Blind Guardian

Blind Guardian is a top-notch band out of Germany. Affectionately known as the "Bards of Metal," the band is recognized by their often fantasy-based lyrics, as well as their ferocious speed, impeccable solos, and sing-along melodies. Like Helloween, Blind Guardian is another perfect example of the power metal genre. Hansi Kursch plays bass, sings, writes the lyrics and shares the music writing with lead guitarist Andre Olbrich. Rhythm guitarist "Magnus" Armin Siepen and drummer Thomen "the Omen" Stauch round out the foursome. In pure technical skill and songwriting ability, Blind Guardian ought to be about the best band around. But somehow, they seem to lack a little in character, and that tends to make them a little uninteresting after a while. That said, they are still one of the top five bands in metal today.

Tales From the Twilight World ('91) ****
Blind Guardian had two albums before this one, but those were more speed/thrash oriented. This is the album after a major style change. It's difficult for me to write much about Blind Guardian albums because they are all very similar in style and quality. A couple songs stand out on each album though. On this one, there is "The Last Candle," the best BG song. Gamma Ray's Kai Hansen helps out on guitar. As great as the Guardians are at playing fast and heavy, their acoustic songs might even be better. The one on this album, "Lord of the Rings" is a perfect example of that. Great melody and lots of feeling put into it.

Somewhere Far Beyond ('92) ****
This is the band's least favorite album, but it's just as good as any other. Kai Hansen helps out again on "The Quest for Tanelorn," not that the band really needs his help, but it is appreciated. The acoustic track on this one is "The Bard's Song: In the Forest," which is of course excellent. They threw in some pipes in a couple of spots on this album, which help to make it a little different. There are also three CD bonus tracks, one of them a Queen cover (not so great.)

Tokyo Tales ('93) ****
This is their live album, recorded in Japan. I actually don't own the first two CDs I reviewed, because I'm not rich enough to pay $100 for four CDs. I only have this one and "Imaginations..." since "Tokyo Tales" hits all the highlights of previous Blind Guardian history. Fortunately, they play all of their best songs on this one, except for "The Last Candle." It provides a great Blind Guardian starter disc, even including three songs off their first two albums. The sound quality is pretty good, especially when the crowd is needed to do the backup singing. Hansi is kind of a fool as a frontman, but I suppose that he knows that. The final track is "Barbara Ann," (yes, Ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba ann) since Blind Guardian has a special place in their hearts for corny old songs.

Imaginations From the Other Side ('95) ****1/2
The band spent a little more time working on this album, and it shows. They have a new producer which helps to change the sound slightly. The drums are more prominent in the mix, and the music is heavier overall. Every song except for one or two are excellent on this album, whereas on previous works they'd had a lower sucess ratio. The acoustic song on this album is a little weaker than their previous ones. For those reasons, this album just misses the coveted five-star rating. The band says that they're taking a lot of time again before they release their next real studio album, because they don't want it to be a letdown from this one. They're going to have to try real hard, but they certainly have the ability within themselves.

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Questions, comments, complaints? Let me know: gregie@students.uiuc.edu