LIST of REVIEWS Download the press-kit INTERVIEWS on SITES: www.virtuosityone.com www.guitar9.com www.stormbringer.at www.live4metal.com www.ytsejam.com REVIEWS on MAGAZINES: Metal Hammer Rock Hard Rock It Magazine E-Review >>> taken from www.virtuosityone.com Best know for his work in Artension, Roger Staffelbach has taken the down time from the prog metal merchants to launch a band in his own neo-classical/melodic power metal vision called Angel Of Eden. Joining Staffelbach are the Evidence One duo of vocalist Carsten “Lizard” Schulz and drummer Rami Ali along with Italian keyboard virtuoso Mistheria (solo/Bruce Dickinson), quite simply a collection of some of the hottest metal talent around today. Completing the band as guests are bassist Steve Digeorgio (Artension/Testament) along with a few guest spots from Roger’s fellow Artension mate John West (ex Royal Hunt), Ferdy Doernberg (Uli Jon Roth, Axel Rudi Pell) on keys and Dave Sharman (ex Manowar). The debut album is home to 10 tracks of blistering metal kicking off with the title track “The End Of Never”, a rampaging slice of power metal with speedy solos and an unstoppable delivery from the band. “Dreamchaser” fuses Trilogy era Malmsteen with good old European power metal which allows Lizard’s vocals to soar, here guitars and keyboard intertwine to perfection all powered along by a vicious double bass drum assault from Rami Ali. The track breaks down in the middle for a riff that would be killer in the live arena before the tempo picks up again for solo trade off between Staffelbach and Mistheria in the finest Malmsteen/Johansson tradition. “Angel Of Eden” sees a more melodic frame enter with its slower tempo and here the relatively simple riff and keyboards work well with each other once again, this track is surely going to win many friends of early Malmsteen, yet its not a clone in any sense but has a similar feel. Solo times sees Roger pull out a sweet classical sounding arpeggio section which is doubled second time around with a two handed tapping motif before he really lets fly before heading back to the strong chorus again which leads into a nice harmonised guitar outro, a highlight. “Return Of The Pharoah Pt.I” is a nice neo-classical instrumental and sees David Shankle deliver the first solo and their a lot going on in this track yet it all works well together and is a strong instrumental. The epic “The Battle Of 1386” is next and it’s another highlight. Beginning with a dense war pending style keyboard intro from Mistheria it then moves into a stomping slow tempo riff reminiscent of “Ride The Lightning” era Metallica, this sounds phenomenal with the volume up. John West delivers his trademark vocals here and their slightly darker nature compared to Schulz contrasts nicely with the rest of the material on offer. “Into The Black” sees the tempo back up in the higher registers and this is another stormer moving from a 16th note pattern to a Maiden-ish gallop for the verses. “Return Of The Pharoah Pt.II” is a brief instrumental beginning with more classical orchestration from Mistheria and some nice counterpoint lines from Staffelbach before the truly glorious “Keys To Avalon” kicks in with a tremendous mid-tempo groove and a melody so rich it will be stuck in your head for hours after hearing it. Schulz pulls off anything he handles but this sort of stuff is his domain (no pun intended) and he belts them out in glorious fashion, the guitar and keyboard solo spots are also rather tasty and add to a superb track. “Stampede” is arguably the fastest track on the album, and whilst its showcases some awesome double bass work from Rami Ali its pretty straightforward in its approach and does lack a little of the class of the other tracks. Yet fans of frantic guitar/keyboard trade offs will find the solo section a pure delight. “Towards The Light” closes the album with a reworking of the track Staffelbach wrote for the Shawn Lane tribute album on Lion Music, chock full of impassioned fretwork and a nice closer. But hidden away is a cover of the Yngwie Malmsteen classic “You Don’t Remember (I’ll Never Forget)” which is a superb version, slightly beefed up compared to the original but it shows Schulz handling the original vocals of Mark Boals with ease, in fact I probably prefer it to the original! The solo sees Roger use the original as a reference for his own take and this adds more class. Overall “The End Of Never” is a stunning debut album from a band which could quite easily go places and there is definite magic in the song writing duo of Staffelbach and Schulz. Possessing a rich powerful sound everything is working towards showcasing the quality of song. There is really nothing to fault here, the band has their own sound, the performances are exemplary and the core of Staffelbach, Schulz, Ami and Mistheria have delivered an album which deserves your money now. Neo-classically tinted album of the year. Rating - 97% >>> taken from www.live4metal.com Roger Staffelbach is a guitar wiz who is also in Artension, which is a highly underrated power prog band. Well, since there hasn’t been a new disc in a long while, Roger has decided to craft his first solo offering in the form of AOE. WOW! The list of folks on here is more than impressive. You get the lead singer and drummer from AOR group Evidence One. Bass extraordinaire Steve Di Georgio plays bass on here and Mistheria tickles the keyboard. On top of that, there are guests on here. More elaborating to come soon. The title track is an absolute whirlwind of neo-classical/power metal of the highest order. I am not all that familiar with lead vocalist Carsten’s voice, but I do know from what I heard before, he doesn’t get as wild as he does here screaming and singing with all of his might. The drums are relentless yet performed with class and precision. Roger just absolutely goes off with his six stringer as he shows no mercy and lays it all on the line here showing just what he’s made of. The solos are tough as nails and are aggressive as hell. The real treat here is guest lightning quick finger work on the black and white keys from Axel Rudi Pell‘s Ferdy Doernberg. This is just the first of several appearances on here. He’s smooth and fast and is all about the flashiness. Think of Yngwie recording something similar to this now. This track is fueled with plenty of energy. “Dreamchaser” shows Carsten giving it all with his lungs. It’s passionate, emotional and the real deal. Here’s another song that refuses to let up. “Return Of The Pharaoh Pt. I” has former Manowar shredder Dave Shankle supplying a solo on this instrumental. Fellow Artension band mate and another under-rated singer John West lends his voice to “The Battle Of 1386.” This one is epic sounding thanks to the horns utilized here. The neo-classical elements are gone, just to shake things up a bit. There’s ten great tracks on here and then the final cut is a cover of Yngwie’s “You Don’t Remember” which sounds remarkably like the original and the voice has a Mark Boals ring. In the end, Rog and company pull no punches and create a product that should make Rhapsody Of Fire, Yngwie and anything in the neo classical power genre very happy. This is an essential purchase. www.lionmusic.com | www.angelofedenband.com Review Joe Florez >>> taken from www.hmpmag.pl/dovmag Angel of Eden is another dream team consisted of international line-up: Roger Staffelbach (guitar; Artension), Carsten Schulz (vocal; Domain, Evidence One), Mistheria (keys; Bruce Dickinson) and Rami Ali (drums; Evidence One). Roger also managed to find several