- Nov 24, 2002
- 14,104
- 156
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I just downloaded a promo of "A Twist In The Myth", quality is good but has voiceovers (obviously designed for radio). In anycase was a cheap, easy way to review this one before it's release.
'This Will Never End': great opener, starts fast and pounding with a nice scream by Hansi. The song goes along the SFB or IFTOS era music, a bit less thrashy but very heavy and full, not to forget fast and pounding.
'Otherland': complete change, it starts very soft and melodic, I hear lots of textures intertwined. Very atypical BG song and at the same time the choruses and harmonies remind you of what the band is about. Part sounds like something out of ANATO, part like something of D&W, but at the same time has something unlike anyhting form the band before. On the other hand has nothing of happy metal ala newer Helloween, nor a bit of mallcore (for anyone's relief).
'Turn The Page': great vocal harmonies again, a bit of minstrel vibe in the back while rich choruses fill the song. Heavy but mid-tempo, the guitar work is great, and the changes in the song definitively reminds me of the prog way Uriah Heep made some of their songs.
'Fly': the song who gave fear to many upon the listening of the single sounds as good to me as it was there. I can't find a single hint of weakness or selling out on this one, the music is waht I do expect: heavy, pounding, fast and/or mid-tempo, with great guitar work and powerful vocals.
'Carry The Blessed Home': another atypical song IMO, starts like a very melodic ballad, but not in the folk way of some softer song of the band. The use of a bagpipe (I guess) gives nevertheless a great vibe to the song and the song is never cheesy like so many power metal ballads. Love the guitar work, reminds so much I'm listening to a metal band and not some newer crap that reassures my spirit.
'Another Stranger Me': this one starts the most Helloween alike song and even so never falls into the realm of happy power, shows definitively the newer side of the band.
'Straight Through The Mirror': the band choose a formula for this album and none of the songs truly deviate for it, beig this one another example. The drumming is fast, the vocal harmonies full, the guitar work typical of the band
and has grown IMO especially on the soloing.
'Lionheart': definitively not the Saxon or Astral Doors song
This one is less epic, less straightforward metal. Like the rest of the album is a collection of vocal harmonies upon layers of energetic drumming and guitar playing, some oriental melodies and folk resonance found its way into the song too.
'Skald And Shadows': the album version of this song does get back to the vibe of The Bard's Song- In The Forest, and surely is the proverbial candy for the classic fans. A beautiful song indeed which in a sense comes weird along the lines of the album so far.
'The Edge': the song which goes along the rest of the album doesn't add anything spectacular to the slab, but it's notewhorty the segment between
2:46 and 3:17 corresponding to the solo part, the rythm there becomes infectious and I was tapping the floor immediately.
'The New Order': the closing tune finds the mood on mid-tempo with a sound not as full as the rest but preserving the grest vocal harmonies of Hansi along with energetic drums and fine guitars.
Yes this is not the speed/thrash/power of the early albums or the way Savage Circus is playing today. And if this is not as classic to a fan like me as IFTOS is, but surely doesn't show that the band has lost class or energy. I do find (and I warn everybody) that the sound may become saturating and therefore some may find it hard to swallow.
In a nutshell I'll say that even if it's not the best achievement of the band, if I consider the whole of the albums and take another band for comparison (let's say Judas Priest) I'll say is the "Ram it Down" of Blind Guardian
'This Will Never End': great opener, starts fast and pounding with a nice scream by Hansi. The song goes along the SFB or IFTOS era music, a bit less thrashy but very heavy and full, not to forget fast and pounding.
'Otherland': complete change, it starts very soft and melodic, I hear lots of textures intertwined. Very atypical BG song and at the same time the choruses and harmonies remind you of what the band is about. Part sounds like something out of ANATO, part like something of D&W, but at the same time has something unlike anyhting form the band before. On the other hand has nothing of happy metal ala newer Helloween, nor a bit of mallcore (for anyone's relief).
'Turn The Page': great vocal harmonies again, a bit of minstrel vibe in the back while rich choruses fill the song. Heavy but mid-tempo, the guitar work is great, and the changes in the song definitively reminds me of the prog way Uriah Heep made some of their songs.
'Fly': the song who gave fear to many upon the listening of the single sounds as good to me as it was there. I can't find a single hint of weakness or selling out on this one, the music is waht I do expect: heavy, pounding, fast and/or mid-tempo, with great guitar work and powerful vocals.
'Carry The Blessed Home': another atypical song IMO, starts like a very melodic ballad, but not in the folk way of some softer song of the band. The use of a bagpipe (I guess) gives nevertheless a great vibe to the song and the song is never cheesy like so many power metal ballads. Love the guitar work, reminds so much I'm listening to a metal band and not some newer crap that reassures my spirit.
'Another Stranger Me': this one starts the most Helloween alike song and even so never falls into the realm of happy power, shows definitively the newer side of the band.
'Straight Through The Mirror': the band choose a formula for this album and none of the songs truly deviate for it, beig this one another example. The drumming is fast, the vocal harmonies full, the guitar work typical of the band
and has grown IMO especially on the soloing.
'Lionheart': definitively not the Saxon or Astral Doors song
This one is less epic, less straightforward metal. Like the rest of the album is a collection of vocal harmonies upon layers of energetic drumming and guitar playing, some oriental melodies and folk resonance found its way into the song too.'Skald And Shadows': the album version of this song does get back to the vibe of The Bard's Song- In The Forest, and surely is the proverbial candy for the classic fans. A beautiful song indeed which in a sense comes weird along the lines of the album so far.
'The Edge': the song which goes along the rest of the album doesn't add anything spectacular to the slab, but it's notewhorty the segment between
2:46 and 3:17 corresponding to the solo part, the rythm there becomes infectious and I was tapping the floor immediately.
'The New Order': the closing tune finds the mood on mid-tempo with a sound not as full as the rest but preserving the grest vocal harmonies of Hansi along with energetic drums and fine guitars.
Yes this is not the speed/thrash/power of the early albums or the way Savage Circus is playing today. And if this is not as classic to a fan like me as IFTOS is, but surely doesn't show that the band has lost class or energy. I do find (and I warn everybody) that the sound may become saturating and therefore some may find it hard to swallow.
In a nutshell I'll say that even if it's not the best achievement of the band, if I consider the whole of the albums and take another band for comparison (let's say Judas Priest) I'll say is the "Ram it Down" of Blind Guardian
