Blind Guardian - 10th studio album - Twilight of the Gods
- Thread starter Power_Metal_Dom
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It's about time.....I have been waiting for years for a new album to come out from Blind guardian. Their album output isn't as consistent as it is with other power metal bands but when they do release something, it always sounds great.
1928
Jack Nippleson
- May 13, 2007
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Wish they'd put out music more regularly than every 4 years. At the End of Time was okay but definitely not worthy of a 4 year wait. They raised hype for that album just like they're doing with this single so I'm kinda keeping expectations low. But At the Edge of Time was a step in the right direction after A Twist in the Myth so I'm still looking forward to it.
Hope to see them on tour again soon. They last hit the US 4 years ago this month and it feels like forever ago. Can't wait to see them again.
Hope to see them on tour again soon. They last hit the US 4 years ago this month and it feels like forever ago. Can't wait to see them again.
That's exactly why I'm also keeping my expectations low as well. With Blind Guardian though it can't really be that much of a disappointment because they're a veteran power metal band, but smaller bands really tend to be hyperactive and tend to try to make everybody keen about their upcoming album so they'll buy it, but then after it was released and everything nobody's as excited about it as they were before an album's release. It's a generic trick that I've been aware of and seen it occurring many times. Just like a TV commercial, but in a music form.
Oh damn we're gonna come to blows over this Nippleson! I thought AtEoT was a work of consummate genius. Easily topped my best of 2010 by a light year or two. For my money they're going to have a hard time topping that if anything.
I agree that AteoT was good, but genius....Hard for me to say that. I'm personally more attracted to their first 3 albums still, became power metal classic's to me. Some of their albums took a really boring progressive direction IMO afterwards.
Kingface
Member
I think prior albums are more genius and PM landmarks. Nightfall is still my fave. Night at the Opera too.
Agreed. AtEoT is bloody excellent. And it's best not to pay to much attention to the hype. I only want to know when the album is out and when they're next playing London. Also I don't mind the wait between albums. For one thing I have plenty to keep me occupied while I wait. For another thing I'm probably the only BG fan who isn't that keen on the pre-Nightfall in Middle Earth material. The quality of their music improved when they started taking their time with their songwriting.
maybe I'm just more into the faster stuff, not the orchestral stuff. I liked how they combined elements of thrash metal with power metal on their first 3 or so. From about, I'd say Nightfall and beyond they changed into that orchestral direction that I didn't really like. But somehow I really like AteoT still, because it has interesting tunes on it. They added a nice vibe to the tunes on that one.
BG started off speed metal went to pure power metal and is now symphonic power metal. All the while retaining elements that make their sound unique. Love it! 
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Jack Nippleson
- May 13, 2007
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Ehhh. I'm in the camp that much prefers Imaginations-era-and-earlier BG to anything after. Nightfall imo is one of the most overrated metal albums ever and the last two have been okay but not up to snuff for BG to my ears
I'm in that same camp too, and yes I agree about Nightfall being overrated. Adding more elements and orchestrals to music is fine, but I think they've exaggerated it on that one as well as on A night at the opera. It got slightly better from A twist in the myth but still too exaggerated to be worth a listen to me.Ehhh. I'm in the camp that much prefers Imaginations-era-and-earlier BG to anything after. Nightfall imo is one of the most overrated metal albums ever and the last two have been okay but not up to snuff for BG to my ears
Take Rhapsody of Fire for example, they add so many of these elements into their symphonic music yet it doesn't come across as exaggerated becuse they do it in a proper way that makes it sound fantastic. BG should have sticked to their late 80's-early 90's sound, and not change it.
Every man and his dog seems to be in the camp that prefers the pre-Nightfall albums. I know what they all say about opinions and arseholes, but I swear most BG fans think they have to say they prefer the first 5 albums to get more metal street-cred, or something. To me they sound like mediocre speed-thrash metal, with some good guitar work here and there. Hansi Kursch is one of my favourite singers, but on those early albums he sounds bloody awful. He did gradually improve as the albums go on, but he didn't come good until Nightfall, much like BGs music. From NiME onwards, they sound bloody awesome.
This reminds me of Metallica, very similar case. it is mostly separated by pre-black album and post-black album fans, and the pre- ones seem to be larger than the post ones because nobody really liked albums like St. Anger and Death Magnetic, but honestly I do. I didn't like James' voice on the first albums, and just like you think BG sounds awesome from NiME onwards, I think metallica sounds awesome from Load onwards. We're all retaining that right of loving what we love, and to be honest I'd never say I like a certain thing just to come across as street-cred or anything like that. The way BG changed their musical direction is very similar to the way metallica did the same thing, and surprisingly on more or less around the same time(Both bands switched directions during the 90's).