respected guests: Steve DiGiorgio (bass guitar; Testament, Sadus), John West (vocal; Royal Hunt, Artension), David Shankle (guitar solo; Manowar) and Ferdy Doernberg (keys; Axel Rudi Pell, Rough Silk). A Swiss guitar wizard prepared the stuff filled will contemporary power metal, heavy solos and progressive keyboard parts. A solemn mood is sometimes enriched by Roger's neoclassical solos and full instrumental compositions here and there. One of the characteristics are spectacular guitar-keyboard duels and mutual charges. Roger Staffelbach, as a guitar demon, is mad with playing this instrument, however his colleagues keep pace with him. It is a kind of feat as most tracks are played at fast tempos. As a bonus, we get Yngwie Malmsteen's "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget" from his "Trilogy" CD. Playing this cover, Roger and Company feel at home, simultaneously preserving its specific style. Since Carsten Schulz's vocal is defiant, wild and strong, "The End of Never" should appeal to the fans of Axel Ritt's Domain. >>> taken from www.metalexpressradio.com Roger Staffelbach’s career started at the tender age of 15 years old after hearing Yngwie Malmsteen’s Trilogy record. That paved the way for him to start playing the local scene and eventually he started taking lessons at Jazz School and ended up at LA’s GIT/MI. Roger has been featured in Young Guitar and Guitar Magazine in Japan as well as numerous other publications around the world. His world was about to change, though, when Mike Varney at Shrapnel Records contacted him after Roger sent him an instrumental demo. Along with keyboard prodigy Vitalij Kuprij, they started Atlantis Rising, which later became Artension; members of this band, including Roger and Vitalij, were John West (Badlands and Royal Hunt), Mike Terrana (Malmsteen and Rage), and Kevin Chown. And, after recording seven albums with Artension, Roger has still found time to branch out and do other projects like Angel of Eden. Wow! Be prepared to be kicked in the head and face! The End Of Never starts off with the blasting title track "The End Of Never" and Roger Staffelbach’s shredding guitar prowess and Carsten Lizard Schulz’s amazing vocals! You might recognize Carsten from Domain, Fate Of Nations, Forever, Evidence One, and that’s just to name of few. Now he’s lending his awesome voice to Roger’s Angel of Eden project. The second song "Dreamchaser" starts off pretty much kicking your ass when Carsten starts to sing; you’d almost swear you’re hearing Tony Martin off of Black Sabbath’s TYR album from back in the day. What a great song! Roger is no less than brilliant; you can close your eyes and just see his fingers burning up the fretboard! The third song, "Angel Of Eden" has great harpsichord sounding keyboards, double kick drums, and amazing vocal harmonies. And, with each song being anywhere from three and a half minutes to just a little over six minutes, you get just enough but not too much; it’s perfectly balanced in all aspects. Skipping down to track eight is "Keys To Avalon," which starts off like your favorite all time Metal song and it just has all of those elements of a great Heavy Rockin' song; galloping guitar riff, keyboards, pounding drums, bass guitar perfectly in time with the drums, and Carsten’s ever melodic voice. This easily could be a favorite off this album. As a musician, this is an album to be extremely proud of and as a fan you would definitely want The End Of Never in your stack of CD’s that goes everywhere with you! And last but not least, track eleven, "You Don’t Remember" has a great Dokken flavor to it, while still maintaining the integrity of being its own song. This could easily be your perennial break-up song or make out song! Do yourself a favor and check out Angel Of Eden. Rating - 8,5/10 NEON BLONDE >>> taken from www.ytsejam.com The sympho-metal bandwagon has gotten a little ‘wanky’ lately, but Angel of Eden keep it down to earth and highly skilled as well. Featuring Artension guitarist Roger Stafffelbach at the helm, The End of Never is a classically tinged power metal record with all the right riffiage, dark textures, and of course, the symphonic meddlings to the right degree. When dissecting the record to it’s core, it’s the melodies that will catapult the album to a higher plain amongst the saturated power metal or neo-classical scene, yet within that core there are a heapful of solos (what else would you expect from an axeman leading the way) from both the six strings and keyboards, almost like Stafffelbach is bringing the sound of early Artention back, but with a much heavier (& melodic) grind. But beyond all technical mayhem involved, vocalist Carsten ‘Lizard’ Schulz has gone great length to create anthem harmonies ala 80’s melodic metal meets Malmsteen to give The End of Never a different type of edgy approach. Nevertheless, the music is consistent with it’s power, and for me, the melodies & arrangements are what keep it from becoming redundant. Marked with power are cuts such as “Dreamchaser,” “Stampede,” & “The battle of 1836” (featuring John West vocals), not to mention that darkened tracks such as “You Just Don’t Remember” & track that bears the band’s name hearken the same vibe that albums such as Headless Cross and Facing the Animal do; there are moments when Stafffelbach does let his chops shine on his own terms, mainly with “Return of the Pharaoh (pt 1 & 2)” (particularly with the layering he does on the second part), both being instrumentals where it’s all about the axework.. Being able to portray the motions of ‘band’ record and a ‘guitarist’s’ record, Roger Stafffelbach has executed a record with both great tunes & fluid playing, certainly a record that just might eclipse his band of origin. Rating - 4/5 Tommy Hash >>> taken from www.progscape.com Max Roach died in 2007 but left behind a legacy that few other It seems like a trend these days and not a bad one at that. Virtuoso guitarist gets into band, records a few albums, feels the need to get out and do his own thing. Roger Staffelbach isn't the first, surely won't be the last. Coming out of American metallers Artension, Staffelbach launches Angel of Eden as an outlet for his own ideas and recruits what can be regarded as an all-star roster along the way. With him are Carsten Schulz on vocals and Rami Ali on drums, both formerly of Evidence One and keyboard player Mistheria - somehow I like the name - who is better known for having previously worked with Iron Maiden's demigod Bruce Dickinson. The star parade doesn't quite end here, with the likes of Dave Shankle (ex-Manowar), Ferdy Doernberg (Axel Rudi Pell), Steve Di Georgio playing bass on every track (Death, Testament, Iced Earth) and John West (former Artension vocalist) also joining the ranks. Granted, an all-star lineup not always make for a good team but it certainly does here. "The End of Never" is a powerhouse of a record that starts as regular power metal, segues into progressive metal with a Symphony X vibe, ends up reminding me of Muse (!) and accidentally forges a sound that somehow is completely their own. I must admit I'm not exactly the biggest power metal fan in the world and the first few tunes got me thinking "OK, here's some more rehashed power metal frenzy" but as soon as the player switched to the fourth track "Return of the Pharaoh (Part I)", I was flabbergasted. Almost 6 minutes of instrumental progressive metal goodness with kick ass guitar and keyboard solos plus bone crunching riffage? No way! Yes way. And "Towards The Light" just confirmed my suspicions. Angel