German goofballs/rockers/once-elite masters of world-ruling power metal have returned with their tenth studio album, and what is no doubt a declaration as to the “state of the nation” of this beloved band. The gravity of this album is due to the negative direction of the band since their last great album way back in 2004’s Hellfire Club. In the wake of that classic, we’ve seen Edguy steadily become more and more irrelevant to the genre they invigorated as well as convert themselves into a sort of quirky butt-rock act. It’s been a tough road for the old fans.
Good news: Space Police – Defenders of the Crown is a definite shift back to more classic/good Edguy, and that is most welcome. Their mix of power metal and hard rock works on this record. The thing is, it’s a weird album. The cop from the Village People on the cover should be an indication that things are still a bit off in the Edguy camp. Riff-wise, there are some pretty furious sections indeed (as opener “Sabre & Torch” will prove, among several others). We hear some evidence of their power metal prowess throughout, and honestly this album rocks pretty damn hard.
However, it feels a bit out of sorts with itself and not cohesive. What we have are a collection of good songs, pretty much across the board. But, there are no great songs, and in search of greatness we must endure some strange selections like the White Lion worshipping “Love Tyger” and the real head-scratcher with their cover of Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus”. As we now expect with this band, one of the best songs here comes with the goofy title “Do Me Like a Caveman” and the following “Shadow Eaters” is another really good song, a worthy recommendation for an album highlight.
Without a doubt, this is nowhere in the ballpark style-wise or caliber-wise of Theater of Salvation, one of the best power metal albums of. all. time. That said, and obviously this is a different era of Edguy, and a solid and mostly welcome return to what many fans are wanting from the band.