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Blind Guardian - Battalions Of Fear



7.8 | 730 votes |
Release date: 18 May 1988
Style: Power metal, Speed metal

Owners:

795 have it
49 want it


01. Majesty
02. Guardian Of The Blind
03. Trial By The Archon
04. Wizard's Crown
05. Run For The Night
06. The Martyr
07. Battalions Of Fear
08. By The Gate Of Moria
09. Gandalf's Rebirth [bonus]

Featured in "Getting Into: Blind Guardian"

Additional info
Line-up:
Hansi Kürsch - Vocals, Bass
André Olbrich - Guitars
Marcus Siepen - Guitars
Thomas Stauch - Drums

No Remorse Records label #NRR 1001
Virgin CD-release in 1991
Century Media CD-release in 2004

CD bonus track:
9. Gandalf's Rebirth (02:10) **

"By the Gates of Moria" is based on the "New World Symphony" composed by Antonin
Dvorak.

The 2007 remix & remaster bonus tracks:
9. Gandalf's Rebirth (02:13) **
10. Brian (Demo Version) (02:53) *
11. Halloween (Demo Version) (03:38) (The Wizzard's Crown Demo) *
12. Lucifer's Heritage (Demo Version) (05:00) *
13. Symphonies of Doom (Demo Version) (04:24) *
14. Dead of the Night (Demo Version) (03:45) *

*: From Lucifer's Heritage (pre-BG) demo tape "Symphonies of Doom" (1985).
**: FromLucifer's Heritage (pre-BG) demo tape "Battalions of Fear" (1986).

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 are rerecordings of old demos from the band's 'Lucifer's
Heritage' era:
Track 1, 3, 5 and 7 were on the "Battalions of Fear" demo (1986)
Track 4 was on the "Symphonies of Doom" demo (1985) the song was called
'Halloween' back then.

Guest review by
hottercraft
Rating:
8.6
This was the first album of the successful German Metal band Blind Guardian, and what an album!! Believe me: you won't see a more mature debut album as this. Blind Guardian worked in some of the songs written under their first name, Lucifer's Heritage, which were released in a demo CD. After that they changed their name to their current name, Blind Guardian, and here is where story begins. They took some songs of their previous CD and they made some others. The result: a wonderful album.

Read more ››
published 06.01.2007 | Comments (19)

Found in 34 lists
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Comments

Comments: 21   Visited by: 686 users
18.02.2011 - 04:36
Rating: 9
JÄY
Metal slave
SO DAMN UNDER-RATED HOLY SHIT! i know, i know... its all due to comparison, but I'd rather listen to this than Nightfall any day!
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18.02.2011 - 12:50
ForeverDarkWoods

Written by JÄY on 18.02.2011 at 04:36

SO DAMN UNDER-RATED HOLY SHIT! i know, i know... its all due to comparison, but I'd rather listen to this than Nightfall any day!

I personally think Blind Guardian started their road towards sucking with Nightfall, and this one or the second is the best.
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Free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction!
- George W. Bush, ex-president of the United States of America
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18.02.2011 - 14:33
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
Their only album i havent listened to yet...shame on me
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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18.02.2011 - 15:57
RavenKing

Written by ForeverDarkWoods on 18.02.2011 at 12:50

Written by JÄY on 18.02.2011 at 04:36

SO DAMN UNDER-RATED HOLY SHIT! i know, i know... its all due to comparison, but I'd rather listen to this than Nightfall any day!

I personally think Blind Guardian started their road towards sucking with Nightfall, and this one or the second is the best.


I agree with both of you. I hate Nightfall since the first time I heard it. And I, too, consider it as the point at which Blind Guardian started to be damn boring. In fact, I consider Nightfall as the lowest point in the band's career, second only to ATITM.
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They shake your hand and they smile and they buy you a drink
They say we'll be your friends we'll stick with you till the end
But everybody's only looking out for themselves
And you say who can you trust I'll tell you nobody
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18.02.2011 - 20:33
Rating: 9
JÄY
Metal slave
Quote:
Quote:


I agree with both of you. I hate Nightfall since the first time I heard it. And I, too, consider it as the point at which Blind Guardian started to be damn boring. In fact, I consider Nightfall as the lowest point in the band's career, second only to ATITM.


