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The Gauntlet: Blind Guardian |
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Blind Guardian Album Review
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Tracklist
01. This Will Never End
02. Otherland
03. Turn The Page
04. Fly
05. Carry The Blessed Home
06. Another Stranger Me
07. Straight Through The Mirror
08. Lionheart
09. Skalds & Shadows
10. The Edge
11. The New Order
12. Dead Sound Of Misery
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After a four year gap between their last release, 'A Night at the Opera,' German fantasy power metallers Blind Guardian are back once more with 'A Twist in the Myth.' Despite twenty-plus years of activity and some classic albums, Guardian's latest is by far their most diverse album. On 'A Twist in the Myth' they've managed to combine raw speed metal elements of their earlier records with epic passages and riffs from their middle period and progressive elements first seen on 'Nightfall in Middle Earth' and later on 'A Night at the Opera.' Although not as consistent as 'Imaginations From the Other Side' nor as satisfying as 'Nightfall in Middle Earth,' 'A Twist in the Myth' is certainly another endearing entry in Blind Guardian's expansive catalogue.
As usual, Hansi Kursch's powerful, majestic voice dominates each song, sometimes accompanied by a backing choir. On 'A Night at the Opera' many of these choirs were overdone and overused, but this time Guardian seem to have gotten it right. Songs like 'Otherland' would not be the same if it were not for the additional voices accompanying Kursch during the chorus. Guitarists Andre and Marcus perform well as usual, and the solo on 'Lionheart' is one of the best to appear on a Guardian record in some time. This just shows how the band truly succeeded in combining different elements from all across their musical career, as sweeping solos were more a characteristic of the 'Battalions of Fear' era than they are of anything the band has done more recently. Drummer Frederik Ehmke, who replaced original drummer Thomen Stauch last year, seems to fit in nicely, and shows no problem keeping pace with the rest of the band.
While songs like 'Turn the Page,' 'This Will Never End,' 'Lionheart,' 'Skalds & Shadows,' and 'Another Stranger Me' really make 'A Twist in the Myth' worthwhile, there are a few tracks that fall short of the mark. For example, 'Fly,' which was released earlier this year on a mini-CD, is a bit too mainstream-oriented to be especially enjoyable. It's obvious that the band took a risk with this track, and while it's not a disaster, experimentation like this could have been guided in a better direction. Similarly, 'The Edge' is a pretty simple song for Blind Guardian's usual standards. It's not terrible, but it's fairly unimpressive to listen to.
Despite a few hiccoughs, 'A Twist in the Myth' is, overall, a very good album. Blind Guardian have come a very long way over the course of their career, and the fact that they're still able to make quality material after over twenty years is truly commendable. In addition, it's pleasing to see them straying slightly from the overt progressive experimentation found on 'A Night at the Opera,' which was considerably weaker than most of their other releases. Fans of power metal and fantasy alike can be assured that Blind Guardian are still prepared to barrage and serenade us alike with some truly powerful music.
Review by: Andrew Sudano
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