Compilations are a tricky situation. A band wants to release something that not only might attract new fans but also be something that existing fans will want to buy as well. Edguy has been around quite a while now and in the process, they’ve released 10 studio albums in the span of 25 years or so. To honor that, the band are releasing “Monuments” which does have not only most of their more well known tracks (for the new fans) but also five brand new songs PLUS an unreleased song which should interest long time fans.

Edguy have performed a style of metal that incorporates power metal, straight up metal and yes progressive metal. They also have a (somewhat) good sense of humor which shows up in the lyrics of frontman, Tobias Sammet. The order of the songs are not chronological which is usually the case for anthologies. Instead, the new tracks are first and then the songs are in what seems a random order, though I think it’s a good flow. The final song is the unreleased “Reborn in the Waste” which dates back to their “Savage Poetry” sessions of 1995.

The song selection is good overall. I like that some of my favorites like “Superheroes,” “King of Fools,” “The Piper Never Dies,” and “Rock of Cashel” are on here but I’d like to have had a few more epics included like “Theater of Salvation” or “Pharaoh” but I understand the idea was “the best of the best.” Plus the band are going to be playing these tracks live on the next tour.

As for the new songs, they fit in well to the existing catalog. “Ravenblack” is a good opener and “The Mountaineer” ranks with any of their hook laden tracks. Sure there are no surprises but at this point of their career, Edguy know what they do and do it well. So if you are a fan of the band, between the new material and the live DVD and live CDs that come with this package, you have a good reason to be excited. If you are curious about what Edguy is all about, “Monuments” is a great place to start.

Label: Nuclear Blast