One of the leaders of modern German
metal, Blind Guardian has been on the scene since mid-80s, and is
known well for the powerful voice of Hansi Kursch, great orchestral
arrangements, and dungeons-and-dragons lyrics. A great blend of
power metal, thrash metal, orchestral metal, and folk metal. Their
first works "Battalions Of Fear" (1988) and "Follow The Blind"
(1989) were heavily influenced by Helloween, but the
band soon developed a unique style, which has, in turn, influenced a
number of bands in the 90s (such as Rhapsody and
Nocturnal Rites). "Tales Of The Twilight World" (1991) is usually
named as their breakthrough album, which was followed by "Somewhere
Far Beyond" (1992), "Imaginations From The Other Side"
(1995), their first rock opera "Nightfall In Middle Earth"
(1998), based on "Silmarillion" by Tolkien, and finally "A Night At
The Opera" (2002). Their line-up remained the same throughout the
years and always included Kursch (vocals, bass), Andre Olbrich (lead
guitars), Marcus Siepen (rhythm guitars), and Thomas "The Omen"
Stauch (drums). Blind Guardian are good friends with just about
every metal band in Europe and the States, and all musicians readily
participate in many side projects (Stauch played with Iron Savior
, Kursch guest-starred with Iron Savior, Edguy, Therion, Angraand finally joined
forces with Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth in a project called "Demons & Wizards"). After "ANATO" Stauch left the band to help
form Savage Circus. This did not derail the band, and, after a
few years, "A Twist In The Myth" (2006) was finally released.
BATTALIONS OF FEAR (1988)
RATING: ***1/2
BEST SONGS: "Majesty," "Guardian Of The Blind," "Run For The
Night"
Pretty much a Helloween Walls Of Jericho
ripoff, this debut shows
humble beginnings of these future stars. This is speed metal by the
numbers. The only places where Blind Guardian displaces traces of
originality are the occasional clear-sung melodic choruses, like in
in the "best songs" above: "Oooh, Majesty!," "Guardian, guardian,
guardian of the blind," "Run for the night, burn away," as well as
the thrashier "Battalions of fear, they search and scream for the
American dream" chorus. Btw, the title track is interesting in its
anti-Reagan passionate delivery. Hansi Kursch is not yet in full
control of his throat, only giving us glimpses of what will make him
famous a few years down the line. Same with Andre Olbrich, with his
trademark melodic runs very sparse. A good illustration to what I am
talking about is the fact that "Run For The Night" is one of the
highlights here, yet it nearly always gets a skip on Tales Of The
Twilight World, where it's a bonus track. One thing I seriously
cannot believe is that out of nine tracks, three are instrumentals.
And not particularly memorable ones at that, except, maybe
"Gandalf's Return." The sound is decent for the 80s debut, but, of
course, far from their mid-90s lavish productions. Anyway, it's a
start for the band, ok?
TALES OF THE TWILIGHT WORLD
(1991)
RATING: ****1/2
BEST SONGS: "Traveler In Time," "Lord Of The Rings," "Last
Candle"
Guardian's first three albums are
all a lot like early Helloween, good, but
not very original. TOFTW marks the change in their creativity and demonstrates the process
of forging their current uniqueness. It is still a lot like Helloween
-- heavy and fast, with significantly less melody than in future releases. I
like the production too: it's both powerful and elegant. I must also
mention Guardian's passion for tempo and riff changes, which, IMHO,
relates it to thrash, and it's especially noticeable on this album.
My favorite songs are: "Traveler In Time" (killer chorus and the
"Dune"-inspiried lyrics), "Welcome To Dying" (same), "Lord Of The
Rings," and "Lost In The Twilight Hall" (overall very nice). "The
Last Candle" I have heard a lot about, prior to obtaining this
album, and I used to wonder why, not seeing anything special about
it. Soon enough I *got* it. The chorus to this song, "Somebody's out
in the night..." is absolutely spectacular: probably the best chorus
from the band that later became known for delivering great choruses.
Still, this one just about tops them all, in both melody and
tremendous optimism. Good album for all fans of power
metal.
SOMEWHERE FAR BEYOND (1992)
RATING: *****
BEST SONGS: "Journey Through The Dark," "Theater Of Pain,"
"Bard's Song -- In The Forest"/"Bard's Song -- The
Hobbit"
The great thing about this album is that different people like
different songs on it. In some reviews you might read that "Time
What Is Time" is the greatest song; some prefer "Quest For
Tamelorn"; my cousin loves "Trial By Fire." I personally think that
every song is above average, with the three above (I count both
"Bard's Songs" as one) being true masterpieces, each in its special
way. "Journey Through The Dark" is a terrific speed metal power
blast, "Theater Of Pain" recalls Savatage at its best, and "Bard's Song -- In The Forest" is one of the prettiest songs ever written. The
problem with these is that their ingenuity makes the rest of the
album's material look somewhat less appealing. Viewed on their own
merit, however, they are all good. "Time What Is Time," "Ashes To
Ashes" (this one IMHO is quite weak, but still listenable), cover
song "Trial By Fire" are all fast pieces. "Quest For Tamelorn,"
featuring Kai
Hansen's lead guitar (and Kai Hansen himself, of
course), and the title track are both solid rockers. Title track is
a decent epic song (I only hate the intro bagpipes). Cover of
Queen's "Spread Your Wings" is also bearable, and "Theater Of Pain"
orchestral remix makes me scratch my head, because it sounds just
like the original, and I don't notice anything different. Great
production by Kalle Trapp (and, unfortunately, this was his final
work with the band), and a great overall album.
IMAGINATIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE
(1995)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: title track, "Past And Future Secret," "Bright
Eyes"
For this album, Blind Guardian replaced their producer Kalle
Trapp with Flemming Rasmussen of Metallica mid-period fame. I think it
was a big mistake. Most of BG's early "crispiness" is gone, and the
sound became more dull. The songs are still pretty darn good. 7
minute title track opens the album in a grandeur way, followed by
thrashy "I'm Alive." "A Past And Future Secret" continues the
demonstration of why Blind Guardian is often called "bard metal":
its medieval sound is simply incredible. "Mordred's Song" is also in
the same vain: BG takes the side of the famous anti-hero of
Arthurian legends. "Bright Eyes" (good video), "Another Holy War,"
and "The Story Ends" are all strong works, and "Born In The Mourning
Hall" is a top notch power blast. Probably a good album to start
your Guardian collection, even though I still prefer
"SFB."
NIGHTFALL ON MIDDLE EARTH (1998)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: "Mirror Mirror," "Noldor (Dead Winter Reign)," "Time
Stand Still (On The Iron Hill)"
I have not read "Silmarillion" by Tolkien
(I'm still currently struggling with "The Fellowship Of The Ring"),
so I am not sure what the concept is (it's written in German), but
it's the usual BG stuff: dragons, dwarfs, elfs, evil kings, etc. The
album's material is very good: the lyrics are neat, the music is
catchy, and musicianship is all there. But it does have a few bugs
that bring the rating down. First and foremost, it is the
production. They're working with Flemming Rasmussen again, and I can't help but scream: "What are you guys
thinking?!" The instruments are overshadowing each other, guitars
are weak, Kursch's voice is not up to the full potential (and it's
not Hansi's fault: all vocal chords are perfect, but the sound is
just weak!), and the overall heaviness is just not there! Drums are
OK, though. Another thing is the presence of what I call "Mercyful Fate Syndrome": an attempt to stick too much good
stuff into one song, which results in the opposite effect. Some
songs have absolutely great parts, which are not repeated again
("Mirror Mirror" has a great intro melody, which is also repeated in
the "Lord of water spoke..." pre-chorus, but it doesn't show up
anywhere else, which is a pity"; "A Dark Passage" has one terrific
theme that isn't repeated, etc.), and this is annoying. Very few
songs have your usual verse / pre-chorus / chorus / bridge
structure, which can be both a good and a bad thing. Now, for the
good side. The album has 11 songs and 11 short intermezzos. There
are plenty of great melodies and a bunch of excellent background
vocals and multi-vocal acappella parts, almost on the level of
Savatage. "Into The Storm" is a great fast track, but this album is
not big on speed. But, for the most part, it is folk metal at its
best: "Nightfall," "Noldor" (a more traditional approach, and what a
great sad tune it is!), "Time Stands Still" (a more positive song),
"When Sorrow Sang" are all great emotional tracks. As a matter of
fact, most of the material is in minor keys and predominantly sad.
"Mirror Mirror" is a marvelous piece, with melody, speedy and slow
parts, and overall great arrangements. I think the album becomes a
little monotonous to the end, but the final "Dark Passage" is a
great song. In this age of demise of prog metal, this album is
definitely a finding.
