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BLIND GUARDIAN

Progressive Metal • Germany


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Blind Guardian picture
Blind Guardian biography
BLIND GUARDIAN were founded in the mid 1980s in Krefeld, Germany as an "ordinary" speed/power metal band. Beginning with their third album, "Tales from the Twilight World", they expanded their musical vocabulary and would eventually create their very own style which is still rooted in speed/power metal, but is also very orchestral and epic, with rich arrangements of guitar lines and vocals and an ever-present medieval/folky presence. Lyrically the band - or rather singer Hansi Kürsch who writes most songs and lyrics - always had a faible for fantasy stories ... "Imaginations from the Other Side" for example is - among other things - picking up elements from the King Arthur myth (Merlin, Mordred etc), and their 1998 grand opus "Nightfall in Middle-Earth" is even a concept album based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "Silmarillion". Having said all this it has to be noted that their style is not really similar to that of the genre's "top dogs" - DREAM THEATER, PAIN OF SALVATION or TOOL for example sound nothing like BLIND GUARDIAN. Maybe it's because the usual obvious "prog traits" like frequent time signature changes or exceedingly complex structure are rarely used by BLIND GUARDIAN ... this may make them a little bit difficult to accept by prog "hardliners", but it also makes them a very refreshing diversion for the more adventurous prog fans out there.



Why this artist must be listed in www.progarchives.com :
The band was cleared for addition by the prog metal team. When discussing their prog status it's important to know that they had a prog phase which mainly consists of the albums Imaginations from the Other Side, Nightfall in Middle-Earth and A Night at the Opera.



Discography:
Battalions of Fear (1988)
Follow the Blind (1989)
Tales from the Twilight World (1990)
Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)
Tokyo Tales (1993)
Imaginations from the Other Side (1995)
The Forgotten Tales (1996)
Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)
A Night at the Opera (2002)
Live (2003)
A Twist in the Myth (2003)

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BLIND GUARDIAN discography


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BLIND GUARDIAN top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.23 | 126 ratings
Battalions Of Fear
1988
2.89 | 119 ratings
Follow The Blind
1989
3.36 | 138 ratings
Tales From The Twilight World
1990
3.67 | 171 ratings
Somewhere Far Beyond
1992
3.95 | 236 ratings
Imaginations From The Other Side
1995
4.06 | 315 ratings
Nightfall In Middle-Earth
1998
3.93 | 219 ratings
A Night At The Opera
2002
3.09 | 120 ratings
A Twist In The Myth
2006
3.63 | 141 ratings
At The Edge Of Time
2010
3.69 | 62 ratings
Beyond The Red Mirror
2015
3.13 | 8 ratings
Legacy of the Dark Lands
2019
3.83 | 28 ratings
The God Machine
2022

BLIND GUARDIAN Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.49 | 39 ratings
Tokyo Tales
1993
3.68 | 43 ratings
Live
2003
3.50 | 8 ratings
Live Beyond the Spheres
2017

BLIND GUARDIAN Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.24 | 29 ratings
Imaginations Through the Looking Glass
2004

BLIND GUARDIAN Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.67 | 55 ratings
The Forgotten Tales
1996
3.88 | 16 ratings
Memories of a Time to Come
2012

BLIND GUARDIAN Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.25 | 4 ratings
Symphonies of Doom
1985
3.25 | 4 ratings
Battalions of Fear
1986
4.07 | 14 ratings
A Past and Future Secret
1995
5.00 | 1 ratings
Blind Guardian Plays Beach Boys
1996
3.41 | 13 ratings
Mr. Sandman
1996
4.50 | 2 ratings
Guardians Of The Rings
1998
4.20 | 15 ratings
Mirror Mirror
1998
3.46 | 20 ratings
And Then There Was Silence
2001
4.08 | 12 ratings
The Bard's Song (In the Forest)
2003
2.82 | 11 ratings
Fly
2006
2.74 | 14 ratings
Another Stranger Me
2007
3.12 | 14 ratings
A Voice In The Dark
2010
3.33 | 3 ratings
Twilight Of The Gods
2014

BLIND GUARDIAN Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 The God Machine by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 2022
3.83 | 28 ratings

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The God Machine
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars Celebrating almost four decades as a band, BLIND GUARDIAN has been one of the metal universe's most celebrated progressively tinged power metal bands with an amazing consistency of top notch innovation. The band has been quiet for quite a few years however with 2015's "Beyond The Red Mirror" serving as the last metal based album. The band surprised its fanbase in 2019 with the non-metal cinematic orchestral classical release "Legacy of the Dark Lands" leaving fans to ponder the next step in the band's ever-increasing move into the world of classical music.

