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For those of you who are familiar with Edguy's sound, you will instantly feel right at home with the crunchy guitar licks of "Ministry Of Saints," the album's first track. The guitars on this track are a little different for Edguy, featuring a constant chugging riff which everything else in the song happens around. What I find truly interesting about the guitar work on this album is that it sounds a little different from previous albums while not totally diverting from their well-established style. I dare say that while they remain true to their power metal fan base, many of the riffs seem derived from classic rock ideals and motifs. The classic rock and power metal motifs are interestingly blended to create songs with changing tempos, interesting bridges and the signature peaks and valleys. Such as "The Pride Of Creation" which begins and ends with up-tempo power metal motifs and has a slower center with a classic rock feel.
The song “Dragonfly” further accentuates the versatility of Edguy’s sound. This song has an AC/DC-esque feel throughout the verses while the recurring chorus section is like a throwback to earlier Edguy such as "Vain Glory Opera."
"Dragonfly" also points out one of the band's best traits and the central theme of the album. Edguy's singer Tobias Sammet is known for his wild sense of humor. It is my assumption from my take on the lyrics that the song "Dragonfly" is talking about use of elicit substances such as coke which points out the album's central theme, sacred ritual. The songs "Ministry of Saints," "Sex Fire Religion," "Pride of Creation," and "Wake Up Dreaming Black" make some interesting points about the rituals people indulge in, in a humorous way. The album's bonus track "Aren't You A Little Pervert Too" bashes the United States for its lack of explicit content on regular television as compared to other countries. "Americans prefer the rodeo!" America-bashing aside, this album strikes at the core of modern metal while giving metal's influences their due.
Not their best, but very well done!
Rating: 90
Reviewed By: Brian Grefrath