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Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side review




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Reviewer:
9.3

1405 users:
8.98
Band: Blind Guardian
Album: Imaginations From The Other Side
Release date: April 1995


01. Imaginations From The Other Side
02. I'm Alive
03. A Past And Future Secret
04. The Script For My Requiem
05. Mordred's Song
06. Born In A Mourning Hall
07. Bright Eyes
08. Another Holy War
09. And The Story Ends
10. The Wizard [Uriah Heep cover] [Japanese bonus]
11. The Script For My Requiem [demo] [Japanese bonus]
12. I'm A Alive [demo] [Japanese bonus]
13. Imaginations From The Other Side [demo] [Japanese bonus]
14. A Past And Future Secret [demo] [Japanese bonus]
15. A Past And Future Secret [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
16. Imaginations From The Other Side [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
17. The Script For My Requiem [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
+ Bright Eyes [video] [2007 re-release bonus]
+ Born In A Morning Hall [video] [2007 re-release bonus]

This is it, Blind Guardian's best effort and the very definition of Power metal. Imaginations From The Other Side has everything the genre needs: heavy drums, perfect guitar play and both beautifully calm and powerful vocals culminating in choruses that you'll recognize even ages after you last heard them.

If we take a look at the history of the band and their previous releases, we can see that this album is the product of a decade of improving. What Battalions Of Fear had started with speed and Somewhere Far Beyond added with more emotional elements, Imaginations perfected. Well, almost at least. The lyrical themes are not quite inspired enough to reach the perfect score and "I'm Alive" feels just a little weaker than the rest of the album, mostly because it lacks its recognizable sound that all the other seven tracks have without a doubt. However, I'm complaining on the highest level here. The lyrics are still far from the typical European cheerful and cheesy style and there are many people out there who love "I'm Alive," I just don't happen to be one of them.

Anyway, it is kind of funny though, how Blind Guardian arranged their songs on this record. It starts off with the title track, which is arguably the heaviest one, focused especially strong on Thomas' drums and Hansi's powerful shouts. What follows are both the fastest and the slowest song on the record: the already mentioned "I'm Alive" and the beautiful "A Past And Future Secret." After showing off those three very distinct sort of styles, the band lets us enter a phase of over 25 minutes in which those different elements fuse into masterpieces such as "Mordred's Song" or my personal favorite "Bright Eyes." Also among them is "The Script For My Reqiem," that has a chorus you'll never forget. After listening to all this so many times, it's almost as if the band said: "Here's what we have, and this is what we can do with it now." Maybe that composition isn't apparent to anyone, but that's how I feel about it. Lastly, "And the Story Ends" finishes the album on a slower note, so that you're able to realize the marvel you just witnessed.

My musical knowledge is probably not sufficient for exactly explaning why this is the definite Blind Guardian album, but I tried my best. None of them come without excellent tracks, this one however features next to nothing but those kind of songs. Imaginations From The Other Side is worth checking out for every metal fan and a must-have if you're into Power. It is rivaled only by few in the genre and right up there with Helloween's Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 10
Originality: 8
Production: 9

Written by Pazu | 27.12.2010




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Guest review by
Slayer666
Rating:
8.5
What makes a good Power Metal album? Catchy guitar riffs, good symphonic elements, mighty power chords? If your answer to this is YES, then you are gonna have a great time with this album, that's for sure. Legendary Blind Guardian obviously didn't want to risk anything, so they took the stuff mentioned before and polished it to near-perfection. Yep, near-perfection. Personally, I don't like Power Metal too much, but I'll be a good little reviewer, and do this completely objectively.

