Blind Guardian is one of those bands that you either love or hate. At first, I definitely fell into the "hate" category...it didn't help that the first song I heard by them was "Nightfall", their most ANNOYING song of all time!! But I got more requests for this band than any other, so I pressed on...and, of course, mp3s played a big role. (However, most bands take only 5 or 6 mp3s for me to decide whether I like 'em or not...for BG, it was more like 30.) It wasn't until I discovered that BG started out as a THRASH band that I decided to invest money in their CDs...

Oh yeah, vocalist Hansi Kursch recently teamed up with Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer for the project Demons & Wizards -- another turning point in getting me to like Blind Guardian material. Their cover of "Don't Talk to Strangers" was also a major highlight of the Holy Dio tribute album.

"Battalions of Fear"

1. "Majesty" (7:28)
2. "Guardian of the Blind" (5:09)
3. "Trial by the Archon"--instrumental (1:41)
4. "Wizard's Crown" (3:48)
5. "Run for the Night" (3:33)
6. "The Martyr" (6:14)
7. "Battalions of Fear" (6:06)
8. "By the Gates of Moria"--instrumental (2:52)
9. "Gandalf's Rebirth"--instrumental (2:10)

Hey, wait a minute, this album came out in 1987, when I was getting deep into the "Euro-metal" scene with bands like Destruction, Helloween, Sodom, Rage, etc...how come I never even HEARD of these guys back then?? This is in-your-face thrash metal, unfettered & unhindered by the theatrical overtures that would bog down their sound later on. "Gandalf's Rebirth" is a CD bonus track...not that it matters...

"Follow the Blind"

1. "Inquisition"--instrumental (0:40)
2. "Banish from Sanctuary" (5:27)
3. "Damned for All Time" (4:57)
4. "Follow the Blind" (7:10)
5. "Hall of the King" (4:16)
6. "Fast to Madness" (5:57)
7. "Beyond the Ice"--instrumental (3:28)
8. "Valhalla" (4:56)
9. "Don't Break the Circle" (3:28)
10. "Barbara Ann/Long Tall Sally" (1:40)

Another Euro-Speed masterpiece, but even now hints of their operatic harmonies & stuff are beginning to show. Still a classic, nonetheless. "Don't Break the Circle" is a cover of the Demon song, and it SUCKS worse than the original! I think I'll let everyone guess who "Barbara Ann" is originally by...

Note: There are versions of these 2 cds with FOUR extra tracks, but all of them are from "Forgotten Tales" and I'm not sure if the original bonus tracks are included, so it's best to look out for these particular versions, I think.

"Imaginations from the Other Side"

1. "Imaginations from the Other Side" (7:18)
2. "I'm Alive" (5:29)
3. "A Past and Future Secret" (3:47)
4. "The Script for My Requiem" (6:08)
5. "Mordred's Song" (5:27)
6. "Born in a Mourning Hall" (5:12)
7. "Bright Eyes" (5:15)
8. "Another Holy War" (4:31)
9. "And the Story Ends" (5:59)

The operatic vocals aren't nearly as annoying here as I feared (except on the final track, sheesh!!) I've had the acoustic versions of "Mordred's Song", "Bright Eyes" and "A Past and Future Secret" on mp3 for a long time now, so hearing the full-rock renditions is quite refreshing.

"The Forgotten Tales" (CDR)

1. "Mr. Sandman" (2:09)
2. "Surfin' U.S.A." (2:23)
3. "Bright Eyes" (4:20)
4. "Lord of the Rings" (3:55)
5. "The Wizard" (3:16)
6. "Spread Your Wings" (4:14)
7. "Mordred's Song" (5:16)
8. "Black Chamber" (1:15)
9. "The Bard's Song"--live (4:11)
10. "Barbara Ann/Long Tall Sally" (1:43)
11. "A Past and Future Secret" (3:47)
12. "To France" (4:40)
13. "Theatre of Pain" (4:15)

This collection of live, alternate & unreleased recordings has actually been in my collection for a long time, and has quite a rich history. It was back in '96 or '97 when I first downloaded this album, and not only was it the first Blind Guardian I ever heard, it was also the first EVER set of mp3s I downloaded from anywhere. (About 3 years before Napster, and on a 33.6 modem, I think!) I always planned to burn a CD of it, but when I finally got my burner, my listening tastes had moved beyond the crap 112k/s they were ripped at, so I spent a few nights downloading higher-quality mp3s. Then I kinda forgot about it, until I started buying Blind Guardian CDs for real. This one was going to be my next purchase...but since it's an expensive import, and almost certain to NEVER turn up used, I decided to bum a copy off someone else's trade list. (For now.)

Anyways, like I said, this was my introduction to BG, so I really got a dose of their "arty" side in the beginning. All songs are acoustic and/or orchestral renditions, except the covers, which are pretty cool. ("Spread Your Wings" is originally by Queen, "The Wizard" was originally done by Uriah Heep, and "Surfin U.S.A." & "Barbara Ann" are Beach Boys songs, of course. I forget exactly which 50's chick group did "Mr. Sandman", but I think I have the original on a Personics tape somewhere, just too lazy to look for it right this second.)

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