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Edguy - Age Of The Joker



6.9 | 256 votes |
Release date: 26 August 2011
Style: Power metal

Owners:

239 have it
28 want it


Disc I
01. Robin Hood
02. Nobody's Hero
03. Rock Of Cashel
04. Pandora's Box
05. Breathe
06. Two Out Of Seven
07. Faces In The Darkness
08. The Arcane Guild
09. Fire On The Downline
10. Behind The Gates To Midnight World
11. Every Night Without You

Disc II [Limited edition]
01. God Fallen Silent
02. Aleister Crowley Memorial Boogie
03. Cum On Feel The Noize [Slade cover]
04. Standing In The Rain
05. Robin Hood [Single version]
06. Two Out Of Seven [Single version]

Staff review by
Baz Anderson
Rating:
7.0
German superstars Edguy return with album nine much in the same vein as the last three albums. It is common knowledge now that since 2006's Rocket Ride these Teutonic terrors have opted for a path of lukewarm heavy metal, while Tobi's dirty power metal urges have been kept locked away safely with Avantasia.

Although three years apart in the real world, Age Of The Joker and Tinnitus Sanctus in Edguy's universe aren't too different from each other. The German jesters are quite content sitting on their current format of slightly catchy, melodic heavy metal songs. The album has some great moments, "Nobody's Hero" is somewhat catchy, the folky last portion of "Rock Of Cashel" is pretty awesome, and "The Arcane Guild" offers a glimpse of power metal too.

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published 06.10.2011 | Comments (18)

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Comments: 63   Visited by: 744 users
09.08.2011 - 02:23
Baz Anderson
Staff
Written by RavenKing on 07.08.2011 at 05:34

Written by Mountain King on 06.08.2011 at 19:41

Written by RavenKing on 29.07.2011 at 21:46

Written by Irritable Ted on 29.07.2011 at 21:28

Have heard most of the album. It is a huge disappointment. For those wanting a return to the early stuff, sorry its the same old hard rock stuff. Edguy are dead to power metal now.

I think we all knew it would not be Powermetal. To me, it is obvious Sammet has abandoned this style already long ago.
Imo, it is unrealistic to hope for a return to the early stuff.

Anyway I mentioned many times here and on other forums that it is futile to expect great PM albums from old PM bands. They're all slowly turning more or less to hard rock and standard Heavy Metal.

7 Sinners

From what I've heard of it, no thanks.

7 Sinners is an amazing album, and actually even after all the hype from around its release, I still think is in Helloween's top four of all time.
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09.08.2011 - 13:55
Rating: 9
Andreas
Written by Irritable Ted on 02.08.2011 at 20:52

Its a huge disappointment because it is so bland. If you like your metal to have no fire, no mental drums and no screaming guitars/vocals then enjoy.

I'll go back to listening to stuff that makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

Music still can have "fire" without mental drums and screaming guitars and vocals. It's just a matter of what kind of music touches you. The kind of music you describe can still make my hairs stand up on the back of my neck, to use your words.

And why all this discussing what is power metal and what not? Who gives a damn what music is called? As long as people like it, let them enjoy it and don't spoil their fun.
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11.08.2011 - 17:33
Rating: 9
Andreas
Written by Irritable Ted on 09.08.2011 at 19:03

But...If you listen to the older stuff compared to the new...well, you decide.

My decision would be that I enjoy Mandrake and Hellfire Club more than Rocket Ride and Tinnitus Sanctus. Still, I find the latter two albums enjoyable.

On a sidenote: I like the new song Robin Hood. I don't have high hopes for this new album, but neither do I have bad expectations. Let's just see (or listen).
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18.08.2011 - 20:21
Angelic Storm
Melodious
Okay, I've just finished listening to this, and never before have I been so frustrated by an Edguy album! Both "Tinnitus Sanctus" and "Rocket Ride" were disappointments, especially the former album, but kinda expected, with Tobi more or less abandoning his power metal roots in favour of hard rock. The first 2 songs on the album suggest a return to classic form though... "Robin Hood" is a great mid-paced power metal epic, which has more in common with "Mandrake" than any of their other albums. Great opener! Then "Nobody's Hero" comes absolutely storming out with a surging, crunching riff, instantly bringing to mind the heavier "Hellfire Club" stuff. There's definitely a hint of the classic "Mysteria" in there, which is no bad thing! xD The song is slightly let down by poppy backing vocals (which is such an annoying feature of this album that brings down even the good moments, and more on that later...) near the end of the final chorus, but overall, this is Edguy in amazing form!

