Blind Guardian
The Forgotten Tales

THE REVIEW

Forget anything you think you know about Blind Guardian.
The Forgotten Tales has nothing to do with albums like Nightfall on Middle Earth. It almost seems like the German band wants to make fun of themselves. The album, alongside tracks of the group in orchestral or acoustic versions (the live version of "The Bard's Song", sung by the audience, is breathtaking), offers a series of covers that are truly unusual for the band: "Surfin' USA" by the Beach Boys (reinterpreted in a "heavier" version), "The Wizard" by Uriah Heep (done more in their style), "Barbara Ann/Long Tall Sally" (a medley in pure rock'n'roll without frills) and the hilarious "Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes, where the singer's final laugh reminds us that this album is all a joke.
The only negative note of the album is "Spread Your Wings" by Queen: the singer Hansi Kursch's voice seems like it never quite takes off, and the German accent gives some parts unintentionally comedic undertones.

The result is nonetheless a very enjoyable album, which puts aside the pomposity and self-celebration that is often typical of power metal to make room for a healthy dose of fun and self-irony and above all... rock'n'roll!