Not many bands make it to the 25 year mark. Of those that do, not too many will be based on riff driven music or retain their core membership for the duration. These accolades are not lost on German power metal princes Edguy, who meet all three of the aforementioned criteria. Their career has been quite remarkable thus far, not least for the consistent high quality of their discography. Always a group to look forward, they’re still allowing themselves the opportunity to celebrate their past in the form of Monuments, a multi disc collection that spans their career, as well as providing something new for their ever loyal following.
The content that will have most Edguy fans salivating is undoubtedly the six ‘new’ songs composed for inclusion on the record. Lead single “Ravenblack” kicks things off, with a typically memorable, mid tempo excursion that the band can whip up in their sleep. It veers a bit too close to Avantasia’s “Let the Storm Descend Upon You” and “The Cross and You” at times, but does just enough to forge it’s own path. “Wrestle the Devil” is more of a rocker in nature, and in all likelihood, will get lost in the bombastic mist of the other new songs. Much like “Nine Lives” or “Matrix”, it’s the sort of low key affair that slowly but surely worms its way into your mind and stubbornly digs its heels in. “Open Sesame”’s riffing gives a nod to “Nobody’s Hero” and “The Realms of Baba Yaga” by way of Hammerfall; a punchy heavy metal anthem put through the 80s rock ringer that comes up trumps. Both “Landmarks” and “The Mountaineer” are more akin to the group’s power metal roots, complete with double kick drumming, ultra melodic musical passages and soaring choruses. Sure, both may stray towards your standard power metal vocal lines and guitar harmonies at times, but there’s no doubt that Edguy are capable of twisting those conventions and taking them up a notch or three, leaving both songs sure fire winners that should leave fans both old and new with a smile on their face. The sixth ‘new’ song is actually the oldest here; an unreleased cut from the 1995 Savage Poetry demo album. A rawer, undeniably Teutonic sounding affair, “Reborn in the Waste” is unlikely to leave a lasting impression in light of what came before, but it again exhibits that the song writing skill was always there, even during their earliest recordings.
A bulk of the audio side of the collection is made up of the group’s ‘best of’ material, culled from every Edguy album (Kingdom of Madness aside). Sequencing wise, the first disc is stacked with many of the band’s biggest songs, whereas the second disc appears to have been reserved for the (relatively) deeper cuts. There’s no left of field choices, with all of the group’s most enduring and well-loved classics present, from their early power metal years right through to their more diverse recent material. Every facet of the group’s repertoire is highlighted, with conventional, double bass driven power metallers (“Babylon”, “Judas at the Opera”, “Defenders of the Crown”), and riff heavy stompers (“Mysteria”, “Ministry of Saints”) side by side with ballads (“Land of the Miracle”, “Save Me”, “Holy Water”), lengthy epics (“The Piper Never Dies”, “The Eternal Wayfarer”) and catchy hard rockers (“Lavatory Love Machine”, “Love Tyger”). That they’re able to jump back and forth between these eras and styles without the whole affair becoming jarring is creditable, highlighting how they’ve retained their core identity, despite branching out and trying different things throughout their career. It’s also pleasing to see some B-sides getting in on the action, with the upbeat hijinks of “Spooks in the Attic”, the speedy, tongue in cheek Kiske duet “Judas at the Opera” and the rather solemn “Holy Water” all hidden gems in the Edguy canon. Space Police gets heavy representation as their latest release, with the utterly incredible “The Eternal Wayfarer” a welcome inclusion in particular.
As alluded to previously, Kingdom of Madness is the only album that is not touched upon on Monuments. As Tobias stated in our interview with him, songs from this record weren’t included as the master tapes were unavailable. I’m a little surprised the re-recorded version of “Wings of a Dream” from the Mandrake sessions was omitted however, as it would be up to the standard the band set themselves for this compilation, and it is one of the more popular songs from their early days. Perhaps it was simply a case of not having enough disc space, but it is a shame to see it missing.
The third and final standard edition disc houses a full live show shot in Sao Paolo in 2004. Originally planned to be issued on DVD many years ago, camera problems led to the band shelving the project, with only the first three songs appearing on the Superheroes DVD single and the audio of “Land of the Miracle” as a bonus on the digipak edition of 2006’s Rocket Ride. It’s a shame it’s taken this long to be unearthed, as it is a fantastic documentation of the live Edguy experience in front of a lively and enthusiastic crowd. This energy is mirrored by the band on stage; in truth, it’s difficult not to be exhausted as the show goes on, such is the way you get absorbed into the show. A few minor hiccups aside, the band is on top form, rarely missing a beat as they power through their 1 hour 45 minute set. Tobi’s voice is in fine fettle, particularly early on, as you see him put every fibre of his being into belting out vocally taxing numbers like “Mysteria”, “Under the Moon” and “Wake Up the King”. His vocal prowess fades slightly as the minutes tick by, something he readily admits to the raucous audience, but his level never drops below the high standards he has set himself over the years. Long time fans will be pleased to see a pro shot rendition of “The Piper Never Dies”, complete with extended intro (not unlike the lengthy interlude to “The Pharaoh” found on Burning Down the Opera), something that was once consigned exclusively to bootleg recordings. On the downside, there are a few disruptive camera cuts and dark crowd shots that impede the flow slightly, but nothing too major. Brazilian legend Andre Matos’ appearance on “Chalice of Agony” (not “Tears of a Mandrake”, as erroneously advertised) is a bit of a mess too, with the over excited home favourite evidently unsure of the words as he mumbles through his parts. Tobi’s well known humour is also in short supply, although there is a hilarious bit of banter about pyro that is guaranteed to raise a laugh. All of the groups’ promo videos are also incorporated, including the previously unreleased “Two Out of Seven”. In truth, I’ve never found any of them particularly good (or bad), with the humour of “Lavatory Love Machine” and “Robin Hood” the two personal highlights
Monuments is a fantastic collection for new listeners of Edguy, offering a well rounded best of set along with a captivating live show. Chances are long time fans will have a vast amount of the material here already, but they will find solace in the high quality new tracks and the superb DVD portion of the set. Whether that’s enough for them to feel they’re getting bang for their buck is another matter, but from a purely objective standpoint, Monuments delivers the goods and then some. 25 years down, hopefully another 25 to go.
Rating: 4.5/5
Highlights: “Ravenblack”, “Landmarks”, “The Mountaineer”
Links: Facebook, Official Website
Monuments is available worldwide on July 14th, via Nuclear Blast Records.
