The latest album from the veteran Austrian symphonic metal band Edenbridge is Set The Dark On Fire. We caught up with vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher and multi-instrumentalist Lanvall about the new record and other topics.
Chad Bowar: How did your newest member, guitarist Sven Sevens, come to join the band a couple years back?
Lanvall: After Dominik left the band in mutual terms, I spoke to our bassist Steve about who he could imagine as a guitarist and he immediately came up with Sven, with whom he has been playing for years in Crystallion. So our Bavarian bassist basically recommends a guitarist who lives more or less around the corner from us in northern Upper Austria. (laughs) He was immediately interested and the audition was just a formality. Sven is an absolute top guitarist, as some of the solos on the new album impressively document.
Was there anything unique about the songwriting process for Set The Dark On Fire compared to previous albums?
Lanvall: The songwriting process was not different. I am always collecting ideas and when the time is right start to arrange them into the final songs.
What will be your strongest memory of the recording of the album?
Lanvall: As we have the luxury of our own studio, we can record whenever we want. But Sabine unfortunately is a “night owl” and her best takes are normally far beyond midnight. For me as an early bird this is sometimes really heavy (laughs), but in the end it is only the result what matters.
What was the biggest challenge in its creation?
Sabine Edelsbacher: A bad diaphragm spasticity had put me completely out of action. No breathing exercises or manual therapy helped at first. I have my doctor to thank for the fact that I was able to walk upright again and breathe. Singing was out of the question. SIBO – i.e. a small intestinal colonization with fructose intolerance was the bad news and that before Christmas. A diet without sugar, no fruit, no carbohydrates and as a veggie I had question marks about what was even possible, but I also had no choice but to be strict. It was pure stress for me as to whether I could even manage it in the studio. My whole body was undergoing reconstruction and there was a pinch everywhere, preventing me from accessing my potential.
The whole disaster also enabled me to change the way I generally approach different things. Suddenly, during the preparations, I experienced a new level of effortlessness when singing. The result of my continued joy in experimenting was more expression with less impact. But it wasn’t immediately available in the studio. Every day in the studio was initially therapy for me, because the following day I felt physically better and better despite hours of exertion. I had literally “ironed out” my diaphragm through singing. Once I was in the flow with my new effortlessness, like before, I had reached a new level that I really enjoyed.
A lot of the songs would have made good album titles. What led you to choose Set The Dark On Fire?
Lanvall: Thank you this is true. “Set The Dark On Fire” is a really powerful title and defines the common thread throughout the album.
Sabine: We live in a time where collective shadows are becoming visible, and we welcome this with our album. Only what comes to light can be seen, recognized, and consequently changed by everyone. On all our albums, we describe this process of remembering in some way. We metaphorically ask who we are, what our purpose is, and what we truly, truly want. This is what brings deeper connection and, therefore, meaning to our lives. Where more and more people rediscover the fire within themselves and use it constructively, true transformation — from victim consciousness to creator consciousness — is possible.
What lyrical topics do you cover on this one?
Sabine: On our current album, we explore the dark, or rather, what often lies in the dark, meaning what is hidden. We’re not only concerned with what is traditionally seen as “threatening” or “evil,” but also with the unconscious, including our shadow sides, and above all with our abilities and inner resources. It’s important to us to perceive what is truly happening around us. We’re convinced that constructive change can arise when you observe what’s going on around you without becoming too emotionally entangled in things you cannot directly influence. Only in this way does the mind remain clear and our strength is preserved to grow from within and to make the right decisions individually.
Many people know the feeling of powerlessness. We experience this partly because we are not always aware of our own creative power, i.e. our creativity and creative possibilities. When our inner connection weakens, we feel more easily influenced or discouraged. Conversely, trust arises where people feel safe, and with trust comes the courage to take responsibility for their own lives in order to “enliven” them or to say No. On all of our albums we therefore describe a personal development path, which for us is a central part of collective change. Music that touches and strengthens you emotionally can help you find your own strength and take action where we can actually make a difference. Anyone who knows our previous texts probably knows that we are not advocating an escape to Cloud 9. We’re more interested in how you can keep both feet on the ground and still grow internally. At the same time, we are aware that every person has an individual view of the world, shaped by culture, experiences and their own history. Our texts are often written in metaphors because the poetic sounds nicer and leaves out the raised finger.
Currently, a lot of things that have been running in the background for a long time are just becoming more visible. For us, this feels like a time of clarification. Once again, our texts are not a call for revolution or escalation, but rather we try to describe the process of transformation. For us, the element of fire symbolizes exactly this. It can warm, nourish, destroy, but also transform and renew. The “phoenix from the ashes” process. We have it in our hands to have a constructive influence on the collective with our decisions so that humanity can get through challenging times well and achieve a new energy level on earth.
