Customer Reviews

Follow the Blind

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

 

 

I'm amazed at people rating this album so low! I think, we should be appreciating music for what it is, not for what it could have become (or became much later). Does anybody remember, that this is a record from 1989? Does anybody remember what metal scene looked like at that time? That was the time of some mean metal reigning supreme, the time of thrash and speed-metal, the time of death-metal gaining full force. There was no place for anything epic or melodic. So what's the point of rating "Follow the Blind" so low after comparing it to "Nightfall in Middle-Earth", I cannot understand.

With that being said, "Follow the Blind" is a terrific example of darker German speed-metal, with all its attributes in place. It has imaginative riffing, accessible melodies and killer ultra-fast guitars. Rough, melodic, and addictive. Similar to what another German band, Rage, played, but with better vocals. If you follow Blind Guardian's development from their 1988 debut, you'll be struck by how much the band developed in just 1 year! Hansi got more comfortable with his voice, while Thomas improved into a fairly good drummer. Several guitar solos here still send shivers down my spine (like the one on Banished From Sanctuary). The music got more melody, but still not enough to be compared to their later power-metal works. Surely, not every idea works, but for the most part the songs here are very enjoyable. I would highlight Banished From Sanctuary, Hall Of The King, Fast To Madness, and of course the still played live, Valhalla with legendary Kai Hansen of Helloween / Gamma Ray fame providing guest vocals. There are 2 cover songs here. One, titled Don't Break The Circle, was original played by a NWBHM band Demon. It's blazingly fast and a pleasure to listen to for any metal fan. The other one is good, but in another way. It's a cover of I-forgot-whose old rock'n'roll song Barbara Ann, which was turned metal. Lots of fun from this one!

It must be noted that whoever only likes later Blind Guardian's epic minstrel power-metal, most likely won't get into this album, and is better starting from the next BG album, "Tales from the Twilight World". But this one is very important for the band, because it shows their transition from "one-of-the-legion" to world's best power-metal band of the 90s. It's also essential for fans of speed-metal.

Let me explain why I rated this album 3/5. I am an avid BG fan and own all their albums/singles, enjoying every period of the band for different reasons. In this album BG made their sound heavier and more "professional" so to say. However, it lacks the raw spirit of Battalions Of Fear and the songwriting doesn't consistently deliver. A couple songs stand out while the rest of the album is solid. Their next effort, Tales Of The Twilight World, marks the beginning of BG forging their distinctive style and sound.

If you learned BG from Nightfall.. or A Night At The Opera and love them for their multilayered songs with big choruses and melodies you can skip this cd without any consequences. If you fancy speed metal try the previous or the next album first.

A review of FTB would be incomplete without a mention of the cover of Barbara Ann, which is -amazingly enough- even better than the original. The cover of Demon's "Don't Break The Circle" is another great cover. However, the apex of the album is Valhalla, a song you can still catch BG playing live.

....heading fast to madness listening to this CD. It is, by far, BG's least 'solid' release ever, including their debut (Batallions of Fear, which is much better). That said, this is still a really cool CD, especially if you like speed metal. This is very fast compared to BG's later releases, as the rest of their stuff is either power metal or progressive power metal. However, if speed metal is your cup of blood, get this. KNOW THIS HOWEVER: most of the songs on this CD are very similar musically, so be prepared to be bored if you like lots of change from song to song.

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 Battalions 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.

NOTE: The 2007 reissue of Follow the Blind is not just digitally remastered; the album has been remixed as well. This makes an incredible difference in the way the album sounds, and I am thrilled to hear it. It's almost as if the band went back into the studio and rerecorded the album. Everything is sharper, clearer, and above all louder. I think this gives listeners a chance to finally appreciate all that Follow the Blind had to offer. There are also a handful of bonus demo tracks added for good measure. They're a nice bonus, but the remixing and remastering is the real reason to replace your old copy of the album.

This album is great. The best track is Banishe from Sanctuary, this song and the rest of the album contains breakneck speed, thrilling guitar riffs, and thunderous drumming. This is an earlier work and they have note reached what they are today. But if you are a fan of speed metal with melodic choruses, then this is your album. Blind Guardian is the greatest band in the world!

I have been a Blind Guardian fan for 2 years.I have 4 of their albums,starting with Tales From The Twlight World,Somewhere Far Beyond,Imaginations from the Other Side,and my new favorite, Nightfall In Middle Earth.I listened to this album on [the internet],and I was thinking "This can't be Blind Guardian,can it?" Sure,there are some great live classics,such as "Vallhalla", and "Inquisition,"but Hansi's singing just isn't that ranged.You can hear that German voice in his singing,where in Tales from the Twilight world,It sounds like he's from America.I'll give credit to their solos,but only buy this if you're a true BG fan.

Although not quite the Magnum Opus that "Battalions of Fear" was, this is still, nonetheless, a great album. "Banish From Sanctuary" in particular stands out as a song that was very ahead of its time, showing a sophistication that wasnt very prevalent in the metal scene until much later. Something further to look for are the first of the appearances of the choir-style backing vocals on several of the songs. Beware, however, Kai Hensley (see my description of "Tales from the Twilight World" for more insight into this character) makes his first appearance on vocals in "Valhalla"; listen for the high-pitched annoying voice mid-way into the song.

I was disappointed when I heard this CD for the first time and still am. Hansi's vocals are not as good as he usually is and the songs seem boring and basically sounding the same all the time. There are some okay tracks on it being, "Damned for All Time", "Hall of the King", "Fast to Madness" and the best song on the CD is the instumental "Beyond the Ice". Fans of BG should like this I guess although it is definitely their weakest effort (not counting "Forgotten Tales"). However one thing is really good on this CD and should not be overlooked. The guitar is awesome!

If your a Diehard fan like myself. You will Love this CD. If you Started listening to Blind Guardian From "Nightfall in Middle Earth" To "A Night at the Opera" Or Even From Imaginations. You will probly Hate this CD. It has much of the same Feel as Battalions of Fear and Gives us the Raw Untamed Feel of Blind Guardian. In my Opinion It doesnt get any better than This. This CD Doesnt have many of the well known songs but it has some Great Songs such as, Valhalla (one of my personal Favorites) Damned For all Time, Follow the Blind and Beyond the Ice. All around a great Album.

I remember years ago as a teenager seeing this in the local Metal store and passing it over because I had heard they were a second rate Helloween rip-off.

Years later I bough Nightfall in Middle Earth simply because I loved the cover. I fell in love with BG and have since bought their entire back catalog!

This one would have to be their weakest album IMHO. I really would only recommend it if you (like me) MUST have all BG's work, or if (like me) you see this in a record store's sale bin.