Somewhere Far Beyond

Let's face it: like any genre of music, power metal is filled with mediocre pretenders to the throne and uninspired, formulaic imitators who seem to be more concerned with hitting all the necessary, established bullet points, than with trying to be truly inspired. Bands like Nocturnal Rites or Hammerfall may have the requisite clean, melodic vocals, galloping rhythms, and harmonized guitar leads that, by all rights, _should_ sound awesome, but there's just something amiss. This is not the case with Blind Guardian, one of an elite group of bands classified as power metal/symphonic power metal (see also Rage, Angra, the founding fathers Helloween, Virgin Steele, Symphony X) which somehow have managed to bring something important and distinctive to an ever more overcrowded table.Perhaps it was Blind Guardian's roots in both American thrash/speed (Metallica, most notably), and the more traditional pan-English Channel sounds of classic metal/proto-metal such as Iron Maiden, Rainbow and Judas Priest (with more than a little touch of 1970s Scorpions in the mix) which has kept them sounding relatively grounded while still reaching for the high peaks of Middle Earth with their fantasy-laden, orchestrated ambitions. After 2 albums of slightly progressive, somewhat epic, and definitely rough around the edges thrash/speed metal in the late 1980s, 1990's "Tales From the Twilight World" saw the band add a significant enough amount of harmony and melody to the mix to be considered part of the then-nascent power metal movement. That being said, the drumming, rhythms, and song structures were fairly linear, and still more in tune with speed metal. With "Somewhere Far Beyond", however, the band took another step forward in songwriting, and perfected their brand of power metal that they had began forging on the prior album.The opening track, "Time What Is Time", signifies this, with dramatic shifts constantly occurring, from the quiet acoustic intro, to mid-tempo sections, to full-on speed riffing. Both vocal and guitar harmonies are liberally applied throughout, while the grinding rhythm guitars are given space to apply a heavier, more grinding edge, and the drumming is allowed to move around the shifting song structure. Things are much less chaotic here than, say, "Lost In The Twilight Hall" from "Tales". This sets the pace for a nicely varied set list, including the frantic, dark "Ashes to Ashes", the sweeping and symphonic mid-tempo song "Theater of Pain", and the speedy "Journey Through The Dark". "The Bard's Tale: In the Forest" deserves special note as perhaps the essential defining moment for Blind Guardian's acoustic, medieval balladry, with a guaranteed audience participation moment for all their shows from that point on.And with the epic title track, with subject matter drawn from Stephen King's Dark Tower novels, the band somehow manages to bring an energetic, street-level honesty in their approach that allows the listener to give them the benefit of the doubt when Hansi earnestly declares, "I am the narrator, and now I'll tell you where I've been, and what I saw, and how it ends!"- something that I was not quite able to do when Savage Circus tried to tread the same exact ground with their song "Of Doom and Death". The only real misstep here is the pointless bagpipe filler track, "The Piper's Calling". There are also a few pseudo-bonus tracks, such as a cover of Satan's "Trial By Fire", as well as the "official" bonus tracks for this release, demos of "Time What Is Time" and "Ashes to Ashes" (the latter of which includes a fairly different instrumental break in the midst of the song). As far as audio quality, there's more kick to the low end overall, and the guitars seem to have more heft and aggression, in addition to the requisite increase in volume.There's no doubt in my mind that this is a classic of the genre (even if I prefer Imaginations From The Other Side myself), and the remastered version gives it the audio boost to really hammer its power home. While bands like Edguy would later make a career out of imitating Helloween, and Rhapsody (aka Rhapsody of Fire) would clumsily manhandle fantasy subject matter by bludgeoning the listener with blatant Dungeons and Dragons exposition masquerading as "lyrics", Blind Guardian quietly (or not so quietly) staked out their own territory early on, and this is as good an example of that as any. And hey, even if you disagree with me, you have to admit that at least it's better than Dragonforce........

what should i say that havent been already said by countless BG or just quality metal fans? this is far better than 'twilight hall' although a lot of dudes might disagree. i have found a lot more variety in it (from the steamhammering title track to the gripping mid-tempo 'theater of pain', to the beautifully acoustic first part of 'the bard's song'. it's all there and all the lyrics are far from corny, which is something rare in fantasy metal (just take a listen to hopeless [stuff] like hammerfall or rhapsody...sheesh..). this album ranks second behind Nightfall in middle earth, in my humble opinion (third -but very close- in rank is Imaginations from the other side). anyway, enough blabber, own this really rewarding piece of music, you wont be disappointed in the least! ...