How has your sound evolved from Shangri-La?
Lanvall: I was writing a lot of low tuned riffs for this album on the 7-string guitar. Our standard tuning is in Bb, so even a half step lower and these riffs had a lot of drive and set the foundation for many of the songs. It is only logical that the overall sound tends to go into a heavier direction then. The important aspect is already rooted in the arrangement process. All of these elements need space and therefore not everything can always happen at once. A fat riff will only seem fat if it isn’t covered up by a number of other instruments. If you want to focus on cinematic orchestral parts, the guitars also have to take a step back.
Our long-time mixing engineer Karl Groom (Threshold) then took our sound to another level. When it comes to mixing, it’s often really a matter of millimeter detail work to determine how a part appears. Since we have been working with 7-strings for more than 15 years, the goal was to force that Dream Theater-like Mesa Boogie rhythm sound in the lower midrange. The bass also has a lot more distortion and this makes the guitars seem heavier. When I work on the mix with Karl, there are no egos involved, it just helps a lot to achieve the best possible result. Just last week Karl wrote to me saying how proud he is to be part of this production and I am proud that we have been a team for 20 years.
What led to your return to Steamhammer Records?
Lanvall: AFM told us at the end of 2024 that they would no longer publish any new productions, but would only maintain their back catalogue. As being part of the Believe digital group and their mother company decided this for economic reasons. Since AFM had already taken the option of another album with us early on and we were in the middle of production, this of course presented us with problems at first. I then immediately contacted Olly Hahn from SPV and a contract offer came within 30 minutes, which impressed me. It took a while, but we finally came to an agreement with SPV (now Steamhammer/OPEN). We have a long-standing partnership, as we were already under contract there from 2013 to 2022 and the collaboration always ran smoothly. Olly is just a great guy and the lines of communication are short, meaning important things are always discussed very quickly, which is something I’ve really liked in the past. Of course, this affects everyone in the OPEN team.
How were the video shoots for “Where The Wild Things Are” and “Cosmic Embrace”?
Sabine: The Irish song “Where The Wild Things are“ is about Gaia, the power of Mother Earth, and the archetype of primal feminine energy, embodied by Aleen (our actress in the video). Represented by passion and untamed power, she is a threat to all routine. She knows no taboos, and her only faith is in the elements with which she feels connected. Thus, Aleen is a part of every person on Earth who can reconnect with this energy of liveness.
“Cosmic Embrace“ is about rediscovering the inner sun. When things are chaotic around us, it’s good to turn inward, to find stillness – symbolized here by the labyrinth – which also represents our heart. From this, we gain access to our inner sun, which connects with the outer sun and ignites our inner fire. We are then inspired to set things in motion or to rise like a phoenix from the ashes.
Lanvall: The shoots were great. We found this awesome locations not far from us here in Austria, which provided the perfect atmosphere for both videos.
How important are videos in the promotion process these days?
Lanvall: As nearly every band has to do 3 clips and digital singles before the album release, very important nowadays. But I love the feeling when we have finished a video clip which we can be proud of, knowing how numerous hour went into the preparation, shooting and post production.
That album promotion process has changed a lot in the band’s 25 plus years. Do you prefer the days when there was more mystery around a release, or do you like today’s social media driven promotion with a lot of transparency and interaction?
Lanvall: I liked the time waiting for an album without the certainty what to await. But those times are unfortunately gone. Social media is extremely important, but it costs so much time and effort not to mention the right balance between essential content and not to overload people day by day just for the sake of posting something.
You have a European tour coming up. With so much material now, how challenging is it to come up with a setlist?
Lanvall: It’s getting harder and harder every time. We will focus on the more recent era of Edenbridge, so we will cover a lot from our new album, but of course will play some classics. The good thing is we did the “25 Years Anniversary Tour” in 2024, where we covered at least one song from each of our albums.
Where haven’t you played live that you’d still like to get to?
Lanvall: My biggest dream of course is Japan. We just signed a direct deal with Japanese major label King Records, so the chances of coming over for shows for sure have not deteriorated with this move.
What are some of your non-musical interests and hobbies?
Lanvall: I am an outdoor guy. I love being in the mountains, be it in summer for hiking and the winter for skiing. This always brings me in balance again. I also do a lot of fitness in the gym and cherish being at the sea. Apart from the active hobbies I am a huge Formula 1 fan since the late ’70s. I had the privilege to attend two races in the paddock due to a friend at the Austrian National TV, so I was at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona 2009 and the British at Silverstone in 2019. A dream coming true twice.
Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?
Lanvall & Sabine: Thanks to the fans for the support and hope to see you on tour! Thanks for the interview.
(interview published January 15, 2026)
Watch Edenbridge – “Where The Wild Things Are” Video
