Album of the week: Edguy - Theater of Salvation (1999)

Power Metal is, by definition, very silly. Few bands are quite as silly (or quite aware of how silly they truly are) as German Power Metal outfit Edguy. Of course, silly isn't always a bad thing--1999's Theater of Salvation is proof of that.

Theater of Salvation is bursting at the seams with everything that makes Power Metal enjoyable--thrashy, breakneck-speed music, laden with hooks and inspirational lyrics (and not inspirational in the Christian rock sense, either). This album--like most of Edguy's output--is a bit difficult to review in depth. To a certain extent, it does all sound more or less the same, but that can easily be overlooked, as it all sounds so rediculously good. One can choose just about any track at random, and be prepared to bang one's head along to Edguy's over-the-top greatness. The only exceptions might be the power ballads, which are a bit too hokey, even for someone like me. Standout songs include "Babylon", "Headless Game," "Falling Down" and "Arrows Fly."

I have to admit that Power Metal is something of a guilty pleasure for me--I enjoy it, certainly, but it is just so damned silly. In that respect, it's kind of like Busby Berkeley musicals. And ultimately, that's kind of what Edguy is--the Gold Diggers of '33 of Heavy Metal.