Follow the Blind [EXTRA TRACKS]

Blind Guardian

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 8, 2005)
• Original Release Date: February 8, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Century Media
• ASIN: B0006Z3DEE
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #152,473 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early Chapter in the Blind Guardian Saga, July 11, 2006

By	Justin Gaines "Corporate Rocker" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Blind Guardian is probably the best power metal band around, but their older albums take a decidedly more thrash metal approach. With the band's second album, 1989's Follow the Blind, you can start to see the band shift directions. Like their debut album Batallions of Fear, this is still largely a thrash album, but the band includes more melodies and more intricate arrangements. The fantasy themes are again quite prominent, and include a song about Elric (Fast to Madness) and what appears to be a Hobbit on the album cover. The album also contains one of Blind Guardian's all-time classic songs - "Valhalla" - which features legendary power metaller Kai Hansen providing guest vocals and guitars.

The album features two cover songs. The first is a cover of Demon's "Don't Break the Circle". NWOBHM purists may have a problem with this one, but I thought the band did a great job. Besides, how often do you run across a Demon cover? The second (and apparently universally hated) cover is a speed metal version of the Beach Boys' classic "Barbara Ann". I can see how metal fans would hate this song, but it totally cracks me up each time I hear it. It shows that the band knows how to have fun and doesn't take themselves too seriously, plus it takes guts to put such an absurd cover on a metal album.

Follow the Blind is still a bit rough compared to the band's later releases, and may not appeal to everyone. If you only want to hear the more refined modern power metal that the band does so well on later releases, you may want to pass on this album. If you're interested in where the band came from musically, you need to own Follow the Blind.

If you're new to Blind Guardian and are looking for a good starting point, skip this one and go straight to Imaginations from the Other Side. Once that one sinks in, listen to Nightfall in Middle-Earth. It will likely become the standard by which you judge all other concept albums, if not all other power metal albums.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Speed Metal!, July 15, 2005

By	Z. A. Ilmudeen "metalzoop" (Fullerton, CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Released in 1989, Follow the Blind was Blind Guardian's second effort. At this point in their career, BG were pretty much an all-out speed metal band unlike the epic/power metallers they are today.
The album is pretty fast and heavy. The musicianship is good and the songs themselves are excellent. Highlights include all the songs but my personal faves are "Banish from Sanctuary", the instrumental "Beyond the Ice", and "Valhalla" featuring guest vocals from Kai Hansen of Helloween/Gamma Ray fame. Also included is a ripping cover of Demon's NWOBHM classic "Don't Break The Circle".
Being a big power/speed/thrash fan this one is a regular in my CD player. I definitely recommend it.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD is just as heavy and fast as SLAYER., March 6, 2005

By	Unstereotypical (Somewhere In Time) - See all my reviews

You wouldn't think it would be by looking at the cover, but there are some super-heavy and super-fast Speed Metal and Thrash Metal songs on this CD.

If you don't believe me, just listen to "Fast to Madness" on this CD, and you'll find out.

At least on this CD there is only 1 instrumental song compared to the 3 instrumental songs on Guardian of the Blind's "Battalions of Fear" CD.

Still overall, the songs on here still have the same production of their first CD "Battalions of Fear". It is not bad at all, but it has a raw sound to it, which is actually a good thing for a Thrash Metal CD.

Sometimes this CD reminds me of the "Walls of Jericho" CD from early Helloween. Just fast and soild European Speed Metal.

For what it is worth, Kai Hansen from Helloween and Gamma-Ray sings on this CD on the song "Valhalla", even though his voice doesn't 100% fit the song, but still it is not bad.

There is even a Beach Boys cover song on this CD too. But "Barbara Ann" isn't the Thrash Metal or Speed Metal cover you would think it would be. The song really sounds just like the 50's version of the song that everyone knows.

"Don't Break the Circle" is a cover song from some New Wave of British Metal band called "Demon" or something like that. Some band I have never heard of before, but the guys in Blind_GuardiaN knew of them, so it makes for one super-fast Speed Metal fest of a song.


Blind_GuardiaN would never be this heavy again in any of their other CDs that came after this CD. This CD makes both "A Night at the Opera" CD and "Nightfall in Middle-Earth" CD look slow ballad music.

Hansi's voice is very raw on this CD. His voice would not get dead on target till the next CD "Tales from the Twilight World".

Overall, definitely buy this CD. If you want to hear Blind_GuardiaN's heaviest CD, well here it is.