 Somewhere Far Beyond. The name itself shoots surges of nostalgia through me. This album by Blind Guardian is simply brilliant, and perhaps the largest reason for the bands current fanbase and popularity. How Blind Guardian pulled it off, is still a mystery to me, with one release, they went from “emerging from Underground” to simply popular among the power/speed scene.
Somewhere Far Beyond starts off a bit slowly, with the song “Time What is Time”. At first, this song doesn’t sound anything that belongs on a metal album, but it soon unleashes it’s fury and the full glory of the song reaches you. Personally, this song made the album a bit worse than it could have been, because, although it was good, the demo version, in my opinion, sounded much better. While the studio one added extra unneeded effects, and distorted some of the sound. But, still, one minor mistake does not destroy an empire.
Throughout the album, songs start like this, oftentimes starting slower, more paced, and then they fling into raw power. A definite example would the song “Ashes to Ashes” which manages to pull off a dark atmosphere throughout the whole song, without sacrificing quality.
This album was also the place where the famous “ The Bard’s Song” was created. The song is now recognized by most people, as one of the greatest “Metal Ballads” made by any band. The song’s “sing along” qualities, along with a mystical feel, make it a favorite for concerts, and even as Hansi himself stated, “It is the main point of many of our concerts”. I can only agree with him whole-heartedly.
What really amazes me, however, is that throughout the whole album, there are great songs, with great choruses, that you will find yourself mentally singing throughout the day. Songs like “Journey through the Dark” and Theatre of Pain, are great examples.
Another feature of the album I liked is the Q&A aspect of some of the songs. For example, in the song “Somewhere Far Beyond”, a chorus chants something, and Hansi screams out as if to answer them.
My only real complaint with this album was the song “The Piper’s Calling” which is played entirely on a pipe, with no vocals whatsoever. Personally, if they just got rid of it, they would have got a bit more points from me. Actually, it cost the album .5 of it’s points. The rest were lost in song specific things.
I hope that in reading my review, I have gotten my opinion across. This is a great album, and any fan of metal should hear it at least once, if not more. Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you are, you should give it a listen, if this album doesn’t get you interested in Power Metal, just about nothing will.
Patrick Burent
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01. Time What Is Time
02. Journey Through The Dark
03. Black Chamber
04. Theatre Of Pain
05. The Quest For Tanelorn
06. Ashes To Ashes
07. The Bard's Song - In The Forest
08. The Bard's Song - The Hobbit
09. The Piper's Calling
10. Somewhere Far Beyond
11. Spread Your Wings [Queen cover]
12. Trial By Fire [Satan cover]
13. Theatre Of Pain [classic version]
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 Read also: Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera, Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth, Blind Guardian - Battalions Of Fear, Blind Guardian - Bright Eyes, Blind Guardian - Fly, Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind, Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side, Blind Guardian - Mirror Mirror, Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth, Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World, Blind Guardian - The Bards Song (In The Forest), Blind Guardian - The Forgotten Tales
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