ALBUM REVIEW: Set The Dark On Fire – Edenbridge

January 15, 2026 Charlotte Griffiths

Austrian melodic metal outfit, EDENBRIDGE, are back with their twelfth record, Set The Dark On Fire. This release not only marks their return to Steamhammer/SPV but their heaviest sound to date; exploring new soundscapes without straying too far from their trademark style of blending gnarly riffs with melodic orchestral compositions. A way to view this album is as a dramatic rock opera to be performed on a Broadway stage, given it’s larger than life production and exploration of stories and themes relating to life and natural forces of the earth.

Setting the tone immediately as high energy is opening track, The Ghostship Diaries, that kicks off with rock riffs accompanied by violins, giving it a dramatic, yet mystical, edge. This is amplified further when we hear the vocals of frontwoman, Sabine Edelsbacher, that not only brings in the theatrical elements that ties the entire record nicely together but also captures the spirit of early 00s nu-metal that would typically pair gnarly hard rock riffs with orchestral instruments, resulting in something awe-inspiring and powerful. A perfect example that we can hear now.

This style of rock opera carries into the following track, Cosmic Embrace, only now we hear electronic synths that set up a type of sci-fi scene, yet despite the shift in sound you shouldn’t for a second think that EDENBRIDGE are about to move on from the already established operatic elements. And then before we can get too settled, we now move into a Medieval-folk scene during Where The Wild Things Are, more specifically a scene with a tavern where a group of people are celebrating, given the feel-good nature of the Celtic instruments heard, which also includes a little dance break and moments that you feel directed to sing along to.

Each song pieces together part of a longer story, with each song equally set apart with a unique style or emotion captured. One moment we’re experiencing something of pure heavy rock variety, as heard in Our Place Among The Stars and Lighthouse; the next we’re experiencing something slower and, potentially, emotional as heard on Divine Dawn Reveal, where we hear a return to Celtic instrumentals, and Bonded By Light, a piano heavy track that feels very reminiscent of a James Bond theme song.

But perhaps the most interesting part of the record is the final song that’s split into four parts; Spark Of The Everflame, that, for EDENBRIDGE, shows off the entire spectrum of their musical variety. The first part, Let Time Begin, blends orchestral elements with rock, uplifting in sound until we’re suddenly cut off by metal riffs when we enter part two, The Winding Road To Evermore. Yet before we can get too pent up, we then move smoothly into part three, Per Aspera Ad Astra, a purely instrumental track that focuses solely on orchestral and opera compositions, before finally concluding in the final part, Where It Ends, Is Where It Starts, where we experience back and forth shifts between acoustic and nu-metal inspired riffs.

A different, yet intriguing, listening experience that will make you appreciate any and all soundscapes that give off a larger than life persona.

Rating: 8/10