Austrian quintet Edenbridge has been one of the world's greatest yet most overlooked symphonic power metal bands in the early years of its career. The band's mixture of classical music, folk and new age elements, power metal guitar work, heavy metal rhythm section and the lead singer's charismatic elegant vocals was adventurous, balanced, charismatic, epic and intellectually appealing. Records such as Sunrise in Eden, Arcana, Aphelion and Shine have triumphantly stood the test of time and beat everything similar bands like Within Temptation, Nightwish and Evanescence released at the same time. 

Edenbridge continued to release two very good albums with The Grand Design and MyEarthDream that were more progressive, intellectual and complex and needed some more time to grow. Ever since then however, the band has only been releasing average to boring outputs, but I have kept checking them out since I know the excellent potential of this band. The band's songwriting became blurry, predictable and repetitive as the last few records failed to leave significant marks. I'm glad to announce that Shangri-La is a huge step in the right direction and easily Edenbridge's best album in fourteen years.

The band's songwriting finally sounds balanced, focused and sharp again. Perhaps this is due to the break imposed on the band due to the coronavirus or the release of the most recent compilation that made the group reevaluate its past achievements. I can only speculate but whatever the reason might be, it's great that this significant improvement has been happening. Let's take atmospheric, epic and playful opener ''At First Light'' that fluidly and playfully meanders between power metal and symphonic metal while incorporating elements of classical music, folk music and soundtracks that would do any ambitious fantasy movie justice. Despite its ambitious length of eight minutes, the song feels half as long and makes you want to push the repeat button right away.

''Somewhere Else but Here'' on the other side is an excellent single choice. The track features convincing heavy metal guitar work, steady rhythm section and mystic vocals that are catchy without sounding by the numbers. The song gets to the point if four and a half energetic and energizing minutes. This song should work splendidly in concert and could become a new band anthem.

On the other side, ''Savage Land'' convinces with its reduced musicianship, organic vocals and imaginative folk soundscapes that invite listeners to dream themselves far away. This new age ballad grows with every spin and is this album's hidden gem that is worth being discovered time and again.

One also has to point out closing epic ''The Bonding (Parts 2)'' that is more than sixteen minutes long. While the first part overstayed its welcome, needed multiple spins to grow and didn't always sound coherent, this second part does everything right. The song sounds much shorter than it actually is. The different sections meandering from energetic heavy metal over melodious power metal to epic symphonic metal and laid-back folk metal are cleverly interwoven and showcase the band's vast soundscapes perfectly. This song is an instant classic but still manages to grow with every single spin.

The only reasons why this album doesn't achieve an even higher rating are because some of the other songs are only of a good average quality and fail to leave a mark and because Sabine Edelsbacher's vocals don't sound as uplifting as in the band's early years which might come naturally with her age. If this same album had been recorded in the band's prime one and a half decades ago, this record might have sounded even more convincing. Despite those minor flaws, Edenbridge's Shangri-La is nevertheless album of the year material for any fan of symphonic and folk metal sounds.

To keep it short, Edenbridge's Shangri-La oozes with creativity, diversity and intellect as it entertains from start to finish. The record's most adventurous songs work perfectly well upon first impression and even have the potential to grow as time goes by. This is the kind of record you should definitely purchase physically, listen to every now and then and you will be enjoying this convincing return to form for a very long period of time.

Final Rating: 80%

After having released a new album every second year since the departure of main songwriter and lead guitarist Timo Tolkki, Finnish power metal quintet Stratovarius took a whopping seven years to release its sixteenth studio album Survive. Many fans have been hoping that the band would sound creative, experimental and rejuvenated on this comeback record. The sad truth however is that Survive offers melodic power metal by the numbers without any songs that stand the chance to go down as future classics.

Opening title track ''Survive'' is an excellent example for this phenomenon. The song doesn't sound too bad upon first contact. The guitar work finds the perfect balance between harmony and heaviness. The bass guitar and drum play work hand in hand to form a thunderous backbone for the song. The keyboards enhance the track's cinematic, dramatic and epic atmosphere without taking too much space. The melodic vocals have a sense of urgency in the verses and sound uplifting in the chorus. The production is loud, modern and almost overwhelming at times. However, one simply can't shake the feeling that this song resembles so many others the band has recently been writing. Take the epic note of ''My Eternal Dream'', the triumphant chorus in a gloomier setting from ''Abandon'' and the catchiness of the chorus of ''Darkest Hours'' and you get a very good idea of what ''Survive'' sounds like. A positive conclusion would be to say that the band remains faithful to its trademark sounds. A more accurate evaluation however makes even the most adamant fan realize that the band is copying itself without reaching the poignant quality of the original material.

