|
At The Edge Of Time (Dlx Ed./2 CD Set) |  | Artist: Blind Guardian
Label: Nuclear Blast America
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $12.45
as of 9/5/2010 03:54 CDT details
You Save: $6.53 (34%)
New (11) Used (1) from $12.45
Seller: impulsemusic
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 80
Format: Deluxe Edition
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.6
UPC: 727361263126
EAN: 0727361263126
ASIN: B003TEO3EI
Release Date: August 24, 2010 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| |
| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Sacred Worlds | | • | Tanelorn (Into The Void) | | • | Road Of No Release | | • | Ride Into Obsession | | • | Curse My Name | | • | Valkyries | | • | Control The Divine | | • | War Of The Thrones (Piano Version) | | • | A Voice In The Dark | | • | Wheel Of Time |
Disc 2
| • | Sacred Worlds (Extended "Sacred" Version) | | • | Wheel of Time (Orchestral Version) | | • | You´re the Voice (Radio Edit) | | • | Tanelorn (Into the Void) (Demo Version) | | • | Curse my Name (Demo Version) | | • | A Voice in the Dark (Demo Version) | | • | Sacred (Video Clip) | | • | Studio Documentary |
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Blind Guardian possess a track record and back catalogue of classic staples that perhaps only Iron Maiden can match. Called everything from heavy metal bards to modern day minstrels, they also hold the ability to transport their legions of fans to another time and place with their majestic songwriting, fantastically themed lyrics, and their meticulous, emotion-packed music. On At the Edge of Time, the melodies are more organic whilst still maintaining the consistent quality and intrigue that the band weave seamlessly throughout each opus. The Deluxe Edition also includes a download card that will offer each fan a unique code to access a VIP fan site with regularly uploaded HD videos and live clips, exclusive posts, photos and access to all things Blind Guardian before the general public!
Album Description
UK limited edition digipak pressing. 2010 release, the ninth studio album from German Speed Metal pioneers Blind Guardian. Lead guitarist Andre Olbrich and vocalist Hansi Kuersch remain as the group's original members with Kuersch providing his fantasy fiction inspired lyrics. The band produces raucous Power Metal, whilst in a departure from their Speed Metal roots, incorporating orchestration and keys to provide an epic sound.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
Blind Guardian's Balancing Act September 3, 2010
J. Gordon (The World)
Ah, another 3-4 year wait, another Blind Guardian studio release. My own discovery of Blind Guardian was courtesy of a mixed tape someone gave me during law school, during the dark years for American metal fans in the mid-90s, before ordering CDs from metal distribution channels online became an everyday, reliable process. I remember hearing "Born In A Mourning Hall", and saying, "what the @#$@! is this?" It sounded like someone mashed up Metallica and Queen, with one of the Four Horsemen and his army being brought in for vocals. As a result, while many fans cite "Nightfall in Middle Earth" as their favorite, for me, "Imaginations From the Other Side" has been the gold standard for the band, due to its incredibly raw, yet massive sound. "Nightfall" was where the band suddenly toned down the in-your-face, thrashy rhythm guitars and subdued the drums, and emphasized the guitar leads and vocals instead. As a result, while the band has consistently put out outstanding albums, it seems their musical direction has veered away from the visceral immediacy they championed on "Imaginations", and relied more on their melodic elements.
"A Night At the Opera" divided fans even more, as songs such as "The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight" and the sprawling epic "And Then There Was Silence" brought in further emphasis on elaborate orchestration, while other songs such as "Sadly Sings Destiny" and "Wait For An Answer" strove to integrate a more "modern pop" element into their metal songwriting. 2006's "A Twist In the Myth", meanwhile found the band on uncertain footing, as it was the first album without founding drummer Thomen Stauch. The songs were more concise and straightforward, but despite the presence of such stand-outs as "Otherland", "Turn the Page", and "Straight Through The Mirror", it was considered a relative disappointment (although it speaks volumes that an album as good as it was is called "disappointing" compared to Blind Guardian's other albums). Say what you may about it, but "Twist" did showcase a return of the rhythm section into the audio mix.