But, just when I start thinking Edguy could be about to unleash an album worthy of being placed alongside classics like "Mandrake" and "Hellfire Club", a number of average songs in a row totally brings the album down to a point that it never really recovers from. "Rock Of Cashel" is actually a decent hard rock song, and the folky mid section is actually very good, but the overtly poppy chorus (those pesky backing vocals being the culprit again...) means the song is merely decent, when it could have been another great one. Disappointing... "Pandora's Box" has one half decent rock riff, but the rest of the song is utterly forgettable and dull. The fact it's nearly 7 minutes long certainly does it no favours either! "Breathe" has the potential to be an awesome, bouncy power metal number, but the guitars are totally neutered, and drowned out by the keyboards, which dilutes the effectiveness the song could have had by a lot. Poppy backing vocals in the chorus (again!) brings the song down even more, and another potential classic Edguy song is reduced to being merely decent... *sighs* "Two Out Of Seven" is just awful, and that's about all I want to say about it!

Now, the tail end of the album is where I become really frustrated with it. "Faces In The Darkness" features a massive, evil sounding riff that's defintiely the heaviest thing Edguy have ever recorded. I actually banged my head along to the intro riffs! lol Now this is more like it Tobi! It's as if they took the heavy sounding parts of "Hellfire Club" and cranked it up a few notches... wow! The song has a genuine air of menace even in it's clean guitar sections... and then poppy backing vocals in the chorus once again (and they sound even more out of place here as the chorus itself isn't even very poppy) brings the song down. And it's worse here, as the rest of the song is just awesome... Frustrating it definitely is... The next song has the EXACTLY same problem. "The Arcane Guild" starts off in amazing style, with speeding power metal riffs, double bass drumming, (Rare for Edguy these days!) and is laden with an epic atmosphere. It even features a Keeper era-Helloween styled solo section just like they used to do in the old days! But once again, a chorus which is too light, and is accentuated all the more by those irritating backing vocals, stops the song from reaching classic status...

"Fire On The Downline" is the only pure hard rock song on the album that is above average, and is actually pretty great! The riffs are super catchy in an atmospheric way, and the chorus features a massive hook which is just irresistable. It may not be as majestically great as "Sacrifice" (the only rock style song from Edguy I'd label as truly classic), but it's still a fine song, and the only one which isn't ruined by poppy moments that just don't fit. "Behind The Gates To Midnight World" is sadly though, yet another song that more frustrates me than anything else. It starts very atmospherically, and when it starts to motor with a crunching mega riff, Im feeling the urge to move my head again! lol Much like "Faces In The Darkness", it's a great song until it reaches the chorus... and you guessed it, I won't even say it again!

The least said about "Every Night Without You" the better... Edguy have done some amazing ballads in the past, but sadly, this isn't one of them... if I wanted to listen to Bryan Adams, I'd go out and buy a Bryan Adams album!

The thing that really strikes me about this album, is that Tobi clearly has not forgotten how to write good songs, and even at times, good metal. But this album lacks cohesion and consistency, as it sounds like a band striving to hold onto it's roots, but allowing too many lighter elements to permeate it, and bring it down. I have no problems with lighter stuff, and love some hard rock. But what really disappoints me here, is there are a few songs on here which are at their core, metal songs, but even those ones cannot escape totally from Tobi's love of penning rock and even poppier stuff. Yep, I'll say it one final time... very frustrating... lol
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20.08.2011 - 03:02
Rating: 7
iMorphball
Album is fantastic.
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22.08.2011 - 06:44
Pinaroberto
Not disappoited at all! Very nice album.
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23.08.2011 - 20:43
Rating: 6
Prometheus
I've got this one !!! its awesome
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24.08.2011 - 09:02
Rating: 3
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Elite
Was hoping for another album like Mandrake (foolish of me I know), all I got was Tinnitus Sanctus 2...
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24.08.2011 - 09:32
Valentin B
Iconoclast
I'm not sure which is the song with the chorus "your day to dieee" but it sounds good enough to me, the intro is really awesome with the 70s keyboard work. I played the Solitaire game on the Nuclear Blast homepage while listening to it
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24.08.2011 - 10:53
Angelic Storm
Melodious
Written by Valentin B on 24.08.2011 at 09:32

I'm not sure which is the song with the chorus "your day to dieee" but it sounds good enough to me, the intro is really awesome with the 70s keyboard work. I played the Solitaire game on the Nuclear Blast homepage while listening to it