Another issue is that many songs rush by and fail to leave a deeper impression. They might sound decent while they last but once the record is over, one simply can't remember anything about them anymore. The term fast food power metal comes to mind. ''Firefly'' for instance is short, focused and energetic but missing the creative spark that makes it stand out. 

Or let's take the harmonious campfire ballad ''Breakaway'' that simply can't compete with the band's numerous outstanding calmer songs released in the late nineties and early years of the millennium. 

Something similar has to be said about ambitious album closer ''Voice of Thunder'' that sounds enjoyably fluid through more than eleven minutes but fails to come around with a trademark style that made so many past epics stand the test of time.

At the end of the day, Stratovarius' Survive is an aimless record that rehashes past ideas and ends up feeling somewhat hollow. This album can only be recommended to adamant fans of the band while occasional listeners shouldn't waste their money on this uninspired comeback release. The album isn't dreadful to be honest but tamely average and the band's least inspired release since Polaris thirteen and a half years earlier. On an ironic side note, Survive's album cover shows the album art of Stratovarius' controversial self-titled effort on a mountain of trash. However, Survive is only just a little bit better than that oddball and might deserve its own spot on a future dump. To conclude on a positive note, the limited Japanese version of this output at least includes a bonus live album with thirteen songs, including band classics and hidden pearls, that deserves some attention.

Final Rating: 65%

Razor is a legendary speed and thrash metal band from the beautiful city of Guelph in Canada that has been around for almost four decades. The influential veterans have released records at an impressive pace from the mid-eighties to the early nineties. When the band temporarily broke up in the challenging nineties, the group's momentum completely derailed. As a matter of fact, Cycle of Contempt is the band's first album in twenty-five years.

The album sounds as if the band were still stuck in its early years. This album features aggressive but one-dimensional guitar riffs. The excellent bass guitar play has been performed with playful and speedy swagger. The drum play is fast and loud but missing dynamics and feeling. The vocals certainly are an acquired taste. On the positive side, they sound absolutely unique, rough and aggressive which suits genre stylistics. However, the vocals are also absolutely shot as they sound invariable, hoarse and dry. They sound so painful that they almost make me want to take a few cough drops myself. The songwriting offers traditional speed metal by the numbers without any surprises. Genre fans will certainly appreciate this element since solid genre efforts are tough to come by these days while those who like more adventurous ideas will have trouble making it through the entire release without any breaks. The lyrics include quite a few swear words here and there and sound genuinely upset which suits the genre perfectly. One might however criticize the lack of variability leading to a certain juvenile predictability. The old-school production is unfiltered, straight and raw as it makes you think of a tape recorded in some dirty basement in the eighties. One thing one certainly can't criticize is that this band sounds absolutely authentic and true to its roots.

At the end of the day, Razor's Cycle of Contempt is an energetic speed metal album that sounds as if the band had never been split up or on hiatus and had recorded this output in the early nineties right after its other outputs. The twelve songs on here will make you travel back to the heyday of speed metal and offer forty-three minutes of relentless power. The final result might not be recommendable for those liking contemporary, differentiated and progressive sounds but if you are looking for energetic, retrospective and uncompromising speed metal, you will not only like this output but might even consider it album of the year material. Even though I'm not the biggest speed metal fan, I can't deny the amateurish charm of this output that grows with every tune and tears everything apart like a wrecking ball. The band manages to still sound convincing, ferocious and relevant forty years into its career. This is an honest accomplishment by a hungry band that shouldn't be underestimated.

Final Rating: 75%

Ghost has perhaps been the most commercially successful newcomer band in the metal genre of the past decade. While the band's unique combination of masquerade, imagery and gloom has received much praise, others criticized the group for being artificial, gimmicky and mellow. Impera will please fans of old date but won't convince any naysayers as the band remains faithful to its trademark style. What's most remarkable about the new material is that the songs are addicting and catchy right from the start but fail to leave a deeper mark and stay on your mind for a prolonged period of time. Many tracks have been crafted with expertise and wit but sound too similar to previous cuts from the immediate predecessors. This is why this album is ultimately a mixed bag offering an excellent first impression but only an average longevity.

The record's greatest song might be ''Kaisarion''. The opening instrumental leading to this highlight builds up anticipation, atmosphere and energy. The guitar riffs are melodic and playful. The soft and soothing vocals are catchy right from the start. The mysterious choirs add some gloomy depth. Despite the harmonious tone, the song has a few heavier passages such as distorted guitar sounds and variable pace in the drum department. The song fully entertains through five minutes and presents everything Ghost is all about. Atmosphere, catchiness, darkness, harmony and nostalgia collide in a song that could have already been published by a band like Blue Öyster Cult in the seventies but that remains timeless in an era when bands like Greta van Fleet excite the masses with the sounds of yore. This song is essentially this year's version of a song like ''(Don't Fear) The Reaper'' and would fit wonderfully on the soundtrack of a nostalgic horror movie.