hell yeah!... nice to hear. this album had a real nice mix of euro and us power of which the likes have never been seen again
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12.06.2011 - 13:01
Rating: 9
Dark Cornatus
Powerslave
This is probably their best album for me, or at least in the top 3. Hansi is so awesome in it. I wish he did those vocals more often in the later albums. It's hard to believe the rating for ATITM is on par with this album. Such a poor release in comparison.
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12.06.2011 - 13:59
Angelic Storm
Melodious
I actually find this one to be a pretty weak album overall. The 2nd album is a similar style, but I find it so much more superior than the debut. "Majesty" and "Guardian Of The Blind" are absolute classics though!
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30.05.2012 - 07:35
Rating: 10
mikeprado30

One of my all-time favorites. Majesty, Run for the Night, The Martyr, Guardian of the Blind, *sigh*, EVERY TRACK!!!!
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BARDS WE ARE, BARDS WE WILL BE!
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10.06.2012 - 03:06
Rating: 7
CobiWan1993
Secundum Filium
Battalions of Fear is an awesome title track, and this is a very solid debut for this incredible band.
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Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe (Lao Tzu).
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23.12.2012 - 13:50
Rating: 10
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Angelic Storm on 12.06.2011 at 13:59

I actually find this one to be a pretty weak album overall. The 2nd album is a similar style, but I find it so much more superior than the debut. "Majesty" and "Guardian Of The Blind" are absolute classics though!


c mon its best its fast, its in their speed era, much better how last 3 albums anyway, how ppl can say this is week this is underated killed, I wish BG would stay such stile not go some ''evolution'' and becaim pop crap, till Nightfall its listenable, after it no ... Tolkie lyrics, weird lyrics, mix whit reality ... song Run For The Night is best ...... old good BG speed XXXXXing metal
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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02.12.2015 - 04:16
Rating: 8
Erudon

Majesty is so good live! BG was the first show of my life and they played it!!! i almost cried
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17.10.2016 - 00:36
Rating: 9
Redel

Very good album. Not their best for me, but still way better than the latest stuff.
Highlights: Guardian of the blind and of course Majesty
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06.01.2017 - 17:50
Rating: 8
BlackMetalDay

It is good but Follow the Blind is quite a lot better.
The singing is not on par with what Hansi delivered on the following albums.
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25.02.2019 - 00:38
Maco
Pvt Funderground
Back when they still had attitude and balls.
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Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
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07.04.2020 - 21:27
Rating: 9
Joppe
Steelemeister
This is many good, not probably something that an average Blind Guardianer would agree about though, it beats many of their later "better" albums to a pulp. The only big downside is the softness in production, this album could sound way heavier. Songs like "Majesty", "Guardian Of The Blind", "Run For The Night" and "Battalions Of Fear" definitely can compete with the top dogs of speed/power metal.

Why's this so underrated? The album is like balls to the posers' face!
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My vision is augmented
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07.04.2020 - 21:51
Rating: 10
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Joppe on 07.04.2020 at 21:27

This is many good, not probably something that an average Blind Guardianer would agree about though, it beats many of their later "better" albums to a pulp. The only big downside is the softness in production, this album could sound way heavier. Songs like "Majesty", "Guardian Of The Blind", "Run For The Night" and "Battalions Of Fear" definitely can compete with the top dogs of speed/power metal.

Why's this so underrated? The album is like balls to the posers' face!

I agree best are they pure speed albums. Try band documentsty imo long ago when Ana was here, i post news. They explain those albums, How much they drunk beer and did not take advise be profs
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
30.04.2020 - 16:28
Rating: 9
majormalfunction

Can't go wrong with this one.. german speed metal deluxe all the way. One of their best records
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Everything's twice as bright with money in your hands
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30.04.2020 - 19:15
Rating: 10
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by majormalfunction on 30.04.2020 at 16:28

Can't go wrong with this one.. german speed metal deluxe all the way. One of their best records

Finsly some say same wise wizdom as I. True pure speed metal
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
04.05.2020 - 12:16
JoHn Doe

Giving a listen now after really long time, it's always great to get back to this great debut!
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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27.04.2021 - 14:39
Rating: 8
BennyMetGer

This album is so freaking awesome
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09.09.2021 - 09:01
Rating: 9
GrimReaper85

Best BG album, very underrated as said before. Basically whole album except bonus track is top quality, so I don't get the rating, should be at least 8.5.
I'm listening to remastered, so they probably fixed what Jope of Steele said about softness, because it's very punchy.
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