So you are telling me that we had been waiting 4 ½ years for a new Blind Guardian record and we are getting this mediocre –from all aspects- final result. When you are about to review the new effort from a favorite band of yours then the expectations are naturally great and we shouldn’t be flexible in regards with our evaluation of the product. Especially, when it comes down to Blind Guardian; a band that has offered us a few masterpieces in the 90s.

After the uneven “A Night At The Opera”, the disappointing “A Twist In The Myth” and the just OK “At The Edge of Time”, the new album “Beyond The Red Mirror” follows the same path as its predecessor and personally it kinda disappoints me once again. Not that is a pitiful effort…but it is a really below par result displaying a rather tired band that uses the same musical patterns with an exhausting usage of orchestras and strings. The production is surprisingly flat and generally speaking the album doesn’t take you by storm…not even close, actually.

 

From this musical wreckage, there are a few castaways: the brilliant “Prophecies”, the outstanding “The Holy Grail” and just the verse of “Twilight of the Gods”. A for the rest…well, forget about them. My personal opinion is that Blind Guardin should toss away all the symphonic nonsense and embrace once again its power/speed legacy…after all, this is what the fans want and this is where Blind Guardian reigns!
Highlight: Blind Guardian must surely be the exception to the well-known German work ethic…4 ½ years is a very long time gap between albums.