Blind Guardian
Imaginations From The Other Side

THE REVIEW

"Imaginations From The Other Side"...how many times have we stood frozen in front of the mirror, immersed in a soft twilight, because the expression of our reflected "self" didn't seem like the one we had on our face?...the title of the work poses this disturbing question...is there someone on THE OTHER SIDE? A moment of silence precedes the answer, desperately rational, because it is not possible that...

The dark, fast notes, like distant bell tolls of the opener "Imaginations From The Other Side" disturb the reflection. The doors of the mirror have swung open...let the journey begin... A harsh, piercing voice, with shades of a particular type of scream, narrates fantastic, terrifying visions, of a world made of dreams, nightmares, fantasies, imaginations...the magnificent play of choirs and solo vocals, the solos, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes unsettling, sometimes dreamy, give the impression of sliding further into this magical universe, inhabited by all the monsters and protagonists from each of our childhoods: Peter Pan, Alice, The Cowardly Lion, Frodo, The Scarecrow, The Wizard of Oz, The Wicked Witch...deeper and deeper into the childlike subconscious, until it is no longer possible to return.

The ending fades, leaving us lost, frightened, like when we were children watching lightning tear the sky apart...the covertly epic atmosphere continues to remain so in the sustained, paranoid "I'm Alive," but comes completely to the fore in the beautiful, rhythmical "A Past And Future Secret"...a slow guitar with Celtic arpeggios takes us back, to eras belonging to legendary kings, valiant warriors, and mysterious wizards...the choirs are mighty and regal. "The Script For My Requiem" is also wonderful...the vocal virtuosity is even more evident here, enriched and beautified by the usual contrast with the choir. The drums offer another impeccable technical performance...the lyrics are marvelous. But the true masterpiece is "Mordred's Song," a monologue of Mordred, Arthur's illegitimate son...close your eyes and let the world around you lose its outlines and colors...a slow, decadent arpeggio opens to a desperate, weary voice, which closes the verse with an exceptional performance...the tones rise, Hansi astonishes again. A magnificently epic chorus crowns this first part. The following verse is embellished by the intricate interplay between a harsh, scornful voice and a soft, distant counter-voice...again the beautiful chorus, gradually further away...the song fades on a vibrato arpeggio where silence is an integral part of the beauty.

But another gem is set in the seventh track: "Bright Eyes": a female choir opens with a strangely fast cadence, which is masterfully overlaid by Hansi, who breaks the rhythmic chain with a skillful vocal insertion. The choir whispers eerily, momentarily suspending the melody...then the singer forcefully takes the reins again, in a verse worthy of the particular chorus that follows immediately. The epicness reemerges in "Another Holy War," with a slightly ironic religious text, but full of pathos, where the splendid bass work accompanies a fast, almost violent verse that ends with a magnificent, suspended, vibrant scream...the chorus, majestic and mighty, then fades into a counterpoint of voices and choirs...the following verse is even more sustained, leading into another even more beautiful scream...a masterpiece of technique and emotion.

The grand finale, "And The Story Ends," where virtuosities of bass and drums merge with a dreamy choir, adorned by an excellent Kursch. The multiple vocal overlays are magnificent. The haunting nature of the melody recalls the opener, also due to the enigmatic lyrics. In the last verse, a chilling vocal finale closes the work in an unusual way...you will run to the mirror, to ensure you are still the same...but yes, of course, your face is still there...everything is as it was before...or maybe not?