of Eden is definitely not content to tread still and murky waters and most definitely is not your average run-o-the-mill everyday guitar shredder album. Staffelbach can certainly play the instrument no less than, say, Yngwie Malmsteen or Michael Romeo can (there's even a Malmsteen cover as a bonus track, "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget"), and it shows here, but this is a complete team effort. The sound quality is terrific (bar a guitar solo or two here and there), the keyboards aren't just filling up space but really enhance the whole and Rami Ali is an incredible, forceful drummer - take for instance the beginning of "Into The Black" as an example of how heavy and incredibly metal this guy can sound. Schulz is no less good in here, suiting the music just fine and providing a few really excellent moments along the way. So, in a nutshell, what do you get for your money with this record? Kick ass traditional power metal songs, with a huge guitar and drum sound, incredibly tasty riffs and rhythm guitars. And you also get a couple of progressive instrumentals that blast a lot of so-called prog metal bands away, which incidentally I consider to be the highlights of this record. Pardon me if I sound too enthusiastic about this band almost like they were my children but it's very rare that a power metal record blows me away these days. This one did. Paulo André >>> taken from groups.yahoo.com/group/Detritus Artension guitarist Roger Staffelbach' s Angel Of Eden project flew right under the radar for me since it was released back in November, but here we actually have one of the year's coolest surprises. THE END OF NEVER starts off very strong with the one-two punch of the title track and "Dreamchaser, " two powerful, well-written pieces showcasing the considerable skills of this outfit. Joining Staffelbach is Carsten "Lizard" Shulz (Evidence One) on vocals, keyboardist Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson), bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Rami Ali (Evidence One), with guest appearances by David Shankle, John West and Ferdy Doernberg. The album keeps a fast pace, with songs like "Into The Black," "Keys To Avalon" and "Stampede" mixing crunching riffs with catchy melodies and Staffelbach' s speedy runs. Vocalist Shulz shows himself to be one of the best singers on the scene today, with a confident delivery not unlike Jeff Scott Soto and Mark Boals. THE END OF NEVER is obviously heavily influenced by TRILOGY era Yngwie, but they also manage to mix in some Metallica on "The Battle Of 1386," and inject a healthy dose of '80s melodic metal into the proceedings. Sure, instrumentals "Return Of The Pharaoh (Pt. I)" and "Towards The Light" aren't going to make anyone forget Mr. Malmsteen, but when it's all done as admirably as this, who's to complain? You even get a killer version of Yngwie's "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget." Neoclassical release of the year. Neal Woodall >>> taken from www.hardrockhouse.com Angel Of Eden is Artension guitarist Roger Staffelbach’s new band project. Joining him on his new musical adventure is Evidence One's Carsten Schulz and Rami Ali on vocals and drums respectively and former Bruce Dickinson band member Mistheria on keyboards. Compared to Roger's day job in Artension which is prog’ metal, Angel Of Eden are a more accessible metal band brimming with neo-classical flavours and traditional power metal rhythms. After listening to this album a lot recently I can say that the overall effect is very pleasing, especially to someone who grew up, like myself, listening to healthy doses of Yngwie Malmsteen and Cacophony. The album kicks off in fine style with “Till The End Of Never”, a song that instantly brought to mind Yngwie's guitar riff from “I’ll See The Light Tonight” but tempered with the excitement of Jake E Lee’s “Bark At The Moon” riffery. The vocals from Schulz sound as though he is really being pushed, the result of which, at times, have him sounding like Sammy Hagar mixing it with Joe Lyn Turner. The track comes across as more than a neo-classical workout thanks to some great power metal drumming and the effect sounds completely “right”. Next up is “Dreamchaser” which is foot to the floor, surging and unstoppable rock of the finest order. The drumming of Rami is right on the money as he pushes and pulls the band along. In the end everyone just manages to keep up. “Angel Of Eden” has a subtler groove as the power metal tempo is dropped down a notch. The song has a strong chorus and the main guitar solo is wonderfully melodic sounding like a heady mixture of Yngwie and Blackmore (circa early Rainbow). “Return Of The Pharaoh”(Pt’1) for this reviewer is a track sent from heaven. The whole vibe of this track took me back to the days when I was first getting into Yngwie. It’s a melodic, grand, epic and balls to the wall tour de force neo-classical workout. Dazzling fiery guitar licks trade off with keyboard patterns. It’s been a long time since the Phrygian mode sounded so cool. It’s worth noting that this track also features a guest appearance on guitar from Dave Shankle (ex Manowar). “The Battle Of 1386” features another guest appearance but this time it's on vocals in the shape of John West (Royal Hunt). The song itself starts out sounding like something from the Lord Of The Rings movie soundtrack but morphs into a great heavy, fat and fruity riffathon. The guitar patterns are cleverly arranged and never sound the same on each listen as Staffelbach shifts his start and finish points. Everything about this track is big, bold and almost cinematic in scale. “Into The Black” rides along on a wild wave of galloping drums that feel like the hounds of hell are chasing the band and when guitar and keyboard enter with magnificent solo’s you’d be right in thinking that the intensity is ratcheted up a further few notches. Right at the end of the song Carsten sing a vocal line that kicks proverbial metal ass and if he reads this review all I can say is “Carsten, I salute you”. “Return Of The Pharaoh” (pt’2) is the albums second instrumental and it’s a gorgeous combination of Brian May meets Michael Schenker, short but very sweet and very effective. Following next is “Keys To Avalon”, perhaps the only track on the album that sounds a bit workmanlike. The verses feel a little ordinary and don’t stand out from the rest of the arrangement. Saying that the instrumental breaks are full of bite and imagination and save the song from wandering into oblivion. “Stampede” on the other hand is aptly named as it is literally heads down and doesn't come up for air until the end. The solo is a series of superbly structured neo-classical progressions that dazzle and leave the listener breathless. It has everything you could want from this genre. “Towards The Light” opens with swathes of moody keyboard before Staffelbach enters with some wonderfully melodic tapped arpeggios. He then continues to sweep pick his guitar into oblivion before bringing in some dark and tense guitar riffs. What then ensues is a neo-classical guitar extravaganza of the highest order. What a storming way to finish the album except the album still hasn’t quite finished...... Leave the CD playing and you will find the band have supplied a hidden track in the shape of, aptly given a lot of this review, an Yngwie Malmsteen cover. I’m not going to spoil things for prospective buyers by naming the track but what I can say is that rather than play Yngwie's solo’s note for note Staffelbach gives his own interpretation, and it’s a