Blind Guardian
A Night At The Opera

THE REVIEW

The previous "Nightfall in Middle-Earth" marked the pinnacle of these Germans' epic vein, so it's obvious that the follow-up "A Night.." had a heavy burden to bear on its shoulders. Try to recreate that epic atmosphere, also influenced by traditional music, running a great risk with the countless comparisons that would be created, or move forward and continue experimenting, perhaps taking even bigger risks?

It seems the Blind love the risk! This CD succeeded in changing the game at an unthinkable speed. Just listen to the first seconds of the opener "Precious Jerusalem" (really, the German bards talking about Jerusalem??) to understand that the music has changed... and a lot!! The production is more "bombastic", the guitar is overshadowed by choruses and especially orchestrations, which were previously always in the background. Even the genre itself, while retaining a touch of epicness, is not strictly Epic Metal, but something else. Occasionally, Arabic melodies surface (the aforementioned opener, but also in "Under The Ice") and who knows how much they chilled the hardcore fans of the beloved Bards. How can we not mention "Sadly Sings Destiny", with its modern sounds. Certainly, those expecting a "Nightfall..." part two will be very disappointed, but those with a minimally open mind will surely appreciate it! Despite everything, though, the best songs are those that most closely align with the band's past or at least attempt to remain in epic territory!

"Battlefield" is a small gem that brings us back to more "friendly" sounds after the strange, yet still good, "Precious...". Even "Sadly..." is appreciated after a somewhat strange beginning. Furthermore, could there be a missing classic medieval ballad? But of course not, eh!! "The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight", simply fabulous, starts as per tradition with the acoustic guitar replaced by orchestrations, but then it comes alive and other instruments join in gifting us a dreamlike song that lets us imagine enchanted forests populated by elves and various little creatures, and it almost seems like seeing the minstrel singing for the princess. Magnificent! A moment of rest and then off we go again with the fantastic "The Soulforged" which finally returns to the epic style, at times folk, of the Blind Guardian of "Nightfall..", the guitars finally return to be heard and the music changes miraculously!! A tear runs down my face, but with the arrival of "Age of False Innocence" one must pull themselves together. After yet another experimental start, we find another song that continues the journey begun at the start of this CD. Let's say it right away, this is by no means bad, on the contrary, but it might disappoint many early-hour aficionados! There are no shortage of choirs and epicness up to a thousand, but the electric guitar is once again forced to make room for various orchestrations. The Blind Guardian's masterpiece is not too far off... Let the trumpets blare, let the fatted calf be slaughtered... "And Then There Was Silence".. This song alone is worth the purchase of the CD and our guys are forgiven for some slightly excessive experimentation. It's a 14-minute suite themed around the myth of Troy, emotional like few other songs, making drama and theatricality its greatest strengths. A gem of rare beauty placed precisely at the end of the CD for a classic blockbuster finale!

In conclusion, this is not the CD everyone expected after the boom of "Nightfall in Middle-Earth" but a brave CD that focuses much on the orchestration of songs rather than guitar impact. Recommended not only to power-epic lovers but to all respectable metal maniacs! In fact, power even disgusts me a bit, and despite mostly listening to death/black metal and all extreme metal in general, Blind Guardian has remained in my heart. Legendary!