This comparison is no coincidence and fits more than once on Impera. As a matter of fact, the record's lead single ''Hunter's Moon'' was included on the soundtrack of Halloween Kills, the twelfth instalment of the horror franchise that started in the seventies. Here they are once again, the band's connections to gloomy atmosphere and nostalgia that has somehow managed to stand the test of time. One has to wonder how a franchise has gotten to twelve instalments and the explanation is that most people like to stay connected to elements they have grown up with without thinking too much out of the box. Fittingly, Ghost does exactly the same in this song, combining gloomy verses with a catchy chorus in three entertaining minutes that are particularly easy to digest. This song is a little bit the equivalent of fast food in the metal genre but then again, fast food stores have also been popular for decades because they are easily accessible and quickly rewarding.

Another song that fits into this category and works very well despite being shamelessly predictable would be ''Call Me Little Sunshine''. The title might suggest a certain cute innocence and the catchy chorus could almost be a lullaby for children, but the lyrics and gloomy undertone reveal that the song actually talks about Mephistopheles. This contrast between harmony and horror works particularly well once again and it's needless to say that this rather calm and epic tune is also catchy right from the start and has been written to be sung along by the masses in concert.

If you are looking for a song that breaks new ground, the only revealing result turns out to be ''Twenties''. The swinging orchestral vibe of the song might remind you of the twenties from the last century, but this is only an illusion since the lyrics talk about the economic well-being of the current era that has recently been shattered by the ongoing pandemic. The song is therefore both nostalgic and on the pulse of our time and manages to be equally thought-provoking and danceable.

As you can read, Ghost remains faithful to its trademark style that has found a perfect balance between harmony and horror. Upon first impression, this album might be deserving of a very high grade in the nineties as there is no filler to be found and all songs are quite charismatic. In the long run however, the material loses some steam as the band keeps repeating ideas it has been using time and again, lowering the average to a fairly unimpressive grade someplace in the sixties. Therefore, the final result is logically once again a balanced compromise, just as the band's music itself, and sits in the low eighties. Fans of the band will unconditionally love this album for its trademark style while its opponents will criticize it for its lack of innovation. To keep things balanced once again, both sides actually have a good point here. If you have lived under a rock and not heard about Ghost yet, Impera should be a good starting point to discover this band. If you like this album, you have four others to discover. If you don't like it, don't bother.

Final Rating: 80%

Il sorriso della iena / Smile Before Death (1972) - Decent Giallo with Intriguing Characters, Lush Locations and Surprising Twists - 7/10

Smile Before Death, originally titled Il sorriso della iena, is an overlooked and underrated giallo that mixes elements of a psychological thriller with inspirations from the drama genre and a touch of softcore pornography that underlines how experimental, liberal and progressive filmmaking was in the early seventies while it has become significantly more conservative, prude and repetitive these days.

The film revolves around a boarding school student who decides to stay with her stepfather and her mother's best friend after her mother's tragical suicide. What starts as a lighthearted vacation in a lush mansion beside a magnificent lake takes a sinister turn when the three characters start plotting intrigues against one another. These tensions increase dramatically and lead to a breathtaking finale with several interesting twists and turns.

This movie convinces on several elements. First of all, the plot is quite clever and comes around with a few interesting twists in the closing stages that will keep viewers on the edges of their seats. Up next, the tension between the three distinctive lead characters is quite palpable and increases the movie's uneasy atmosphere. The acting performances are very credible, decent and expressive. Especially youngster Jenny Tamburi shows incredible talent and has her breakthrough performance in this movie. The locations have also been chosen with care and offer colourful, elegant and sophisticated elements on the pulse of their time. The fact that most of the movie takes place in the mansion adds a claustrophobic vibe as it makes the beautiful place feel like a golden cage.

This film however also has several flaws that keep it from being an excellent genre film or even a masterpiece. First of all, the soundtrack is repetitive, dull and at times nerve-firing. Up next, the main intrigue of the movie is quite by the numbers and easily predictable until the final fifteen minutes offer a dramatic turn of events. This final series of events might be entertaining but is also quite overwhelming as the screenwriters are pulling rabbits out of their hats.

At the end of the day, fans of the giallo genre and anyone who likes the vibes of the late sixties and early seventies should certainly appreciate this movie that deserves more attention, recognition and praise. Despite its nostalgic vibe, the film is overall rather entertaining. However, it lacks the depth to leave a lasting impression and stand the test of time as a genre classic.

