BLIND GUARDIAN “A Voice In The Dark” /CD Single/

Embroidered bordered woven patch.

85x15mm 

The eighth full-length album by legendary German Power Metal band.
The new masterpiece of Hansi Kürsch & co! Like no other this band is inspired by the medieval fantasy worlds that literature has given to us, most notably J.R.R., and combines it with the high energy Speed and Power Metal styles they have endorsed since their beginning. This album follows the old Blind Guardian's formula, with some twists and touches thrown in (the band credits this as the reason for the album title.) It's straight up Power/Speed Metal like Blind Guardian has always done it. Although Blind Guardian are very innovative and don't stand still on any record, nor here, there are two or three tracks absolutely do without.
It's a very good record, superb release from an excellent band, very consistent throughout. It has some nice twists to it, especially with the Folk influences, and the lyrical content at times deviating from the Blind Guardian’s fantasy-based lyrics. It conforms to all the clichés the other albums this band has released conform to.
If you've liked Blind Guardian all these years, you'll approve of this one for its consistency and innovations at the same time. It's a step back, but a step forward at the same time! Good Power Metal don't get any better than this!!
Special Edition digipak features one bonus track and second CD with band interviews and Blind Guardian Media Player with access to special features (videos, pictures, news and other exclusives).
Nuclear Blast Records, 2006 (NB 1515-0). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:

CD1
1. This Will Never End 05:07
2. Otherland 05:14
3. Turn the Page 04:16 
4. Fly 05:43 
5. Carry the Blessed Home 04:03
6. Another Stranger Me 04:36
7. Straight Through the Mirror 05:48
8. Lionheart 04:15
9. Skalds & Shadows 03:13
10. The Edge 04:27
11. The New Order 04:49
12. Dead Sound Of Misery (Bonus Track) 5:18

CD 2
1. Interview (German) 17:39 
2. Interview (English) 12:41

Total playing time: 87:09

Remastered re-release of the seventh full-length studio album by legendary German Symphonic Progressive Power Metal band.
This album continues a stylistic change from Power Metal into a more Progressive sound, with multiple overlaid vocals, choirs, orchestral keys and guitar leads, and less emphasis on powerful guitar riffs and heavy rhythms. Every song is filled with such a large amount of variation, of layers, of little detailed flourishes and touches that make it stand out from the previous, it's an impossible argument to claim that the album was written with anything less than pure passion.
The greatest strength of this album is that it fully embraces its own identity. Rather than recycling old ideas of the band's former works, it adapts them and envelopes them in this new style that is prominent from the first few seconds of the opening track. It's a brave and bold new direction, a benchmark for the band that they would continuously try and surpass with every album since this one. It's not an album for everyone, but it's an album that oozes personality, love and passion through every second of its run time. If it clicks with you, you will likely feel the same!
Nuclear Blast Tonträger Produktions- und Vertriebs GmbH, 2002/2017 (NB 4171-2). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. Precious Jerusalem 06:21
2. Battlefield 05:37
3. Under The Ice 05:44
4. Sadly Sings Destiny 06:04
5. The Maiden And The Minstrel Knight 05:30
6. Wait For An Answer 06:30
7. The Soulforged 05:18
8. Age Of False Innocence 06:05
9. Punishment Divine 05:45
10. And Then There Was Silence 14:05
Total playing time: 67:05 min.

Remastered re-release of the second full-length studio album by legendary German Epic Speed/Power Metal band.
In comparison to their compatriots, their sophomore release can be considered underrated compared to the rest of their discography. Granted, it is still an important album in the early formative years of Power Metal. On "Battalions Of Fear" they had a raw proto-Power Metal sound, taking the template from bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and simply playing it faster. They took this Speed Metal sound and amplified it further on "Follow The Blind", playing furious tempo songs interspersed with the occasional Folky keyboard. The Speed Metal here is almost Thrash Metal-like, minus the aggression. According to guitarist Marcus Siepen, "When we were doing "Follow The Blind", we were listening to a lot of Thrash Metal bands like Testament or Forbidden, and that's why "Follow The Blind" was a bit heavier".
"Follow The Blind" shows Power Metal in its early hybrid stages. There is a lot of youthful vitality and energy here, which helps to balance out their relative inexperience. It is clear that this early in their career they have not reached their songwriting or lyrical capacity, but they still offer over 38 minutes of pure fun Speedy mayhem!
Re-edition features four bonus tracks from the Lucifer's Heritage era.
Virgin Music, A Division Of EMI Music Germany GmbH & Co. KG, 1989/2007 (0946 3 96513 2 0). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:
01. Inquisition 0:40
02. Banish from Sanctuary 5:27
03. Damned for All Time 4:57
04. Follow the Blind 7:10
05. Hall of The King 4:16
06. Fast to Madness 5:57
07. Beyond the Ice 3:28
08. Valhalla 4:56
09. Don't Break the Circle (Demon cover) 3:28
10. Barbara Ann (The Regents cover) / Long Tall Sally (Little Richard cover) 2:43
Bonus tracks (originally recorded for the Lucifer's Heritage demo “Battalions Of Fear”):
11. Majesty (demo) 7:14
12. Trial by the Archon (demo) 3:51
13. Battalions of Fear (demo) 6:19
14. Run for the Night (demo) 4:29
Total playing time: 64:55 min.