fine one at that. “Angel Of Eden” took this reviewer by surprise by providing music that has been a little bit neglected recently. Lots of players and bands play classical licks in their music but it’s been a long time since something came along that really captured the spirit of albums like “Trilogy” or “Rising Force”. Angel Of Eden” have done just that and yet also added their own metal flavour to the mix. Overall it’s certainly an entertaining album, and one that will please a lot of metal heads out there. Rating - 7.8/10 Review Al Hey >>> taken from www.dangerdog.com Angel Of Eden is the new project by Artension guitarist Roger Staffelbach. This is a powerful album of heavy metal music that dovetails Staffelbach's neo-classical guitar slinging with forceful power metal. Originally released in Japan in 2007, 'The End Of Never' is now available from Lion Music. To accomplish 'The End Of Never,' Mr. Staffelbach recruited some real metal heavyweights including Carsten 'Lizard' Schulz (ex-Domain, now Evidence One) on vocals, keyboard virtuoso Mistheria, bass player Steve di Giorgio (ex-Testament), and drummer Rami Ali (Evidence One). Additionally, there some well-known guests appearing on this work, namely John West (Artension vocalist), guitarist David Shankle (ex-Manowar, now David Shankle Group) and Ferdy Doernberg (Rough Silk, Eden's Curse, Alex Rudi Pell and much more). With such quality talent you should expect some downright impressive metal and that's what you get. The first thing you would expect to hear on 'The End Of Never' is some fantastic shredding by Staffelbach. You are not disappointed one bit. Without doubt, Staffelbach makes Yngwie proud when he rips things up from song to song. This is some of the best neo-classical guitar work I've heard in some time. Check out 'Return of the Pharao, Parts 1 (David Shankle delivers the first solo here) & 2 and you'll hear what I mean. Staffelbach's guitar is only accentuated when he duels with Mistheria on keyboards. As for Carsten Schulz, I'm a big fan. I loved his work with Domain. But expect something a little different here. This is not the 'Lizard' of the same color. His vocals are raw and breathlessly intense, more so than anything found on a Domain or Evidence One work. Significant tracks include 'Angel Of Eden' which has a more traditional neo-classical heavy metal style. The title track displays that merger between neo-classical guitar metal and power metal I mentioned earlier. It cruises along at light speed with Staffelbach commanding eloquence from his guitar and Doernberg offering rather impressive keys. 'The Battle of 1386' (referring to the Hundred Years war I'm guessing) features John West on vocals. This song is epic in scope bringing the full measure of talent of every musician. 'Stampede' lives up to its name: this is tour-de-force metal. This could be the best song on the album; it certainly has the best Staffelbach guitar work. He's simply on fire throughout. Much of the same could be said for the instrumental number 'Towards The Light.' Listening to Staffelbach control his guitar and Mistheria provide extravagant keyboards, makes me remember why I'm a fan of metal. This is astounding stuff! If you dig heavy metal with a neo-classical bent especially in guitar technique, then you cannot pass over Roger Staffelbach's Angel Of Eden. It is loaded with soaring guitar work. The arrangements are creative, the musicianship top shelf. This is a terrific album. Highly recommended! Rate : 4.75/5.0 >>> taken from www.metal-only.com Roger Staffelbach is usually found in ARTENSION, but not when he is in a neoclassical mode. For those whims he has ANGEL OF EDEN. Together with members from EVIDENCE ONE and BRUCE DICKINSON he gets his way with his classical ambitions. Apart from the enlisted there are also guests like Steve DiGeorgio (ex SADUS, TESTAMENT), John West (ex ROYAL HUNT) and David Shankle (MANOWAR). From the opening title track onwards things are fast and with precision in the sign of the classical style. Just like back in the days when YNGWIE MALMSTEEN still reigned. The choruses are as on the spot, Carsten Schulz (EVIDENCE ONE) is a splendid vocalist and BRUCE DICKINSON’S keyboard player Mistheria is hard to replace. The instrumental “Return of the Pharaoh (pt1)” is every instrumentally obsessed hard rockers wet dream. “The Battle of 1386” is neoclassical pomp metal. It is right on the spot and doesn’t feel constructed, and the thin line between great and farce is not always found by all in this genre. Roger’s solos feel inspired and the mix of super guitarist and magical keyboardist has attracted since the early days of DEEP PURPLE. I get the same feeling as on YNGWIE`S early albums, when it was palpable how much all good musicians enjoyed themselves. And how long a neck does Roger’s guitar have? In “Towards the Light” it seems he has a never ending array of notes to play. As if they wanted to prove me right in my comparisons with Mr. MALMSTEEN the album ends with a hidden track, a cover of “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget”. Do I need to say that this is a masterpiece? Review Miggo >>> taken from www.digital-steel.com No, Angel of Eden is not the latest offspring of our Digital Steeler ‘After Eden’, but the latest offspring of Swiss guitar guru Roger Staffelbach, guitarist of Artension! He has chosen to start his own band and compose (not write) songs in his own vision. That vision is neo-classically influenced power- and heavy metal. Being the producer of this ‘debut’ The End Of Never he sets and determines his course and he does it very well. He has a strong metal army which sets sail along with him with guest performances of John West, David Shankle, Steve Di Georgio and Ferdy Doernberg. The basis however is formed by Roger himself and the great metal vocals of Carsten Schulz and powerful double bass of Rami Ali (both Evidence One). On keyboards the wizard Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson). The basis of the album is fast powermetal and heavy metal with lots of classical intros and music lines and it starts full throttle with The End Of Never and Dreamchaser, two melodic powermetal songs. Into the Black is also qualified the same. Just listen to the last scream of Carsten Schulz on that song, I thought I heard David Coverdale on 1987! The battle of 1386 sounds basically like a Metallica riff from the ‘80’s with raw guitar riff, but the refrains are more melodic. Heavy metal based Keys to Avalon shows a different influence. Directly followed by the power metal Stampede. It even sounds like the track title! In every song the instruments are balanced and the production suspects a tiny bit experience. No guitars to the front and keyboards to the back, but everybody gets his time in the spotlights. Of course the virtuous guitar master gives a full volley of solos during The End Of Never and sometimes it’s a bit overkill. A lot of solos make it a bit difficult to create songs with strong own characters I guess. I seem to have been blessed by the metal gods with the Japanese version which ends with the good cover of Yngwie Malmsteen: You don’t remember, I’ll never forget. Nice song, nice cover. It ends a promising debut of an experienced band! Review By Kojak Rate : 83/100 >>> taken from www.rockheavyloud.com Unquestionably one of today’s greatest guitarists, Roger Staffelbach is the guitar wizard from American Artension. Unfortunately his main band hasn’t released a new recording since 2004 and it’s with great anxiety that I received this extremely promising promo, with