Well fears of Hansi Kürsch steering the band into the world of musical soundtracks have been put to rest with the band's 13th album THE GOD MACHINE which finds the band once again releasing its inner beast and cranking out the symphonic power metal that made the band famous in the 1990s. This fine return to form also finds newbie bassist Johan van Stratum joining the team for a satisfying assault of the senses in pure adrenaline fueled top of the line power metal. Comparisons to the band's 90s albums ranging from "Tales From The Twilight World" to "Imaginations From The Other Side" are fairly accurate as the band has jettisoned the overly progressive complexities for a more straight forward head banging approach.

In other words it's back to the basics for BLIND GUARDIAN but with top notch songwriting and stellar vocal and musical performances, it has been easy to forget what amazing power metal powerhouses the guys in this band have been and with all excesses trimmed down to more hard-hitting directness, BLIND GUARDIAN has delivered an excellent set of nine tracks reminiscent of the 90s run only improved upon in many ways including a stellar modern production job and a reminder that these guys haven't lost all that music magic that made them the superstars they are.

THE GOD MACHINE basically delivers two styles. First there are the thrash fueled power metal tracks that blow the roof off the house including the opening "Deliver Us From Evil," "Violent Shadows" and the soul-crushing "Blood Of The Elves." Of course BLIND GUARDIAN has also been adept at crafting slower harmony led track and in this case excels with the mid-tempo rocker "Life Beyond The Spheres" and "Let It Be No More." The pacing of the album is well balanced and the dramatic intros that lead up to the power metal fury is all crafted into a perfect blend of modern vs old school power metal splendor.

Like many such retreats into past glories, THE GOD MACHINE certainly garners the criticism that the band is simply retreading that which it has done before and in that regard all is certainly true but when a band is fueling all its fiery passion and delivers the goods so compellingly well then it is indeed a welcome return to the no frills approach that has been adapted to the modern world. While not the pinnacle of BLIND GUARDIAN's discography in terms of originality, the quality of this album is absolutely astounding and for that reason i'm finding this to be quite a welcome return to form indeed although i must say that i have also been a fan of the band's more experimental moments of the last decade.

All in all these metal veterans play with the zeal of their youth of several decades ago and do so without missing a beat. True that this style of power metal is predictable and by the books in pretty much every way but when performed so well by seasoned veterans sometimes it's much preferable to eschew the progressive orchestral excesses for the sake of just rocking out. The band spent many years crafting the intricate melodies and the time spent paying attention to the details has more than paid off.

 Somewhere Far Beyond by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 1992
3.67 | 171 ratings

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Somewhere Far Beyond
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by Kempokid
Collaborator Prog Metal Team

4 stars Power metal is a genre that I've had a lot of back and forth interactions with. There have been many points in time where I've decided to give it another shot only to be met with the same reality every time, I'm just not a huge fan of it. Over time I've come to realise why I haven't completely dropped this pursuit, and the answer is pretty simple, I don't like the idea of completely dismissing a genre, but also, Blind Guardian absolutely rules. Somewhere Far Beyond marks a bit of a middle ground in in the band's style, taking from a lot of those speed metal elements from their earlier material, yet also leaning really hard into these dramatic, soaring melodies more reminiscent of regular power metal from their later era, and this is where I feel like a lot of their appeal stems from to me. This more aggressive take on the genre without abandoning the core elements of it leads to this having a certain bite to it that gives its grandiose, wonderfully excessive nature so much more impact, all while backing it up with some consistently catchy and effective songwriting.

Time What is Time kicks off the album and is one of the all time great metal songs from my perspective. The song erupts with energy very quickly after its fun acoustic intro and basically doesn't slow down at all. The way this escalates so intensely is electrifying, doing it at such a rapid pace that it hits the point of having a certain erratic quality to it, but it also knows the perfect point to peak and ground the song with the chorus, stopping it from feeling a bit too full-on. The chorus itself really seals the deal as well, it's incredibly fun, with Hansi's vocal performance bringing so much conviction to it all. While the album follows a pretty similar pattern for the most part, the majority of these songs do something distinct and interesting enough to differentiate themselves from the pack. Examples include the more consistent pacing of Theatre of Pain combined with its orchestral flourishes, the folky sounds of The Bard's Song - The Hobbit or the mournful tone of Ashes to Ashes. All of these varying directions taken contribute to Somewhere Far Beyond having a lot of personality without sacrificing any of its defining traits, the melodies remain grandiose, and the riffs remain incredible.

