EDGUY
“MONUMENTS”
Album Review by Mike Hackenschmidt

9/10

Edguy celebrates their 25^th anniversary as a band with this double CD + Live DVD entitled Monuments. There’s also a special limited edition version that comes with a 160 page coffee table book with previously unreleased photos of the band. The DVD contains a complete concert filmed in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The 2 discs contain 28 tracks including 5 new and 1 track originally recorded for their 1995 debut album, The Savage Poetry. If you’ve done the math and are wondering how a band can celebrate a 25^th anniversary 22 years after their debut album allow me to explain. Edguy was formed in 1992 by Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dirk Sauer and Dominik Storch; a group of fourteen year olds who decided to name their band after their physics teacher. Storch left the band in 1998 and was replaced by Felix Bohnke. Sammet gave up the bass that same year when the band picked up Tobias Excell and the line-up hasn’t changed since. If you’re glaring angrily at your screen thinking that The Savage Poetry was Edguy’s 3^rd album and was released in 2000 (not 1995) you’re partially correct. The 2000 release was a re-recording as the 1995 original was very poor quality but the songs were just too good to be lost. Also, to be clear, this review will only look at the double disc and not the live DVD or coffee table book.

First let’s look at the cover, which is centred by the joker who’s shown up on the covers of Mandrake and Age of the Joker. The rocks around him display elements of some of the other album covers. I spent some time searching and see no representation from Tinnitus Sanctus, Vain Glory Opera or Rocket Ride. On one rock it just kind of says Space Police, a cheap way to squeeze it in. But when they left out their best album… why bother? Do them all or don’t do any, that’s what I say. Maybe I just missed them but I don’t think so.

Monuments starts out with all 5 new tracks in a row. I think this was done for the both the average Edguy fan as well as the super fan. See, if the average fan picks up a compilation album from a band they like and don’t immediately recognize the first couple songs they might think about revisiting the back catalogue; especially when the songs are enjoyable. Here’s the opener entitled Ravenblack for your perusal.

For the super fans, having the newest tracks at the beginning is like a thank you from the band. The hard-core Edguy collector will buy this package just to have it, keep it on a shelf somewhere and maybe rub it with a diaper once in a while to keep it dust free. And maybe they’ll spin it out once in a while too (or have a second copy for listening purposes) so best to get those 5 new tracks right at the start. I mean, that was your reason to pick up the compilation package, wasn’t it? Or at least, that’s the excuse you gave your significant other. It’s almost poetic that the next track is named Wrestle the Devil. Did you have to do a bit of that before you were allowed to pick it up? Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone you called them that.

So they released a 3^rd video for track 3, Open Sesame. We won’t tell that significant other that 3 of the 5 new songs are available free on YouTube either.

And that concludes the new stuff and we get to dig into the old favourites. They start off with 9-2-9, a track I wish I had some idea what it was about. It’s actually one of my favourite Edguy tracks despite seeming like lyrical non-sense. The selection of tracks they’ve got on here is actually pretty good but I’m going to complain about it anyway. I guess everyone is lucky that I didn’t pick them because most of the album would be Rocket Ride. None of the tracks on Monuments are bad and I don’t feel like any of them should be removed, but if there’s room for half the Superheroes EP, why not all of Rocket Ride? Rocket Ride sits somewhere in my top 20 albums of all time and it’s only represented by 2 tracks? Crazy! But I guess it’s a good way for me to get a taste of the other albums as well. I do love them all but all too often I’ll just go straight to Rocket Ride and miss gems like The Eternal Wayfarer or Ministry of Saints of King of Fools. I’d say Love Tyger but I’ll just search that one on its own on a regular basis.

The album closes with what the ultimate collector is always after – the rare, previously unreleased track. Who could resist hearing something from their favourite band that’s been sitting in a vault for 22 years? A show of hands: who will skip straight to the end just to hear it? Don’t be shy, I won’t judge. I’m not going to spoil it for you by passing an opinion. Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s great; you be the judge.

In conclusion, aside from my legitimate concerns on the cover and selfish, half-serious reservations of the lack of representation of Rocket Ride, Monuments is just crazy. 28 of the best tracks from one of metal’s top acts of today is not something that’s going to happen too often. It’s best to take advantage of our opportunities as soon as they arise.

TRACKLIST

1. Ravenblack (new track)
2. Wrestle the Devil (new track)
3. Open Sesame (new track)
4. Landmarks (new track)
5. The Mountaineer (new track)
6. 9-2-9 (Tinnitus Sanctus)
7. Defenders of the Crown (Space Police – Defenders of the Crown)
8. Save Me (Rocket Ride)
9. The Piper Never Dies (Hellfire Club)
10. Lavatory Love Machine (Hellfire Club, Lavatory Love Machine EP)
11. King of Fools (Hellfire Club)
12. Superheroes (Superheroes EP, Rocket Ride)
13. Love Tyger (Space Police – Defenders of the Crown)
14. Ministry Of Saints (Tinnitus Sanctus)
15. Tears of a Mandrake (Mandrake)
16. Mysteria (Hellfire Club)
17. Vain Glory Opera (Vain Glory Opera)
18. Rock of Cashel (Age of the Joker)
19. Judas at the Opera (Superheroes EP)
20. Holy Water (King of Fools EP)
21. Spooks in the Attic (Superheroes EP)
22. Babylon (Theatre of Salvation)
23. The Eternal Wayfarer (Space Police – Defenders of the Crown)
24. Out Of Control (Vain Glory Opera)
25. Land of the Miracle (Theatre of Salvation)
26. Key to My Fate (Savage Poetry)
27. Space Police (Space Police – Defenders of the Crown)
28. Reborn in the Waste (Previously unreleased from Savage Poetry recordings)

http://www.edguy.net
https://www.facebook.com/edguy

This review is the property of Mike Hackenschmidt and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

 

 

---