a luxury lineup. With Artension themselves a band with musicians of undeniable talent, Staffelbach couldnt’s settle for less and Angel Of Eden owes nothing to anyone in terms of cast, with virtuoso Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson) at the keys, Rami Ali (Evidence One) as the drummer, Steve Di Giorgio (Artension, Sadus, Sebastian Bach & Friends, ex-Testament) in the bass, and an always stellar Carsten “Lizard” Schulz (Evidence One, Code Of Perfection, ex-Domain). As if this wasn’t enough, we still have as guests David Shankle (DSG, ex-Manowar), yet another of the great “unknown” guitar masters of today, Ferdy Doernberg (Axel Rudi Pell) and consecrated lead singer John West (Artension, Royal Hunt). The names involved leave no space for us to expect something less than sublime at the instrumental level, and that is what we get in this veritable pearl of vigorous and speedy neoclassical metal. Leads are as energetic as melodic and solos shine with their capacity to impress, both the guitar ones and the keyboard ones, but if the neoclassic side is the focal point, progressive elements abound, particularly in Rami’s sumptuous and diversified drumming, while on moments such as “The Battle Of 1386” we enter more straight ahead Heavy-Metal territories, contributing to a great variety between songs and numerous moments of brilliancy by all those involved. The highlights are the instrumentals “Return Of The Pharaoh Part I and II” and “Towards The Light” closing up the album, any of these two a true lesson of how an instrumental should be, exciting and enticing, without never less than impressive or ever boring. The only problem may lay, curiously, with Schulz’s vocal lines. Let there be no doubt he’s a magnificent lead singer and his performance is nothing short of superb, showing all the range of his voice, but I’m used to a much more melodic and less screaming Carsten, although his vocal might impresses. During the album’s final part, with “Keys To Avalon”, “Stampede” and Malmsteen’s cover “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget”, Schulz sounds more in his own territory and offers us all his brilliancy with the already characteristic choirs accompanying him. John West also does a great job in the dark and heavy “The Battle Of 1386”, in what I’m concerned, the most outstanding non-instrumental track of the album. “The End Of Never” is a grand neoclassical Metal album, somewhere between Malmsteen’s neoclassic and Masterplan’s vigorous melody, making it a very rewarding purchase to all the genre’s fans. One of its great virtues is that while so many highly skilled musicians take part in this effort and splendorous demonstrations of skill abound, songs are never cold and soulless, actually grabbing your attention and always sounding full of emotion. The other virtue is that it gets better and better with each listen, with its musical wealth progressively revealing itself, and a most beautiful graphical presentation as the cherry on top of the cake. Thank you to Lion Music for the review sample used in this review. Review By Marco Trigo Rate : 8,5/10 >>> taken from www.themayfairmallzine.com Whenever the name of Carsten 'Lizard' Schulz is connected to a project you know we at the Mayfair Mall will sit up a take notice, and when we heard he was getting together with Roger Staffelbach for his Angel Of Eden project the interest rapidly increased. Add in to the mix Carsten’s powerhouse drummer from Evidence One Rami Ali and the incredible keyboard skills of Mistheria, then your really talking star quality, and that's exactly what Staffelbach was hoping to achieve with this his new band. It's been 10 years in coming but finally he's got a band of his own in the form of 'Angel Of Eden', and what a band! This mix of melodic power metal with neoclassical elements all go to make for one hell of an album. Right from the opener and title track 'The End Of Never', the album unleashes not only Schulz's fine vocals, but also the thunderous drum skills of Ali against Staffelbach’s trademark guitar sound and the almost spellbinding keyboards. This monster is some of Schulz’s heaviest material to date, but the power of the vocals are equal to the metal onslaught. The album continues with ‘Dreamchaser’ a track that is not as savage an attack as the opener but is equally as impressive, from the atmospheric opening which makes way for Staffelbach to shred like a demon and the rhythm section which all go to make this another full on metal delight. 'Angel Of Eden' is next and the pace is brought down just a touch on this one. Again the guitar work of Staffelbach is superb and with Schulz you know you're going to get a vocal performance that is second to none. The first part of the ‘Return Of The Pharaoh Pt. I’ just lifts the album to another level of excellence. This track epitomizes the whole Power Metal genre with its epic style and flamboyant riffs laid down by Steffelbach, backed by a hard core rhythm section and keyboards that lay waste to this instrumental masterpiece. 'The Battle Of 1386' finds Schulz taking a back seat on the vocal front as none other than the mighty John West takes up the mike for this particular song. A song so real you can almost smell the gunpowder on this very atmospheric piece. Schulz returns to the fold with another powerful performance on ‘Into The Black’. This song features more thunderous drums courtesy of Ali with both Staffelbach and Misteria running riot with the solos throughout this one. Then it's back to the instrumentals with ‘Return Of The Pharaoh Pt. II’, with Staffelbach once again showing off his exquisite skills with the six string. Next it's back to some more melodic metal with one of my favourite tracks ‘Keys To Avalon’, where Schulz leads the way for Staffelbach and the rest of the band to ignite the speakers with this all round excellent band performance. 'Stampede' is just that, it's like a herd of charging pachyderms. The drums of Ali pounding out the beat as Staffelbach and Misteria burn up the keys and fret boards, leaving only Schulz to fill the gaps with his sheer powerful vocals. The album finishes with the final of the three instrumentals ‘Towards The Light’, which again shows off Staffelbach’s superb fretwork and rounds off this breathtaking debut to true style. This is just what Staffelback's fans have been waiting for and is a release that is sure to win over a whole new set of fans of this guitarist with magical fingers and a passion for his music. As someone with a liking for good, strong power metal with lots of melody and textures this release has left me wanting more and I'm sure you'll feel the same when you hear it too. >>> taken from www.metal-archives.com Power Metal can be a very touchy genre. When it's executed properly (eg Manowar, Sonata Arctica, Jag Panzer) it totally owns, and when it's done poorly it just stinks really hard. Most power metal walks a very fine line somewhere between awesome triumphantness and terrible cheesiness, and epic imagery and po-faced pretentiousness. Luckily, Angel of Eden approach the whole power metal thing from a very laid back, down to earth angle, and as a result this is a very enjoyable album. Indeed, this album is really good to listen too. It's sweet enough to make your eyes roll back in your head but it's more addictive then crack, and it will keep you coming back. 