So now we come to "At The Edge of Time", which starts off with the heavily orchestrated "Sacred Worlds", which is, in my opinion, the band's best lead-off track to an album in years. It seems that for years, the band has been loathe to showcase a strong track as the album opener; "Imaginations From the Other Side", "Into the Storm", and "Precious Jerusalem" may all have been far from bad tracks, but they never seemed to really grab me the way that an opening track should. This album opens with one hell of a left hook, although a couple moments of the 1st minute skirt dangerously close to the territory of Dream Theater's unintentionally awful orchestral intro to "Six Degrees of Turbulence". Luckily, if the listener perserveres through this close call with bad Disney-metal symphonics, the orchestration settles into a truly epic state of mind, and the chorus simply soars when it kicks in.
The album never quite settles into any kind of a rut, as the band cranks through fast, thrash/speed/power metal numbers ("Tanelorn", "Ride Into Obsession", "Voice in the Dark"), more mid-tempo, complicated dark numbers ("Road of No Release", "Control the Divine"), Middle-Eastern-influenced prog-metal ("Wheel of Time"), and sweeping balladry ("War of the Thrones"). The hidden gem on this release is undoubted "Curse My Name", which is Blind Guardian's most authentic folky, Celtic number to date, and is light-years better than the somewhat turgid "Skalds and Shadows" from the prior album, incorporating fiddle, bagpipes, flute, and an actual Irish tap dance ensemble into a crescendoing, outstanding number. The production, while a bit too compressed, still manages to showcase the rhythm section that was overly muted in "Nightfall", while still bringing the sense of orchestration that fans loved from that release to the table in a big way. Blind Guardian is still quite obviously playing to their strengths, with the armies of vocal overdubs and guitar harmonies, coupled with guitar rhythms and tones that are more Metallica than Helloween in terms of their take on metal (although still not as aggressive as Blind Guardian were in 1995).
The band shows themselves to be "true" musicians in the best sense of the word; while Andre Olbrich and Marcus Siepen might not be able to play swept triplets in 5 different modes at precisely 150 bpm as exactingly as John Petrucci, they are greatly superior musicians in terms of making the music sound alive, flowing and organic, while never sacrificing the requisite degree of precision that's needed for Blind Guardian's brand of epic metal. I'll gladly forgo winning a technical phallic measurement contest amongst fanboys, in favor of something that just sounds plain awesome, and, while showing the band's everpresent influences, avoids plagiarism.
As great as "At The Edge of Time" is, there is still a nagging feeling that the band is playing it a little safe by giving the fans "what they want", and not much more. Songs like "Fly" and "Sadly Sings Destiny" may have alienated some fans, but they did push the envelope as far as what an ostensible "power metal" outfit can accomplish in terms of sounding more modern. Unfortunately, there's nothing quite so daring on this album. Another issue is that while this is the band's most consistent effort in years, the songs don't stand out as memorably as the high points of previous albums (perhaps due to its newness to my ears?). It also goes without saying that the nerdish artwork on the inside of the album booklet might be a bit much in terms of stereotyping the band (granted, this is an album that starts with a song originally written for a computer RPG, and closes with a song about a fantasy series that has passed the 10 book mark). Overall, however, what the album misses in terms of taking a gamble on stepping outside the band's comfort zone, is outweighed in terms of the outright quality of this material. In my opinion, this is yet another successful entry in Blind Guardian's body of work, and should be checked out by fans of larger than life music.
Breathtaking and Inspiring September 1, 2010
Jason L. Greenberg (houston, texas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Let me start off by saying that I cannot choose a favorite Blind Guardian album. Ever since Somewhere Far Beyond came out, everything this band has released has held a special place in my heart. In fact, at my wedding 4 years ago, our bride & groom first dance was to "The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight" and it couldn't have been more beautiful.
Blind Guardian is more than a thrash/power metal band. Yes there are those elements to their music, but the main focus of their music is composition and in creating music that is cohesive, innovative, and extravagant. Over their past 3 albums, the compositions have gotten progressively more intricate and bombastic. Some critique them as "overdone" and that's a fair statement if you prefer raw metal. This is not raw metal however. You are listening to the wrong band if you want Blind Guardian to sound like they did in the 80's and 90's. In fact, if you're missing that style so much, skip this album and go purchase the latest Persuader or Savage Circus albums. They sound almost exactly like early Blind Guardian.