Maybe one of the best german Metal Records of all time. Listen to this Band since 25 years, and I can't get enough of them.Belongs to EVERY Metal Collection, timeless masterpiece (I write the same review for the Tales from the twilight world Album, because...because lol)PS:If you want see them live, learn the Bard Song

Blind Guardian have to be one of my favorite power metal bands. Their sound is unmistakable, and they have truly carved out their own distinct niche in the genre. This album finds a nice balance between the raw speed metal of early BG and the more ambitious material that characterizes their later offerings.If you are new to the band, I feel like 'Somewhere Far Beyond' is a good starting point. In my opinion, Hansi Kürsch has one of the best voices of any singer in the genre - and it definitely works well in delivering the folksy/fantasy focused lyrics. My only real complaint is how quiet the CD is compared to other CDs. It's annoying when you have it in a mix or compilation.

This product came in very nicely packaged and now I listen to it when working on the computer.

Love.

Love Blind Guardian... great band and another great album.

Great stuff. Good purchase.

1992 das erste Mal gehört und konnte es nie vergessen.Blind Guardian sind meiner Meinung nach eine der besten und immer wieder fesselnden Metal Bands.Und dieses Album ist mein absolutes Lieblingsalbum der Band, ich kann uneingeschränkt jedes Stück empfehlen und höre alle gerne.Ich fange jetzt hier keine Vergleiche mit anderen Alben an oder wie sich die Band entwickelt oder sowas.Meiner Meinung nach soll Musik gefallen und Blind Guardian gefällt mir.

L'album è semplicemente spettacolare, questa remastered mantiene il fascino della prima stampa

Edicion Nueclar Blast cd remasterizada 2017 del clasico cuarto album de los alemanes, que en este lanzamiento terminan por definir su sonido y alcanzan uno de los puntos mas altos de su larga carrera. Incluye 2 bonus tracks y booklet de 16 paginas con las letras de los temas. Servico de primera.

ハンズィ・キアシュ(vo,b)　アンドレ・オルブリッチ(g)　マーカス・ズィーペン(g)　トーマス・トーメン・スタッシュ(dr)ドイツ出身。90年代の日本におけるジャーマンメタル熱の一翼を担っていたバンド。1992年に発売された4thアルバム。前作はバンドを一段階上に押し上げた出世作だった。メンバーは「ファンの期待に応えて前作以上のものを作らなければ」というプレッシャーもあったそうだが、その重圧を乗り越え…いやむしろ取り込んで、素晴らしいアルバムを作ってくれた。疾走感と壮大さのバランス。凝った曲展開と、説得力のあるリフやメロディ。これぞメロディックメタルの王道。バンドの黄金期を象徴する1枚。#1 "Time What is Time" 、次の "Journey Through the Dark" の疾走感とドラマ性に燃える。その一方で、#3 "Black Chamber" や名バラード #7 "The Birds Song" のような小品曲を挟んでアルバムの流れに緩急をつけ、全体をより印象深いものにしている。そして本編ラストの表題曲#10 "Somewhere far Beyond" 。バグパイプによる民族的な導入部。攻撃的なリフと雄々しくも壮大なコーラス。メロディックメタルのお手本のような、最初から最後まで完璧な名曲。中間部で再登場するバグパイプのソロパートも大好きです。個人的には、前作と本作。そして次の「Imaginations From the Other Side」の3枚が、Blind Guardianの黄金期だと思っている。#11 "Spread Your Wings" はQueenのカヴァー。原曲は「News of the World」(1977年 6th) に収録。#12 "Trial by Fire" はNWOBHMバンドの1つ、Satanのカヴァー。「Too Late!!」の漢（おとこ）コーラスが熱い。原曲は「Court in the Act」(1983年 1st) に収録。