NIGHTFALL IN MIDDLE-EARTH

This album is not really a prog album, but rather a power metal album. Either way, Blind Guardian is one of my favorite groups, and I don't believe that the band has released a bad album.

This is a concept album that tells the story of the Silmarillion by Tolkien. The album features 22 tracks, about half of which are interludes to help the flow of the story. The music is very bombastic, featuring overlayered vocals (using Freddie Mercury's technique) and some background symphonic music that's characteristic of the genre.

Many of the tracks on the album do an excellent job of telling the story, but I cannot listen to all 22 tracks, mostly because of the interludes. While nearly all of the songs are individually good, and while there are excellent transitions in the story, I cannot listen to the album all at once. The interludes are a little annoying, and I feel that they are a little unnecessary to tell the story.

Standout tracks include Mirror Mirror, Time Stands Still, and When Sorrow Sang.