Overall this is an excellent and hugely enjoyable follow up to '...Joker'.
German Rockers Edguy are back with 'Space Police - Defenders Of The Crown', their tenth album in a now twenty year career. They have always been a bit of a Power Metal/Hard Rock crossover with styles varying from album to album, but this latest offering covers both bases with style and class. 2011's 'Age of the Joker' was the bands most successful album across Europe and with 'Space Police...' they have surely come up with the goods to further top that.
'Sabre And Torch' bursts the album into life with a frenetic opener. Felix Bohnke's double bass drums driving the pace along with the cut and thrust of the guitars, riffing and combining with the ease of Judas Priest at their best. First part of the title tracks 'Space Police' is sedate by comparison, more in Hard Rock territory, complete with keyboards from Tobias Sammet supplying a touch of texture and melody along with the some science fiction style sound effects. The power is turned straight back on though with second half of the title 'Defenders Of The Crown' another fiery attack and impressive vocal range from Sammet.
Edguy have never been a band that takes themselves too seriously and this time round we get the gloriously titled (if not exactly subtle) 'Do Me Like A Caveman'. Although to be fair, musically it is one of the more subtle songs on show with a quiet, melodic verse section before those guitars come pounding in at the chorus. Perhaps bizarrely, and more surprising effective, we also get a Heavy Metal cover of Falco's 1980s Pop classic 'Rock Me Amadeus'. Although it has been covered by Rock bands before, Edguy's screeching guitars and Metal rapping make the song a strangely interesting experience that is not out of place due to the album's diversity. Full speed Power Metal is back on show with the excellent 'Shadow Eaters' before 'Alone In Myself' and 'The Eternal Wayfarer' bring the album to a close in Hard Rock mode.
Overall this is an excellent and hugely enjoyable follow up to '...Joker'. With a stable line up for an impressive sixteen years, Edguy show that longevity doesn't necessarily lead to repetition and staleness. There's an enthusiasm and energy throughout the album, supported by a clear and dynamic production that deserves to see their popularity continue to grow. Let's be honest, after twenty years in the business, it's unlikely that 'Space Police – Defenders Of The Crown' is now going to catapult Edguy onto the major world arena stage, but they should certainly be very proud of this album and would give any headliners a run for their money if they can pick up a top support slot.
Ian Parry
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