BLIND GUARDIAN: Nightfall In Middle-Earth (MELODIC METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

On each of its first 5 albums, Blind Guardian showed a certain interest in medieval stories. This was even more true on "Somewhere Far Beyond" and "Imaginations From The Other Side" where the band's storytelling skills were becoming increasingly important. It is very logically that the universe of the German band meet on this 6th album the universe of one of the masters of heroïc-fantasy. And to allow Hansi Kürsch to concentrate on his vocals, Olivier Holzwarth was called upon to play the bass.

Because "Nightfall In Middle-Earth", the result of more than 6 months of work between 1997 and 1998, is a concept album based on 22 tracks on the story of J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion. From this complex subject, the history of the ensemble being thorough and not necessarily obvious to read, Blind Guardian produce a formidable album of ease, musicality and writing intelligence. Because despite a long duration, more than 65 minutes and 11 interludes to connect the times of history, the group never gets lost in length and does not propose weaknesses or dead times. This record confirms the power-metal trend borrowed recently with a great concern for the unstoppable melody, the chorus easily assimilated, and with riffs less fast but sharp and very well written. The result is an indispensable album, undoubtedly the best of its kind ever released with, on its 11 tracks, a number of immense epic tracks, power hits demonstrating a writing strength at the height of its inspiration.

With "Into The Storm", "Nightfall", "Time Stands Still" and "Mirror Mirror", 4 huge melodic metal tracks emerge in which you really feel the power of the story told at every moment. On these songs, Blind Guardian's epic side is at its height. The chorus of "Time Stands Still" is a model of its kind, while "Into The Storm" impresses with its power and unstoppable melody. As for "Nightfall" and "Mirror Mirror", they are models of the kind in terms of beautiful choirs and vocal harmonies. It is worth mentioning Hansi Kürsch's class: he has made further progress and brings us to live the history of the lands of the region with immense talent, making it powerful, melodic, gentle with disconcerting ease.

The other songs are not to be outdone and, without being such classics, also stand out as great moments. These tracks are darker and more melancholic and "Blood Tears", "Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns), "The Curse Of Feanor", "When Sorrow Sang", "The Eldar", and the final "A Dark Passage", are little nuggets that reveal themselves as they are listened to and give the concept all its strength and soul. These songs, with their dramatic intensity, also present many changes in rhythm, from medieval to heavy with many orchestral and progressive passages on which keyboards are in the spotlight. Finally, the small interludes, rarely longer than 30 seconds, are perfect threads between each track, making you dive fully into history with spoken passages and other battle sounds.

"Nightfall In Middle-Earth" is Blind Guardian's reference record. By mixing melodic metal, heroïc-fantasy, symphonic and epic passages, he musically recreates a magical universe and pays the most beautiful tribute to Tolkien. At the height of its career, this album is an absolute masterpiece that has not aged a bit and that we recommend to all lovers of orchestral and melodic metal. - Official website

BLIND GUARDIAN

NIGHTFALL IN MIDDLE-EARTH

VIRGIN

MELODIC METAL