Customer Reviews

Blind Guardian - Imaginations Through the Looking Glass

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Finally, the Mighty Bards have produced a DVD for their loyal fans. I was extremely excited to see this concert video. They passed by Denver on their first-ever US tour, so I was not able to see them live. And . . . they included on this DVD "And Then There Was Silence", one of my favorite songs by them.

The picture and sound quality of Disc 1 are absolutely phenomenal. With the exception of the short bagpipe part in the middle of "Somewhere Far Beyond", everything is crystal clear. (Not quite sure what happened there with the sound system, but it sounds like you are standing right next to Thomen's drum kit for about 10 seconds). And of course, there are great interviews and extra songs on the second disc.

Comprising their shows over the two days of the first-ever Blind Guardian Festival in Germany, they took 20 songs from both nights. There are the obvious ones - "Valhalla", "The Bard's Song", "Imaginations From The Other Side", and "Mirror Mirror". They would get lynched if they didn't include those. But there are a few cool surprises, too - the aforementioned "Silence" and "Somewhere Far Beyond", as well as "And The Story Ends" and "I'm Alive". And what an awesome experience it must be for the band to hear the crowd sing every note of their three ballads, "A Past And Future Secret", "Lord Of The Rings", and "The Bard's Song".

They really must be commended for their 14-minute beast, "And Then There Was Silence". There is no way they could possibly reproduce what they did in the studio, short of having an orchestra, about 20 backup singers, and 5 or 6 more guitarists. The sound is not nearly as dense as the studio version, and Hansi certainly can't sing every layered part. But as they mention in the Disc 2 interview, there is so much going on with this song, that any slip-up or problem in concert would turn it into a disaster. And I think they nail it pretty darn well.

A couple small complaints. The cameras often give stacatto, machine-gun shots, firing split-second frame after split-second frame. I would like to see more of the longer frames, for more of a true live feel. The cameras also don't show Thomen enough. I enjoy seeing a drummer of his incredible talent ply his trade in concert. As an example, Iron Maiden's "Maiden England" concert video does a geat job of showcasing Nicko's talent. I also don't think they show the "temporary help" enough - bassist Oliver Holzvarth and keyboardist Michael Schuren. Holzvarth especially, since he has essentially taken over Hansi's bass duties.

Overall, though, this is one incredible DVD, and every Blind Guardian fan should not be without it. Watching them live has proven to me once again that this is, by far, one of the most talented bands out there - musically, lyrically, structurally, and topically. They deliver mind-blowing time changes, starts/stops, melodies, and discordant rhythms, all at speeds that make your head spin. Thomen, especially, should receive much praise. He handles the tempo changes and crazy beat structures incredibly well while still keeping perfect time. Andre hits every note with his lead guitar, and Marcus races through the background rhythms nicely. And even though he is not the consummate frontman (in fact, he actually seems a bit intimidated in the first 3 or 4 songs), Hansi belts out his lyrics with conviction and an incredible set of pipes.

1st off let me say that I am not a rabid Blind Guardian fan. While i do enjoy them, and own most of their cd catalogue, it took me about a year and a half to really get into what they were doing after my 1st BG purchase, "Nightfall In Middle Earth". I started to enjoy them, but still thought "N.I.M.E" and "A Night At The Opera" were a bit over-produced as far as all the different background guitar and vocal parts were concerned.

As I am a musician myself (not anywhere near being professional), I enjoy watching other musicians perform, so i decided to take a chance and purchase this DVD "Imaginations Through The Looking Glass". Wow, Blind Guardian sounds better live, with a more raw, stripped down sound.

This DVD is a quality product throughout, from the packaging to the Live show to the extra disc. The video and sound are excellent (sure, you can nitpick here and there where the camera was fuzzy or the sound wasnt quite "there" for a split second)and Blind Guardian was in top form, albiet the show IS taken from 2 different nights, but the editing was so good i didnt notice till half-way thru the disc. The bonus DVD is full of behind the scene footage, from setting up the festival stage, to band interviews and day-of-show goings on. The 2nd disc IS in German, but a decent DVD player should (some seem to have had problem) be able to subtitle it.

Overall, this is a great DVD that any power metal fan should have, and fans of metal in general should enjoy it if they like a good live performance regardless of genre.

