Edenbridge - My Earth Dream

Wow, yet again a new release from Edenbridge. Since 2000 they managed to enrich the market with a new product every single year. Ok, even though last year’s The Chronicles Of Eden is in fact a compilation album, this Austrian outfit still manages to keep a constant flow of releases. But does this mean they produce quality? On this album they have the cooperation of a 65-piece orchestra. Yes, that is impressive, but it has been done so many times before that it actually comes across as rather dull. It doesn’t necessarily make an album better.

     

My Earth Dream starts with intro ‘The Force Within’ , bursting into the first song ‘Shadowplay’ on which Sabine Edelsbacher shows she is a good singer backed up with a good band. That said, it doesn’t mean I find these and the following tracks special. In fact it isn’t until the fifth track, ‘Adamantine’ , that the album catches my attention. It is the first time the ‘marvellous soundscape’ mentioned in the accompanied info sheet gets to me.   
 

As the album progresses I mostly appreciate the great level of musicianship. But even the tracks recorded with the Czech Film orchestra and guest performances of our very own Robbie Valentine fails to hold my attention. But they have quite a big loyal following so who am I to criticise them? I guess this is a case of listen and judge it yourself, because Edenbridge is in fact a good band. It is for this and together with the amount of work that is in this album that I hand out a positive score. Although I seriously doubt if they will ever reach the level of popularity like Nightwish.