For some bands it is very good too have sideprojects. It seems that Edguy had a real push forward by the Avantasia album that was initiated by singer Tobias Sammet. On the new album the songwriting, the arrangements and the production are much more better than they already used to be. First track “Tears Of A Mandrake” is a song which has a very good structure and besides much variation a great vocal line of Tobias Sammet. Of course he had the most profit of the Avantasia project and in melodic tracks like “Golden Dawn” (nice twin guitars), “All The Clowns”, and the single “Painted On The Wall” he has some very strong melodic vocal and great chorus lines. The Celtic influenced “Jerusalem” features also a very strong Tobias and is very lofty with some very strong acoustic guitars. Then there is the great power ballad “Wash Away The Poison” and the two powerful fast tracks “Fallen Angel” and “Save Us Now”, which contain nice fast and heavy riffs.

The highlights of this album are the long, oriental “The Pharaoh”. This very widely stretched, a very dynamic song which sounds like Dio in his best days and has a catchy mid-section with great acoustic guitars. Then we have the very heavy track “Nailed To The Wheel” with the feeling like Fight or Priest. The sublime power riff of this song works very catching and the very quieted down intro is very strongly sung by Tobias. The album is closed by a very strong mid tempo track “The Devil & The Savant” and makes me clear that Edguy is at the top of the German melodic metal. Bands like Gamma Ray and Helloween can eat their heart out. "Mandrake" will appear high in my year list and by being so, it is a highly recommended album.