At The Edge Of Time ~ CD ~ Blind Guardian

BLIND GUARDIAN are back! The legends created an impressive record called “At The Edge Of Time”. Hansi Kürsch (vocals), André Olbrich (guitar), Marcus Siepen (guitar) and Frederik Ehmke (drums & percussions) prove with their new longplayer that they have been and still are among the Melodic/Prog-protagonists in harder music. Already in the late 80’s and early 90’s BLIND GUARDIAN conquered the hearts of a worldwide fan community with their releases “Battalions Of Fear” (1988), “Follow The Blind (1989), “Tales From The Twilight World (1990) and “Somewhere Far Beyond (1992). On their first trip to Japan the four guys delighted the Japanese audience just like everywhere else and inn front of 4000 fascinated fans BLIND GUARDIAN recorded “Tokyo Tales Live” (1993). The releases “Imaginations From The Other Side” (1995), “The Forgotten Tales” (1996) and “Nightfall In Middle-Earth” (1998) followed and had been a great success despite the harder music business. But the triumph wasn’t over! The four Germans became regular guests and headliners on festivals like Bloodstock in UK, the Band Your Head!!! and the Wacken:Open:Air in Germany. At the same time the band got in South-America the status of mega-stars. But the climax of all those great experiences had been the legendary “Blind Guardian Open Air”, a festival arranged and headlined on both days of the weekend by BLIND GUARDIAN. That was on 13./14. June 2003 in Coburg, Germany. Kürsch, Olbrich & Co. recorded the DVD “Imaginations Through The Looking Glass” (2004) and the Live-2CD “Live” (2003) which entered the German charts on #16. These are two certificates how this incredible band can spread this sophisticated and complex Heavy Metal to a huge audience in an entertaining way. Also the top positions in the album charts are blocked constantly when BLIND GUARDIAN release new music. For example the concept album “Nightfall In Middle-Earth” (1998) which was like a conclusion of the book “The Silmarillion” by fantasy-icon J.R.R. Tolkien (“Lord Of The Rings”), reached #7 in Germany and stayed in the upper positions for two months. “A Night At The Opera” (2002) and “A Twist In The Myth” (2006), the latest masterpieces were both in Top 5 and with this strike BLIND GUARDIAN is a reliable Top-5-Act! The quartet, which is driven by drummer Frederik Ehmke since 2005, lives for the fantasy-metier. But not only in music the band is successful. 2008 they exclusively composed a song for the the computer game “Sacred 2: Fallen Angel” which was performed in the game on stage by the band programmed as animated characters. For the music in the same called radio play the band got the price for the best music. But there’s another strike coming up. “At The Edge Of Time” is the title of the new masterpiece and once again the focus is on bright and clear sounding orchestral compositions, that almost don’t need synthetic sounds. To mention some favourite songs is harder than ever because this time the record combines quality, individuality and high-class musicians in one. Should the opening hymn “Sacred Worlds” respectively the final chord “Wheel Of Time” be named? Or the classic piano-sequences which introduce “War Of The Thrones” that balances between massive orchestration and Kürsch’s expressionistic voice which reminds somehow of rock legends QUEEN. The voluminous “Road Of No Release” inspires with its huge choirs and its progressive construction. But there are also songs like “Valkyries” that are just for proggies. Friends of cumbersome heaviness will be fascinated by the bombastic “Control The Divine” that combines majestic elements of rock- and metal luminaries like Savatage, Black Sabbath and the solo band of the too early died exceptional talent Ronnie James Dio. Brachial metalheads will be happy about “Tanelorn (Into The Void), “A Voice In The Dark” and especially about “Ride Into Obsession” - a hyperfast but swinging-hymn-like track that is with its 210 bpm that fast that there maybe will be some speed metal institutions who can learn something. Fantasy- and folk-flair is spread by “Curse My Name”. Beautiful strings- and flute-arrangements make this song a worthy follower for “Bard’s Song” - one of the greatest hits of BLIND GUARDIAN. “ We want to define ourselves with every release on a new level”, says mainman Hansi Kürsch. After the latest masterpieces “A Night At The Opera” and “A Twist In The Myth” there couldn’t have been any critic who could imagine that BLIND GUARDIAN will take them into other spheres. And the basis of this will be that strong that the die-hard-critics will have to move… Track Listing: Disc 1: Sacred Worlds Tanelorn (Into The Void) Road Of No Release Ride Into Obsession Curse My Name Valkyries Control The Divine War Of The Thrones (Piano) A Voice In The Dark Wheel Of Time