Ten years ago, near the German town of Fulda, a flame was lit. Three 14-year-olds sparked it: Tobias Sammet, Dirk Sauer, and Jens Ludwig. A bit later, Tobias Exxel and Felix Bohnke joined them. They always dreamed of playing in a successful band, always knew what they wanted, and kept pushing toward it — fueling their flame and throwing in ever more firewood. When the guys were about 17, they met the founder of AFM Records, who at the time was just starting out. It was a chance encounter, but it seems it was meant to be. Within a year, EDGUY's debut album "Kingdom Of Madness" saw the light of day. After that, the band released an album every year (from 1998 to 2001). In 2003 came the live album "Burning Down The Opera," and around that time, the insanely talented vocalist Tobias Sammet took on his solo project AVANTASIA. The flame of EDGUY burns at full blaze.
Let's talk specifically about "Hall Of Flame." The first disc of this double-CD release features a selection of the best songs from the band's five albums: "Kingdom Of Madness" (1997), "Vain Glory Opera" (1998), "Theater Of Salvation" (1999), "The Savage Poetry" (2000), and "Mandrake" (2001). The track selection is excellent: from heavy anthems to lyrical ballads and monumental epics — exactly what a Best Of... compilation should be.
The bonus CD includes collector's items: bonus tracks, songs that were only released in certain countries, as well as live compositions. On top of that, the video section contains two music videos: "All The Clowns" (previously unreleased) and the concert video for "The Headless Game," filmed at a gig in the USA.
"Hall Of Flame" will appeal both to the band's fans and to those looking to get acquainted with EDGUY's body of work. The former get a single disc of their favorite songs — no more skipping tracks or swapping discs :) — plus a disc of rare material. Those who are completely unfamiliar with the Germans' music should start with "Hall Of Flame," since it presents material that gives a comprehensive picture of the band. And I'm not just talking about the music — the 24-page booklet includes a history, a discography of EDGUY and AVANTASIA, Tobias Sammet's commentary on each track, and, naturally, printed lyrics so you can sing along :). Among all the compositions, the track from the French promo single "La Marche Des Gendarmes" stands out as particularly unusual. Quite a fun one! By the way, you definitely know it — it's a very famous melody.
An excellent addition to any power metal fan's collection, with touches of classic heavy metal throughout.