Read more ››
published 16.01.2009 | Comments (11)


Comments

Comments: 15   Visited by: 167 users
27.12.2010 - 23:14
bluegreengod
Account deleted
This really is a must-have for any fan of music, not just metal! Nice review...I still think A Twist in the Myth is their best effort, though.
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28.12.2010 - 09:47
Rating: 10
Nyoink

Written by Guest on 27.12.2010 at 23:14

This really is a must-have for any fan of music, not just metal! Nice review...I still think A Twist in the Myth is their best effort, though.
A twist in the myth?! Most people think that ''A twist in the myth'' is their weakest... and you say it's your fave???
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28.12.2010 - 12:37
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
It is their weakest, but deciding which BG album is weakest, is like seeking "Iron Maiden worst 80ties album"...so why one shouldnt like it - there are song that deserve being liked
----
My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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28.12.2010 - 12:40
Rating: 10
Angelic Storm
Melodious
I totally love "Im Alive", its one of my fave BG songs. lol
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28.12.2010 - 15:17
RavenKing

This album is much better than its tremendously overrated follow-up but I don't really like it. I don't care for the material after "Somewhere Far Beyond", anyway. I will always prefer the style on "Follow The Blind" and "Tales From The Twilight World".
----
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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29.12.2010 - 00:40
Rating: 10
Papa_Ray

I personally think this and Nightfall are Blind Guardian's best albums, for very different reasons. Also, A Twist in the Myth is a great album. It's up there for me with these two and Somewhere Far Beyond.
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29.12.2010 - 22:15
Rating: 10
Fat & Sassy!

One of the few albums *I* think deserves a ten. Regardless of its somewhat retarded lyrics (a BG given), EVERY song is completely memorable (which I think the reviewer's main point was here). The definite BG album for sure.
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30.12.2010 - 00:32
RavenKing

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 29.12.2010 at 22:15

Regardless of its somewhat retarded lyrics (a BG given),


Interesting what you mention here. I know lots of people consider Blind Guardian's lyrics as genius but, Imo, it's a case of people being blinded by the fantasy themes. I always found Blind Guardian's lyrics mediocre at best and even incoherent at times.
----
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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30.12.2010 - 00:38
Rating: 10
Fat & Sassy!

Written by RavenKing on 30.12.2010 at 00:32

Interesting what you mention here. I know lots of people consider Blind Guardian's lyrics as genius but, Imo, it's a case of people being blinded by the fantasy themes. I always found Blind Guardian's lyrics mediocre at best and even incoherent at times.


Yup. I really like the fantasy themes, but the actual lyrics themselves can be really stupid and nonsensical.
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01.01.2011 - 14:19
Rating: 10
quirin

German heavy doesn't get any better than this.
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26.05.2011 - 19:46
Rating: 10
Anriii

I'm Alive is one of their best songs, it only takes time to get into it. I also did not understand first why others like it, but now I can listen it 10 times in row and still want to hit replay button.

Tbh, I think reviews about Blind Guardian albums should not be written right after listening the album, they should be done after 1 year of listening it time after time.
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27.05.2011 - 09:07
Rating: 7
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Written by Anriii on 26.05.2011 at 19:46

Tbh, I think reviews about Blind Guardian albums should not be written right after listening the album, they should be done after 1 year of listening it time after time.


yeah. because there is that much hidden depth and meaning... sorry. listened to the album. didn't really get moved by it. and after successive listens, it's enjoyment and value diminished. good thing i didn't listen to it for a year before assigning it a rating, as it would have dropped lower with each add'l listen.

if you like it, swell. great for you.

no point in frothing if other people don't get the same level of enjoyment from the album that you do.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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27.05.2011 - 10:01
Rating: 10
Fat & Sassy!

^ This.
Difference is, is that this is one of my favorites. YEARS later, I still love it just as much as I did after the first few listens.
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18.06.2014 - 21:46
Rating: 10
Coolingsrock

In the review:
''...there are many people out there who love "I'm Alive," I just don't happen to be one of them. - ''ZGoten

I'm one of those people. That's a good song, but not their best on the album I must add.
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16.10.2016 - 23:47
Rating: 7
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
About lyrics people are getting older, get kids, family they are not lost in own twilight world, that's why lyrics are getting eeker
----
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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