L'arma, l'ora, il movente / The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive (1972) - Gloomy Atmosphere Meets Nostalgic Vibes - 7/10

The Weapon, the Hour & the Motive, originally titled L'arma, l'ora, il movente, is a giallo from the early seventies that mixes thriller elements with inspirations from the drama genre and a few mild softcore pornography sections. While this Italian movie isn't creative, gripping and surprising enough to have stood the test of time, it's still a very decent film that entertains from start to finish and impresses five decades later with its charming nostalgic vibe.

The story revolves around charming young priest Don Giorgio who has two secret romantic and sexual relationships. Upon celebrating his fortieth birthday, Don Giorgio has a change of heart and decides to break off his two relationships to dedicate his entire life to serving God. One gloomy night just after the witching hour, the young priest is murdered while atoning for his sins. Proactive Inspector Boito and his clumsy assistant Moriconi start very difficult investigations as they face denial, silence and superstition. The only potential eyewitness is an orphaned boy who has been traumatized by the brutal events. Things take an even more complicated turn when the dynamic inspector slowly falls in love with one of the two suspects and risks compromising his own investigation.

This giallo convinces on several levels. First of all, the locations in and around the nunnery have been chosen with care and ooze with gloomy atmosphere. Up next, the camera and light techniques increase the mystery and tension of this very good film. The characters have sufficient depth such as the tormented eye witness, the emotional investigator and the friendly but clueless assistant. The acting performances are also very decent and involve an experienced cast with great chemistry.

However, there are specific reasons why this movie has been overlooked and forgotten for such a long period of time. The idea to introduce sins such as sexual intercourse, murder and blackmail into a secluded, religious and conservative setting has been used time and again. A significant mistake is that one of the two suspects dies halfway through the movie, making it obvious who the person behind these crimes must be. The film's ending feels pulled out of thin air and asks for a complete suspension of disbelief regarding certain irrational decisions.

Despite its obvious flaws, this movie still oozes with atmosphere and is entertaining from start to finish. Anyone who likes both thrillers and the vibes of early seventies should certainly appreciate this film a great deal. Giallo fans will be pleasantly surprised by the recent releases by Arrow Films that might be rather expensive but that have been crafted with great care and attention to detail.

L'assassino ha riservato nove poltrone / The Killer Reserved Nine Seats (1974) - Entertaining Whodunit for Genre Fans - 8/10

The Killer Reserved Nine Seats, originally titled L'assassino ha riservato nove poltrone, is a giallo that combines elements of a psychological thriller with mild softcore pornography. The plot is closely inspired by the works of Agatha Christie which should certainly please genre fans but has prevented the movie from leaving a mark upon release.

The movie revolves around Patrick Davenant who invites a group of family members and friends to visit an elegant theatre in his lush villa. However, there are tensions among the nine visitors who are consumed by greed, jealousy and resentment. Patrick Davenant only just survives an attempt to murder him but can't prevent one of his visitors getting stabbed to death upon the theatre stage. As the survivors attempt to get help, they realize that the telephone lines have been cut, that all the windows and doors have been shut and that the set of keys that helped them entering the theatre has disappeared. What started as a short visit following a party has now become a fight for survival.

This giallo convinces on several levels. First and foremost, the movie takes its time to introduce the nine different characters in a detailed way as viewers learn about their strengths, flaws and convictions. Up next, the ways the different characters meet their grisly fates are quite diversified and keep the film's tense atmosphere elevated. The different locations inside the claustrophobic theatre have been chosen with care and vary from colourful dressing rooms over dusty attics to sinister basements. The moody soundtrack blends in perfectly and has an amazingly nostalgic vibe. The movie convinces with fluid pace as it entertains from start to finish. The plot is solid and will keep you guessing until the very end. The conclusion comes around with surprising supernatural elements that make this film stand out among similar genre films.

On the other side however, there are significant reasons why this film has been overlooked and forgotten for such a long period of time. Except for its quirky conclusion, the plot lacks creativity and shamelessly copies the works of Agatha Christie. Up next, the negative traits of the nine characters are quite predictable, similar and by the numbers, making it difficult to empathize with any of them. The acting performances are at times wooden, slow and exaggerated, especially in the first third of the movie before atmosphere, pace and tension take a much better turn.

At the end of the day, this obscure giallo convinces with interesting characters, gloomy locations, excellent pace, diversified killing techniques and a surprising ending that pardon for an overall weak plot, predictable negative character traits and a somewhat slow start in the first third of the movie. Genre fans should certainly appreciate this rediscovered gem that oozes with atmosphere and entertains from start to finish.