Lacking Something
Edguy are a great band. Their previous full-length album, 'Hellfire Club' turned many heads towards their direction and although their slight change of sound to a more tongue in cheek direction was a little too much to palette for some, new fans joined in droves. As a consequence I was interested in hearing how Edguy would follow such a classy, well-rounded album as 'Hellfire Club.' Their response is 'Rocket Ride' that sadly takes the band further away from their roots to a blatant attempt to break the American market.
Perhaps this is a natural progression for Edguy, and they certainly can't be blamed for taking this route, but when once their song-writing was full of passion and drive, it's now filled with easy going up-beat grooves more akin to the Bon Jovi's on this world. Seeing these once great power metal titans posing on the busy sunny streets of L.A in the CD booklet does put you into that big hair metal frame of mind. Thankfully opener 'Sacrifice' is classic Edguy. Shying away from the three-minute blaster, the band has chosen to win you over with a subtle yet fist pumping eight-minute anthem. A master stoke if ever there was one, it's unexpected, and proof that Edguy don't always play from the generic power-metal hymn sheet. The title-track hits the spot like a piece of hot buttered toast or a plate of thick chips, it's deliciously familiar and a reminder of why Edguy are ahead in their field. 'Wasted Time' rocks its mid tempo way through your speakers and you think everything is right with the world. 'Matrix' starts the rot however just because it's totally un-interesting. Whereas the first three tracks created an emotional response, 'Matrix' caused nothing except a frown and a puzzled look.
From this point and to the end of the album, this is the effect 'Rocket Ride' has. Some ideas are great and make you want to sing and nod, but others will just be taking up valuable sound waves when you could be listening to something more evocative. 'Return to the Tribe' is the type of fast paced track Edguy do so well, however, even with it's jokey mouthed solo, it seems to stand alone amidst the trudging songs that surround it. The predictable god-awful ballad shows it's face under the guise of 'Save Me,' and after being dragged down by this dour fare Rocket Ride fails to pick up which is a shame because it started so well. 'Catch of the Century' is nothing special and 'Out of Vogue' is just plain rubbish, however a re-mixed version of 'Superheroes' comes across much better than it did on their previous E.P. 'Trinidad' is a commendable stab at trying to include steel drums into metal, (A first methinks) and 'Fucking with Fire,' is a crass but enjoyable tongue-in-cheek ending to the album but unfortunately a million miles from the likes of 'Theater of Salvation.'
There's a fine line between acceptable progression and alienating your followers, with 'Rocket Ride' I feel Edguy have stepped beyond it. As an Edguy fan I found myself playing four or five tracks before hitting the eject button, because for me, and perhaps many for many other Edguy fans, there is little in the second half of the album to get excited about. I'm not convinced it's a strong enough release to pick up new fans unlike 'Hellfire Club.' I hope they do however, for a world without Edguy would be a very dull one indeed. Here's to their next release, let's pray it has a rocket up it's backside.