Despite all of what's been said, I feel that the thing that truly elevates this to something even greater is the was it can slow down once in a while without feeling like a low point in the experience. Both the Quest for Tanelorn and The Bard's Song - In the Forest are perfect pace breakers that keep the epic imagery and atmosphere going strong, both being able to pain vivid pictures of this rich, detailed fantasy world. Overall this is just a consistently great album without much of a lull in its quality, bringing in a certain aggression that makes the incredibly dramatic nature of it feel way more appealing to me. While I feel like Somewhere Far Beyond ends up being a bit long winded, with this sort of dense music all blending together a bit by the end, even with the aforementioned pace breakers alleviating this issue to a degree, I cannot deny that every song has its place here, and that Somewhere Far Beyond is an excellent showcase of Blind Guardian's talent.

 Nightfall In Middle-Earth by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 1998
4.06 | 315 ratings

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Nightfall In Middle-Earth
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by friso
Prog Reviewer

4 stars The power-metal genre has produced a few albums that could be of particular interest to progressive rock/metal listeners. 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth' is a good example. Blind Guardian, hailing from the Germany, has expanded on the groundwork laid by Helloween and continued to develop their style until this fantasy progressive folk- metal album was recorded in 1998 - based on the Silmarillion by Tolkien. Though the power-metal chops are obviously still there, the music is enriched with folklore melodies, gothic vocal chants, original twin-guitar chops (every song has multiple sections) and some strong song-writing formats. Notably, the use of the pre-chorus in the songs is extremely effective. The fantasy-world feel keeps the songs tied together and the intermissions, with both spoken word and acoustic folk interludes, add to that 'concept' feel. What makes this album a winner though, is the fact that it offers an uninterrupted flow of simply brilliant, catchy songs running up to 'The Elder'. Melodies, atmospheres, rhythm changes, the sheer energy of the vocal performances and those memorable refrains; the band surely is on fire here. I really couldn't pick a favorite.

This album was originally plagued by an awful mixing job. Flat, loud and simply to dense to listen to. In late 2018 the band released a vinyl re-release that was remixed and remastered. This vinyl record sounds a whole lot better! Even the recording of this vinyl to digital sounds way better than the original cd. Another problem I had with this album was the relative weakness of the last few tracks. This problem was also solved by the vinyl, since you can just skip the fourth side of the 2LP. This brings the album down to what it always should have been; that brilliant string of songs and interludes that last for 52 minutes - which is more than enough for me.

By restoring this album the band created - 20 years after its original recording - a really enjoyable masterpiece in a very tricky genre (fantasy inspired power-metal). In 1999 the first Demons & Wizards album was released, a collaboration of Blind Guardian and Iced Earth, which is also a warmly recommended record for listeners of this genre.

 Tokyo Tales by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Live, 1993
3.49 | 39 ratings

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Tokyo Tales
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by martindavey87

2 stars Released in 1993, 'Tokyo Tales' is the first official live album by German power metal legends Blind Guardian. Having been a long-time fan of the band, I've always swayed more towards their later, more progressive and 'epic' albums, whilst finding their earlier, speed metal days a little too repetitive for my liking.

Recorded whilst touring for 1992's 'Somewhere Far Beyond', it was at this point that the band would begin to incorporate a wider range of influences in their music and focus on concept albums, more ambitious arrangements and lavish orchestrations. However, while 'Tokyo Tales' covers pretty much all the best songs those early albums have to offer, it's still a bit too samey for my tastes.

With songs like 'Banish from Sanctuary', 'Majesty', 'Welcome to Dying' and 'Lost in the Twilight Hall', the set list is pretty good. The sound is great, and is pretty similar to the studio albums, and the audience is truly alive and loving every minute of it. But ultimately this comes down to taste. I'd rather listen to the studio counterparts of these tracks, and even then, I think I'd prefer to listen to 'Nightfall in Middle Earth' or 'A Twist in the Myth' than anything from those early albums.