That is from the song "Robin Hood", which is actually an awesome song, and is one of my fave Edguy songs ever lol
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25.08.2011 - 22:27
Rating: 10
bcapo3
I love the whole album.
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Album Release day (August 26, 2011)
26.08.2011 - 01:57
Holy Man
STEEL DEFENDER
I'm getting this one right now... I'm pretty stoked about it actually. I'll give it a shot.
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LIGHT THE FUSE ON THAT VAGINAMITE!!!
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26.08.2011 - 05:56
Pestilence
Written by Baz Anderson on 09.08.2011 at 02:23

Written by RavenKing on 07.08.2011 at 05:34

Written by Mountain King on 06.08.2011 at 19:41

Written by RavenKing on 29.07.2011 at 21:46

Written by Irritable Ted on 29.07.2011 at 21:28

Have heard most of the album. It is a huge disappointment. For those wanting a return to the early stuff, sorry its the same old hard rock stuff. Edguy are dead to power metal now.

I think we all knew it would not be Powermetal. To me, it is obvious Sammet has abandoned this style already long ago.
Imo, it is unrealistic to hope for a return to the early stuff.

Anyway I mentioned many times here and on other forums that it is futile to expect great PM albums from old PM bands. They're all slowly turning more or less to hard rock and standard Heavy Metal.

7 Sinners

From what I've heard of it, no thanks.

7 Sinners is an amazing album, and actually even after all the hype from around its release, I still think is in Helloween's top four of all time.

Agreed! 7 Sinners is an amazing album.
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26.08.2011 - 10:53
JÄY
Metal slave
If this release were a human being, it would be mentally insane, in the bad sense
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26.08.2011 - 13:00
priit
Sure, the new album sucks if you want the same ol' riffs from yesteryear. Bands change and Edguy is no different. However, Sammet's voice is still the driving power of Edguy. I think the new album is rather good, as was Tinnitus Sanctus, actually. But I guess I'm not so 'hardcore' powermetalist or something. When I was listening the album one thought came to mind: "At least Edguy sounds still like Edguy". And I think that's great.
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27.08.2011 - 02:25
Rating: 9
Stratoman
Ok after all those bad comments about the album i dare to say that i actually liked it, first my highlights are Breathe, Two Out of Seven, The Arcadian Guild and the ballad Every Night Without You. Age of the Joker is faaaaaaaaaaaar better than Rocket Ride and Tinnitus Sanctus which were really lame albums imo. Amidst these songs i've mentioned one can find some elements of old power metal edguy, but obviously Tobias composition has changed over the years, if he continued doing the same old albums edguy and avantasia would be boring today... From these last works at least i really enjoy a couple or three songs per album. And hail 7 Sinners awesome album for the ones who say that are disappointed with old power metal bands, i've also liked last stratovarius works... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsXfPKZ3nFs Enjoy this one imo the original is better but i never expected this from Edguy
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Metal Is Made For All Men, But Not Every Man Is Made For Metal
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27.08.2011 - 05:11
stationarytravel
Account deleted
Half Edguy, half Bon Jovi. A bit better than Tinnitus (this one was hella catchy though).
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28.08.2011 - 08:01
Rating: 8
Well, Edguy is no longer a "Extreme" Power Metal like Helloween, but at least they are making good songs. Dragonfly from Tinnitus is a Greeat song. Good choirs, almost like any song from Theater of Salvation. Not because it doesn't sound heavy, it doesn't mean is not good.:nogood:
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28.08.2011 - 13:23
Rating: 6
Deefer46
On first listen I found it ok I guess, it''s definitely no Rocket Ride tho'. It doesn't grab you by the throat and kick you in the balls like other Edguy albums. It'll no doubt grow on me like Tinnitus did. Still its a good offering from the guys.
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28.08.2011 - 14:32
mandrake88
Account deleted
Definitely the bands highlight album since they turned to hard rock style. This stuff could not even be better at this point. Sure heavier then Tinnitus Sanctus, and at some points exceeds even Rocket Ride. Who cares if Edguy plays power metal or not, as long as the songs are kickin' ass. This album surely does!!
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31.08.2011 - 00:50
Rating: 7
Tomi929
I don´t know why people just still criticize... is this music too bad? NO, it is very good album with modern sound, good lyrics, fine melodies and song as "Behind The Gates To Midnight World" is one of the best in this genre I´ve ever heard This album isn´t perfected or the most progressive (power) metal... but I don´t miss anything during listening to this album
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01.09.2011 - 00:16
Rating: 7
Death To Posers
Hate Thy King
"Every Night Without You" and "Robin Hood" are the only good songs so far. "Every Night Without You" might be my favorite ballad this year though, so I can't give the album too bad of a rating.
----
The word gen means "illusion" or "apparition." In India, a man who uses conjury is called a genjutsushi ["a master of illusion technique"]. Everything in this world is but a marionette show. Thus we use the word gen.
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04.09.2011 - 21:12
Stabby
Account deleted
I would rather that Edguy end their career many years from now with not a single trite and rehashed power metal album than to keep hammering out the same style over and over. There is only so many times you can do that Mandrake, Hellfire Club thing with Tobi's voice and the band setup before the new songs sound way too much like the old songs and it gets boring. Even if the new songs are awesome songs in themselves, it is still going to get boring because the songs will be rearranged versions of the older ones.

