Edguy fans rejoice for the band has delivered a special treat for you. This 3 CD set which includes the albums The Savage Poetry and Mandrake both with bonus material along with a third disc filled with all sorts of goodies is now available. The albums are remastered and pressed in gold if you need another reason to purchase it. This is the band playing two of their finest albums and the ones that established them as a major force in the world of power metal and Tobias Sammet as one of the elite vocalist on the planet.
To top it off, the package is in a magnificent hard cover book form that has lyrics for all songs with each band member giving his thoughts on them. Plenty of great pictures and it is even signed by the whole band!
You will think of nothing but the pure brilliance of great power metal as the song "Hallowed" kicks off the first disc The Savage Poetry. Continuing with the killer "Misguiding Your Life" and "Key To My Fate" before slowing it down for the ballad "Sands Of Time", Edguy gives you a fabulous slice of terrific melodic power metal that continues with the anthem "Sacred Hell", the 10 minute opus "Eyes Of The Tyrant", the epic sounding "Frozen Candle" and the the second power ballad "Roses To No One" before leaving you with the majestic metal of the aptly titled "Power and Majesty". This disc really is a great slice of the genre and shows their high esteem for bands like Iron Maiden and Helloween. Also included are the original recordings of both "Key To My Fate" and "Hallowed". It is always interesting to see the metamorphosis that a song goes through and even though they have not been changed much it is enough to show the difference from the first take to the ultimate song. This update to the 2000 release (The fourth by the band) shows just how much these guys could bring it but they were still not quite the band you would hear on the next album.
The second disc is that next album Mandrake which put the band on the map of those who did not know these guys before hand. Every aspect of their band was taken up a notch from songwriting to Tobias' vocals to the magnificent guitar work of both Jens Ludwig and Dirk Sauer. They seem to have found another gear as each song from the opening "Tears Of A Mandrake" to the powerful closer "The Devil & The Savant" sounds as if every detail was painstakingly agonized over. I find it hard to find fault with anything on this album. They might still be drawing influences from many that have come before them at this point but still it is a disc that defined the Edguy sound. They spread their wings on this one and it was to me the turning point for the band. All you have to do is listen to the epic "The Pharoah" and you will hear the direction that the band was heading and especially where Tobias would travel to with his other project Avantasia. This disc also includes live recordings of both "Teas Of A Mandrake" and "Painting On The Wall". Both are good quality and a nice addition to the album.
The last disc is an interesting collection of B-sides, live recordings, alternate takes, different edits and video clips. Hearing the third version of "Tears Of A Mandrake" and "Painting On The Wall" is a bit of overkill but all in all this disc has many good moments itself. "Wings Of A Dream" is a very Iron Maiden style anthem and "For A Trace Of Life" is a terrific acoustic ballad. There is even a bit of comic relief with the addition of "La Marche Des Gendarmes" which belongs on a Benny Hill soundtrack.
This is one of those packages that is worthwhile for both the fan and the listener who wants to find out more about Edguy. You will not be sorry with this one as it is top notch in every aspect and one I am glad to own!
Track listing:
CD1
1. Hallowed
2. Misguiding Your Life
3. Key To My Fate
4. Sands Of Time
5. Sacred Hell
6. Eyes Of The Tyrant
7. Frozen Candle
8. Roses To No One
9. Power And Majesty
10. Key To My Fate (Original Recording)
11. Hallowed (Original Recording)
CD2
1. Tears Of A Mandrake
2. Golden Dawn
3. Jerusalem
4. All The Clowns
5. Nailed To The Wheel
6. The Pharaoh
7. Wash Away The Poison
8. Fallen Angels
9. Painting On The Wall
10. Save Us Now
11. The Devil & The Savant
12. Tears Of A Mandrake (Live Bonus)
13. Painting On The Wall (Live Bonus)
CD3
1. Painting On The Wall (Edit)
2. Golden Dawn
3. Wings Of A Dream
4. Painting On The Wall
5. Tears Of A Mandrake (Single Edit)
6. For A Trace Of Life
7. But Here I Am
8. La Marche Des Gendarmes
9. Walk On Fighting (Live)
10. Wake Up The King ( Live)
11. All The Clowns (Video)
12. The Headless Game (Video)
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