'Return of the Pharoah Pt.1' is a great example on how to do excellent power metal instrumentals- it's just really epic and even quite atmospheric in its' delivery, with some excellent solos. Solos abound in this album- there's plenty of keyboard and guitar shredding for everyone- and while it's the usual neo classical shredding style it's still melodic and intensely enjoyable. The keys are an excellent feature of this album- there's the usual synths in the background, but often the keys take a much more active role and it's a great thing. Personally, I think the instruments dominate throughout the album, from the aforementioned 'Return' to the excellent shredfest that is 'You don't Remember...' (is that a Yngwie cover? It sounds like one) to the more straightforward power riffing that's 'Into the Black', and even the sickeningly sweet melody of 'Keys to Avalon' sounds great. While most power metal reviewers would concentrate on the guitars and keys (which is valid, as they're really excellent), the drums need a definite mention, as there's lots of surprising, unconventional beats here and there, and instead of the usual faceless power metal drumming there's plenty of personality within the beats, which is always a good thing. Of course, one make or break thing in Power Metal is the vocals. Blind Guardian's 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth' is a good example of terrible vocals ruining an album, and the genre is littered with bands that are ruined by terrible vocalists. Luckily for us Carsten Schulz can deliver the vox with a lot of power and authority. He may only be like 4 feet tall but damn, this guy has a great voice. It's powerful and epic, but not too high pitched, it's emotional without way too much vibrato, and he's one of those rare vocalists who can overdub their singing without sounding really freaking cheesy. His performance is excellent in most songs, particularly in the epic 'Battle of 1386' and perhaps the title track. It's funny, as I put this album on while I wrote this, the review just got more and more positive as it went on- this album is definitely a grower, no doubt. If there were any criticisms it would be that some of the lyrics are really cheesy, but that's basically about it. This is high quality stuff, and while the vocals might seem a bit cliched and the guitars a bit wanky at first glance, more listens reveal that this is just a really good album, with plenty of epicness but still lots of huge rocking out sections. (originally written for metal-observer.com) Excellent Power metal - 82% Written by caspian on November 15th, 2007 >>> taken from www.guitar9.com Angel Of Eden is Artension guitarist Roger Staffelbach's new band project. Having recorded seven albums with the prog metallers Artension, Roger has formed his own band in his own vision with the focus on top quality metal with neo-classical influences. The result is The End Of Never - ten tracks of melodic harmonies, neo-classical lead work, potent riffs and grinding heavy metal rhythms all wrapped in a powerful production with superb artwork. Fuelled by Roger's virtuoso guitar work, the melodic soaring vocals of Carsten "Lizard" Schulz [Evidence One, ex-Domain], keyboard wizardry of Mistheria [solo, Bruce Dickinson] and, the powerhouse drumming of Rami Ali [Evidence One], The End Of Never is a first class album from some of metal's most respected names offering lush vocal melodies, pulsating rhythms and virtuoso lead breaks within captivating songs. The album is also home to several notable guest performances in the guise of bassist Steve Di Giorgio [ex-Testament] John West [ex-Royal Hunt], David Shankle [ex-Manowar] and Ferdy Doernberg [Axel Rudi Pell]. >>> taken from www.getreadytorock.com This new band is formed around former Artension guitarist Roger Staffelbach and he is joined by Carsten Schulz of Evidence One on vocals, along with fellow Evidence One band member Rami Ali on drums and the keyboard wizard Mistheria. It is very heavy neo-classical metal – not unlike Yngwie Malmsteen (whose ‘You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget’ is a hidden bonus track on here and it is a corker!) or even Dio-era Rainbow in the musical arrangements. There are three instrumentals on here of which ‘Return of the Pharaoh Part 1’ features ex-Manowar guitarist Dave Shankle and to be honest I skip this track as it is a little too slef0indulgent guitar soloing for my tastes. But the second part of this piece is much more melody driven and ‘Towards The Light’ is simply immense with its swirling keys, grandiose guitars - pomp rock lives! Carsten Schulz suits the songs down to a tee as they require a forceful set of vocals to meld with the heavy drums and guitar riffs that can be found on ‘The End Of Never’ and the title track. Former Artension and Royal Hunt vocalist John West takes lead vocals on ‘The Battle Of 1386’, a big, bold number with layers of harmonies and a strong vocal from John West as you would expect. Hopefully this will be the first of many albums from this new band as they really have laid a solid foundation with their debut album. I was never a fan of Staffelbach’s previous band Artension finding them to technical and not song driven enough but with Angel Of Eden he has really surpassed himself. Jason Ritchie >>> taken from www.rockreport.be The main man behind Angel Of Eden is nobody else than guitarist Roger Staffelbach, who has recorded no less than seven albums with Artension so far. The fact that we haven’t ‘seen’ a new album from this neo-classical metal band since 2005’s “Future World” gave Staffelbach heaps of time to write and record a solo album under the monicker of Roger Staffelbach’s Angel Of Eden. The result, called “The End Of Never”, was first released by Marquee/Avalon in Japan last July and is now also available through Lion Music in Europe. The album counts ten tracks that could be described as a catchy mix of neo-classical and power metal. Much attention was given to the quality of the songs, the harmonies, the (guitar and keyboard) riffs, the production and the artwork. If you add up all these elements, you can’t conclude anything else than the fact that this is quite an impressive release. Leaving nothing to chance, Staffelbach asked the best possible musicians to join in and he could count on illuminaries such as vocalist Carsten Schulz (ex-Domain, now Evidence One), bass player Steve di Giorgio (ex-Testament), drummer Rami Ali (Evidence One) and keyboardist Mistheria (solo). Add to that the contributions from another three well-respected guest musicians and you can believe me when I dare to claim that this has all resulted in one helluva powerful release, full of soaring vocals, heavy riffing and keyboard wizardry. Compared with the body of work from Artension, this solo material from Roger Staffelbach is certainly a lot more accessible and that really pleases me. I’m sure many of you will share my excitement. (CL) >>> taken from www.stormbringer.at Roger Staffelbach, seines Zeichens Gitarrist bei ARTENSION, verspürte in jüngster Zeit offenbar Lust auf seine Wurzeln. Die Zeichen sollten endlich wieder auf Neoklassik stehen, und so lud er ein paar Leutchen ins Studio und bastelte unter dem Banner ANGEL OF EDEN an einem Album, das vor Energie und Spaß am Metal nur so sprüht. Gemeinsam mit Sänger Carsten Schulz (DOMAIN, EVIDENCE ONE), Keyboarder Mistheria (MISTHERIA, BRUCE DICKINSON) und Drumer Rami Ali (EVIDENCE ONE) und einer ganzen Riege von Gaststars (namentlich David Shankle, John West, Steve DiGiorgio und Ferdy Doernberg) entstand mit "The End Of Never" ein Album, das punktgenau in die Schnittmenge aus SYMPHONY X, RAINBOW und YNGWIE MALMSTEEN passt. Neoclassic Läufe wohin man blickt, geniale Keyboard vs. Gitarren Duelle an allen