There’s plenty of grim stuff going on at the moment: Stories of school shootings and terrorist attacks dominate the news almost weekly, and no matter what your political leaning, somebody somewhere is doing something terribly wrong. Should they choose to, any musician would very easily be able to internally justify an entirely bleak and nihilistic outlook in their music, and even if they’re dealt with indirectly (or accidentally), political issues seem an inescapable aspect of pretty much everything. That’s why now is the perfect time for Blind Guardian to release another album full of songs about dragons and wizards.

Blind Guardian have often been called The Bards by their fans, but that nickname has rarely been meant in its oldest (And truest) sense; as comforters and entertainers during times of strife. Over their past few releases, Blind Guardian have seemed as if they were perfectly fit to be musical storytellers, but on Beyond the Red Mirror they finally accept falling into that role. Previously, the band have been as an enthusiastic adventurer: fighting every challenge thrown at them in an attempt to prove something, but here they are closer to a veteran soldier: contentedly recounting tales of their past conquests – satisfied with their victories but ready to begin to merely orate rather than create.

In fact, with all the epic lyrics, over the top bombast, multitracked Hansis, and choral sections present on Beyond the Red Mirror, the music itself sometimes even plays second fiddle to the stories being told. In Blind Guardian’s previous work, the lyrical imagery and the music worked hand in hand, but here it often seems like the music only exists insofar as it is a method of conveyance for the tales that Hansi wants to tell. Luckily, this narrative approach to songwriting largely works well.—despite the fact that ‘At the Edge of Time’ doesn’t really have many distinctive riffs, the theatrical bombast of it all still makes for a strikingly powerful piece of music. Likewise for nine-minute opener ‘The Ninth Wave,’ and nine-minute closer ‘The Grand Parade.’

Make no mistake though, in spite of all its theatrical and narrative leanings, Beyond the Red Mirror is still squarely metal. Blind Guardian may never record another album as hard-hitting as Imaginations from the Other Side, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve forgotten know how to write a guitar solo that flies through the air or a riff that kicks your teeth in. A couple of tracks (Prophecies and Twilight of the Gods) even feel savage enough that they could have very easily been featured on the band’s earlier speed metal releases, and late-album highlight Sacred Mind manages to sound riffy as hell without losing any of the bombast and theatrics of the rest of the album. It’s also one of the most sinister tracks in their discography. Blind Guardian have been around for almost 30 years, and they certainly know their craft, but they’re also refreshingly willing to vary on it and perfect it.

Beyond the Red Mirror won’t blow your mind or change your life. But it doesn’t need to, because it succeeds triumphantly in another equally noble aim: Blind Guardian’s latest album takes an hour of your life and fills it with joyous stories. Beyond the Red Mirror is far from perfect, and it’s very easy to be completely disinterested in it; to stick your nose up at the inherent dorkiness of it all. But it’s also very easy to simply get lost in the stories being told – and when the stories being told are this breathtaking, that seems like a pretty easy choice to make.

It can just be deleted. The second paragraph is basically where it begins anyway.



This is an almost obscure opinion that should be explained more carefully in the review. It's not something easily agreed with, or easily understood, so help us out. You say a lot more to unpack the point of view here it in the responses than you do in the review. Moreover, it's almost as if you're saying here that music has taken a back seat to narrative. I'd like to see the argument made clearly.

Also, don't reduce musical description to anything approaching "BG .. you know how they do." Do your best to not be vague. This means not leaving so many blanks for your readers to fill in on their own. Precision and, as Zodi was saying in the "Reviews - Worth it?" thread, critique are vital.

Remember: ethos, pathos, logos.



I agree. You're off to a good start for sure, Cards. I'm going to keep on you about getting cuter than you need to with punctuation. Also, your sentances tend to get really long. Stick to making coherent points first. Work on the packaging later.

Blind Guardian have often been called The Bards by their fans, but that nickname has rarely been meant in its oldest (And truest) sense; as comforters and entertainers during times of strife. Over their past few releases, Blind Guardian have been consistently eager to tell stories, but here they finally come to complete control of the style. Where their last four albums were explorations of new ideas, Beyond the Red Mirror is a comprehensive display of force – Blind Guardian seeing just how far they can push the musical tropes they created, and have come to master. Previously, the band have been as an enthusiastic adventurer: fighting every challenge thrown at them in an attempt to prove something, but here they are closer to a veteran soldier: contentedly recounting tales of their past conquests – satisfied with their victories but ready to begin to merely orate rather than create.

