Edguy
Encyclopedia
Demos, AFM years
Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias SammetTobias Sammet
Tobias Sammet is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the German Power metal band Edguy, as well as the creator of the metal opera Avantasia and a member of the metal project Final Chapter. He also made guest appearances on the Rob Rock album Holy Hell and the metal opera Aina...
, Jens Ludwig
Jens Ludwig
Jens Ludwig is the lead guitarist and co-founderof the German power metal band Edguy. Jens has played nearly all the band's lead parts and guitar solos since their inception and is the only member of the current line-up other than Tobias Sammet to have any songwriting credits...
, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, 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 have no future in the music business. The following year they self released their ‘unofficial’ debut album, Savage Poetry. They signed with AFM Records shortly after, who offered to re-release Savage Poetry with more widespread distribution. The band rejected this proposal in favour of recording a new album, Kingdom of Madness, which was released in 1997. 1998 saw the release of their sophomore album, Vain Glory Opera
Vain Glory Opera
Vain Glory Opera, released in 1998, is the third album by German power metal band Edguy. It was produced by Stratovarius' Timo Tolkki, who also played additional lead guitar on "Out Of Control", and featured additional lead and backing vocals by Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian on "Out of Control"...
, with friend Frank Lindenhall filling in on drums. This album helped expose Edguy to a wider audience, thanks in part to guest appearances from Timo Tolkki
Timo Tolkki
Timo Tapio Tolkki is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, songwriter, and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius. He left Stratovarius in 2008 and formed a new band, Revolution Renaissance. To this day, with his tenure extending for more than twenty years, Tolkki was the...
(Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
) and Hansi Kürsch
Hansi Kürsch
Hans Jürgen Kürsch, better known as Hansi Kürsch is a German musician, the lead vocalist and lyricist of power metal band Blind Guardian. Together with André Olbrich, he is also the principal songwriter for the band. He was also the bassist in Blind Guardian until the 1998 album Nightfall in...
(Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres...
). The band was joined by new drummer Felix Bohnke
Felix Bohnke
Felix Bohnke, born 2 September 1974, is the current drummer for the power metal band Edguy. He joined the band just before they recorded the Theater of Salvation album in 1998....
and bassist Tobias ‘Eggi’ Exxel
Tobias Exxel
Tobias "Eggi" Exxel, born February 27 1973, is the current bass player for the power metal band Edguy. Tobias was hired by Edguy in 1998 when vocalist Tobias Sammet, who had played bass since the band's formation in 1992, decided the band should have someone who could focus on playing the...
later that year, allowing Tobias Sammet to solely focus on vocals (he had previously played bass as well handling vocal duties).
In 1999, Theater of Salvation
Theater of Salvation
Theater of Salvation, released in 1999, is the fourth album by German power metal band Edguy, the first to feature drummer Felix Bohnke and bass player Tobias Exxel...
was released. That same year frontman Tobias Sammet conceived the idea for the Avantasia
Avantasia
Avantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
project, a metal opera featuring well known vocalists and musicians from the rock and metal scene. Whilst Tobias focussed 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.
Following The Savage Poetry
The Savage Poetry
The Savage Poetry, released in 2000, is a re-recording of the album Savage Poetry , originally launched in 1995 as a demo by German power metal band Edguy. The album was originally self-produced and released initially as a demo before the band were signed by AFM. The re-recorded tracks are also...
re-recording was the band’s fifth album, Mandrake
Mandrake (album)
Mandrake, released in 2001, is the fifth album by German power metal band Edguy. It is a varied album, exploring many styles of the power metal genre. It was their last studio album for AFM Records...
