| Edguy | |||||
| Image Upright: | 1.25 | ||||
| Background: | group_or_band | ||||
| Origin: | Fulda, Germany | ||||
| Genre: | Power metal, heavy metal | ||||
| Years Active: | 1992–2020 (currently on hiatus) | ||||
| Spinoffs: | Avantasia | ||||
| Current Members: | Tobias Sammet Jens Ludwig Dirk Sauer Tobias Exxel Felix Bohnke | ||||
| Past Members: | Dominik Storch | ||||
| Module: |
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Edguy is a German power metal band formed in 1992 in Fulda by students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch, and Dirk Sauer. Initially named after their math teacher, the band faced early rejections from record labels but persevered, releasing their unofficial debut album, Savage Poetry, in 1995. They gained wider recognition with their subsequent albums, including Kingdom of Madness (1997) and Vain Glory Opera (1998), featuring guest appearances from notable musicians. Over the years, Edguy has evolved their sound, with Sammet also launching the successful metal opera project Avantasia. The band has released multiple studio albums, including Age of the Joker (2011) and (2014), and has engaged in extensive touring. As of March 2020, Edguy is on hiatus while Sammet focuses on new Avantasia material.
Edguy was founded in 1992[1] by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch, and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of Steel. These tapes were sent to many record labels, all of whom rejected the band, believing they would be unsuccessful in the music business.[2]
Undeterred, they self-released their "unofficial" debut album, Savage Poetry, in 1995. Shortly thereafter, they signed with AFM Records, which offered to re-release Savage Poetry with more widespread distribution. The band, however, rejected this proposal in favor of recording a new album, Kingdom of Madness, which was released in 1997, although drummer Dominik Storch departed shortly after. In 1998, they released their second album, Vain Glory Opera, with friend Frank Lindenthal filling in on drums. This album helped expose Edguy to a broader audience, partly due to guest appearances from Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius) and Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian).[3] The band was later joined by new drummer Felix Bohnke and bassist Tobias 'Eggi' Exxel, allowing Tobias Sammet to focus solely on vocals (he had previously played bass while also handling vocal duties).
In 1999, Theater of Salvation was released. That same year, frontman Tobias Sammet conceived the idea for the Avantasia project, a metal opera featuring well-known vocalists and musicians from the rock and metal scene. While Tobias focused on Avantasia, the band took the opportunity to re-record Savage Poetry to make it widely available to newer fans, as the original had become a much sought-after rarity.[4] [5]
Following the re-recording of Savage Poetry, the band's fifth album, Mandrake, was released in 2001. The album was accompanied by their first promo video for the track "All the Clowns" and the Painting on the Wall single. The Mandrake album also led to the band's first headlining tour.[6] Three shows were recorded in Europe and served as the basis for Edguy's first live album, Burning Down the Opera – Live.[7]
By this point, the band's contract with AFM had expired, leading them to sign with Nuclear Blast in late 2003.[8]
Edguy's inaugural release with Nuclear Blast was the King of Fools EP in 2004, followed closely by the Hellfire Club album, which was released shortly thereafter.[9] The track "Lavatory Love Machine" was also issued as a single. The band's prolific output continued into 2005 with the release of the Superheroes EP and accompanying DVD, the latter featuring live and studio footage of the band, as well as a making-of documentary for the title track's music video. This was succeeded by the full-length album Rocket Ride, which was released in January 2006.
In 2007, Sammet dedicated much of his time to relaunching the Avantasia project. Edguy returned to the studio in 2008 to record Tinnitus Sanctus, with a video being filmed for the track "Ministry of Saints" in Belgrade, Serbia.[10] [11] Following a contract renewal with Nuclear Blast in late 2008,[12] the band released their first live DVD, Fucking with Fire – Live, in 2009. This DVD featured live performances captured in São Paulo, Brazil, during their Rocket Ride world tour in 2006.[13] In 2010, the band supported Scorpions on the German dates of their farewell tour.[14]
Edguy released their ninth studio album, Age of the Joker, in August 2011.[15] The band subsequently toured Europe and South America in support of the album, including dates with Slash[16] and Deep Purple,[17] as well as an appearance on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise.[18]
On 13 February 2013, Sammet conducted an interview to promote the latest release from his Avantasia project. During the interview, he revealed that Edguy was planning to release a new album in mid-2014.[19] On 28 January 2014, Edguy announced that the album would be titled and would be released on 18 April.[20]
On 13 March 2017, a 2-CD/DVD package titled Monuments was announced for release on 14 July, featuring both old and new material.
