On disc: Blind Guardian

 
- Imagination From The Other Side
 
- Volker Raabe -
 
 


 
- The Forgotten Tales
 
- Volker Raabe -
 
 


 
- A Night At The Opera
 
- Jörg Petersen -
 
 


 
- A Twist In The Myth
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 

A Twist In The Myth

(Nuclear Blast - 2006)



 
 

 

Since Blind Guardian released their last studio album 4 years passed by. They did a live album and a DVD and now they are back with some new studio work. Awhile ago their gave with Fly an appitizer and made fans longing for more. The album opener is called This Will Never End and starts with heavy guitar riffing and pounding drums. Heavy and fast. Drummer Fredrik Ehmke is doing a good job here, he's forcing them to go fast, even if this one has parts which are more mid-tempo. Producer Charlie Bauernfeind did a superb job and found a balance between fast riffing and the melodic vocal lines here. A catchy up-tempo track which still has the Blind Guardian sound trademarks. Less bombastic this album starts - and personally I hope they keep this way. Followed by Otherland it shows Hansi Kürsch more emotional then in the past and less bombastic. More guitar-driven. More modern. Turn The Page has some folk elements, but is still heavy. Here Hansi Kürsch sings about the Wicca cult and so the folk elements fit perfectly. Blind Guardian fans will know Fly and Skalds & Shadows from the single, so I won't go into detail here. A video clip is planned for Another Stranger Me and this songs shows the new Blind Guardian. The song is based on the guitar riffings and at the beginning the lyrics are a bit creepy. But then they speed up and get more powerful. Speed changes and twists will surprise you. Also Hansi's vocals are vary more. In a way they are more progressive, at least innovative - talking about Blind Guardian. Beside Another Stranger Me I would recommend the opening track This Will Never End and Lionheart as my personal highlights. To get an idea about the new sound you might also check out The New Order. On this one Hansi's vocals are more intense, more emotional and better then ever.

It ain't easy to describe this album, coz they are so different and still the same. As they showed on the single Fly the German Tolkien fans decided to change. A Night At The Opera was too bombastic. They overdid it. For me A Night At The Opera was too profuse and I did expect something similar this time. Thanks for this album! It's different, but still has the typical Blind Guardian sound. It seems that opening up to other lyrical worlds and a change at the drums been healthy for the band. They sound fresh and modern. This album should fullfil the expectations of Blind Guardian fans, even if it might take a bit longer to get into it. If you give it a few spins, it'll grow!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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A Night At The Opera

(Virgin - 2002)



 
 

 

The Tolkien fans from Krefeld created their own sound, but got more and more bombastic through the years. That Blind Guardian need years to release a new album is something the fans got used to. Even if there are some songs I really like, I never been a die-hard Blind Guardian fan. Their last release Nightfall In Middle-Earth about Tolkien's Silmarillion was a good album - don't shoot me, that's my opinion. Mainman Hansi Kürsch and his mates always wrote great, catchy hooks, but also got more complex with every release and so they did with A Night At The Opera. Perhaps that's my problem with their nowadays sound. I prefer their early works where they sound a bit more raw and at times where they were less complex and bombastic. I always liked their combination of power / speed metal with folk elements and mediaevil sounds. They created a unique sound years ago. It seems their aim not to repeat themselves and so they try new things. Some songs have a more rock vibe and show their admiration for Queen like Wait For An Answer. Others are heavier, but still bombastic. Lyrically they don't deal with Tolkien this time. Will they leave Mr. Tolkien behind? Are they on their way to new shores? Surely this album will find it's own place between their other releases, but it needs time to grow. I know that for many fans Nightfall In Middle-Earth is their best release so far - and I doubt this one can top it one day - I think they were best at the mid-90's. Call me backdated, if you want. This is a decent album, but not what I hoped for.
 
 










Jörg Petersen
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)

  
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The Forgotten Tales

(Virgin - 1996)



 
 

 

First, I have no idea what is meant with 'Forgotten'?!?! Reality is that there are 2 new cover versions on this disc. One is To France which is an older track of Mike Oldfield and the other is Surfin' USA of Beach Boys. The cover tune Mr. Sandman was on the advance mini-CD and is nothing new. Beside that there are overdone versions of A Past And Future Secret, The Bard's Song, Lord Of The Ring and Black Chamber. Additionally there are acoustic versions of Bright Eyes and Mordred's Song and an orchestral version of Theatre Of Pain. The other cover versions are already known and been released on previous albums, but this versions sound slightly different and document the band they are in 1996.

This CD could have been released as a special edition for die-hard fans as a bonus of the next studio album....
 
 






Volker Raabe
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)

  
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Imagination From The Other Side

(Virgin - 1995)



 
 

 

Finally the new and long-awaited album of Germany's most popular metal band Blind Guardian is in the stores. The developing the band from Krefeld made is audible in every of the 9 tracks. The killer production of Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica) do it's part to make this a masterpiece. The double bass drumming based melodic speed metal with folk and orchestral elements make this album interesting and a must buy! The 4 previous studio releases and the fantastic live album Tokyo Tales build the foundation for the band from Krefeld and so Imagination From The Other Side should be their entry to the premier league.

Actually this album should get the highest rating, but for A Past And Future Secret I have to subtract one point.
 
 










Volker Raabe
Claudia Ehrhardt

  
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