German progressive power metal pioneers BLIND GUARDIAN will release a new concert album titled "Live Beyond The Spheres" on July 7 as a 3-CD and 4-LP box via Nuclear Blast. The set will include material recorded at various shows during the band's European tour in 2015. It will contain old classics, new tracks as well as songs that were very rarely performed during BLIND GUARDIAN's live shows. BLIND GUARDIAN guitarist André Olbrich reveals why the time is right to release "Live Beyond The Spheres": "There's several different reasons why it's about time to release a live album. We've had a new rhythm section in the band — Frederik and Bahrend — for a couple of years now. Our interaction improved a lot by their joining and our songs developed a better groove and became more dynamic. The appearance of digital amp profilers and digital recording techniques also made it possible to create a fairly similar sonic image in different venues and to fulfil our image of what a perfect live album should be. Last but not least, we released three studio albums since our previous live album, and we didn't have any live recordings from our relatively current studio material. By compiling a three-disc package, we were able to create a very extensive and varied set list to reflect our thirty-year career with an optimal performances. "We compiled one 'show' out of the best tracks from more than forty live performances, recorded during our European tour in 2015. That's how we pinned down the most beautiful and atmospheric moments on this medium," he adds. The official video for the song "Prophecies", taken from "Live Beyond The Spheres", can be seen below. BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kürsch speaks about the difficulties to create such an ambitious album: "In general, I would say that we've had a really good run on this tour and that nearly every show was perfect. But at the end of the day, after every bandmember has checked each and every song and concert of those 30 shows again and again. There were only like two or three versions of each song being suitable to be used for an album. We then had to decide between those last remaining versions, which would have been the most impressive one. This was a nearly endless task!" He continues: "The songs finally chosen reveal such an energy that poissible smaller mistakes appeared to be totally unimportant for the evaluation. As soon as you have listened to the songs, you will know what I mean. They feel alive." But the end result is well worth the effort. Hansi sums it up: "There is always something happening at each show, let's call it 'magic,' that is giving us all creeps. We are really satisfied when the people sing with us, have a good time and go back home happy." "Live Beyond The Spheres" track listing: CD1 01. The Ninth Wave 02. Banish From Sanctuary 03. Nightfall 04. Prophecies 05. Tanelorn 06. The Last Candle 07. And Then There Was Silence CD2 01. The Lord Of The Rings 02. Fly 03. Bright Eyes 04. Lost In The Twilight Hall 05. Imaginations From The Other Side 06. Into The Storm 07. Twilight Of The Gods 08. A Past And Future Secret 09. And The Story Ends CD3 01. Sacred Worlds 02. The Bard's Song (In The Forest) 03. Valhalla 04. Wheel Of Time 05. Majesty 06. Mirror Mirror
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