Before the song by song analysis, At The Edge of Time as a whole complete album is perhaps their best work. This album definitely has the most diversity out of all their previous works. Not one song sounds like it doesn't belong and while there are stronger songs than others, they complement each other perfectly. Case in point, a mid tempo, piano driven song ,"Road to No Release" is sandwiched between two of the fastest, guitar driven songs on the album. Then immediately following a blisteringly brilliant thrash song, you have one of Guardian's finest ballads.
Sacred Worlds (10/10) This may be one of my favorite BG songs of all time, second only to "And Then There was Silence". The orchestral arrangements start the album building intensity and excitement until the band starts. It all flows so seamlessly that you will hardly notice the change. When the band does start in full, the orchestra weaves in and out providing brilliant counter melodies and gorgeous depth to the music. The chorus of this song is in my opinion one of the most powerful chorus ever. The lyrics were originally created for a fantasy game, but have real world applications, particularly the emotion of setting evil things right that have been accepted as the norm.
Tanelorn (9/10) I love this song a lot. The guitars are the driving force and sound incredible. Marcus and Andre are playing at harmonic thirds of each other for much of the song and the guitars are amazingly tight. Hansi sings very aggressively on this one, very similar to his style on Imaginations From the Other Side. The chorus is very good and catchy, however I'm not emotionally taken away as I am with some of their other songs.
Road of No Release (8/10) This is a hard one for me to rate. The intro is beautiful with the piano, guitars and snare drum roll. This song stylistically sounds similar to the A Twist in the Myth album. There are many changes in rhythm and keep this song interesting but not all of it is as moving as the intro. This is one of those songs that will probably need to marinate in my head for many months before I can fully appreciate it.
Ride into Obsession (10/10) My favorite of the fast songs on the album. This song has everything. The lyrics are powerful and really get to the heart of the emotional struggle the dragon is facing. I won't spoil who he is in case you haven't read the first book in Wheel of Time. The chorus is one of the best on the album, but what really gives this song the edge over Tanelorn is the middle section where the music takes an unexpected twist.
Curse my Name (10/10) One of Blind Guardian's best ballads. This song has many celtic sounding instruments and percussions, strings, flutes, and some other things I can't quite identify. Brilliant lyrics and a wonderful chorus that actually inspires me to dance like an idiot hopping around from one foot to the other. The deluxe edition of this album comes with a demo version of this song which sounds just as good, but is the scaled back version featuring acoustic guitars and Hansi's voice. It is very reminiscent of The Bard's Song and time may prove it to be just as classic.
Valkyries (8/10) I have similar opinions about this song as I do "Road of No Release" being a more modern version of their previous album style. It has a very good chorus and is a good mix of heavy and soft features. After about 10 listens of the album as a whole, this song seems to be one of the weaker on the album. It is still an awesome song, but there is some fierce competition on this CD. It may prove to be one of those songs that I'll only fully grasp after I've heard it 100's of time.
Control the Devine (10/10) This is one of my favorite songs as well. Stylistically, it sounds like it could have been released on Nightfall in Middle Earth. This song features great texture from acoustic guitars and one of the best and catchiest choruses on the album. It manages to avoid sounding familiar without actually pushing Blind Guardian's music to the next level.
War of the Thrones (10/10) This song is another great ballad that I absolutely love. It starts off with piano and vocals only and is most appropriate given the subject matter. The chorus is classic and very sing-along-esque. As the song progresses more instruments are introduced, giving rise to the intensity matched my Hansi's delivery.
A Voice in the Dark (8.5/10) This is an awesome song that I was somewhat unimpressed when I first heard it on the single. The vocal phrasing and chorus is very reminiscent of Traveler in Time, or Time What is Time. It is very fast and aggressive but also very clever in the arrangement. The variations are just enough that you don't tire of the standard pop song formula that this song employs. My only criticism is that the guitar solo is not up to par. It sounds "good enough" not to hurt the song but is desperately lacking Andre's usual touch and finesse.
