Set The Dark On Fire

Edenbridge have always been chancers – ambitious symphonic metal merchants attempting to chart their own course through a genre already overflowing with grandiose pronouncements and power ballads. With 'Set The Dark On Fire', they're aiming for something…bigger. Something cosmic, something epic, something that will apparently set the very fabric of reality alight. What we get instead is an album that feels curiously adrift, a sprawling concept piece struggling to find its footing amidst layers of slightly-too-clean production and predictable songwriting.

The band's core identity – a blend of soaring melodies, orchestral flourishes, and vaguely fantastical lyrical themes – remains intact, but the spark has gone. The opening track, 'The Ghostship Diaries', promises adventure, hinting at tales of interstellar voyages and ancient mysteries. It's immediately apparent, however, that this promise isn't entirely fulfilled; instead, we're presented with a fairly standard symphonic metal introduction that lacks any genuine sense of intrigue. The bombastic instrumentation feels strangely sterile, lacking the grit and rawness that would elevate it beyond mere pastiche.

The ambition is admirable, but the execution leaves you adrift in a sea of sonic mediocrity.

The album's concept itself – something about navigating cosmic trials and rediscovering lost hope – is admirable in its scope but ultimately feels muddled and underdeveloped. Lyrics are often vague and laden with cliché, failing to provide any real emotional resonance or intellectual stimulation. Tracks like 'Where The Wild Things Are' and 'Tears Of The Prophets' attempt to inject some pathos into the proceedings, but their efforts fall flat, hampered by uninspired melodies and predictable chord progressions.

The centerpiece of the album is undoubtedly the sprawling 'Spark Of The Everflame', a fourteen-minute suite divided into four distinct movements. This section represents both the album's greatest ambition and its most significant failing. While the individual movements demonstrate flashes of creativity – particularly the atmospheric opening of 'Let Time Begin' – the overall effect is disjointed and meandering. It's as if Edenbridge attempted to cram an entire opera into a single track, but lacked the skill or vision to pull it off effectively.

The production, handled with pristine clarity by someone clearly obsessed with avoiding any semblance of dirt or imperfection, only exacerbates the album's shortcomings. Every instrument is perfectly audible, every vocal note flawlessly delivered, yet the result feels strangely lifeless and devoid of character. The lack of dynamic range and sonic texture renders the music emotionally flat, preventing it from truly connecting with the listener.

There are moments, fleeting glimpses of what could have been. 'Our Place Among The Stars' possesses a certain undeniable grandeur, its soaring chorus hinting at the potential for genuine emotional impact. Similarly, 'Divine Dawn Reveal' offers a brief respite from the album's overall sense of predictability, showcasing a more adventurous and experimental approach to songwriting. But these moments are too few and far between, lost in a sea of sonic mediocrity.

The band's vocalist delivers his lines with commendable technical proficiency, but lacks any real personality or charisma. His performance feels detached and impersonal, further contributing to the album's overall sense of emotional distance. The instrumentalists, while undeniably talented, seem constrained by the rigid structure of the compositions, unable to inject their own individual flair or creativity into the music.

The final track, 'Where It Ends, Is Where It Starts', attempts to provide a sense of closure and resolution, but ultimately feels anticlimactic. It's a predictable summation of the album's themes, delivered with all the subtlety and nuance of a textbook explanation. The listener is left feeling not uplifted or inspired, but rather exhausted and slightly disappointed.

'Set The Dark On Fire' isn't an *awful* album – it's competently crafted, technically proficient, and occasionally even pleasant enough to listen to. However, it lacks the spark of originality, the emotional depth, and the sheer sonic power that would elevate it above the ranks of generic symphonic metal. It's a cosmic misfire, an ambitious project ultimately undone by its own lack of conviction and imagination – a damp squib in the void where a supernova should have been.