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)
Sacrifice
Edguy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me, isn't that strange?
You bleed to get there - you are ready
You were ready, to be a bird in a golden cage
Sweat is breaking on my brow
Where's the freak to ease my pain?
The room is dark and big and empty
Night has fallen - demons laughing
I am waiting for the light of day
Here's the land of milk and honey
There you got the price to pay
Searching for shelter
riding the pendelum to paradise
As I'm reaching higher - what a pure desire
I'm swinging back towards the edge
And I drift away - killing sacrifice
Here I go insane
What a price to pay - little sacrifice
I set off to Heaven, and found bedlam
There's a part of me that has not been sold
Save me please, embrace me, hold me
And kiss my bleeding soul
You can't see below the creature
That's pounding, sitting in my neck
If you'd see inside my head
You surely wouldn't turn your back on me
I'm looking for shelter
Riding the pendelum to paradise
As I'm reaching higher - what a pure desire
Swinging back towards the abyss
And I drift away...
Nothing remains the same
But still I hear those voices
Nothing remains the same
Where am I gonna go is it my destination
Or just a sick temptation
I remember home when demons came
And I got swept away from me
The lyrics of Edguy's song Sacrifice describe the inner turmoil and struggles of a person who is lost and searching for a sense of belonging. The person feels like they are stuck in a maze, and although they are willing to sacrifice everything to find their way out, they are still lost. The lyrics speak of the person's desperation for relief from their pain and confusion, but nobody seems to be able to help them.
The lyrics are written in a very poetic and emotive way, making use of vivid imagery and metaphors. The "bird in a golden cage" symbolizes the person's desire for security, even if it means giving up their freedom. The "land of milk and honey" represents the person's idealized version of paradise, while the "price to pay" in order to reach it symbolizes the cost of sacrifices.
Overall, the lyrics express a sense of hopelessness and despair, with the person feeling trapped and alone in their struggle. They long for someone to see beyond their exterior and understand the pain that they carry inside.
Line by Line Meaning
Too much time to get lost in the maze
It feels like there's too much time and too many options in life causing confusion.
Tell me, isn't that strange?
The singer is seeking validation or an answer to their confusion.
You bleed to get there - you are ready
Sacrifice or pain is necessary to achieve one's goals and ambitions.
You were ready, to be a bird in a golden cage
The singer has sacrificed their freedom to have success or material possessions.
Sweat is breaking on my brow
The singer is anxious or nervous.
Where's the freak to ease my pain?
The singer is looking for someone to help them feel better.
The room is dark and big and empty
The singer feels alone and abandoned.
Silence drivin' me insane
The lack of noise is overwhelming or unbearable.
Night has fallen - demons laughing
Darkness has come and the singer feels oppressed or scared.
I am waiting for the light of day
The singer is hopeful for a better future.
Here's the land of milk and honey
The singer has arrived at a place of abundance and prosperity.
There you got the price to pay
Success requires sacrifice and often comes at a cost.
Searching for shelter
The singer is seeking comfort or protection.
Riding the pendelum to paradise
The singer feels like life is a constant fluctuation between joy and hardship.
As I'm reaching higher - what a pure desire
The singer is driven by ambition and success feels rewarding.
I'm swinging back towards the edge
Despite progress, the singer feels like they are falling back into a difficult situation.
And I drift away - killing sacrifice
The singer feels like they are making a big sacrifice by moving forward in life.
Here I go insane
The singer feels like they are losing their mind.
What a price to pay - little sacrifice
Even small sacrifices can have big impacts in life.
I set off to Heaven, and found bedlam
The singer thought they were making progress towards their goals, but instead found chaos and disorder.
There's a part of me that has not been sold
Some aspects of the singer's identity have not changed despite their success or sacrifices.
Save me please, embrace me, hold me
The singer is reaching out for emotional support or comfort.
And kiss my bleeding soul
The singer is looking for love or affection to help heal their emotional wounds.
You can't see below the creature
The singer is hiding their inner turmoil or pain from others.
That's pounding, sitting in my neck
The negative emotions the singer is hiding are overwhelming or tense.
If you'd see inside my head
The singer wishes others could understand the thoughts or emotions they are experiencing.
You surely wouldn't turn your back on me
The singer fears being rejected or abandoned by others if they reveal their true feelings or thoughts.
Swinging back towards the abyss
The singer feels like they are falling back into a dark place in life.
Nothing remains the same
Change is constant in life.
But still I hear those voices
The singer is haunted by their past or doubts.
Where am I gonna go is it my destination
Uncertainty about the future and whether the singer is headed in the right direction.
Or just a sick temptation
The singer wonders if they are being misguided or led astray.
I remember home when demons came
The singer is recalling a time when things were difficult or painful.
And I got swept away from me
The singer lost a part of themselves or their identity during a difficult time.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind