Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BG delivers. 4.5, February 25, 2005
People don't seem to talk about 'Somewhere Far Beyond' as much as some of there more recent albums, which is really a shame cause this album has some of their best material. It's got a good mix of speed and power metal styles, with plenty of energy and lightning riffs, but with the sorta epic choruses that Blind Guardian is known for. Definitely a worthwhile album for anyone who has a taste for the more melodic metal styles, and can handle more than a little theatricality.
This album has excellent production, particularly by 1992's standards, and better than the next two BG albums, I think. Very, very clear, and sharp, but still as heavy as it needs to be. As is typical of Blind Guardian, there are no throw away tracks. It opens with 'Time What is Time' a fairly standard BG track, but it works, as it always does, with the standard combination of speed metal riffs and epic chorus and some acoustic work. Definitely a fine opening track. 'Journey Through the Dark' is one of the very best tracks on the album. It's more speed oriented than 'Time is Time' and is probably the fastest, catchiest thing on the album.(The 'Live' version of it is even better, though) They slow things down some for Theatre of Pain. It's a moodier, somewhat maudlin song with some very cheesy synths and some funny lyrics.(When the last whale went away / Did they ever see the tears. Ouch) This sorta melodramatic stuff is what BG thrives on, however, and this is another good track, though not one of the very best ones on the album. 'The Quest For Tanelorn' is a bit faster again, though with an even more over the top chorus, and some medieval flavoring. Another good track, though not a complete standout. 'Ashes to Ashes' is a darker, moodier song, but still with your basic Blind Guardian flavor. Another good one, which provides a nice change of pace 'The Bard's Song - In the Forest' is a nice folky and sentimental, acoustic singalong track. Once again, this is sorta thing that most bands couldn't dream of pulling off, but Blind Guardian does it beautifully. Some nice little acoustic leadwork too, and definitely a classic track. 'The Bard's Song - The Hobbit' is an electric track, but it's a bit more subdued than most of the other ones on this album, and it retains a lot of the folk flavor of the previous track. It didn't jump out at me the first couple of listens, but I like it a lot not, and it has some of the nicest, most lyrical melody lines on the album. After the interlude we have the title track, which is one of the very best tracks on the album. It brings the speed metal flavoring back big time, though it's still an epic track with slower stuff and a bizarre interlude. It has Hansi's best, most passionate vocal performance on the album, and earns bonus points for having the lyrics be about King's 'Dark Tower' series. Another classic track.
The cd comes with some bonus tracks, which for once aren't a total waste of time. One track is a different version of 'Theatre of Pain' which isn't worth much, but the covers are cool. The Queen cover, 'Spread Your Wings' is just about the wussiest thing ever, but Hansi's vocals carry the day, and the chorus is undeniably effective, wimpy though it may be. 'Trial By Fire' is pure speed metal, reminding one of their debut album. Tons of energy, nice leadwork and fiery vocals are all you need to make a fine speed metal track, and 'Trial by Fire' has all of those.
Yep, a very good album, and probably a good starting place for someone who hasn't got any Blind Guardian.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great classic metal!, April 2, 2004
Blind Guardian is one of those bands that people seem to either love or hate. If you're into noisy and angry nu-metal, or only listen to death or black or gothic metal, then you'll hate them. If you like old Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Manowar, then you'll love them. If you fit into both categories (except the nu-metal part), then you'll love them because they're a great band. Somewhere Far Beyond is my second Blind Guardian, and I like it more than Nightfall in Middle-Earth (the other BG album in my soon-to-grow-larger collection) because SFB doesn't have any annoying narratives, plus the guitar solos are a lot better and more prominent. Hansi's vocals reign supreme this time around; I didn't care much for his pseudo-operatic-mixed-with-80s-wailing vocal structures at first, but he really is an energetic and capable vocalist, not to mention a commendable bassist. The drumming is fantastic, and as mentioned before, you're going to find some great guitar work on this album. It even features a guest appearance by Kai Hansen. Highly recommended to fans of REAL metal (Limp Bizkit is NOT real metal)!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fine example of aggressive power metal, March 13, 2003
By A Customer
Blind Guardian has been my favorite band for some time, and this is one my favorite albums by them. In particular, the songs "Journey Through The Dark" and "The Bard's Song--The Hobbit" will have you singing along at the top of your lungs and annoying the neighbors. Some people aren't into it . . . they say the fantasy thing is goofy, and that Hansi's vocals take some getting used to. To these people, I say: give it another chance. Yes, it does kind of sound like Robin Hood and his Merry Men picked up instruments and started a metal band, but so what? I think that folksy medieval feel is rather endearing and cool. Some of my friends (the ones who are more into Pantera and Black Label Society than Iron Maiden) think Hansi's vocals aren't quite "metal" enough, but I've never before heard anyone say that they're too "growly." If anything, the vocals are a bit "sissy" . . . to some people. Personally, I put Hansi in the same metal-vocal pantheon as Halford and Dickinson. The guy's damn good. Buy this album. Now.
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