If what you like is post-Nightfall BG, then listen to that and have fun. I can realize why, and I can also realize why there is a pre-Nightfall and a post-Nightfall fanbase separation with BG. The reason why is in our face's, to be honest.
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Jack Nippleson
- May 13, 2007
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Way late on responding to this. Oops! For me it has nothing to do with metal cred or anything like that, I genuinely think they had more balls and chunk in the old days. I also prefer Hansi's early voice, not unlike how I prefer James Hetfield's Ride the Lightning-era voice to anything after the Black Album.
I've spun the new album Beyond the Red Mirror a few times and it invokes strong memories of A Night at the Opera more than Imaginations From the Other Side. Right now I'm not sure where it falls. It's such a dense album but a lot of the moments in the songs blend together and it's hard for me to identify each track because there seems to be a lot of meandering about. That's what I dislike about Blind Guardian's music over the last nearly 20 years. They have great metal moments and great choruses and melodies but in the verses there is so much going on and the melody never seems to stay rigid because the vocals are going everywhere. I feel like there's too much of Hansi's soft crooning and not enough of that powerful scream of his, which is why Tanelorn is one of my favorite songs on the last album. That's just a vicious tune but I don't hear anything like that on Beyond the Red Mirror.
(My favorite BG song ever is The Script For My Requiem. The fury and energy of Hansi's singing in that song is so good. "Still I hear the scream of thousands; CRUCIFY! CRUCIFY!!")
The first song has really grown on me, that's the first one I've been able to digest thoroughly. Love the choirs, the electronic drums, the only thing I'm not crazy about are the lyrics. I have no idea what the hell the 'ninth wave' is supposed to be or why they're singing specifically about the 'fifth dimension' - to my ears it sounds so bland and cliché, I expected more from BG. Though to be fair I have not actually sat down and read the booklet.
The album feels like there's way too much plodding around midtempo songs and not enough speed. The songs are very well written and have a lot of depth but they also embody what I don't like about Blind Guardian - meandering melodies, too much orchestration (I can't imagine very many of these being played live ever, at least beyond their next tour), not enough all-out metal.
I also have never been a fan of Andre's wah and how he always has to fiddle around with a melodic lick under everything. It's one of my only gripes with And Then There Was Silence and it's been a peeve of mine since the Nightfall days.
I might be too harsh. I'm a big Blind Guardian fan, I just think they were at their best when they were releasing albums at a faster clip and focusing more on balls-to-the-wall metal while keeping the orchestral shenanigans reined in. Their songs these days feel too bloated, too layered in orchestrations and vocals, and probably explains why the one time I got to see them (in 2010) almost their entire set consisted of Imaginations and earlier stuff. They played ATTWS, Fly, and A Voice In The Dark but I think that was it for newer stuff.
I'm rambling at this point so yeah, those are my initial thoughts. Going to continue listening to it though. There is some really good material here, I just think some songs could benefit by being several minutes shorter.
Speaking briefly and generally:
- The band seemed to get its teeth stuck into orchestration with At The Edge of Time and this album feels like they're indulging in another hit (so if you came because you love some speed metal you're going to be left underfed). It feels like a continuation of that and while very impressive for the most part I get the feeling it doesn't quite live up to the symphonic compositions of the previous album.
- I genuinely think Hansi sounds better on this album. It's a feature of his unique vocals that he can use a hoarse-screeching sound (see Wheel of Time) characteristic of his earlier work which seems downplayed on this album in favour of a fuller voice, confident in hitting the higher range consistently and cleanly.
- It's a concept album which means it's less schizophrenic in themes than the last album and while I think this means it suffers a tiny bit in lack of experimentation I do think each track gives enough variety that a listen-through doesn't blur into one.
- I can't comment much on narrative but I love that Sacred Mind references Kubla Khan by Coleridge.
- The token ballad, Miracle Machine, is beautiful.
- The grand finale is epic but for my money does not unseat Wheel of Time or And Then There Was Silence but it is, on its own merits, magnificent nonetheless.
- I don't really understand the criticism on production. While something does seem lacking in comparison I don't think it's awful and neither do I find it distracting enough to warrant mention. But *shrug* I'm no audiophile and I don't have the best, most expensive setup.
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