
My life is a chamber of tears, fear and hate
Out of control
Help me to gain the crown, here is my fate
Listen up my friend: you just cry for a hand
But you only pretend that you're bad - now
Well, take on my mind
Out of control
My life is a chamber of tears, fear and hate
Out of control
Help me to gain the crown
06 Vain Glory Opera (06:07)
The prayers have been spoken
May the gods be on my side
May they join my way to bring me victory
Seven at one stroke
My triumph and my pride
They will be history
But behind my enemy's eyes
A soul in disguise
Not only lies
We live to fight the hand of doom
We got the pride to strike a fool
Vain glory be my wicked guide
We live to fight the hand of doom
We got the pride to strike a fool
Vain glory be my wicked guide
What's hell without a paradise
What's the night without a day
We would think it's bright
What's a fall if we can't rise
What's a hero at a play
Without a fool to fight
But behind my enemy's eyes
A soul in disguise
Not only lies
We live to fight the hand of doom
We got the pride to strike a fool
Vain glory be my wicked guide
We live to fight the hand of doom
We got the pride to strike a fool
Vain glory be my wicked guide
But behind my enemy's eyes
A soul in disguise
Not only lies
We live to fight the hand of doom
We got the pride to strike a fool
Vain glory be my wicked guide
We live to fight the hand of doom
We got the pride to strike a fool
Vain glory be my wicked guide
07 Fairytale (05:11)
yeah...
Giants of stone build up my desire
No one could tell us the secret of fire
The hunger for wisdom deep in your heart
You can`t accept that you`re liveing apart
Water runs down through the river
Lord you are the only to deliver
Night: stay night
In the night`s nothing is white
Now a knowledge not a light
Lord, will you tell me why someday
Fairytale - life is one big fairytale
A book of seven seals
Someone tell me why and how
I`m always told to kneel down and pray
What shall I do to stay on my way
Questions borrow through my brain
Pound and disturb and drive me insane
Lost in visions of knowledge I`ll never owe
Night to night
(Choir of the damned smurfs of death)
In the night`s nothing is white
Now a knowledge not a light
Lord, will you tell me why someday
Tell me what is time - yeah...
10 No More Foolin' (04:55)
Fair sex paralyzer. Lipstick in a face
spirit analyzer, not one human trace
no need to cry
role the fuckin' dice, I'm a loser in a game
gonna hurt my feelings, your only real I am
feels like I die
You can play nice you get satisfied when you win
I see a smile of truth but I can`t stare within
riot in your soul
No more foolin`
you will save all your love
no more foolin`
you will save all your love
Say goodbye - say goodbye
you never know that I was strong enough to stand
All alone on my own I don`t need your hand
Got your weapons loaded, your target in your sight
why don`t you only tell me, that i shall fuckin' die
Looking so attractive, wanna get me active
but you never realized that i have got the tactics
I`m much too cool, much too large to be fooled
by your lies
You can play nice you get satisfied when you win
I see a smile of truth but I can`t stare within
riot in your soul
No more foolin`
you will save all your love
no more foolin`
you will save all your love
Say goodbye - say goodbye
you never knw that I was strong enough to stand
All alone on my own I don`t need your hand
No more foolin`
you will save all your love
no more foolin`
you will save all your love
Say goodbye - say goodbye
11 Hymn (04:52)
Give us this day all that you showed me
The faith and the glory, till my kingdom comes
Give us this day all that you showed me
The power and the glory, till my kingdom comes
Give me all the stories you told me
The faith and the glory till my kingdom comes
When they say that in our time
All that's good will fall from grace
Even saints would turn their face
In our time
And they told us that in our days
Different words said in different ways
Have other meanings from he who says
In our time
Give us this day all that you showed me
The power and the glory, till my kingdom comes
Give me all the stories you told me
The faith and the glory till my kingdom comes
And they say that in our time
We would reap from their legacy
We would learn from what they had seen
In our time
And they told us that in our days
We would know what was high on high
We would follow and not defy
In our time
Give us this day all that you showed me
The power and the glory, till my kingdom comes
Faithless in faith
We must behold the things we see
Give us this day all that you showed me
The power and the glory, till my kingdom comes
Give me all the storyies you told me
The faith and the glory till my kingdom comes
Give us this day all that you showed me
The power and the glory, till my kingdom comes
Give me all the stories you told me
The faith and the glory till my kingdom comes
Give us this day all that you showed me
The power and the glory, till my kingdom comes
Give me all the stories you told me
The faith and the glory till my kingdom comes
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