Ecken und Enden und dazu die kräftige Stimme von Carsten Schulz, die zu dieser Musik passt, wie der berühmte Deckel auf den Einkochtopf. Man ahnt es schon: Roger Staffelbach räumt die Innovationspreise vielleicht nicht serienweise ab, doch wozu soll er auch ein Genre neu erfinden, das in letzter Zeit viel zu oft in den Dornröschenschlaf gefallen ist. Mit ANGEL OF EDEN weckt er es auf und verleiht ihm neues Leben. Man merkt, daß diese Band genau die Musik macht, die sie selbst wirklich spielen will. Viel besser kann man das nicht machen! Das Tüpfelchen auf dem "i", das "The End Of Never" zu dem ultimative Hörgenuss macht, der es geworden ist, ist die subere Produktion. Unheimlich fett, aber immer noch glaubwürdig. Nicht so gnadenlos totproduziert, wie es speziell beim Neoklassischen Powermetal leider üblich geworden ist. Lebendig und leicht kratzig - so muß der Metal klingen, dann tanzt auch der Nachbar. Richtige Lautstärke natürlich vorausgesetzt, die passiert aber bei spätestens beim Song "Angel Of Eden" automatisch. Wertung: 4.5 von 5.0 Autor: adl (14. November 2007) >>> taken from www.transitmag.ch Roger Staffelbach est suisse et si son nom ne vous dit rien, il y a de fortes chances pour que vous connaissiez le groupe dans lequel il se produit depuis une dizaine d’années. En effet, Roger est le guitariste talentueux d'Artension, le groupe de John West et de Vitalij Kuprij, le claviériste ukrainien. Révélé par Mike Varney de Shrapnel, le groupe a sorti jusqu’à aujourd’hui sept albums et il était donc temps pour son guitariste de voir autre chose. Faisant partie de l’école malmsteenienne, mister Staffelbach est un surdoué de la six cordes et sa dextérité n’a d’égal que la vitesse à laquelle il descend le manche. Pour l’occasion, il s’est adjoint les services de musiciens patentés, le claviériste italien Mistheria (auteur d’un album solo en 2004), le chanteur Carsten Lizard Schultz (Mr Hate, Sanvoisen, Domain, Evidence One) et le batteur Rami Ali (Big Apple, Frontline, Evidence One). Que du beau monde et avec un bagage technique impressionnant. Car la musique d’Angel Of Eden ne se démarque pas tant que ça de celle d’Artension, sinon qu’elle met plus l’accent sur les mélodies et moins sur le progressif. Mais cela reste très technique et de très haut niveau. Le speed metal néoclassique pratiqué ici fait donc référence aux meilleurs moments du grand Yngwie et les talents de compositeur de Roger et la voix chaude de Carsten font de cet album une réussite de premier plan. À noter la présence de John West, de David Shankle (DSG) et de Ferdy Dörnberg (Axel Rudi Pell). La production est en tout point parfaite, le son est géant, les mélodies superbes. Que demander de plus, sinon que ce projet perdure longtemps. Coup de chapeau ! Jean-Charles Fellay >>> taken from www.auxportesdumetal.com Roger Staffelbach, guitariste d'Artension, nous propose ici un nouvel album issu d'une nouvelle formation. Voici donc venir le premier album de Angel of Eden. Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas Roger Staffelbach, c'est un guitariste plutôt doué qui se délecte des rythmes rapides et des soli endiablés. Tout cela est de fort bonne augure pour cet album de Power Metal dont je vous livre ici mes impressions. Tout commence par "The End of Never" qui a la lourde tâche de porter le nom de l'album. Prenons-cela comme une vitrine. Pas de doute, c'est bien du power métal : on ne perd pas de temps, on rentre tout de suite dans le feu de l'action. La batterie fait la course avec la guitare sur des couplets basiques mais efficaces. Ces deux là doivent être sacrément musclés. Le refrain n'a rien d'exceptionnel non plus, mais le tout est assez bien ficelé. On a le droit à quelques démonstrations techniques du talent de Staffelbach aux prises avec un solo dont le clavier se fait l'écho. Du grand classique, une bonne entrée en matière en somme. La voix de Carsten Lizard Schulz est parfaitement accordée au style musical : claire et puissante, elle est sans conteste l'un des points forts de cet album. Vient ensuite "Dreamchaser" qui alterne des rythmiques plus posées (comprenez que pendant que la guitare fait "tagadagadagada" la batterie ne fait qu'un seul "boum") et des longs passages rapides (autant de "boum" que de "tagada"). Un bon petit refrain par là-dessous en font un morceau intéressant, mais tout aussi classique. "Angel of Eden" est un titre qui porte pour sa part le nom du groupe. Très bon refrain ici encore mais l'on commence à se demander si l'album entier ne sera qu'une succession de titres rappelant tantot Lost Horizon, tantot très fortement Silent Force sur les riffs..... Mais la piste 4 apporte enfin un air de renouveau salvateur. "Return of the Pharaoh Pt. 1" est une piste intrumentale de 5:43 que Staffelbach utilise pour nous prouver une nouvelle fois son talent, mais cette fois sans en faire trop. Porté par des arpèges mélodiques et une batterie mid-tempo, on peut sentir le vent des sables nous fouetter le visage tandis que l'on aperçoit au loin le vieux Pharaon victorieux marcher posément pour regagner sa ville et son trône. Les passages plus rapides et plus agressifs semblent nous décrire sa folle jeunesse, lorsque sa puissance n'avait d'égale que sa folie qui l'a conduit à l'exile. Ces deux ambiances se succèdent et s'emboitent comme pour nous montrer une alternance de flashbacks et de présent à la gloire du roi Egyptien. L'ambiance dégagée par cette piste est quasiment palpable et c'est à mon sens LA bonne surprise de l'album. "Battle of 1386" est une marche qui commence sur de bonnes bases mais qui s'essoufle rapidement. "Into the Black" n'apporte rien de plus. "Return of the Pharaoh Pt. 2" dure moins de deux minutes : elle commence par des violons puis laisse place à la guitare et au clavier. On se demande pourquoi ils ont coupé le titre en deux parties, mais c'est la mode. "Keys to Avalon" est l'une des pistes les plus lentes de l'album, et le refrain y est particulièrement réussi. "Towards the light" est encore une piste instrumentale dédiée à la technicité de la guitare. Finalement, Angel of Eden nous livre avec "The End of Never" un premier album efficace, à la production très soignée et agréable à écouter. Les musiciens sont doués et le prouvent (peut être un peu trop à la guitare). On ne peut cependant pas leur reprocher d'essayer d'élever le genre sommes toutes assez basique du Power Metal à quelque chose de plus recherché. A part une ou deux pistes, l'ensemble reste malgré tout classique et les amateurs y trouveront leur compte. Note 16/20 >>> taken from www.spirit-of-metal.com Cet "End of Never", première offrande du projet solo de Roger Staffelbach, le guitariste virtuose du groupe Métal Prog US Artension, profite d’entrée de plusieurs éléments intrinsèques assurant la qualité du résultat final. Tout d’abord, le line up dont s’est entouré notre gratteux suisse « phénomène » est une vraie Dream Team internationale. L’allemand Ali Rami (Evidence One, Justice) est derrière les futs, son compatriote Carsten « Lizard » Schulz (Evidence One, Domain, Code of Perfection) assure les vocalises, l’italien Giuseppe « Maestro Mistheria » Lampieri (Bruce Dickinson) délivre ses lignes organiques magiques ; la 4 cordes étant tenue par le ricain Steve Digiorgio (Testament, Iced Earth, Wintersorg). Du beau monde, de l’expérience et du talent, ceci renforcé par des guests apportant une réelle contribution à l’édifice et que l’on détaillera plus après. Un patchwork donc, qui profit en parallèle d’un son énorme, sur-mesure et emphatique ou chaque piste est puissante et claire. Un savant dosage