, in 2001. The album was accompanied by their first promo video, for the track “All the Clowns”, as well as the Painting on the Wall
Painting on the Wall
"Painting on the Wall" is a single taken from German power metal band Edguy's album Mandrake.-Track listing:# "Painting on the Wall" # "Golden Dawn"# "Wings of a Dream" # "Painting on the Wall" -Personnel:...
single. The Mandrake album also led to the band’s first headlining tour. Three shows were recorded in Europe and were the basis for Edguy’s first live album, Burning Down the Opera – Live
Burning Down the Opera
Burning Down the Opera, released August 26, 2003 , is a live album by German power metal band Edguy recorded in Europe during their Mandrake World Tour.- Disc 1 :# "Welcome to the Opera " - 2:08# "Fallen Angels" - 5:33...
. The band's contract with AFM had expired by this point, which led to them signing with Nuclear Blast Records
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
in late 2003.
Nuclear Blast years (2004-present)
Edguy’s first release for Nuclear Blast was the King of Fools EP in 2004. This preceded the Hellfire ClubHellfire Club (album)
Hellfire Club, released April 6, 2004, is the sixth album by German power metal band Edguy. The music of the band is supported by a German orchestra, the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg....
album, released shortly after. The song "Lavatory Love Machine
Lavatory Love Machine
"Lavatory Love Machine" is a single taken from German power metal band Edguy's album Hellfire Club.-Track listing:# "Lavatory Love Machine" - 4:24# "Lavatory Love Machine" - 4:35# "I'll Cry for You" - 3:45# "Reach Out" - 4:05...
" was also released as a single. The band’s productivity continued into 2005 with the Superheroes
Superheroes (EP)
Superheroes, released in 2005, is an EP by German power metal band Edguy. Michael Kiske of Helloween has a guest appearance. On this EP, the band has moved away from the sound they had developed on their previous album Hellfire Club. The songs on Superheroes are much less akin to the band's native...
EP and DVD, the latter featuring footage of the band live and in the studio, as well as a making of documentary for the video of the title track. This was followed by the full length album Rocket Ride
Rocket Ride
- Personnel :*Tobias Sammet - vocals*Jens Ludwig - guitar*Dirk Sauer - guitar*Tobias "Eggi" Exxel - bass*Felix Bohnke - drumsWith:*Amanda Somerville - Backing Vocals*Oliver Hartmann - Backing Vocals*Ralf Zdiarstek - Backing Vocals...
in January 2006.
Sammet spent much of 2007 relaunching the Avantasia project. Edguy returned to the studio in 2008 and recorded Tinnitus Sanctus
Tinnitus Sanctus
Tinnitus Sanctus is the eighth studio album by German power metal band Edguy, released on November 14th, 2008 on Nuclear Blast. It continues with the hard rock trends heard on their previous album Rocket Ride and the power metal elements found on previous albums.The album was released in several...
, with a video being shot for the track “Ministry of Saints” in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. After a contract renewal with Nuclear Blast in late 2008, the band released their first live DVD, Fucking with Fire – Live, in 2009. This featured live footage of the band shot in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, on their Rocket Ride world tour in 2006. The band supported Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
on the German dates of their farewell tour in 2010.
Edguy released their ninth studio album, Age of the Joker
Age of the Joker
Age of the Joker is the ninth studio album by German power metal band Edguy. It was released on August 26, 2011 through Nuclear Blast.Alongside the normal release, a double disc digipak edition was also issued, featuring b-sides, single versions of two album songs, as well as a Slade cover...
, in August 2011.
Style
Edguy's lyrics are often metaphorical, alluding to metaphysical or social themes: conformity ("The Headless Game", "Mysteria", "King of Fools"), dictation by the church ("The Kingdom", "The Pride of Creation", "Theater of Salvation"), and dangers of modern civilization ("Navigator", "The Devil and the Savant"). To express such themes, Edguy sometimes use esotericEsotericism
Esotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek , a compound of : "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward",...
and hermetic
Hermeticism
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus...
expressions. Yet some of their songs are light-hearted or comedic ("Das Reh", "Save Us Now", "Lavatory Love Machine", "Life and Times of a Bonus Track", "Trinidad"). Edguy does not claim to represent any ideology; Tobias Sammet claimed "[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". Edguy also employs lengthy and epic sections in almost every album.
Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club (album)
Hellfire Club, released April 6, 2004, is the sixth album by German power metal band Edguy. The music of the band is supported by a German orchestra, the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg....
revealed Edguy's interest in experimenting within music by integrating an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
into the production. The album featured a variation on Edguy's style, with a less grandiose, more traditional heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
approach being embraced. The band's album Rocket Ride
Rocket Ride
- Personnel :*Tobias Sammet - vocals*Jens Ludwig - guitar*Dirk Sauer - guitar*Tobias "Eggi" Exxel - bass*Felix Bohnke - drumsWith:*Amanda Somerville - Backing Vocals*Oliver Hartmann - Backing Vocals*Ralf Zdiarstek - Backing Vocals...
features even less symphonic
Symphonic metal
Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...
and power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
elements, and is arguably more oriented towards hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. Their latest album, Tinnitus Sanctus
Tinnitus Sanctus
Tinnitus Sanctus is the eighth studio album by German power metal band Edguy, released on November 14th, 2008 on Nuclear Blast. It continues with the hard rock trends heard on their previous album Rocket Ride and the power metal elements found on previous albums.The album was released in several...
, contains even more hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
oriented songs; the obvious lack of double bass drumming is evident, in contrast to Edguy's older albums such as Vain Glory Opera.
Current members
- Tobias SammetTobias SammetTobias Sammet is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the German Power metal band Edguy, as well as the creator of the metal opera Avantasia and a member of the metal project Final Chapter. He also made guest appearances on the Rob Rock album Holy Hell and the metal opera Aina...
– vocals (1992–present), bass guitar (1992–1998) - Jens LudwigJens LudwigJens Ludwig is the lead guitarist and co-founderof the German power metal band Edguy. Jens has played nearly all the band's lead parts and guitar solos since their inception and is the only member of the current line-up other than Tobias Sammet to have any songwriting credits...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
(1992–present) - Dirk Sauer – rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
(1992–present) - Felix BohnkeFelix BohnkeFelix Bohnke, born 2 September 1974, is the current drummer for the power metal band Edguy. He joined the band just before they recorded the Theater of Salvation album in 1998....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1998–present) - Tobias ExxelTobias ExxelTobias "Eggi" Exxel, born February 27 1973, is the current bass player for the power metal band Edguy. Tobias was hired by Edguy in 1998 when vocalist Tobias Sammet, who had played bass since the band's formation in 1992, decided the band should have someone who could focus on playing the...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1998–present)
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
FIN Mitä hittiä The Official Finnish Charts is a national record chart in Finland composed by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.The singles chart was started in January 1991 as Radiomafian lista and was broadcast on the radio station Radiomafia of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE. This chart is based on a... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
ESP | BEL (Wal) | ||||||||||
| 1997 | Kingdom of Madness | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| 1998 | Vain Glory Opera Vain Glory Opera Vain Glory Opera, released in 1998, is the third album by German power metal band Edguy. It was produced by Stratovarius' Timo Tolkki, who also played additional lead guitar on "Out Of Control", and featured additional lead and backing vocals by Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian on "Out of Control"... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| 1999 | Theater of Salvation Theater of Salvation Theater of Salvation, released in 1999, is the fourth album by German power metal band Edguy, the first to feature drummer Felix Bohnke and bass player Tobias Exxel... |
- | - | - | 66 | 50 | - | - | - | ||||||||
