Every fortnight, we check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
It’s hard to believe it’s been five years between albums for Blind Guardian. After riding high on the success of At The Edge of Time for so long, they’ve really upped the ante with their new release, Beyond the Red Mirror. They have once again blended orchestral and choir pieces to great effect, enlisting the services of studios in Prague, Budapest and Boston. This is particularly evident in the grandiose chorus of “The Holy Grail” or the haunting intro to opener “The Ninth Wave”.
The entire album is a follow up to the song “Imaginations from the Other Side” (the title track from their 1995 album), which explored various fantasy tales (Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, among others). But this is far from a Disney soundtrack; though far removed from their early speed metal days, the trademark riffs and solos still pack the right amount of punch. Evidence of this can be found in leading single “Twilight of the Gods”.
While some might dismiss their latest efforts as more of the same, there’s no doubt that fans will feel like they’ve died and gone to power metal heaven when listening to familiar Guardian traits such as the galloping drums backing a soaring chorus in “Sacred Mind” or Andre Olbrich’s impressive lead work. Hansi Kursch’s vocals are also top-notch – whilst he doesn’t have a huge range, his style matches the music and it all just feels like a classic Blind Guardian album.
Sure, there’s a tried and true vibe about them, but that’s always been the beauty of Blind Guardian; there’s a certain comfort in knowing what you’re gonna get. But play it again and again and you’ll notice Blind Guardian’s subtle evolution over the years.
For fans of: Helloween, Rhapsody, Running Wild.
Critical Mass airs every Wednesday from 9PM (GMT+8) on RTR FM 92.1 in Perth, Australia.