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (2002)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: "Battlefield," "The Maiden and The Minstrel Knight,"
"And Then There Was Silence"
It took some time for this album to sink in,
and even though I enjoy it more than before, this is still not quite
a masterpiece. Mostly due to the lack of clear highlights, along the
lines of "Traveler In Time," "Last Candle," "Theatre Of Pain,"
"Bard's Song," and "Noldor." The song that clicked with me the
fastest was "Maiden and Minstrel." Emotions in Hansi's voice, both
sad and victorious, make this song a true love anthem. 14-minute
long epic "And Then There Was Silence" is indeed a majestic piece,
worthy of sounding off of the opera stage, as it truly showcases the
grandeur of this great band and epitomizes the fusion of opera and
metal in the art of Blind Guardian. But the majority of the songs
blend together a little too much. Before I go further into the songs
themselves, let me mention the production. Charlie Bauerfeind (who
also worked on Helloween's Dark Ride, alongside Roy Z) does a
significantly better job than Rasmussen did on NIME. It is cleaner,
heavier, and less smeared than before. Nevertheless, it's still not
on the level of their early 90s masterpieces of Kalle Trapp. 140
tracks used on Hansi's vocals alone sometimes make him sound like he
is singing from a cocktail blender. And a strange thing: while
sometimes I dig the sound, at other times, it sounds like the most
overproduced and polished album in history. One thing for sure, this
is a definite improvement over NIME. I must mention that drums of
Thomen Stauch are absolutely perfect. Perfectly played and recorded,
with outstanding fills, they make him an early candidate for the
drummer of the year title. As for guitars, I could use more solos,
they're very sporadic and mostly played in the background. Now for
the songs. They're indeed catchy, but don't quite raise to the
"extreme catchiness" level of previous works. "Precious Jerusalem"
has some Middle-Eastern overtones, the tempo is shifting back and
forth, as it is becoming mandatory in just about every BG song.
"Battlefield" is more Celtic in nature; it would fit well on NIME
(reminds me of "Mirror Mirror" in places), only the production is
better. "Under The Ice" and "Wait For The Answer" both start nicely,
but quickly become too sweet and polished for their own good, plus
"Answer" is just boring. "Sadly Sings Destiny" is an up-tempo song
about Christ, very cool, although, for some reason, it makes me
think of Iced Earth (according to Lockart's Exchange Principle, two
surfaces that meet always exchange particles). I already talked
about "Maiden," it is simply a great folk love song, the way it was
sung in fairy tales. "Soulforged" is based on the fantasy series
"Dragonlance," and it's one of the more aggressive songs on the
album; pretty cool. "Age Of False Innocence" is a great emotional
song, telling the tale of Galileo and his woes. "Punishment Divine"
is also on the aggressive side (especially in the beginning). So,
where does all of this leave you, the listener? Like I said, it's a
good album. Ambitious, extremely well-played, and innovative. If you
like heavy prog with folk over-the-top arrangements, then you are
absolutely gonna love it. Me? I like it a great deal, but I am still
longing for the straight ahead ass-kicking that we haven't witnessed
from the Guardians since the early 90s.
A TWIST IN THE MYTH (2006)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: “Turn The Page,” “Another Stranger Me,” “Skalds And Shadows”
While definitely not an instant gratifier, ATITM can provide some true enjoyment for anyone willing to take the time and listen. It took me about a dozen spins before it started to sink in. This is the most complicated work to come out of the Blind Guardian camp. Without looking at the lyrics, I am hard-pressed to find verses and choruses. The only thing that separates this type of music from classic progressive metal is the absence of lengthy instrumental passages. Instead, there is a barrage of harmonies, tempo changes, and, most importantly, vocal melodies – changing, shifting, Proteic. Kursch and Co. are obviously not concerned with such trivial matters as memorability, catchiness, and coherence of the melodies (although some of them are indeed catchy): they simply try to cram as many as possible into the duration of the album. The sound is near perfect: this is the best production and sound I have ever heard from BG; it’s even better than Somewhere Far Beyond. It’s not over-polished and glossy, and not too raw either; near perfect. Time is taking a toll on Hansi’s voice, but he is still one of the best at what he does. As far as material goes, it pretty much recalls the band’s entire career, sans the first three albums: from SFB to ANATO, plus some Demons & Wizards as well. If you only like one particular album from BG, ATITM is probably not for you, but if you like all of them to some degree, then you will probably like it more.
The opening “This Will Never End” and “Fly” both feel like they have been written for the second D&W album, although they are actually stronger than most of the material there. The most prominent rocking moment on the album comes in the form of “Another Stranger Me,” which would feel right at home on IFTOS. But it’s the melodies that made Blind Guardian Blind Guardian, and there are plenty of good ones here. “Turn The Page” and “Carry The Blessed Home” have several excellent Celtic melodies. The album’s best moment, IMO, comes in the second half of “Straight Through The Mirror” (which also boasts one of the lengthier guitar solos), as Hansi delivers one of the best vocal hooks ever (“I’m coming down to you again…”), equal only to the one in the first half of “Mirror, Mirror” from NIME (“The lord of the water spoke…”). Unfortunately, just like in “Mirror, Mirror,” this theme appears only once, for a brief moment, never to be heard again. A bloody shame. “Skalds And Shadows” continues the proud tradition of folk metal masterpieces (“A Bard’s Song,” “Past & Future Secret,” “Maiden And Minstrel Knight”). The rest of the songs are more or less fillers. To sum it up: while the album has some amazing moments, its mish-mashing-ness plays against it to the point that when the cd is done playing, I’m having a hard time remembering a single note. Which is a pity, because, with more focus, this cd could have been one of the year’s best.
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