In fact, with all the epic lyrics, over the top bombast, multitracked Hansis, and choral sections present on Beyond the Red Mirror, the music itself sometimes even plays second fiddle to the stories being told. In Blind Guardian’s previous work, the lyrical imagery and the music worked in tandem, both coming together to form one cohesive narrative, but here it often seems like the music only exists insofar as it is a method of conveyance for and illumination of the tales that Hansi wants to tell. Luckily, this approach to songwriting largely works well—despite the fact that “At the Edge of Time” doesn’t really have many distinctive riffs, the theatrical bombast of it all still makes for a strikingly powerful piece. Likewise for nine-minute opener "The Ninth Wave," and nine-minute closer "The Grand Parade."

Make no mistake though, in spite of all its theatrical and narrative leanings, Beyond the Red Mirror is still squarely metal. Blind Guardian may never record another album as hard-hitting as Imaginations from the Other Side, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve forgotten know how to write a guitar solo that flies through the air or a riff that kicks your teeth in. A couple of tracks (Prophecies and Twilight of the Gods) even feel savage enough that they could have very easily been featured on the band’s earlier speed metal releases, and late-album highlight Sacred Mind manages to sound riffy as hell without losing any of the bombast and theatrics of the rest of the album. It’s also one of the most sinister tracks in their discography, and a resounding proof that despite their nearly 30 year life as a band, they are still able to perfect and tweak their craft.

Previous Blind Guardian releases have included a largely acoustic folk song. These songs served a dual purpose, both providing the listener with a rest from the bombastic assault Blind Guardian invariably build up, (without sacrificing any of its momentum) and giving the band a chance to experiment and enjoy an entirely different style of music. Sadly, there is not one of these tracks present on Beyond the Red Mirror; instead we are given insipid piano ballad “Miracle Machine,” a song which vaguely meanders for three minutes before dropping off into nowhere. It’s an utter waste of time, contains some of Hansi’s worst and most cumbersome lyrics, (“We must believe in something/ that I would call a miracle.”) and the only track on the album that I could see being ‘skipped’ by anyone.

Beyond the Red Mirror won’t blow your mind or change your life. But it doesn’t need to, because it succeeds triumphantly in another equally noble aim: Blind Guardian’s latest album takes an hour of your life and fills it with joyous stories. Beyond the Red Mirror is far from perfect, and it’s very easy to be completely disinterested in it; to stick your nose up at the inherent dorkiness of it all. But it’s also very easy to simply get lost in the stories being told – and when the stories being told are this breathtaking, that seems like a pretty easy choice to make.

Blind Guardian have often been called The Bards by their fans, but that nickname has rarely been meant in its oldest (And truest) sense; as comforters and entertainers during times of strife. Over their past few releases, Blind Guardian have been consistently eager to tell stories, but here they finally come to complete control of the style. Where their last four albums were explorations of new ideas, Beyond the Red Mirror is a comprehensive display of force – Blind Guardian seeing just how far they can push the musical tropes they created. Previously, the band have been as an enthusiastic adventurer: desperately, excitedly exploring new ground in an attempt to prove something, but here they are closer to a veteran soldier: contentedly recounting tales of their past conquests – satisfied with their victories but ready to begin to merely tell stories rather than create them.

In fact, with all the epic lyrics, multitracked Hansis, and choral sections present on Beyond the Red Mirror, the stories being told often seem to take thematic precedence over the music itself. In Blind Guardian’s previous work, the lyrical imagery and the music worked in tandem, both coming together to form one cohesive entity, but here it often seems like the music only exists insofar as it is an illumination of the tales that Hansi tells. Luckily, this approach to songwriting largely works well —despite the fact that “At the Edge of Time” doesn’t really have many distinctive riffs, the theatrical bombast of it all still makes for a strikingly powerful piece. Likewise for nine-minute opener ‘The Ninth Wave,’ and nine-minute closer ‘The Grand Parade.’ Beyond the Red Mirror is (with a few exceptions) packed with almost entirely narratively-driven songs, an aspect which would be crippling for most any other band. Blind Guardian’s mastery of their craft – and Hansi Kursch’s astounding vocals – turn it into yet another triumph.
Make no mistake though, in spite of all its theatrical and narrative leanings, Beyond the Red Mirror is still squarely a hard-hitting album. Blind Guardian may never record another album as savage as Imaginations from the Other Side, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve forgotten know how to write a guitar solo that flies through the air or a riff that kicks your teeth in. Heavy moments are interspersed through the theatrical songs, (the titanic guitar solo in The Ninth Wave, the thrashy introduction to Ashes of Eternity) and a couple of tracks (Prophecies and Twilight of the Gods) even feel savage enough that they could have very easily been featured on the band’s earlier speed metal releases. Late-album highlight Sacred Mind manages to sound riffy as hell without losing any of the bombast and theatrics of the rest of the album. It’s also one of the most sinister tracks in Blind Guardian’s discography, and packs a damn catchy chorus to boot – a resounding proof that despite their nearly 30 year life as a band, they are still able to perfect and hone their craft.

