Blind Guardian
Follow The Blind

THE REVIEW

Powermetal. A subgenre that has always divided metalheads around the world: there are those who hate it, claiming it's a musical style that ruins the good name of the category; and those who love it unconditionally. A way of understanding Metal that was born towards the end of the '80s, in the middle of the thrash era, thanks also to an extraordinary German band: the Blind Guardian.

After the semi-unknown EP Lucifer's Heritage: Symphonies Of Doom and the excellent debut album The Battalions Of Fear, in 1989 the four Teutons led by the singer (and then also bassist) Hansi Kursch, brought to light their third effort, namely Follow The Blind. An album in which you can appreciate the band's technique which, although still essentially raw, easily hints at its great potential, potential that in my opinion will reach its peak in 1995, with Imaginations From the Other Side, the real masterpiece of Blind Guardian.

Follow The Blind is nevertheless an exceptional album, which also features the participation of that great artist who answers to the name of Kai Hansen, dropped by "his" Helloween, and about to give birth to the excellent Gamma Ray.
The opening of the album is Inquisition, a medieval-flavored intro, a Latin choir that leads us into Banish From Sanctuary: the drumming is frantic, the bass a pillar, the guitar riffs simple but perfectly suited, the chorus will imprint on your mind for life. A better start could not have been.
There is no pause and Damned For All Time presents itself with an excellent guitar riff. It's a menacing track and Hansi interprets it to perfection. Drums and guitars, Hansi and choir alternate relentlessly, but the pinnacle is reached with the central riff, exceptional and very fast (could it be Hansen's work?).
The title track is epic: the drumming is pounding, the bass line creates an almost doom-like atmosphere, and the guitars seem to drag along, making the sound even gloomier, culminating in short but well-crafted riffs, making Follow The Blind perhaps the best track on the album. The piece closes as it began, with a splendid acoustic guitar.
Hall of The King brings us back violence and speed in execution, but it is not a piece that thrills like the previous ones, excluding the very fast central riff.
Even Fast to Madness is not a bad track, but it doesn't stand out from the average, despite the excellent drumming that causes a "dangerous" headbanging and the usual tight guitar, it is a bit flat like the previous one. They are pleasantly listenable, but you will hardly remember them just after finishing listening to the whole album.
In its 3 and a half minutes, the instrumental Beyond the Ice knows how to excite like few others of its kind: a crescendo that technically has no rivals within the record.
And here Hansen and Hansi (eheheheh) duet in Valhalla, where the former pumpkin at the beginning hits a terrifying high note. It's a piece that resumes the epic character of the title track, and Hansen gives it that extra touch, making it exceptional.
Grand finale with two covers: the beautiful and fast Don't Break the Circle, originally by Demon, and the last track that is astounding: the cover of Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys. I've always wondered what it had to do with it.

In conclusion, an excellent powermetal album, with Blind Guardian exploiting their great creative streak to the fullest and getting help from Kai Hansen, which certainly didn't hurt. A must-have for fans, highly recommended for those who want to "educate" themselves about this band, naturally after listening to Imaginations From the Other Side.

P.S.- ...it's impossible to get a hold of it in my area. In the only record store in my town, the metal section is pitiful...