sonore ou chaque instrument est nettement audible et appréciable. Contrairement à bon nombre de prod actuelles ou à force de vouloir mettre en avant tel aspect (style la voie féminine sur le Métal sympho/gothique) on étouffe le reste. En outre, le puzzle de l’édifice profite d’un liant exceptionnel : le talent de composition de Roger. Du grand art tout simplement que ce soit sur des tempos speed ou middle, des plages aériennes, évanescentes ou plus dévastatrices ; tout est ciselé. Pour preuve d’une part les soli guitaristiques de haute volée (Dreamchaser par exemple) ou la symbiose parfaite entre 6 cordes et clavier (Return of the pharao) : La perfection. L’ensemble est ainsi un speed Métal néo-classique/Power aux compos traditionnelles, fluides harmoniques et grandioses, voir épique « The Battle of 1386 ». Une galette diversifiée, équilibrée ne souffrant d’aucuns titres plus faibles. Ainsi, si le « The End of Never » initial est une rampe de lancement, ravageuse, le « Dreamchaser » le suivant est une « pure tuerie » : la double de Rami fracasse, l’osmose guitare/claviers est sublime et les soli de haute volée, les vocalises de « Lizard » sur mesure et le refrain incisif s’ancre en vous inexorablement. Suit un « Angel of Eden » mélodique au tempo plus lent annonçant la première partie de la doublette instrumentale du « Return of the Pharaoh » particulièrement réussi. « The battle of 1386 », est le titre « cassure » de l’album. Au milieu de son offrande en effet, le divin Roger nous assène un morceau phénoménal, jubilatoire ; en référence à la bataille du Sempach contre l’empire des Habsbourg et fédératrice de la confédération helvétique. Une facette martiale, de gros riffs hachés, une progression épique justement mise en valeur par le chant de la guest « John West », un pur raffinement. Après ce break dans la Tracklist, suivrons des « Into the Black » ou « Stampede » bien speed ; un « Keys To Avalon » au middle tempo groovy et un « Towards The Light » plus évanescent confortant le point fort du combo : la duplicité entre Roger et « Lizard ». En clôture de l’opus, l’hommage au maître Malmsteen n’est pas une surprise tant les influences de celui-ci sont présentes et sous-jacentes. Le « You Don't Remember (I'll Never Forget) » ainsi délivré au chant similaire à l’original de « Mark Boals », est tout simplement divin. Les guests, en parallèle se font plaisir ; que ce soit Ferdy Doernberg (guitariste germano-anglais, Uli Jon Roth, Axel Rudi Pell) ou David Shankle (guitariste US, Manowar) à l’instar de son solo sur « Return Of The Pharaoh » et apportent les petites touches d’excellence. En conclusion, car je m’étends à n’en plus finir (et ayant presque pour une fois pondu une chronique au titre par titre !!!), je ferais très concis : Une P----- de Sacrée première galette !!! 17/20 METALPSYCHOKILLER >>> taken from www.underground-empire.com Die Namen Roger Staffelbach (Gitarre, ARTENSION), Carsten Schulz (Gesang, EVIDENCE ONE), Rami Ali (Drums; EVIDENCE ONE), Mistheria (Keyboards, wo immer man einen Tastenhexer braucht) und Steve DiGiorgio (Baß, immer und überall, das aber mit Begeisterung und ungemein genial) sollten hinlänglich bekannt sein und für Entzücken bei der Zielgruppe sorgen, denn fortan darf jenen Musikern auch unter dem Banner ANGEL OF EDEN gehuldigt werden (womit sich die Besetzungsliste von Rogers Projekt gegenüber der ersten Ankündigung, die wir in den News an Euch weitergeleitet hatten, geringfügig geändert hat - sg.) Auch wenn die Anhäufung von bekannten Musikern mittlerweile Usus geworden ist und mitunter kaum noch wirkliches Interesse innerhalb der Szene dadurch entsteht, bestätigen auch in diesem Zusammenhang die Ausnahmen die Regel. ANGEL OF EDEN wissen nämlich, unabhängig vom Bekanntheitsgrad der Musiker selbst, durch imposante Kompositionen zu beeindrucken und das über die gesamte Spielzeit von »The End Of Never«. Zudem haben sich diese "Engel" auch einige Gäste eingeladen, um ihr erstes Album zu vervollständigen. Neben David Shankle an der Gitarre durfte auch noch Rogers langjähriger ARTENSION-Partner John West ans Mikro und Ferdy Doernberg scheint ohnehin so etwas wie das deutsche Pendant zu Mistheria zu sein, weshalb dieser gute Mann natürlich auch hier nicht fehlen darf. Mastermind ist allerdings Roger, dessen immens vielschichtiges Gitarrenspiel das Album prägt und den musikalischen Vortrag von ANGEL OF EDEN ganz klar bestimmt. Irgendwo im Grenzbereich zwischen melodiösem, kraftvollen Heavy Metal mit Schlagseite zu traditioneller Hard Rock-Ausführung, neoklassizistisch intoniertem Material und Progressive Metal lassen uns die Herrschaften ihre Songs zu Gehör kommen und das nicht nur auf spieltechnische Hohem Niveau, sondern auch kompositorisch brillant. An den Instrumenten ohnehin über jeden Zweifel erhaben, gesangstechnisch logischerweise ebenso und auch hinsichtlich der Produktion ohne weitere Kritikpunkte aufkommen zu lassen, haben ANGEL OF EDEN ein sattes Werk abgeliefert, auf dem sie es mitunter sogar richtig krachen lassen. Allerdings kontrapunktieren die Herrschaften ihre Kompositionen durch sehr feinfühlige und sphärische Passagen, was nicht nur für Abwechslung sorgt, sondern den Zuhörer wahrlich auf eine musikalische Reise in den Garten Eden einlädt. Aufgrund der Fülle an perfekten Einzelmusikern, die hier involviert sind, darf man sich auch nicht wundern, daß Soli im Überfluß vorhanden sind. Diese sind jedoch immerzu im Konsens des jeweiligen Tracks vorhanden und lassen uns wissen, daß der Song im Vordergrund steht. Sehr positiv fällt auch der Auftritt von Carsten Schulz auf. Der gute Mann weiß im Regelfall eher straightes, hart rockendes Material und groovigen Melodic Metal perfekt zu singen, doch Carsten weiß auch, mit bislang für ihn eher unüblichen Klängen zu imponieren und vervollständigt den bravourösen Einstand der illustren Truppe auf »The End Of Never«. Seine Sangesleistung paßt nämlich perfekt zum harmonischen, aber dennoch latent heftigen Auftritt von ANGEL OF EDEN, einem Projekt (?), das hoffentlich nicht zu einer einmaligen Angelegenheit verkommen wird. >>> taken from fenixwebzine.blogspot.com Este é o novo projecto de Roger Staffelbach, guitarrista dos Artension. Nesta nova aventura juntam-se a Roger o vocalista Carsten “Lizard” Schulz (Evidence One, ex-Domain), o teclista Mistheria (solo, Bruce Dickinson) e o baterista Rami Ali (Evidence One). Além da banda principal, o álbum conta com a participação de Steve DiGiorgio (ex-Testament, ex-Death, ex-Iced Earth, etc) que gravou todas as partes de baixo, John West (ex-Royal Hunt), David Shankle (David Shankle Group, ex-Manowar) e Ferdy Doernberg (Axel Rudi Pell). Em “The End Of Never” são apresentados 10 temas (mais 1 faixa bónus, uma fantástica versão de “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget” de Yngwie Malmsteen) de Metal Neoclássico. Riffs e solos de guitarra fantásticos, secção rítmica poderosíssima, vocalizações soberbas, é isto que este Anjo Do Éden nos oferece em pouco mais de 51 minutos. À típica sonoridade Heavy Neoclássico adicionam ainda algum do poder e velocidade do Power Metal Europeu assim como melodias e coros saídos dos 80s (tanto do Heavy como do típico Rock oitentista e até mesmo de musicais). Há já muito tempo que não ouvia um disco de Heavy / Power / Neoclássico que me fizesse vibrar tanto quanto este. Já o ouvi 3 vezes e não o pretendo retirar de perto do leitor tão cedo! Uma boa aposta para fãs de nomes como Artension, Yngwie Malmsteen, Royal Hunt, Survivor, Gamma Ray, Helloween, Symphony X, Virgin Steele, At Vance, Edguy, Kamelot, Epica, etc. 95%