Austrian symphonic goth-metal band Edenbridge experienced their beginnings close to the same time of many of the other femme-metal bands that have helped to build today’s scene. Starting in the late ‘90s on the heels of contemporaries like Nightwish, Tristania, and Within Temptation, Edenbridge has built a following among the fanbase of many of these bands. But they are their own sound, and over the years they have perfected their uplifting brand of melodic metal with the combination of dulcet-toned frontwoman Sabine Edelsbacher, and longtime musical collaborator Dennis Ward. Sabine definitely shows she can hold her own among the high rollers in the world of femme-metal, sharing the figurative stage with superstars such as Tarja Turunen on the 2001 self-titled album from Beto Vazquez Infinity. Opening for bands over the years such as Sirenia and Angra, Edenbridge has built a reputation that is distinctly theirs, and despite many bandmember changes over the years of their existence, they continue to press on. Their latest offering, The Grand Design, continues to give their fans more of the same lively sound, but giving something new as well: the first album with the band’s attempt at a cover song. The band would become part of the Napalm Records family for this newest release in early 2007.

The opening track of the album, "Terra Nova", grabs us right from the beginning with its sweeping vocals and bombastic instrumentation greeting emphatically, "Welcome home! Welcome life!" Definitely a homage to symphonic rock legends such as Queen or Styx in the opening notes of this song. Sabine’s voice is heard alone above churning guitars. The backing male voices, provided by Dennis Ward and Robby Valentine, chants the song’s title and stylistically continues to pay tribute to a Styx sound. The chorus bounces from grandiose to simplistic rhythmic verses, shifting from one mood to another. The bridge of this song slows the tempo, but still gives way to guitars and strings, punctuated by the choral vocals. Then some pianos bring us back to the voices before giving us a sunny guitar solo. Sabine’s voice makes a return, rising a little higher now, and then the chants that began this song also finish it out.

Utterly gothic symphonics mixed with assertive guitars, reminiscent somewhat of Tristania, bring us the second track, "Flame of Passion". Sabine’s voice and lovely acoustic guitars make an appearance shortly thereafter. "It never rains, but it pours." Sabine gently chides. A nice, somewhat catchy chorus. Some more orchestral elements. This is a very pretty, mid-tempo song. There is also a very melodic guitar solo within all of this. A sound like a firecracker going off puts a period on this track.

Chirping night sounds coupled with keyboards set the mood for the third track, "Evermore". The band steps in seconds later, Sabine’s voice a bit menacing at first, then gaining momentum. This eccentric chorus has a charming way of sticking in your head! Tinkling pianos build the bridge of the song; Sabine’s voice barely a whisper during this part. The chorus makes a return, a little faster each time as the song gets to the end, with pianos fading the song out.

Track four, "The Most Beautiful Place", is a heart-stirring ballad with little more than pianos and Sabine’s honeyed voice setting the tone. "You are always inside, wherever I roam", she sings somberly. Gentle violins punctuate her lamenting vocals on the second verse. Another chorus, then a longing final high note sweetly closes this tender ballad at a little over 3 minutes.

Fade-in guitars fittingly open the fifth track, "See You Fading Afar". These same guitars summon pounding drums and a fast-paced band jam before Sabine’s vocal steps in to bring out a calm, soothing tone. Her voice takes a lot of the higher pitch when the male vocals join. The arrangement of the male voices reminds me a bit of Royal Hunt. There are some gothic-sounding keyboard parts in the middle of the song, ushering in some heavier guitar work. The chorus again, Sabine’s vocals rising higher as the song reaches a close, the same fading guitars ending as they began.

Bright, cheery guitars and equally heartening vocals from Sabine make up this catchy sixth tune, "On Top of the World". The chorus is very memorable---it will stick in your head easily, so be warned! "You’ll be on top of the world!" Sabine proclaims joyfully. Her voice stands alone during a break in the music before the vibrant guitar solo. Definitely a song that defies "gothic" stereotypes by being downright upbeat! The end choruses are taken by the males as Sabine sings with abandon in her high voice. She declares a final time, "You’ll be on top of the world!" before the song bows out.

Dark, gloomy pianos---a complete 180-degree turn from the mood of the previous song---give us another delicate ballad within the seventh track, "Taken Away". Sabine’s voice is as fragile as eggshells, but strong as stone as she confidently sings the chorus. This song is not much outside of Sabine and the pianos. Some more male vocal arrangements that hearken to Queen. The song ends shortly after, with a pause in the music before floating out on mild piano work.

