The Official Blind Guardian Thread v. Yup, Still a Necrothread

[ProfessorPeart]

I did something similar in the fall. Lots of posts on that in this thread.

I had sampled them many years ago, but I just couldn't get into it. I got a big fat Amazon GC for my 50th and I bought the entire discog. Really liking it.

I was actually reading through your journey recently. Got a lot of insight from it.

These weren't easy to find at a decent price. Found a store on eBay that had everything brand new and a 99.9% rating. Plus, since I ordered 10 albums I got another $10 off my order. Was able to lock the whole thing down for $133.50. I thought that was a pretty good deal, considering.

[TAC]

I did something similar in the fall. Lots of posts on that in this thread.

I had sampled them many years ago, but I just couldn't get into it. I got a big fat Amazon GC for my 50th and I bought the entire discog. Really liking it.

I was actually reading through your journey recently. Got a lot of insight from it.

These weren't easy to find at a decent price. Found a store on eBay that had everything brand new and a 99.9% rating. Plus, since I ordered 10 albums I got another $10 off my order. Was able to lock the whole thing down for $133.50. I thought that was a pretty good deal, considering.

Insight? maybe I should reread it.

[ProfessorPeart]

Well, you weren't scaring me away. It's takes a lot for me to pull the trigger like that so I'm always looking for a reason to bail.

Hey, does this mean I can blame you if it ends up being a flame out? 

[The Walrus]

Blessed are the ones embarking on their Blind Guardian journey for the first time. Enjoy the ride, it's a damn good one.

[TAC]

Hey, does this mean I can blame you if it ends up being a flame out? 

Blame Kattelox!

[The Walrus]

Blind Guardian is one of the very very few bands I can say (imo) have zero bad albums. Even my least favorite is still a good album in my opinion. Hey, you might see them on my top 50... 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Blind Guardian is one of the very very few bands I can say (imo) have zero bad albums. Even my least favorite is still a good album in my opinion. Hey, you might see them on my top 50... 

Actually they have 1 bad album, Beyond the Red Mirror. Although it isn't really so much bad as just mediocre. And extremely disappointing after how good At the Edge of Time was.

[Zook]

A Twist in the Myth isn't all that good either. I also never cared for their first two or Somewhere Far Beyond, but SFB has some good stuff on it.

[The Walrus]

Beyond the Red Mirror is my 2nd favorite Guardian album. I came to this conclusion just the other night while I was listening to it to be sure. Twist is one of their weakest, but I think Nightfall is the biggest offender, and I'm a giant LOTR dweeb. *shrug* Just a whole bunch of filler on that damn thing, and such a drop in quality from their magnum opus imo (Imaginations).

[ProfessorPeart]

I have finally started my BG journey. All of the albums were delivered on 6/8 but I was getting ready to go away with the wife for our 20th. Didn't think she would appreciate non-stop BG. Then the Demons & Wizards albums arrived. I went through those first. Like the first more than the second.

Today I made it through the first two records and most of the third. I absolutely loved the first two. That is some quality speed metal. There wasn't anything that I didn't like. I should note that I am listening to the remixes of these.

The third album seems a small step down for me so far. Not bad, but isn't grabbing me as much as the first two.

I'm very aware that things will be changing but I am really loving these guys so far.

[The Walrus]

Ain't a bad record in the lot. Exciting times for you!

[cramx3]

Enjoy the journey, personally I feel it only gets better from there

[ErHaO]

With the exception of their second record, I like or love all their albums. Interesting to see you prefer albums 1 and 2 over 3.

And in regards to Demons & Wizards, I think the general consensus is that the first record is indeed superior.

[The Walrus]

I might be in the minority then. I think Touched By The Crimson King is a superior record without question.

[ErHaO]

Well, that is just a feeling I get from reading discussions/comments online. But the second record is great as well, so to me it is not weird to prefer it or something. Actually, I am looking forward to the new Demons & Wizards (a tiny bit) more than the orchestral album by Blind Guardian. Both are actually albums of which at some point I expected to never come out and now it seems we will be getting them relatively close to each other.

[ProfessorPeart]

Still regularly listening to the first two. Just really enjoying them.

Re-listened to Tales From The Twilight World and liked it much more the second time around. About halfway through Somewhere Far Beyond and no complaints there either.

Went back to the same eBay seller that I got the entire 2019 2-disc studio album set from and picked up the 2019 2-disc versions of Tokyo Tales, Live and Forgotten Tales. Skipped the newest live album for now.

I can't get Majesty and Valhalla out of my head. They are ear worms that I find myself singing constantly.

[TAC]

That first album is great, and I love Twilight. Probably my two faves.

[The Walrus]

Yeah, Guardian's early speed metal era is just the best, imo. So many heavy riffs and Hansi's voice is strong as hell. I love the Tokyo Tales live album, that might be my favorite live record ever. The setlist is basically the best of all the first four albums.

[TAC]

One of the things that held me back on BG was Hansi's voice. I don't know. It kind of grated on me. But It was important to start from the beginning, to hear him grow into his voice.

[The Walrus]

Promising to be one of the most ambitious projects in metal history, BLIND GUARDIAN’s upcoming release will be well worth the wait. The idea of recording an orchestral album originally formed in the minds of the two leading lights of the BLIND GUARDIAN universe - guitarist André Olbrich and singer Hansi Kürsch - during the 1990s when BLIND GUARDIAN started to use orchestral elements to enhance their opulent sound.
Today, they reveal the album's amazing cover artwork, which was created by the renowned artist Gyula Havancsák.

