Search - Blind Guardian :: Somewhere Far Beyond

"the bard's songs will remain."

Lord Chimp | Monkey World | 07/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"although _Imaginations from the Other Side_ had better production, better songs, and more artistic progression all 'round, it is obvious that _Somewhere Far Beyond_ represented something of a turning point for this band of metal bards. their youthful, thrashy energy is starting to sound a little more tempered, more refined, more...mature? All in all, _Somewhere Far Beyond_ is very well-balanced album with deadly songcraft to boot -- there are at least five classic BG tracks on this disc, with a good range of amazing vocals, blazing speed, and bardic adventure. There are straight up power metal tracks like "Time What Is Time" and "Ashes to Ashes". "Quest for Tannelorn" is also pretty straight-up, with a more sorrowful, slow-tempo chorus and pythagorean subtelties. Then there are the tracks that really stand out. Then there are the BIG songs. First of all, "Journey Through the Dark" -- was their ever a more exhilarating power metal song? Its soaring, and i mean SOARING, chorus and intuitive tempo changes, and the infectious determination of Hansi's vocals make for one of the band's most cherished tracks. "Theatre of Pain" is a bombastic piece with synthed orchestrations (more than almost any other BG track), a gorgeous guitar solo, passages of varied intensity, and spine-tingling Hansi lines like "Now I'm gone and it seems that life had never existed". Then there are the two "Bard's Song" tracks, "In the Forest" and "The Hobbit" - the first is a gorgeous, stirring ballad, like a renaissance-era campfire song; the second is a galloping speed-metal cut using rearranged themes from the acoustic variation. Both sweep you up with their elating melodies and surprising grace. Finally there is the title track, a fast epic with huge harmonies, dramatic flow, one of the most "mega man"-esque guitar solos, and a chorus that makes me weep with its goodness. if at any time Hansi needs to prove how he can take basically "straight-up" metal music and make it INCREDIBLE, one must merely scope out this track. Also included are a pair short pieces -- the minute-long piano-and-voice piece "Black Chamber", and the atmospheric "The Piper's Calling", featuring bagpipes which also appear briefly during an instrumental interlude during the title track."

Is this Heaven?

The Clansman | Michigan USA | 06/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My intro. to these bunch of Germans was Tales From the Twilight World, an excellent place to start. This album further explores into the "power metal" realm. They really start to set themselves apart from the pack and create a unique sound all their own. Mainly due to Hansi Kursch's vocals, you'd soon be able to say without knowing in advance who the band is and just hearing it that this is Blind Guardian. SFB is chalk full of mystical/fantasy tales, including tales about J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Hobbit and Stephen King's, Dark Tower. They incorporate these themes into the music without being cheesy or childish though. Every chorus on here is a sing-along, catchy chant, usually with "gang vocals" to boot. As previously done on Follow The Blind and Tales From The Twilight World, Kai Hansen (a good friend of the guys) was brought in to make a guest appearance. This time playing lead guitar on The Quest for Tanelorn. Blind Guardian also makes use of piano (Black Chamber) which Hansi's vocals just soar on. They soley use bagpipes on the instrumental- The Piper's Calling, which reminds me alot of the movie Braveheart. So as you can see, they give us a nice variety of things on this 90's classic.



My favorite song on here would most likely be Somewhere Far Beyond, a 7 1/2 minute epic with maybe their greatest chorus, featuring bells. They also have a small interlude with bagpipes here which adds great diversity. The classic live staple, The Bard's Song-In the Forest is the definition of a beautiful song. This one is strictly acoustic with another amazing, memorable chorus. It has a very folky vibe to it. The Bard's Song- The Hobbit is another favorite with cool lyrics and excellent guitars. Time What Is Time is a great way to open up the album, starting with acoustic guitars and going into a thrashy/speed metal rhythm. Definitely one of the catchiest choruses also. You'll be in heaven as soon as this opener reaches your ears. Ashes To Ashes starts off with a haunting/chilling kind of nursery rhyme with strange voices in the background. The chorus on this one keeps building and building. Journey Through The Dark is simply a nice power metal tune with Blind Guardian's signature sound.Theatre of Pain is more symphonic metal than anything and was probably Blind Guardian's most adventorous song up to this point. The Quest For Tanelorn has a soaring, fists in the air chorus. Last, but not least are the two, minute long breaks in the album- Black Chamber and The Piper's Calling, both flowing smoothly with the rest of the album.



This is undoubtedly a great place to get your first dose of Blind Guardian. Tales From The Twilight World has many similarities and traits as this also, so if you like this, I would also reccomend that. I personally like Somewhere Far Beyond just a little better than "Tales" although both are excellent. Blind Guardian= Power Metal at it's finest."

Speed metal classic

Paul E. Palubinski | Denver, CO USA | 02/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Blind Guardian have to be one of my favorite power metal bands. Their sound is unmistakable, and they have truly carved out their own distinct niche in the genre. This album finds a nice balance between the raw speed metal of early BG and the more ambitious material that characterizes their later offerings.



If you are new to the band, I feel like 'Somewhere Far Beyond' is a good starting point. In my opinion, Hansi Kürsch has one of the best voices of any singer in the genre - and it definitely works well in delivering the folksy/fantasy focused lyrics. My only real complaint is how quiet the CD is compared to other CDs. It's annoying when you have it in a mix or compilation."