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Rating: What an emotion.
Finally having the new Blind Guardian album in my hands is truly an emotion. I pause to look at the cover, really beautiful, a powerful image, perhaps less distinctive than those on albums like "Tales from the Twilight World," "Nightfall in Middle Earth," or the very recent "Live." But powerful, and it's important that it is because the return of Blind Guardian to the battlefield must be equally powerful! Let's see if it has turned out so.
Let's go in order, and the album opens with "This Will Never End": a track with impact, capable of enchanting with unconventional melodies, demonstrating from the start that it's the work of people who really know how to think about songs. It's a captivating piece, quickly transporting from the first verses to the truly beautiful refrain, and the Blind Guardian trademark is immediately recognizable. I'll just open a parenthesis: in this review, I want to highlight some real strokes of genius that only certain bands manage to find, and Blind Guardian is among them, starting from this very first title: the verse "each single breath inspires you, come to an end-expire" is fantastic both for the melody, different from the rest of the song that accompanies it, as well as the choice of where to position it in the track, and the words themselves. In short, I'd say we're off to a great start!
Let's move on to "Otherland": this track is imposing, expansive, but it also manages to captivate right away with a perfect construction and a particularly catchy initial vocal phrasing. Nothing to say, except that it continues the work of the previous song, welcoming us into a sort of true parallel dimension, a skill of beautiful music in which Blind Guardian has been masters for a long time. "Turn the Page": here we arrive at a true masterpiece. One must bow in the face of such a work of genius. A medieval stamp impressed on a song that invites us to get lost in its uninterrupted rhythm, cheerful, bright, and at the same time epic, the classic "that only they could write," unstoppable yet harmonious as a swift stream. For me, it's the highest point reached in this album. Stroke of genius: perhaps you thought it too, anyway, for me, it's the beginning of the verse after the chorus of refrain, when for two lines only the voice takes over and sings "We do not believe in lies, do not believe in lies". I think at the concert, it will be fantastic to sing these two lines all together at that moment.
"Fly": we come to the much-discussed first single, the "different" song. Indeed, it's unique, in everything, in both vocals and music. For me, it's another great well-centered track, the most surprising thing is the sensation of flying it gives, as the title suggests. The pause granted by the verse "No one ever dares to speak... make believe" and its accompaniment with exotic percussion is nothing more than a launchpad for the moment that follows with the chorus, making it even more explosive! Here a little stroke of genius can be identified in the two opening lines of the song, "Fly, Out with the light", sung with a melodious high note that I find captures a lot of attention. More than a stroke of genius, I'd call it a touch of class. "Carry The Blessed Home": the first ballad. It starts with calm vocals, later interrupted by a very engaging chorus. Well, yet another proof of the ease with which Blind Guardian weaves soft evocative textures to lay back and dream again. I also think choosing to position it at this point in the album is smart, it serves to catch a breath after the previous tracks and allows for a first time reflection on what has been listened to. I think the result at this point is more than good!
"Another Stranger Me": this is a nice, easy-to-listen piece that convinces immediately when perhaps previous songs, though masterpieces, required a second listen to be fully appreciated (I love when an album features pieces of this kind heh heh). "Straight Through The Mirror": a standard song, also easy to appreciate, I especially like the long central guitar solo. Nice chorus on the refrain! In my opinion, the only thing it needs to be better is a more aggressive, less clean vocal. "Lionheart": I think it's a really nice song; it just needs the right approach. In the sense that listened vaguely it can seem monotonous. But if it's enjoyed calmly without distractions, it turns out to be very intense and there's also a rather peculiar guitar solo here that I liked a lot! "Skalds And Shadows": second ballad of the album. Here we have a worthy succession to "Past and Future Secret": medieval melody, inspired vocals, and a text that flows fluidly along the clear musical accompaniment. It captures from the beginning with an elegant arpeggio. It gives moments of pure emotion in the verses sung in chorus "See me in the shadows". . . another extremely Blind Guardian moment!
"The Edge": it starts with really powerful drumming and rhythm guitar, with battle trumpets in the background, then the vocals temper the atmosphere a bit, I would have preferred something more aggressively epic. However, the piece does not get lost along the way because of this, maintaining a rather high charge. In short, not the best of the album but still appreciable. "The New Order": kicks off strong, introduced by a whispered verse and then growing in intensity. Then it maintains a high level of force, with no moments of true genius, but without leaving lingering boredom. "Dead Sound Of Misery": here Blind Guardian surprises us by recovering the introductory piece of "Fly", with a structure that vaguely recalls it, but everything is more evanescent. Some small solos are also recovered, in short, a kind of reinterpretation of "Fly" under a different light. I prefer the first, yet it's an interesting way to conclude the album, almost a memory of the experience this album has been.
All in all, an excellent album that captivates, surprises, and brings a smile to the face. Songs on average excellent, with some real masterpieces.
Masterpieces that I can't wait to experience live tomorrow night, amidst the crowd, in Florence, with the Blind Guardian as our guide... follow the blind.
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