The ninth full-length studio album by legendary German Power Metal band.
"At The Edge Of Time" is a fairly diverse album that got influences from Euro-Folk to Classical to Progressive Rock. These German veterans have been around since the mid-’80s, and whether they are being influenced for, "At The Edge Of Time" maintains a stubbornly pre-’90s outlook - both musically and lyrically. The lyrics are strictly fantasy-based, as were so many pre-90s Metal lyrics. Blind Guardian continue to live and breath the ’70s and ’80s, reminding us that they enjoy the pomp of Queen as much as they enjoy the pomp of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
Some will complain that this 64-minute CD sounds dated, but then, dated is exactly what Blind Guardian are going for; they don’t run away from it, they embrace it. Besides, one man’s dated is another man’s classicist.
Maybe not quite essential, "At The Edge Of Time" is an engaging album that not only achieves a fair amount of diversity within a Power and Progressive Metal framework - it is also one of the more consistent releases that Blind Guardian have provided in the 21st century!
Nuclear Blast GmbH, 2010 (NB 2287-2). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Sacred Worlds 9:17
2. Tanelorn (Into The Void) 5:58
3. Road Of No Release 6:30
4. Ride Into Obsession 4:46
5. Curse My Name 5:52
6. Valkyries 6:38
7. Control The Divine 5:26
8. War Of The Thrones 4:55
9. A Voice In The Dark 5:41
10. Wheel Of Time 8:55
Total playing time: 63:58 min.

Remastered re-release of the fifth full-length studio album by legendary German Epic Power Metal band.
The atmosphere of this album is darker in comparison to their earlier works, such as "Battalions Of Fear", which had a relatively light tone.
"Imaginations From The Other Side" reiterates on the quasi-conceptual character of the two previous studio releases and, perhaps, ups the ante somewhat: the titular opening piece abstracts from particular imaginative stories and instead tells a story about imagination itself, referencing the childhood escapist-fantasies of The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and Chronicles of Narnia. The album proceeds to tell the story of a child’s escape through a mirror to an Arthurian world of swords, dragons and crusades before being brought back to reality. This story is picked up again twenty years later on the "Beyond The Red Mirror" album, which tells the story of how the ‘other side’ has fallen into darkness, and the quest to find a way back.
"Imaginations From The Other Side" is the last album to feature Hansi Kürsch on bass, who would thenceforth give himself over entirely to vocal and lyric-writing duties.
This album also marks the first, since "Battalions Of Fear", in which Kai Hansen (Helloween, Gamma Ray) did not guest on vocals or guitar. It was also their first album to spawn Singles, "A Past and Future Secret" and "Bright Eyes".
In 2005, "Imaginations From The Other Side" was ranked number 373 in Rock Hard Magazine's book of "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire named the album at second in their list "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time" and Metal Hammer ranked it at third in a similar list.
No doubts, one of the best Blind Guardain albums and one of the best Heavy Metal album of all the times!
Re-edition features three bonus tracks.
Nuclear Blast Tonträger Produktions- und Vertriebs GmbH, 1995/2017 (NB 4168-2). Made in Germany. Re-press.


Tracklist:
1. Imaginations From The Other Side 7:20
2. I'm Alive 5:32
3. A Past And Future Secret 3:49
4. The Script For My Requiem 6:09
5. Mordred's Song 5:30
6. Born In A Mourning Hall 5:15
7. Bright Eyes 5:17
8. Another Holy War 4:33
9. And The Story Ends 6:02
Bonus Tracks:
10. A Past And Future Secret (Demo) 3:38
11. Imaginations From The Other Side (Demo) 7:14
12. The Script For My Requiem (Demo) 7:01
Total playing time: 67:20 min.