IMAGINATIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE

Clearly supasing the previous (but still very good) Somewhere Far Beyond, the band released their hardest album to date (it's still their most outrageous one...), with a lot of intrincated passages, and a lofty guitar work... The typical Blind Guardian's guitar sound started in some songs from Tales from the Twilight World, it was expanded in Somewhere Far Beyond, and here it was totally perfectionated.

Because in Imaginations from the Other Side we have a consolidated band. This great guitar sound and doubled guitar harmonies are the band's trademark, like the unique Hansi's voice... So in this album we have finally a Blind Guardian's album wich sounds just to Blind Guardian. Far are the times of the typical speed metal of the beginnings, and the obvious influences in Somewhere far Beyond... On Imaginations we have only this personal metal made by this germans. Speed riffing, long instrumental sections, medieval harmonies, lyrics about mithology and fantasy... Just Blind Guardian!

Being their hardest band's album, the keyboards are in a second place... They give the music a lot of textures and depth, but always in the shadows. The protagonists of the album are the incredible Olbrich and Siepen's guitars, and the broken Hansi's voice. So being this album very rich musically, I think it's a bit repetitive after a lot of listenings anyway... This is the only fact I think it's under the later Nightfall in Middle Earth, because this posterior effort is more variated. But in terms of quality, like I said, Imaginatios from the Other Side is still the best Blind Guardian's album.

Best Tracks: this album is short, so it has really no fillers... All the tracks are really impressive (although the hardest ones are not very different between them...) But my favourites are the tittle song (a very strong opening...), I'm Alive (I specially love the chorus...), Mordred's Song (maybe the best guitar harmonies of the album...) and And the Story Ends (an epic farewell...)

Conclusion: of all the amount of metal albums made by german bands through the 90's, Imaginations from the Other Side is undoubtly one of the best... It's powerful, it's progressive, and it's technically awesome. The four musicians were in top form, and they clearly surpased their previous efforts with this unique mixture between speed metal, power metal, medieval music and some classic heavy. So I recommend this album to every metal fan, both prog lovers or not. If you are into this kind of music, you'll surely enjoy this jewel called Imaginatios from the Other Side.

My rating: ****

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