In 1992 Tobias Sammet and friends decided to name their band after their mathematics teacher, leading to founding Edguy. The band became an immediate success. The legendary power metal band from Germany is now celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and have treated us with a mammoth of a compilation, called Monuments.
Monuments is more than just a compilation, as the band has not only included 22 songs from their entire career on the album, but also have written and recorded five completely new tracks for us to listen to, as well as a never-heard-before song dating back to Savage Poetry (1995).
Edguy is one of the few metal bands who have managed to stay stable with only limited changes in their lineup. With their 11 studio albums and only little amount of compilations it was time to treat their fans with this complete representation of their repertoire from over the years.
The five new songs have the typical powerful Edguy sound and fit very well within the context of the album. “Ravenblack” immediately engages you to listen with it’s somehow catchy familiarity. Impressive riffs and a good rhythm section is the start of a new chapter. The song serves as a proof that after 25 years the band still has great material to release. “Wrestle the Devil” is a bit more of a more down-to-earth rock song, with Sammet’s enchanting powerful vocals and also has a legendary guitar solo. But it’s “The Mountaineer” that definitely sticks out from the rest of the new material, because it really feels like an Edguy-song, as the other song sounds perhaps a bit more generic. “The Mountaineer” is catchy and well-built more sweet, definitely pleasant to the ear.
“Reborn In The Waste” is definitely the strongest new addition to the new material. This is the previously unreleased track from Savage Poetry and it makes you wonder why they never included it. The track is dark and heavy and beautifully put together, while definitely different than their previously released material, it’s an interesting addition to get to know the talent of the band even in the early years.
In addition there is also a DVD included with the compilation. The DVD contains a concert filmed in Sao Paolo, Brazil from their 2004 Hellfire Club Tour. With the limited edition you can also get access to a 160 page coffee table book. All-in-all, the band has a lot to offer us so we can celebrate their anniversary with them.
The album has all the greatest hits on there, previously never heard songs, which are also worth the while and is definitely a please for the collector. Those, who are not familiar with the band, this album is a perfect chance for you to get into Edguy and believe me, you’re gonna want to hear more!