| 2000 | The Savage Poetry The Savage Poetry The Savage Poetry, released in 2000, is a re-recording of the album Savage Poetry , originally launched in 1995 as a demo by German power metal band Edguy. The album was originally self-produced and released initially as a demo before the band were signed by AFM. The re-recorded tracks are also... |
- | - | - | 79 | 60 | - | - | - | ||||||||
| 2001 | Mandrake Mandrake (album) Mandrake, released in 2001, is the fifth album by German power metal band Edguy. It is a varied album, exploring many styles of the power metal genre. It was their last studio album for AFM Records... |
- | - | 47 | 19 | 32 | - | - | - | ||||||||
| 2004 | Hellfire Club Hellfire Club (album) Hellfire Club, released April 6, 2004, is the sixth album by German power metal band Edguy. The music of the band is supported by a German orchestra, the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg.... |
68 | 22 | 54 | 26 | 6 | 81 | - | - | ||||||||
| 2006 | Rocket Ride Rocket Ride - Personnel :*Tobias Sammet - vocals*Jens Ludwig - guitar*Dirk Sauer - guitar*Tobias "Eggi" Exxel - bass*Felix Bohnke - drumsWith:*Amanda Somerville - Backing Vocals*Oliver Hartmann - Backing Vocals*Ralf Zdiarstek - Backing Vocals... |
50 | 25 | 101 | 8 | 8 | 50 | - | - | ||||||||
| 2008 | Tinnitus Sanctus Tinnitus Sanctus Tinnitus Sanctus is the eighth studio album by German power metal band Edguy, released on November 14th, 2008 on Nuclear Blast. It continues with the hard rock trends heard on their previous album Rocket Ride and the power metal elements found on previous albums.The album was released in several... |
50 | - | 28 | 19 | 85 | 41 | - | - | ||||||||
| 2011 | Age of the Joker Age of the Joker Age of the Joker is the ninth studio album by German power metal band Edguy. It was released on August 26, 2011 through Nuclear Blast.Alongside the normal release, a double disc digipak edition was also issued, featuring b-sides, single versions of two album songs, as well as a Slade cover... |
30 | 15 | 63 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 44 | 72 | ||||||||
Singles
- La Marche Des GendarmesLa Marche Des Gendarmes"La Marche Des Gendarmes" is a bonus CD coupled with German power metal band Edguy's French limited edition of Mandrake. The original theme was written by Raymond Lefevre for French movie Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez featuring Louis de Funes. The single has also featured on Edguy's 'best and rare'...
(2001) - Painting on the WallPainting on the Wall"Painting on the Wall" is a single taken from German power metal band Edguy's album Mandrake.-Track listing:# "Painting on the Wall" # "Golden Dawn"# "Wings of a Dream" # "Painting on the Wall" -Personnel:...
(2001) - Lavatory Love MachineLavatory Love Machine"Lavatory Love Machine" is a single taken from German power metal band Edguy's album Hellfire Club.-Track listing:# "Lavatory Love Machine" - 4:24# "Lavatory Love Machine" - 4:35# "I'll Cry for You" - 3:45# "Reach Out" - 4:05...
(2004)
EPs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
FIN Mitä hittiä The Official Finnish Charts is a national record chart in Finland composed by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.The singles chart was started in January 1991 as Radiomafian lista and was broadcast on the radio station Radiomafia of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE. This chart is based on a... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER | IT Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
|||||||||||
| 2004 | "King of Fools" | 67 | 12 | - | 39 | - | 16 | 98 | |||||||||
| 2005 | "Superheroes Superheroes (EP) Superheroes, released in 2005, is an EP by German power metal band Edguy. Michael Kiske of Helloween has a guest appearance. On this EP, the band has moved away from the sound they had developed on their previous album Hellfire Club. The songs on Superheroes are much less akin to the band's native... " |
- | - | 96 | 25 | 48 | 10 | 52 | |||||||||
Compilation albums
- Hall of FlamesHall of FlamesHall of Flames is the first compilation album released by German power metal band Edguy in 2004. This album covers tracks from albums released by AFM Records.The first disc serves as a compilation of songs since 1997...
(2004) - The SinglesThe Singles (Edguy album)The Singles is a compilation album by German power metal band Edguy. It features all singles from the EP's King Of Fools, Lavatory Love Machine and Superheroes on a single disc...
(2008)
Videos
- "All the Clowns" (2001)
- "King of Fools" (2004)
- "Lavatory Love Machine" (2004)
- "Superheroes" (2005)
- "Ministry of Saints" (2008)
- "Robin Hood" (2011)