Biography
Demos, AFM years (1992-2003)
Edguy was founded in 1992 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. Undeterred, they self released their ‘unofficial' debut album, Savage Poetry, in 1995. 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, but drummer Dominik Storch left the band shortly after. 1998 saw the release of their second album, Vain Glory Opera, with friend Frank Lindenthal filling in on drums. This album helped expose Edguy to a wider audience, thanks in part to guest appearances from Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius) and Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian). The band was joined by new drummer Felix Bohnke and bassist Tobias ‘Eggi' Exxel 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 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. Whilst 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.
Following The Savage Poetry re-recording was the band's fifth album, Mandrake, 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 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. The band's contract with AFM had expired by this point, which led to them signing with Nuclear Blast Records 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 Club album, released shortly after. The song "Lavatory Love Machine" was also released as a single. The band's productivity continued into 2005 with the Superheroes 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 in January 2006.
Sammet spent much of 2007 relaunching the Avantasia project. Edguy returned to the studio in 2008 and recorded Tinnitus Sanctus, with a video being shot for the track “Ministry of Saints” in Belgrade, Serbia. After a contract renewal with Nuclear Blast in late 2008, the band released their first live DVD, Fucking with F***, in 2009. This featured live footage of the band shot in São Paulo, Brazil, on their Rocket Ride world tour in 2006. The band supported Scorpions on the German dates of their farewell tour in 2010.
Edguy released their ninth studio album, Age of the Joker, in August 2011. The band toured Europe and South America in support of the record, including dates with Slash and Deep Purple, as well as an appearance on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise. In a recent interview promoting the latest release from his Avantasia project, Sammet revealed that a new Edguy album will be worked on in the summer of 2013, with a release tentatively scheduled for mid-2014.
On January 28, 2014 Edguy revealed that the album would be titled Space Police - Defenders of the Crown and released on April 18.
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 esoteric and hermetic 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 revealed Edguy's interest in experimenting within music by integrating an orchestra into the production. The album featured a variation on Edguy's style, with a less grandiose, more progressive metal approach being embraced. The band's album Rocket Ride features even less power metal elements, and is arguably more oriented towards hard rock. Their next album, Tinnitus Sanctus, contains even more hard rock oriented songs; a large reduction of double bass drumming is evident, in contrast to Edguy's older albums such as Vain Glory Opera where there is very fast double bass which is common in the power metal genre.
When asked if the term "happy heavy metal band" applies to the band, Tobias rejected it and added:
We are a heavy metal band. We play angry, powerful, sometimes tongue-in-cheek metal. We are flamboyant and we don't take ourselves too seriously, but that goes for Van Halen too, right? Are they happy rock? No, they have a sense of humor and kick ass! Just like we do...
Studio albums
Savage Poetry (1995)
Kingdom of Madness (1997)
Vain Glory Opera (1998)
Theater of Salvation (1999)
The Savage Poetry (2000)
Mandrake (2001)
Hellfire Club (2004)
Rocket Ride (2006)
Tinnitus Sanctus (2008)
Age of the Joker (2011)
Space Police - Defenders of the Crown (2014)
How Many Miles
Edguy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching a face and a smile and a light
When yo're walking alone in the street
I know your look always gives you the might
Many miles from your ass to your feet
And I dream what I've seen
Is what I want it to be selfmade reality
How many miles to the gate of reality
How many miles to the land where my dreams come true
Dreams which come true just have died
Look like a queen but you talk like a pawn and I know you're a fool in disguise
Godfather tell me how to carry on
Blinded by fantasies of lies
And I dream what I've seen
Is what I want it to be self made reality
How many miles to the gate of reality
How many steps left to go to my dreams
How many miles to the land where my dreams come true
Dreams which come true just have died
I see your smile, a golden masquerade
And I know my dream it will be my fate
Time has stolen my fantasy
'Cause it has become a pale reality
How many miles to the gate of reality
How many steps left to go to my dreams
How many miles to the land where my dreams come true
Dreams which come true just have died
The lyrics of Edguy's song "How Many Miles" seem to be about the journey towards achieving dreams and the struggle it entails. The first verse describes the power that a simple smile can hold, especially when one is walking alone in the street. The singer acknowledges the strength this can give a person and notes that it takes miles and effort to achieve what one wants in life. The second verse talks about the struggle that can come with chasing a dream, particularly when one is not quite sure how to achieve it. The metaphor of looking like a queen but talking like a pawn suggests that sometimes, even when people project confidence, they may not truly know how to achieve what they want. The third verse seems to hint at the idea that the singer may have lost sight of his fantasy and that it has become a "pale reality." This could suggest that the journey has been difficult and filled with disappointment. However, the singer still appears determined to keep going and to reach the land where his dreams come true.
Overall, the lyrics seem to suggest that achieving one's dreams is difficult, but that it requires persistence and hard work to get there. The metaphor of "miles" and "steps" seems to imply that the journey is long and requires effort, but that it is ultimately worthwhile.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah
Expression of enthusiasm or excitement
Watching a face and a smile and a light
Observing a person's appearance and demeanor
When yo're walking alone in the street
Being alone and vulnerable in a public place
I know your look always gives you the might
Recognizing one's confidence and inner strength
Many miles from your ass to your feet
Emphasizing the distance one has to travel physically and mentally
And I dream what I've seen
Visualizing a desired outcome or reality
Is what I want it to be selfmade reality
Striving to make the envisioned outcome a reality
How many miles to the gate of reality
Questioning the distance from a fantasy to actuality
How many steps left to go to my dreams
Asking how far one is from achieving their goals
How many miles to the land where my dreams come true
Wondering how far the journey is to reach the goal
Dreams which come true just have died
Realizing that some dreams may never come into fruition or have faded away
Look like a queen but you talk like a pawn and I know you're a fool in disguise
Noticing someone's facade or superficiality despite their appearance
Godfather tell me how to carry on
Asking for guidance or support from someone who has experience or wisdom
Blinded by fantasies of lies
Being misled or deceived by unrealistic expectations
I see your smile, a golden masquerade
Recognizing someone's fake or insincere smile
And I know my dream it will be my fate
Believing that one's goals will eventually become their destiny
Time has stolen my fantasy
Realizing that too much time has passed and it may be too late to achieve one's desired outcome
'Cause it has become a pale reality
The once bright and vivid fantasy has turned into a dull and disappointing reality
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JENS LUDWIG, TOBIAS SAMMET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind