BLIND GUARDIAN — Tales From the Twilight World (review)

BLIND GUARDIAN — Tales From the Twilight World album cover Album · 1990 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Conor Fynes
'Tales From The Twilight World' - Blind Guardian (5/10)

The reason that Blind Guardian can be considered a progressive metal band is from the great complexity of the music found on their two 'masterpiece' albums, 'Nightfall In Middle-Earth' and 'A Night At The Opera.' However, unfortunately all of their music isn't that complex, and while I am admittedly a great fan of power metal (especially European-style)'Tales From The Twilight World' feels a bit too raw for it's own good.

For starters, I will say that Blind Guardian is one of my favourite metal bands, and the two masterpieces are two of my most cherished records in my collection. As a fan of power metal, I have listened to a lot of different power metal bands, and while there are only a few that really stand out; Blind Guardian being one of them. For a band that was just getting into a progressive, complex swing of things, the fact that this album is sort of simple (at least compared to later work) is understandable and forgivable. But being no stranger to power metal, I'm not even sure if this can be considered real power metal. Yes, there are references to fantasy (hell, they even have a song here called 'Lord Of The Rings!') and Blind Guardian is first and foremost, a power metal band but this would better be described as just being 'speed metal.' The European power metal style is usually accompanied by a great style of finesse and elegance; an epic quality as if to evoke thoughts of what it's like to charge into an army of orcs and goblins. However, this is very stripped down, and besides a few moments (the 'LOTR' song, for instance) where a feeling of fantasy and otherworldliness is evoked, it sounds more like a band some leather clad 1980s youth from LA would listen to, as opposed to the traditional 'swords and sorcery' lover archetype that power metal fans are associated with.

As a power metal purist (traditional speed metal has it's merits, but I don't care to listen to it) I find this failure to sound really 'epic' sort of disappointing. But it's Blind Guardian, so if you like this band, I guess this is worth at least checking out regardless.
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