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Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth Audio CD

A fair review of the Blind Guardian "A Twist in the Myth" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Blind Guardian reviews here, or go back to the Blind Guardian tabs.

Blind Guardian Band: Blind Guardian
Title: A Twist in the Myth
Rating:
Release Date: 2006-09-05
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: This Will Never End 2: Otherland 3: Turn the Page 4: Fly 5: Carry the Blessed Home 6: Another Stranger Me 7: Straight Through the Mirror 8: Lionheart 9: Skalds and Shadows 10: Edge 11: New Order 12: Dead Sound of Misery 13: Interview

Where's the new album?
The tracks are shorter and more to the point than most of the stuff off the previous masterwork. After the epic that was Night at the opera I was a little disappointed in this one at first but the more I listened the more it started to grow on me. At first I only liked This will never end and Otherworld but now I like most of the album. The new order is especially good. I'm still not a huge fan of carry the blessed home but other than that this a pretty solid album. I wonder why they still haven't released the album that they were talking so big about in the interview though. Stop teasing me Blind Guardian. Give me what I want.

Give it to me!!!

P. s. No too crazy about the new drummer. I always liked the constancy of Blind Guardian as opposed to their contemporary band Iced earth. But I guess the change of the drummer is a good signal of the change in the band's style. At any rate it's still a quality album.


Excellent power metal album
It's a must for anyone who diggs metal. This album is simply amazing. An absolute must. Hansi's lead vocals are amazing, drums couldn't be better in any way, and guitar sound just rocks. I've listened this album over and over, probably over hundred times, and it NEVER bores me. It's simply amazing. Blind Guardian has never sounded better, you CAN'T skip this album.


pretty good
It's a perfect blend. To me, Blind Guardian's sound is a perfect blend between Dio's loud, power metal style and Twisted Sister's vocal melodies. Most of these songs sound the same to me, but it's a music style I can enjoy in small amounts.


Something is not right


3,5/5. But I dont know what it is! There are good songs and there are bad songs.


No Prayer for the Guardian?


Like Iron Maiden and when they lost Adrian Smith, just before Blind Guardian recorded this album, they lost their longtime (only) drummer Thomen "The Omen" Stauch. Yes, the title to my review is referring to the change of sound that happened between Iron Maiden's Seventh Son and the time Adrian Smith left, leaving them to record the decent, but comparably mediocre "No Prayer for the Dying".

Thomen (in my opinion) is one of the best power metal drummers of all time. He is capable of handling both the more speed oriented numbers of Blind Guardian and the more progressive ones with equal aplomb. The reasons for leaving are more obvious when listening to this album- I don't think the songwriting is up to par as on previous albums by the Guardian.

One thing is apparent, the production is not up to par.

It seems like they're going for a mix between the production on albums like Night at the Opera, and Tales from the Twilight World. This style is mismatched, and sounds artificial. Bauerfiend's production lacks an organic element, even Night at the Opera didn't sound so canned (see my review of that). The drums don't sound well recorded, and the rhythm guitars lack any guts whatsoever. Whatever happened to the thrashier parts that Marcus Siepen always bursted out with? They seem lifeless here.

Also, many of the melodies are either recycled or just not up to par with previous albums. The happier melodies on some of the songs don't cut it compared to the majestic parts on previous albums as well, and what we have left is a band on auto-pilot.

I never thought the day would come, but then again, as a band approaches middle age, has already conquered the world (and of metal), they may start to lose it a bit. In other words, at this point, Blind Guardian is past their prime.

However, "past their prime" with Blind Guardian is still 1000 percent better than most other bands of the power metal genre. I did enjoy This Will Never End, Skalds and Shadows, and Turn the Page. Those songs if they had better performances (not so lifelessly recorded) and better production can stand with Blind Guardian's best. Another Stranger Me is awesome as well.

As such, some of the songs ARE growing on me, but I feel like Iron Maiden's No Prayer for the Dying (ironic also that it was recorded when the Maidens were around the same age as well) it will be remembered as a slight dip in the Guardian catalog, until their eventual "comeback" album. (As an aside I currently enjoy and listen to No Prayer, but realize how it stands with most fans).

Blind Guardian recorded six CLASSIC albums, and that's a lot more than most band's FOUR classic albums. Night At the Opera was the first time I'd encountered filler on a Guardian album (not counting SOME of Follow the Blind) and I knew something was amiss, but that still got four stars for me for tracks like Precious Jerusalem alone. This album will get three stars from me, because it bores me more than many of their previous albums at times, and the amount of filler and bad production. I'd say stick with Bauerfiend for mixing, etc, but get Fleming Rasmussen back for general production. The magical production "dream team" of Piet Sielck, Fleming, and Charlie mixed with the always great songwriting would make the next Blind Guardian classic.

Note: the Orchestral album that's been in the works for over ten years will eventually see the light of day, and it may just be what the Guardians need. I think that they have worked laboriously on it (since 95 I believe) so its bound to be their next classic once its released. .


You can see a complete list of all Blind Guardian discography, or go back to the Blind Guardian tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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