Hansi Kürsch comments: "The cover artwork by Gyula Havancsák just perfectly fits our upcoming project and I think it's a true masterpiece. Gulya's love for details is incredible and his ability to see behind complex stories and reproduce them in art is amazing. We are more than happy since he could absolutely capture the monumental atmosphere of the music. Literally a perfect match!"

On July 19th the pre-orders for the upcoming album "The Legacy Of The Dark Lands" will kick off.

In recent years the giant project started to take shape, and parallel to its epic sound cascades, the lyrical concept was developed. For this, BLIND GUARDIAN was able to find support in German bestselling author Markus Heitz, whose latest novel “Die Dunklen Lande” was released on March 1rst 2019. The book is set in 1629 and contains the prequel to BLIND GUARDIAN’s opus “Legacy Of The Dark Lands”, which will be released November 1st.

Watch the short trailer, to get a first impression of the album: https://youtu.be/PW8zzTlp03I

The Novel “Die Dunklen Lande” is available starting today.
Visit: http://nblast.de/BGLegacyOfTheDarkLands

[TAC]

So....The Astonishing?

[The Walrus]

So....The Astonishing?

No, not even close. This is an orchestral album.

Side note: I love Gyula's art. He is a gifted artist and has worked with tons of bands. He did the art to Wintersun's The Forest Seasons, and Stratovarius's last 5 albums, among plenty of others. And he has more variety than Felipe Machado Franco, who I like, but has the most predictable template and color palette choices ever.

[Evermind]

So....The Astonishing?

No. Not even close. This is an orchestral album.

Side note: I love Gyula's art. He is a gifted artist and has worked with tons of bands. He did the art to Wintersun's The Forest Seasons, and Stratovarius's last 5 albums, among plenty of others. And he has more variety than Felipe Machado Franco, who I like, but has the most predictable template and color palette choices ever.

You need some artwork for a new album? Well I've got that brand new, innovative blue/red color palette for you!

Also the second half of the year is suddenly quite exciting, release-wise. This, IQ, iamthemorning, Opeth, probably some other stuff I'm forgetting right now.

[The Walrus]

For me I got Blind Guardian, IQ, Opeth, Fairyland, Sonata Arctica, maybe Dragonforce, and maybe iamthemorning (a group I'm interested in but not technically a fan of). And maybe more I'm forgetting. So yeah, second half of 2019 is looking dope for me too.

[TAC]

So....The Astonishing?

No, not even close. This is an orchestral album.

I'm kidding of course.

[The Walrus]

So....The Astonishing?

No, not even close. This is an orchestral album.

I'm kidding of course.

I can rarely tell when you're joking because you're so out of the loop with media 

[TAC]

That's no joke, Brother.

[Evermind]

For me I got Blind Guardian, IQ, Opeth, Fairyland, Sonata Arctica, maybe Dragonforce, and maybe iamthemorning (a group I'm interested in but not technically a fan of). And maybe more I'm forgetting. So yeah, second half of 2019 is looking dope for me too.

I can't believe how uninterested I am in Sonata Arctica. I have no desire to even check out the next single, whenever that's out.

I'm also pretty sure Tim loves The Astonishing.

Also just remembered: new Vanden Plas is out soon too. Holy shit I'm excited as fuck for that.

[The Walrus]

Crap there's VP too! This world has too many bands and not enough hours in the day 

[MirrorMask]

I waited so long for this album that it doesn't even seem real that it's actually coming  it's weird if I have no anticipation at all for it when I've waited 20 years for it? I mean, it's good that it's coming, when it's gonna be here, I'll listen to it, heck, I'll probably blindly buy it because Blind Guardian are a "take my money first, hear later" kind of band for me, but after 20 years I'm not gonna count the weeks and the days and the minutes.

When it will be out, it will be out.

[ErHaO]

I have no idea what to expect anymore. The album cover looks pretty good. Clearly a modern epic metal cover, but thay is not a bad thing.

Not likely that I will read it, but I hope the novel is good/competent. Having a professional fantasy writer involved hopefully means the concept is well done.

[MirrorMask]

Tracklist!!! Double CD!

01. 1618 Ouverture
02. The Gathering
03. War Feeds War
04. Comets And Prophecies
05. Dark Cloud’s Rising
06. The Ritual
07. In The Underworld
08. A Secret Society
09. The Great Ordeal
10. Bez
11. In The Red Dwarf’s Tower
12. Into The Battle
13. Treason
14. Between The Realms
15. Point Of No Return
16. The White Horseman
17. Nephilim
18. Trial And Coronation
19. Harvester Of Souls
20. Conquest Is Over
21. This Storm
22. The Great Assault
23. Beyond The Wall
24. A New Beginning

[The Walrus]

Hopefully has far less filler than Nightfall in Middle-Tier BG

[ProfessorPeart]

http://bravewords.com/news/blind-guardian-s-twilight-orchestra-legacy-of-the-dark-lands-album-tracklisting-formats-revealed-new-video-trailer-streaming

Formats:

- 2CD Digipak
- 2LP Gatefold (different colours)
- 3CD Comic book (album, instrumental, no interludes version)
- 4CD Comic book (album, instrumental, no interludes version, audiobook)
- 5LP BOX (Album 2LP, Instrumental 2LP, Audiobook LP)

There is a trailer in the link too with some background.

EDIT: Great news for Kat, the narrators from Nightfall are back!

[The Walrus]

 

My, this is sounding epic. Can't wait.