BLIND GUARDIAN

At The Edge Of Time (Nuclear Blast)

BLIND GUARDIAN is back with another stunning work named At The Edge of Time. Every release in their oeuvre is more ambitious in scope than the last and this makes them one of the most talented and consistent bands in any genre of metal. The German power metal titans have turned in yet another masterpiece complete with all of the touchstones you expect from the band. This is most impressive considering the band is going on twenty-five years old and remains vital.

The record begins with a new version of “Sacred Worlds”, first heard on the Sacred 2: Fallen Angel video game as the theme song. This new version has an overture-like beginning that builds up into the start of the original song. Complete with orchestrations and a string section that seems to be playing a snippet of “Flight of The Bumblebee” or something like it and this builds a lot of drama before the main riff and drums kick in. BLIND GUARDIAN are the unequaled masters of blending the classical music themes with thrash metal riffs like matching lead guitars with a dueling string sections and a backing choir. When the main song lifts off the tempo and the guitars will remind you of classic IRON MAIDEN which has always been an influence on the band. Hansi Kursch’s (DEMONS AND WIZARDS) soaring, dramatic vocals are instantly recognizable and he sounds to be in top form especially on the epic chorus. As always their lyrics are both poetic and fantastical in keeping with the bands’ style. Second track “Tanelorn” is a lot more immediate with its JUDAS PRIEST Painkiller-era speed and urgency. Power ballad “Road Of No Release” has a bit of Broadway musical flair to it and the bands’ sense of drama never lets up through out the record. The middle section has one of the cooler metal riffs on the record courtesy of mainstay guitarist Andre Olbrich. “Curse My Name” is in the style of a classical madrigal piece and should find both Richie Blackmore and many of the “battle metal” style bands jealous that they didn’t write it. The middle of the record slows down the pace a bit more with gentle songs like “Valkyries”, but amps back up with “A Voice in the Dark”. The latter, released over the summer as a single, is the hardest song BLIND GUARDIAN has put out since their very early work. It also has the best technical axe work on the record in terms of riffs and solos. Album closer “Wheel of Time” starts with a Middle Eastern theme complete with authentic instruments like (my personal favorite) Tabla drums and a three stringed Saz. This eventually gives way to massive sounding horns and strings as well as powerful drums, more killer guitars and some interesting, proggy tempo changes. The record closes out just as it began, grandiose in scheme and structure and a real musician’s band in terms of a listening experience.

GRADE: B+

Keith Chachkes