So I like what Edguy have done since Hellfire Club. It has been a consistent transition to a rockier sound that still stays true to the band's unique sound. You can do more with song structures like they have now without them getting old, it just takes good songwriting. Rocket Ride had it. Tinnitus Sanctus has bits and pieces of it, and this new one is the best of the three. Lots of fun, original songwriting, and all of the aspects that we loved Edguy for. Did we really love Edguy because they played fast with double-bass? Of course not, tons of other bands do that and aren't as interesting.

My one complaint is that Every Night Without You is pretty much Save Me rearranged and with different lyrics! Like I just mentioned above, if they had released ENWY on Rocket Ride in Save Me's place I would have no complaint, but it's a rehash. That's just nit-picking, though.

Great album. Edguy lives!
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15.09.2011 - 23:09
Rating: 6
Kalmari
The album is okay, but okay isn't what you would expect from a songwriter who created The Metal Opera, Hellfire Club and The Wicked Symphony. I think the problem of the album isn't it's focus on hard rock, but the quality of the songs. The last two Avantasia albums show that Tobias is capable of creating great songs that aren't necessarily power metal. I think the problem lies in the amount of stuff that Tobias has written in the last few years (2009-2010 he wrote over 30 songs). Same thing with the Something Wicked duo albums that were released 2007-2008 from Iced Earth, both written almost completely by Jon Schaffer. Too much stuff just kills overall quality.
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12.10.2011 - 00:11
Rating: 9
JerryNichols
To be honest I actually think I prefer newer Edguy prior to the old (except from terrible Tinnitus Sanctus). The old Edguy is good, but the new is more varied and way more complex.
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30.05.2012 - 15:13
mandrake88
Account deleted
Written by [user id=106198] on 04.09.2011 at 21:12

I would rather that Edguy end their career many years from now with not a single trite and rehashed power metal album than to keep hammering out the same style over and over. There is only so many times you can do that Mandrake, Hellfire Club thing with Tobi's voice and the band setup before the new songs sound way too much like the old songs and it gets boring. Even if the new songs are awesome songs in themselves, it is still going to get boring because the songs will be rearranged versions of the older ones.

So I like what Edguy have done since Hellfire Club. It has been a consistent transition to a rockier sound that still stays true to the band's unique sound. You can do more with song structures like they have now without them getting old, it just takes good songwriting. Rocket Ride had it. Tinnitus Sanctus has bits and pieces of it, and this new one is the best of the three. Lots of fun, original songwriting, and all of the aspects that we loved Edguy for. Did we really love Edguy because they played fast with double-bass? Of course not, tons of other bands do that and aren't as interesting.

My one complaint is that Every Night Without You is pretty much Save Me rearranged and with different lyrics! Like I just mentioned above, if they had released ENWY on Rocket Ride in Save Me's place I would have no complaint, but it's a rehash. That's just nit-picking, though.

Great album. Edguy lives!

Good insight, mate! I'm glad to read a post with respect toward the band, rather then accusing and labeling their style because some "so called fans" think it's not "true power metal" anymore, and they can't bang their heads to walls listening to edguy! A great band stays true to itself doing music they like, not what some headbangers expect.
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23.08.2012 - 23:04
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
I hate this album...finally lost my faith in Tobias there

only "Breathe" and part of "Rock Of Cashel" is worth something
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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06.12.2012 - 23:55
Rating: 7
Mountain King
K i K o
I think it's a good album. A little far from their glorious days but way better than the shitty piece of crap called Tinnitus Sanctus. I would put this one on the level of Rocket Ride or maybe a little better...
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30.01.2013 - 13:02
Chriwalker
Account deleted
An ok album, I will not complain about it being Rock instead of Metal sinse Edguys last pure Metal album was Hellfire, yet after he promised more double pedal and more speed I found it really disappointing and it was 2011's dissepointment of the year
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16.01.2020 - 19:47
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Well its better as prevouis one, seems it has some heavy tunes, band tries wrote sometjing but you know you get older do hair cut, and all is failure. We can give some extra for trying
----
I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens.

Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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