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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but certainly not some of their best stuff, September 13, 2006
I don't have an awful lot to say about this album. BG have pulled things back a bit here, and 'Twist in the Myth' is definitely a bit more restrained and less over the top than the last album. They've made it more purely metallic with a greater emphasis on the rhythm guitar, and just the electric guitar in general. (Though it's still, by rational standards, extremely over the top and dramatic. This is BG, after all.) I'm neither disappointed nor pleased with this change; every sound BG has used has worked, it's just a matter of songwriting and, to a lesser extent, production. And, unfortunately, both of these are relatively weak here. Most significantly, with regards to the production, the rhythm guitars here just don't have any crunch. They're way to clean sounding, to processed and artificial. (Alright, that doesn't technically make much sense, but I can't come up with any other way to put it.) Just compare, say 'This Will Never End' to 'Welcome to Dying' or 'Journey through the Dark' or whatever. The rhythm guitar just doesn't propel you the same way now as it did then, and this drive is very important. It doesn't cripple the album, but it doesn't have the same impact it could've either. Drums are a bit weak sounding too.
As far as songwriting goes, it's consistently good, but they rarely blow you away the way they can at their best. The opener, 'This Will Never End' is excellent, easily the best thing here, but it's really not as good as the best tracks on just about any of their other albums. Other than that I have a hard time picking out any particular standouts. ('Fly' is one, I suppose, and 'The Edge' and perhaps 'Otherland' .) The songs all sound good when you're listening to them, but they don't stick with you the way they should. I've probably listened to this, I dunno, a dozen and looking over the track list there are still a few songs I can't really think of what they sound like specifically. This really shouldn't be the case for a power metal album, much less a Blind Guardian album. That all said, 'A Twist in the Myth' really doesn't have any particular tracks which should obviously be pulled, which isn't the case with some of their earlier albums. Nevertheless, it should probably be pared back by 2 tracks or so, just because it's got so many tracks which are just pretty good that they blend together a bit. Beyond all this, there really isn't anything at all new to find here, just the standard compilation of huge chorus, medieval melodies, fast alt-pick riffs and so on. I don't really mind when a band doesn't progress much, but the repetition here really serves to heighten the good but not remarkable songwriting. If some of these more average songs had a bit of novelty to them they might stand out more, but they don't.
Still, though I've complained a lot, this is definitely a good album and a worthwhile pick up for any Blind Guardian fan. There really isn't anything wrong with it, but it doesn't really come out and grab as much as it ought to either.
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16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Blind Guardian Release To Date -- Full of Epic Tracks and Crunchy Guitar Riffs!, September 11, 2006
I must admit I was leery of this release. A Night at the Opera was so busy and packed with tracks that it gave me a headache each time I tried to listen to it.
But A Twist in the Myth is astounding. The guitar riffs are - as the included interview track says -- '70s and '80s sounding. They have a crunchy-ness that I really like. And they're prominent, too. Right out front instead of buried under layer upon layer of stacked guitars and vocals.
And the fun kicks off from the very first track -- "This Will Never End." Great riffs, almost Judas Priest-like.
A few stand-out tracks for me:
Track 3: "Turn the Page," which has an anthemic, Celtic sound. Hansi's Na-na-na chorus is so catchy I hope they perform this one live. It would bring down the house. This is a really fine track!
Track 5: "Carry the Blessed Home," which is another big anthemic track with a melody that sweeps me away. This track is grand and uplifting, a big sound without an overpowering use of multi-track recording.
Track 6: "Another Stranger Me," which begins with a guitar riff straight from a .38 Special or Lynryd Skynrd album. Crunchy, catchy, and powerful.
Track 9: "Skalds and Shadows," a minstrel-like track with a pretty, emotional melody and acoustic guitars at the start that remain that way throughout. It's just a pretty track sandwiched in between a couple of all-out corkers.
Track 12: "Dead Sound of Misery," a powerful drum- and guitar-driven track that's a perfect way to end the album. Great soloing.
Hansi's voice is more restrained on A Twist in the Myth. He's less screechy and definitely less multi-tracked.
This is a tremendous release from Blind Guardian -- one of the world's most consistently fascinating bands. This is a powerful album, full of great guitar riffs, beautiful melodies, and anthemic themes. I highly recommend A Twist in the Myth.
I'm so glad these guys are touring the U.S. this fall. I can't wait to see them play these songs live!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simmer down, simmer down..., October 2, 2006
Okay, I'm not a devoted fan, nor did I hold any personal expectations for "A Twist in the Myth." I bought it on a blind buy, when the only thing I've heard from Blind Guardian were a few of their songs (such as Another Holy War...) But I disgress, because despite such inexperience with past listening, I still found this album very enjoyable.
None of the songs jumped out in my head as being "spectacular", but they were all well-played to such an extent that it does not matter. The whole album stands as the sum greater then its individual parts, rather then the typical, "1 single, 3 so-so's, 7 other crappy fillers" that you'd find in today's albums. I prefer things this way, because when I spend $16 on an album, I expect to pay for the whole album and not just a few pegs that made in on the top 10 for a week.
This is not detracting from any of the songs on the album. I found many of them to be rather melodramatic, smooth-flowing, crunchy-yet-consistent. This gave me a nice change of pace after I've put in a few hours on the train-wreck (almost in a good way) that was "A Matter of Life and Death" (Iron Maiden). If you're someone who's a casual listener of metal or into to all kinds of music (such as much), I would recommend adding this to your collection. If you're a hardcore follower, then who knows you might be disappointed... just dont take things to seriously and enjoy the show.
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