A soft fade-in with a chiming intro opens up the title track, "The Grand Design". Sabine sings softly at first, then the band jumps in moments later with towering vocals and soaring guitars. Sabine’s voice is still pure and sweet throughout. More Queen-styled vocalizations, and more of the same within the verses and choruses. Just when you think the song is going to drag on in the same direction, some sprightly pianos and Irish-Celtic influences dance and jig in-between taunting guitar licks. The voices make a return and the band shifts again into an almost Oriental feel. The guitars are more prominent now. Yet again the voices return to welcome Spanish-style guitars and flamenco rhythms. Very lovely guitar work here. Yet again the voices come back, to bring the song to tranquil repose and a wailing guitar solo reminiscent of early Nightwish. On this solo, the song begins to find its way back to Sabine and the male vocals. She shows off a high note or two, but this part lasts a little while to get to the end point and final statement of the song: "Our life is the grand design!"

Track nine, "Empire of the Sun" is an instrumental track with a space-age intro and soulful guitars. Also a bit of airy keyboard work thrown in before the drums slowly find their way to the song. A slow, yet heavy, emotionally-charged instrumental piece.

The final track is a cover song, "For Your Eyes Only". Yes, it is a cover of the ‘80s hit by Sheena Easton. Sabine’s voice is perfect for this tune, shy and sweet as she sing of opening her heart to someone. Edenbridge has definitely made this song their own! Sabine’s accent comes through a little strong on this track, but no matter. The sentiment is felt just the same. The song clocks in at less than 3 minutes, but it is one of the best tracks on the album. This is the first cover tune Edenbridge has done on an album, and you know, they’re not bad at it. Musically, they have changed very little from the original, but still manage to put their own spin on it. For the style of music they do, this was an excellent choice for a cover, and an equally superb closer to the album.

Overall opinion: With delightful melodies and soothing vocals, Edenbridge cuts a fork in the path that their fellow goth-metal counterparts have sometimes worn thin. They have shown you can have the melodrama of symphonic rock without the pathos of screaming male vocals or lyrics of hopelessness. On the whole, their music is rather up-tempo, their lyrics at times so optimistic, they can borderline on excessively jolly, especially songs like "Top of the World". Even on the ballads like "The Most Beautiful Place", which deals with a sad topic, the lyrics offer a silver lining within. Sabine’s voice is definitely sugary-sweet, pleasant to listen to and completely inoffensive. Sometimes, when listening to her, you can easily imagine her sparkling voice embodying the character of a Disney princess. This is part of her charm. However, for me, there were times when her voice sounded too perfect. There were parts where on certain songs, I wished that she would just "belt it out" and allow herself to let go and really convey the feeling of a certain lyric or verse. But she is not devoid of emotion; her picture-perfect voice brings us images of joy ("Top of the World"), ardor ("Flame of Passion"), despondency ("Taken Away"), and coy uncertainty ("For Your Eyes Only"). The band, at times throughout the album, appear to be guilty of the same crime---being so polished that they seem to have rubbed off the veneer of spontaneity. But, like their vocalist, they do not delve so much in perfection that they stray entirely from just letting loose! There are a handful of moving guitar solos; "Empire of the Sun" is a fantastic example of their ability to fuse precision and emotion. But there appear to be some awkward moments every now and again as well, like in the title track, where the middle part of the song is much more memorable than the chorus. Because of this, it could have been quite the shining epic, but instead becomes a dim track that seems a bit longer than its 10-minute time limit. Songs like "Evermore" and "See You Fading Afar", while shorter in time, are far more "epic" in feel. Then there are moments when everything comes together just right, like on "For Your Eyes Only" or "Flame of Passion", where the band positively sparkles. For all their luminous qualities, Edenbridge is undoubtedly an acquired taste. If you are new to the entire metal genre, Edenbridge’s pleasant, innocuous sound could be just the thing to help make the transition into harder music all the easier. If you are the kind of person who likes a little sugar in their coffee, and likes a soft touch within the heaviness of metal, Edenbridge is certainly worth a try. But, if you are one that likes your metal straight-up, Edenbridge may be a little too "lite-rock" for your taste. Either way, this blend of sugar and spice mixed in with the piss and vinegar of metal makes for an interesting dish.

6/10