So metal is dead? Someone forgot to mention that to the folks in Blind Guardian. Why is it that this dvd makes me cry every time I watch it? Aside from me being sentimental about the good ol days when metal dominated, this dvd is a testament to the past as well as the now. I find it imperative to mention the crowd participation amongst the Nordic fans who attended this show, and made it the epic journey through metal that it was and still is. From beginning to end this dvd never ceases to amaze me and remind me of what it was like to grow up in the late 70's and early 80's and experience not only the birth of metal, but also the birth of thrash and power metal. Blind Guardian is a superb mix of these, and with the tremendous backing of their dedicated fans, the Imaginations DVD is nothing short of epic. At 36 I still find myself head-banging and singing along with every track, and at times find myself in tears at the sheer magnitude of what once was, is now, and ever shall be AMEN, pure power metal. Kudos to Blind Guardian for an exceptional show and I kneel at the altar of the fans in Europe for making this dvd nothing less than a spectacular event in the history of true metal. VALHALLA, DELIVER US!!!

I've been a huge fan of Blind Guardian ever since I got their "A Night At The Opera" album as a cristmas gift. Since then, I've discovered: "Somewhere Far Beyond", "Tales From The Twilight World", "Blind Guardian Live", "And Then There Was Silence" E.P., and last but not least, their first Live DVD, "Imaginations From The Looking Glass". B.G. are perfect live! They preform their songs live just as good, or dare I say, even better than the album versions. I've personally never got the chance to see them up close and personnal, but from what I've seen from the DVD and heard from their CD's, I can't wait until the "Guardians" come to Seattle! Musicly, the band is perfect. Vocally, there is no words really to describe Hansi's voice, it's that good. His talent has found it's way to other bands as well, on Therion's album: "Deggial", He sings the lead vocals on a song called "Flesh Of The Gods". He is also best friends with the lead guitarist and founder of Iced Earth, Jon Schaffer. Schaffer and Hansi have teamed up to do a solo project called "Demons & Wizard's, check it out if you have not already. The only thing I have left to say is: May Blind Guardian continue to shock us with amazing work. Long live Metal!

The DVD concert is great, the audio is amazing, and the picture is even better !!! All the best songs are on there (except for Twilight Hall, but thats in the bonus DVD)They dont show much of the bassist or the keyboardist very much at all, and at times theres a serious lack of enthusiasm from the band, but the crowd loves every second of it !!!
The problem I had with it is that it has a subtitle option for the concert DVD and all it shows is the name of each song.. In between songs he talks a lot and its all in german, and I was hoping/expecting that the subtitles were of what hes saying, not just the name of the songs...
All in all a great first Blind Guardian DVD, I just hope the next one has subtitles of what hes saying !!!!

I have been waiting impatiently for this DVD to come out for well over a year. I traveled to Germany to see this show and it was amazing to be there, so I was very anxious to see how all the film work that was being done during the concert would be assembled.

Blind Guardian is a band with fabulous attention to quality and detail. The packaging and artwork on the DVD are lovely and set the tone for what really is a magical experience. The DVD finally allows me to see what I could not from the crush of the crowd: the stellar guitarwork, the details of the light show and the stage, the antics (well as much antics as BG is capable of) of the musicians. It's a perfect compliment to my memory.

I think any BG fan who was unable to attend this show should get the DVD. The picture and sound quality are excellent. They look to have blended both nights to make one long "show," but it doesnt matter - you'll get a solid dose of BG from disc one! Disc two has some fun short pieces of the making of the concert and if you're looking to brush up on your German, there's plenty of conversation between the band members to listen to. All in all a solid film that captures the magic and camaraderie of the best Euro fest I have ever attended.

"Valhalla! Deliverance! Why've you ever forgotten me..." (repeat 100 times)!

Its taken long enough for Blind Guardian to release a DVD, but the wait has been well worth it!Its a definate must-own for any Blind Guardian fan.

There are a total of 24 songs (20 on the main disc, 4 on the bonus disc), 8 of which are from Imaginations From The Other Side (Born In A Mourning Hall is the absent party, my favorite from said album so its a strange omission for me).There are only 2 from their most recent album (a good thing for those sad folks who dropped off after that album), though one of the songs is the 14 minute epic And Then There Was Silence.Its played in its entirety (at least I think it is, I didnt have a stop watch handy though I didnt notice any missing parts).Since the synth isnt overpowering in the live setting, the song may sound better to folks who hated the studio version (of which I am not one).

