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Blind Guardian is a band that has evolved nicely over the years. They started off just as a very aggressive; almost thrash like power metal band. Over time they started incorporating other instruments and experimenting with different folk and classical elements proving how musically gifted they really are. However, when a band incorporates too many outside sounds and experiments too much, they sacrifice there signature sound, which ends up being a disappointment to the fans that have followed the band for several years. A Night at the Opera is such an album. The album features great musicianship and great technical ability at parts but the original heavy and aggressive nature of the band has suffered. Instead of heavy fast paced riffs, you have muffled guitars with too much EQ effect mixed in the back ground with all the rest off the outside instruments, and keyboards etc. Instead of Hansi Kursch’s, loud, harsh and very powerful singing style, he sings with less tension, much tamer voice with a tone of vocal harmonies over lapping. All of which gives the album a watered down feeling to it. The drum machine intro almost foreshadows the over experimentation and deviation from their signature sound.
The album does have its moments thought. Battlefield has starts off with a renaissance style intro and features renaissance, Celtic and other folk style elements throughout the song. It even includes Celtic style riffs. All of this made me think of some of their previous albums, which incorporated a lot of the same sounds. Punishment Divine is a good aggressive track that also made me think of their older stuff. And Then There Was Silence may be the best thing to come off this album. This epic track is 14:05 in running time, and features well composed orchestra music mixed in with the guitars.
Even with a couple of decent songs on the album, the album is still very lack luster compared to what they could do. Even the good songs could sound better. I hope on there next album they bring the guitars back into the foreground, and Hansi needs to sing with the intensity he once sang with. It probably wouldn’t hurt to cut back on some of the vocal harmonies too, and sing solo for a verse of two. I’m not one of these people that is opposed to a band trying to experiment with different sounds a progress their sound, but they need to stay true to their roots otherwise they don’t even sound like the same band anymore, and will be a disappointment the their fans. I would hate to see a great band like Blind Guardian go down the same path that Metallica has chosen, and am hoping this album is just a fluke like Risk by Megadeth. The album is an okay progressive/power metal album. It’s a lousy Blind Guardian album.