 A Night At The Opera by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 2002
3.93 | 219 ratings

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A Night At The Opera
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by Lore Knowledge

2 stars Encouraged by a very succesful concept album Blind Guardian decided to go even further in the epicness. The result is far from expectations. 14 minute long piece And Then There Was Silence is boring as hell and even harmonized guitars can't help the feeling that they were out of ideas at the time. But the worst thing about this record is the production. Very intense thick sound combining simply everything they're known for at the same time as the track is running is unbearable. Even good moments lose in this battle. Almost 70 minutes of a constant noise that's what it really is. Don't listen to this album on the headphones. But if you can get past the nasty production (which is not easy) you'll hear Blind Guardian. This band, no other. Cos it's still their style.
 Nightfall In Middle-Earth by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 1998
4.06 | 315 ratings

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Nightfall In Middle-Earth
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by Lore Knowledge

5 stars 22 tracks on the record but only half of them are real songs. The rest, just short spoken word pieces nicely put into the concept. The story of eternity I should say however the tale itself is based on Tolkien's Silmarillion. Most of the songs pace around subjects like sorrow, grief and time. As ususal. If not the whole imaginery we could say that Guardians being obsessed with time are really consequent in every detail of it and.... what the hell I'll say that, Time Stands Still (at the Iron Hill), that's what it's all about. If you haven't read Tolkien that's fine, it's really not about it. It's just stuff as usual. Musically it's slightly more advanced than the previous efforts, some bits and pieces sound almost like Queen. But it's better. To me, it's the last truly great and epic album and it's been 20 years plus since. Time flies doesn't stand still. A heavy metal masterpiece. Not just power metal.
 Imaginations From The Other Side by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 1995
3.95 | 236 ratings

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Imaginations From The Other Side
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by Lore Knowledge

4 stars Technically it's not worse than the previous album. It's also probably their easiest one to get into. The harmonized guitar pattern is vastly exploited, however no further exploration is added. Lyrically the title track is their best ever, the music is complicated the same way as it was before, but because it's still pretty fresh guys don't disappoint. Hard to find a single weak song on the record. Born In A Mourning Hall may appear the weakest, I really wonder why they decided to choose it as a promo track (the video was made). Script, Another Holy War, Bright Eyes...all very good cuts. Very good album, definitely not their best one, still top notch. For the fans a must have.
 Somewhere Far Beyond by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 1992
3.67 | 171 ratings

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Somewhere Far Beyond
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by Lore Knowledge

5 stars I got this album back in 1993, a year after it was released. It was my album of the summer of '93, well the whole year actually. It was so alluring from the start, I remember listening to Time What is Time while going on a vacation, the magic was in the air. Good old days of innocence. It's still my favourite Guardian track of all time. I love everything about it. Every single part, the heavy, the gentle one. Other songs are great too and not always in the same vein. For example Black Chamber is a soft short ballad while Theatre of Pain orchestrates in more traditional metal way. Two-part epic Bard's Song (In the Forest and The Hobbit) tell the story of grief and pain. Title track an epic journey into the beyond is also pretty fascinating. And if you think that bagpipes don't fit in metal you definitely put no faith in the beyond. Beyond just metal. A masterpiece.
 Tales From The Twilight World by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 1990
3.36 | 138 ratings

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Tales From The Twilight World
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by Lore Knowledge

4 stars The third Blind Guardian album finally opens the gate. It's not just the album cover, it's most of all the music. The first track is called Traveler in Time and it introduces us to the Guardian's time obsession. Yes, they will do a lot of that in the future. It's so Guardianish, even the harmonized riffs cut clean like there's one and only Krefeld power metal machine. Kai Hansen appears in the songs Lost In The Twilight Hall (singing) and Last Candle (guitar solo) but it doesn't really matter, cos BG finally got to the point they could easily say: we've found our own style. Welcome to Dying, Goodbye My Friends, Tommyknockers...all very good tracks. A power metal classic.
 Follow The Blind by BLIND GUARDIAN album cover Studio Album, 1989
2.89 | 119 ratings

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Follow The Blind
Blind Guardian Progressive Metal

Review by Lore Knowledge

3 stars 30 years ago Blind Guardian released their second album. More thrashy than the previous one but there's more important thing about this record. Song Banish from Sanctuary is fully shaped in Guardian style. This is where the journey begins. Listen to the chorus, "the darkness in me is filling me with pain". The rest of the album is mostly good or very good. Valhalla is a great song featuring Kai Hansen (ex Helloween, Gamma Ray) on vocals. The whole effort isn't as much Helloweenish as their debut though. They gained more self consciousness yet this is still far from perfection. Obviously a good album, great in some places. Luckily there was more to come.
Thanks to MikeEnRegalia for the artist addition. and to E&O Team for the last updates

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