Originally written by Gregory Bradley.
One of the premiere power metal acts today, Edguy plays a brand of metal attempted by many but mastered by few. There is a reason why Edguy is at the top of their game, they’re a sincere and powerful act. As a showcase of this power, they bless us with a recording of their incredible spectacle of a live act, “Burning Down The Opera”. While sometimes overlooked because of their ridiculous name, and other times passed off as a Bruce Dickinson clone band, Edguy is nevertheless one of the best, and it’s nice to finally hear them live. The album opener is “Fallen Angels”, which has exceedingly difficult vocal duties, easily handled by master vocalist Tobias Sammet. Sounding like Bruce Dickinson and Andi Deris is a very good thing. The sound on this live album is expansive and magical, exactly the way a live power metal album should sound. You can still hear the crowd pumping their fists and chanting along to the many sing-along choruses, which makes you want to (in the words of the almighty Ronnie James Dio) stand up and shout. At the end of CD #1 comes one of my personal favorite tracks, the mighty epic “The Pharaoh”. An incredible sing along track, utilizing the aforementioned sing-along choruses, it plays out very well live. CD #2 is just as good as the first one, with tracks like “Vain Glory Opera” and “Save Us Now”, it’s a must-listen. This album even includes some of Sammet’s solo stuff in the form of the song “Avantasia”. This is a nice live album, a great accent for your Edguy collection and a must-have for the die hard “Alien Drum Bunny” fan. If you know what I’m talking about, then you’re bound by honor to own “Burning Down The Opera”. If you don’t, buy it anyway, along with the entire Edguy catalog!