Previous Blind Guardian releases have included a largely acoustic folk song. These songs served a dual purpose, both providing the listener with a rest from the bombastic assault Blind Guardian invariably build up, (without sacrificing any of its momentum) and giving the band a chance to experiment and enjoy an entirely different style of music. Sadly, there is not one of these tracks present on Beyond the Red Mirror; instead we are given insipid piano ballad “Miracle Machine,” a song which vaguely meanders for three minutes before dropping off into nowhere. It’s an utter waste of time, contains some of Hansi’s worst and most cumbersome lyrics, (“We must believe in something/ that I would call a miracle.”) and the only track on the album that really seems a candidate for being skipped by anybody.
Beyond the Red Mirror won’t blow your mind or change your life. But it doesn’t need to, because it succeeds in another equally noble aim: Blind Guardian’s latest album takes an hour of your life and fills it with joyous stories. Beyond the Red Mirror is far from perfect, and it’s very easy to be completely disinterested in it; to stick your nose up at the inherent dorkiness of it all. But it’s also very easy to simply get lost in the stories being told – and when the stories being told are this breathtaking, that seems like a pretty easy choice to make.

Formulaic, but effective - 82%

Aaaah, Greece! The land that gave us the Odyssey, moussaka, and Rotting Christ. Not a bad track record, if you ask me, and Wardrum's last album as of now does nothing whatsoever to dispel the notion that the land of Olympus rules. A strong, if somewhat bloated piece of work, dominated by lots of enthusiasm and a killer vocalist, Messenger is a fun ride, sure to please anyone with a taste for simple, yet well crafted metal.

The music itself belongs to that reliable, crunchy branch of power metal where you'll find the likes of Tad Morose and Angel Dust. Pretty accesible stuff with a thing for big melodic hooks and catchy choruses, yet still retaining a lot of bite and swagger. The sound is crystal clear, but far from overproduced and nicely thick, accentuating the chugging guitars and shrieking vocals the most, to a positive effect. The songwriting itself is very consistent, most songs staying around the 4-5 minutes mark, and sticking either to a constant mid-tempo or a hastier, pseudo speed metal pace. Particular highlights include the titletrack, with its aggressive, USPM-styled riffing and blistering solo, Lady Jane Grey, which is on the poppier, more melodic side of things, and both Travel Far Away and Vengeance, which are tied for the best chorus in the record.

In fact, the choruses are easily this record's main strength, in no small part thanks to Yannis Papadopoulos' fantastic performance. This guy was pretty much born to sing heavy metal; with a clear, sharp tenor, a terrific range, and incredible ear for melody, he sounds like the second coming of Midnight. He's perfectly capable of keeping it subtle, of course, but he's at his best when he just belts it all out and soars like an eagle. In fact, he's a bit TOO good, in the sense that he eclipses the rest of the band. Oh, sure, they're all very competent musicians, and Kosta Vreto gets a moment to shine in the guitar department here and there, but overall, while they all work well as a unit, Yannis ends up being by far the best thing on display here. This brings me to the second problem Messenger has, which is its runtime and consistency. Now, complaining about a record being too consistent might sound crazy (kinda like saying a singer's too good, eh?), but Messenger isn't varied or well written enough to justify its hour long runtime. This isn't to say that any of the songs are bad per se, but that an album that pretty much sticks to a single way of doing things for its entire duration would benefit from trimming down all of the fat, as by the ninth or tenth song, everything starts to blend together.

Don't let these flaws deter you though, as they're relatively minor and shouldn't bother an enthusiast of the style too much. Messenger is a very competently played and written album, and pretty much any fan of modern power metal is likely to find something that appeals to them here. In fact, it has left me eager to check out Wardrum's other two full lengths, which is nothing but a good sign. Go Greece!