In 2018, Edguy released a remastered edition of their debut album Kingdom of Madness as an Anniversary Edition.
In March 2020, Sammet announced via Facebook that Edguy was on hiatus because he had "been working on a new Avantasia record for a while now, and not on a new Edguy record because that's what feels right to me." Sammet also explained that while he considered Space Police to be a great album, the production process had been "exhausting."[21]
Edguy's lyrics often feature metaphorical references, addressing metaphysical or social themes such as conformity ("The Headless Game," "Mysteria," "King of Fools"), the influence of the church ("The Kingdom," "The Pride of Creation," "Theater of Salvation"), and the dangers posed by modern civilization ("Navigator," "The Devil and the Savant"). To convey these themes, Edguy sometimes employs esoteric and hermetic expressions. However, some of their songs take a light-hearted or comedic approach, such as "Das Reh," "Save Us Now," "Lavatory Love Machine," "Life and Times of a Bonus Track," and "Trinidad." Edguy does not purport to represent any specific ideology; Tobias Sammet has stated, "[the band is] not political and we are not religious; at least there is no key message in our songs telling you what to think in terms of anything."
The album Hellfire Club showcased Edguy's interest in musical experimentation by incorporating an orchestra into its production. This album presented a variation on Edguy's typical style, embracing a less grandiose, more progressive metal approach. Their subsequent album, Rocket Ride, contains even fewer power metal elements and leans more towards hard rock. The next release, Tinnitus Sanctus, features an even greater focus on hard rock-oriented songs; a notable reduction in double bass drumming is evident, contrasting sharply with Edguy's earlier albums, such as Vain Glory Opera, which prominently featured rapid double bass—a hallmark of the power metal genre. When asked whether the term "happy heavy metal band" applies to them, Tobias rejected the label and elaborated:[22]
| Year | Title | Record label | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER [24] | AUT [25] | FIN [26] | FRA [27] | SPA [28] | SWE [29] | SWI [30] | ||||||||||||
| 1997 | Kingdom of Madness | AFM | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 1998 | Vain Glory Opera | AFM | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 1999 | Theater of Salvation | AFM | 66 | - | - | - | - | 50 | - | |||||||||
| 2000 | The Savage Poetry | AFM | 79 | - | - | - | - | 60 | - | |||||||||
| 2001 | Mandrake | AFM | 19 | - | - | 47 | - | 32 | - | |||||||||
| 2004 | Hellfire Club | Nuclear Blast | 26 | 68 | 22 | 54 | - | 6 | 81 | |||||||||
| 2006 | Rocket Ride | Nuclear Blast | 8 | 50 | 25 | - | - | 8 | 50 | |||||||||
| 2008 | Tinnitus Sanctus | Nuclear Blast | 19 | 50 | - | 85 | - | 28 | 41 | |||||||||
| 2011 | Age of the Joker | Nuclear Blast | 3 | 30 | 15 | 98 | 44 | 10 | 13 | |||||||||
| 2014 | Nuclear Blast | 2 | 27 | 12 | 72 | 59 | 28 | 13 | ||||||||||
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions[31] | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER | AUT | FIN | FRA | ITA | SWE | SWI | |||||||||||
| 2004 | King of Fools | 39 | 67 | 12 | - | - | 16 | 98 | |||||||||
| 2005 | Superheroes | 25 | - | - | 96 | 48[32] | 10 | 52 | |||||||||