Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond review
| Band: | Blind Guardian |
| Album: | Somewhere Far Beyond |
| Style: | Power metal, Speed metal |
| Release date: | June 29, 1992 |
| Guest review by: | Piro |
01. Time What Is Time
02. Journey Through The Dark
03. Black Chamber
04. Theatre Of Pain
05. The Quest For Tanelorn
06. Ashes To Ashes
07. The Bard's Song - In The Forest
08. The Bard's Song - The Hobbit
09. The Piper's Calling
10. Somewhere Far Beyond
11. Spread Your Wings [Queen cover] [CD bonus]
12. Trial By Fire [Satan cover] [CD bonus]
13. Theatre Of Pain [classic version] [CD bonus]
14. Ashes To Ashes [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
15. Time What Is Time [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
Somewhere Far Beyond by Blind Guardian, may very well be the best album of the band, or it should even rank amongst the best power metal albums of all time. The album starts off slowly with the intro to "Time What Is Time", and quickly progresses into the typical Blind Guardian speed and vocalism. I think personally that Time What Is Time is a low point for the album. I liked the demo version of the song better, and I think the extra effects were added to this song just for the heck of it. But one flaw does little to discredit this album.
Most of the songs on this album are written masterfully. The song "Theatre Of Pain" is done so perfectly, lyric and instrumental wise, that you may very well find its catchy words and tempo slipping into your everyday life. Along with some darker songs like Ashes To Ashes, which produces a sense of dread, there are also some more "light" songs. Overall, the whole album is very epic, and you can tell the lyrics were based on fantasy, like most of Blind Guardian's material.
Enough of the songs, the instrumentals are also noteworthy. All of the members perform their very best to bring the final product. Not only are they masterfully played, the quality is great, and all of the notes fit the lyrics very well.
One last complaint for this album is the song "The Pipers Calling", which I found pointless in every way possible. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like, and never have liked transition songs.
If you've read this far, by now you should know that this album is a jewel. Something breathtaking that everyone should at least give a listen, old time Blind Guardian fan or if you never picked up a metal album before, this great album deserves at least one listen.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by Piro | 12.08.2007
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 8
Visited by: 178 users
| Katatronik Angel of Lust Posts: 1018  |
Very good album indeed, Here there are some of their most beautiful songs in my opinion... Good review! 
---- "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Loading...
|
| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
Great album, the first work of Blind Guardian that really called my attention. The songs are not as thrash as before, more melodic but still the power necessary. ''The Quest for Tanelorn'' is a catchy song with a memorable chorus, one of the best in BG all time. The two Bard songs are also exellent. The Queen's ''Spread your wings'' is way better with new vocals. Quote: But this one is the best song in the album, as it is well write in the review.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
Loading...
|
| irondeth33 Posts: 1 |
|
| Andreas Posts: 334 |
I just wanted to say that I totally disagree with you ("you" being Piro) about Time What Is Time. It's my favourite track of the album, so 
Loading...
|
| BlankFile Posts: 705 |
|
| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8669  |
"Time What Is Time" is one of the best BG songs  and then of course "Somewhere Far Beyond" with the awesome pipe interlude!
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
Loading...
|
| BlankFile Posts: 705 |
Written by Ellrohir on 15.05.2010 at 08:25 True. I Forgot to mention the spectacular "Somewhere Far Beyond". This album is fabulous.
Loading...
|
| serega25 Posts: 168  |
Loading...
|
album!
Hits total: 8716 | This month: 10