The crowd is really loud and enthusiastic, singing along fiercly to the songs.During Valhalla, the crowd goes so far as to keep chanting the songs chorus after the song ends, making the band play along to the crowd's will.They even chant it again later on in the set.I think the band must had entered my mind and learned which of their songs are my favorites, cause many are on the setlist, including Somewhere Far Beyond and The Last Candle.

The only gripes I have (and they are really minor ones) is first with Hansi Kursch's stage presence.He doesnt move a whole lot and when he does its a bit robotic.Though considering he's belting out that voice of his (among my favorites and only second to Dio), I can let it slide and by the third song its completely a non-issue.The only other thing is that the camera is almost never on either the bassist or keyboardist.They may not be official members of the band, but it would have been nice to see them in action.

Highly recommended to Blind Guardian fans.And it you're as much of a Blind Guardian freak as I am, then you wouldnt have had to read this cause you'd be watching it right now!

It's going to be a challenge to keep this brief...

From the first time you pick up the box, you know that Blind Guardian went all out on this, their first DVD release. It has an attractive sleeve with eye-popping fantasy artwork, a solid plastic case for the 2 DVD's, and a nice 2 page foldout that maps the features on the discs. I kind of wish there was a more complete tour book with it, but nevertheless, what is provided is very good.

I watched the bonus feature DVD first. Nice, attractive menues without any lame animations that serve no purpose other than to make you wait and wait to see what you want to see. Here and there, you will see some cute and unobtrusive graphics thrown in, such as a goblin facing the stage when you start the "making of" section. The dialogue is all in German, but subtitles are provided. It's interesting stuff if you don't know anything about the band, but if you're a die hard Guardian fanatic, you won't learn anything new. The live performances on the bonus DVD are stellar.

Now... the main feature, DVD 1, the concert. This is where my 100% Quality and Attention to Detail comment comes in to play. Masterful! The sound is crisp and clear, the camera work is beautiful, and the color and clarity jumps off the screen. The exciting festival atmosphere is brought fully to life on this disc. For those of you familiar with Blind Guardian, Hansi, as a lead singer, is not a very energetic showman... he pretty much stands and sings. However, his voice is flawless, and the enthusiasm of the band and especially the crowd MORE than makes up for that fact. Hansi's wry smiles and sometimes goofy facial expressions can be appreciated by any fan, anyway.

Much attention is given to making sure the listener hears everything clearly. On this DVD, you don't get any of those concert sound dropouts. While that is a great thing, major music enthusiasts will probably notice several sudden and dramatic changes in acoustic levels to get the desired effects. If you like this band, however, it won't bother you. When it's time for an awesome solo, the guitars are cranked up. In key vocal moments, Hansi's mic is very loud. During the classic Bard's Song, the audience will just blow you away... it's no wonder that the theater audience stood for this song in Germany when this DVD was played for the first time on the silver screen.

Over all... LOVE it. I'll be watching this one again and again. Blind Guardian's Imaginations Through the Looking Glass easily rivals the grandeur of the likes of Iron Maiden, and for those that know me, that's QUITE a declaration.

This is one of the best concert dvds I have ever purchased. This band has so much life in them as well as the fans, you will literally get off your seat and sing along to it if you're a fan. The power metal kings never disappoint. The quality and sound is perfect, the setlist has been varied from battalions of fear to night at the opera. Extras include a documentary the making of the festival, featuring stage setup, rehersal and camping grounds/the fans. There is also a pretty long interview with the band, sadly its all in deutsch but there are subtitles. Then there is additional concert footage from Wacken festival, and Sttutgart. I give it a 5, this is definatly worth a look at for any metal fan of all genres .

Being a big Blind Guardian fan, I have to say any Blind Guardian fan owes it to the band to buy this dvd. If you've been to a Blind Guardian concert, the memories will come rushing back. If you haven't, you'll see how much the band touches the crowd. The dvd is put together well and the picture and audio quality is great. There is nothing to complain about the set-list. They cover pretty much what the audience wants to hear. I really really wish they included Born in a Mourning Hall though. That song is just amazing and that's about the only thing lacking from the list. They were generous enough to include four bonus tracks on the 2nd dvd, so that's a plus. The only complaint I have is that the extras seem a bit lacking. I think they could've done a better job of putting together a better extras disc. However, the dvd is worth buying for the concert alone. Do yourself a favor and buy this dvd and sing along with the Bard's song.

*sings* Now you all know... Bard's and their songs...