After three albums forged in a fire of raw and intense sparks, Somewhere Far Beyond marked the beginning of a more epic and diverse path.
Intensity has always been a key word when trying to define
Blind Guardian, luckily they have kept this element intact on all their releases, from this moment on it just became a bit more sophisticated.
It's mostly a good idea starting an album with something powerful and to say the least
Time What Is Time falls into the category of pulsating adrenaline rushes.
The way the drums, guitar, bass and chorus melt together into an overly thrilling mixture defines the word bombastic.
The weighty production has its say on things and it's generally of high standard and really makes all songs shine in a very forceful light.
The ultra fast style continues with
Journey Through The Dark, a goodie added harmonious and constantly evolving guitar leads and Hansi throwing in some of his charismatic screams, reaching a level of expression that is best labelled as extreme.
It might be that
Black Chamber is very short, but it's nonetheless important and genially great, a warm piano melody spiced with eccentric vocals.
Theatre Of Pain adds a rather new chapter to the band's history, a mid-tempo song with orchestral features taking a central role. The song has a really special flow and a successful dramatic edge to it.
In
The Quest For Tanelorn we find another elaborate song with one of the highlights found in the spectacular guitar solo section supplemented with guest guitarist Kai Hansen. The refrain is quite illuminating but also slows the song down a bit too much for my taste.
Ashes To Ashes presents close-knit guitar riffing of very high quality and a rather repeated chorus line; luckily there are plenty of diverse drum twists to enjoy.
When naming
Blind Guardian classics,
The Bard's Song - In The Forest, is essential, intelligently woven acoustic guitars and a powerful sing-a-long chorus equals medieval nostalgia.
The follow-up,
The Bard's Song - The Hobbit, brings back the electric dimension for a more anonymous composition. It's well carried out but seems a bit random and lacks that memorable ingredient.
With its seven and a half minutes
Somewhere Far Beyond is the longest song on the album, nonetheless it starts out with full throttle. Intense bass parts, ultra melodic guitar inputs, an effusive chorus and overall a down right brilliantly put together track. This is
Blind Guardian at their very best.
Lyrically the album reflects mysticism, dark adventures and difficult tasks, some are on the simple side but nevertheless suiting and fairly well pinned down.
One thing I always thought enhanced this bands music is their stunning abilities as musicians and this is easily detected on this album as well. That being the detail and immense force coming from the drum kit, the highly technical guitar method, the groovy bass passages or Hansi's otherworldly vocals.
The band's talent for making memorable music wrapped in melodic and slightly progressive gestures really stands out on this album. Every songs seems natural and adds its special piece to a comprehensive and captivating puzzle.
Luckily there were even greater things to come.
Written by
Tommy Friday, July 7, 2006
Show all reviews by TommyRatingsTommy: 7.5/10Members: 9/10 - Average of 1 ratings.
Member ratings
 | gizmo
Rating: 9/10
This is a marvelous BG album only second to Imaginations from the other side. BG at their ... · Read more · |
This article has been shown 5566 times. Go to the
complete list.