Wheel of Time (1/10) Oh man, the album sure took a dive down the crapper here, this song is just terrible! Just kidding... here we have yet again one of Blind Guardian's greatest musical accomplishments. One thing I recommend doing is listening to the instrumental version on the second disc. The music has been composed with such craft and eloquence that it needs to be heard by itself before you can fully appreciate all that is going on here. It is pure magic. The album version with vocals is amazing too. I was just flabbergasted at how great the song sounded as an instrumental. The vocal arrangement is very complex and will take you many listens before your brain wraps around all the intricacies and wonderful phrasings by Hansi. The chorus is good and matches the music well, but my favorite part of this song is the latter half after the symphonic interlude. It provides the perfect down time before the bombastic finale that is very dangerously overwhelming. (by the way, the real score is 10/10)
This is without a doubt the best use of an orchestra that has been done in metal. I strongly suggest you listen to it and let the music take you on a journey away to a land where monotony does not exist.
Blind Guardian are back in full force! August 31, 2010
EdenEcho1
4 years ago when "A Twist in the Myth" was released, I knew the band had finally released their masterpiece. It's hard to top the last album but this album comes pretty close. "At the Edge of Time" to me sounds like "A Night at the Opera" but with a way better mix. A lot of the songs are very technical and all over the place but there's a few straight forward numbers that can bring you back to their early days like "Tanelorn" and "Voice in the Dark". Blind Guardian's fantastic song writing skills and catchy choruses are as strong as they've ever been. A return to their roots? Nope, just a progression of music they've been doing from the last few albums. I don't want to see them go back to their roots, they've progressed and gotten more talented over time. The guitar sound on this album is monsterous. Hansi sounds as good as ever. One thing that I will say this album has over the last one is that the drums are phenomenal.
Overall, this is my 2nd favorite Blind Guardian album...I still consider "A Twist in the Myth" my favorite. Good work to the band for staying true to their sound and not listening to people who whine for them to make another "Somewhere Far Beyond" album.
Return of the King August 31, 2010
The Trooper (Spokane,WA)
Blind Guardian's Tolkien-esque "Hobbit Metal" is back with a vengeance and the two towers stand mighty and firm; blazing guitar work that can only be described as virtuoso level and Hansi has rarely sounded better on vocals. I was put off a little bit by the complexity of "Night at the Opera" and though I admired the lavish, provocative arrangements, I found that too many of the songs began to lose flow, identity, and a singular purpose. "A Twist in the Myth" was even more disappointing as the subtle nu-metal and industrial influences that tinged that release seemed to suck the life & enjoyment out of it despite the fact it truthfully had it's share of excellent songs. With "Imaginations from the Other Side" being my absolute favorite along side of "Nightfall in Middle Earth", I was hoping for a return to form and well, Blind Guardian sets the shire ablaze with a White Witch's cauldron brew of top notch musicianship, orchestral arrangements for the epics of the ages, and guitar solos that Iron Maiden, if not every metal band, wishes that they had crafted. "At the Edge of Time" opens and closes with orchestra-tinged epics of apocalyptic proportions (Sacred Worlds & Wheels of Time) and these 2 tracks are attention-grabbing, lavish, and stunning in their composition. They are graced by the high powered fire lances of "Tanelorn", "Ride Into Obsession", and "Voice in the Dark", a couple of celtic/folk laced ballads ("Curse My Name" and "War of the Thrones"), and 3 more mid-paced ork-crushers that are sure to satisfy those in dire need of some dungeon & dragon metal mythology. Blind Guardian has absolutely returned to form and the latest slab 'o excellence sounds to me like a cross between Imaginations from the Other side and the best attributes of Night at the Opera. This couldn't look or sound any better even if Gollum had puked this up out of middle Earth's life-devouring fire pit himself. Regal, Schmeagul and Legal, this very well could be the absolute best that the excellent Blind Guardian has unleashed to date. I mean no disrespect to the band at all by flavoring this review with intentionally comical references to the Lord of the Rings but alas, Blind Guardian paints the Tolkien imagery so well, that it was just too much to resist. All kidding aside, At the Edge of Time is a metallic "stunner" by any other name and the exceptional talent this band possesses is clearly evident & on full display. Hansi & crew went into this recording session with a hurricane force of inspiration and what an enjoyable, fully satisfying ride this is.
Personal Taste Dictates that this is the Best BG Album to Date August 30, 2010
WG
BG has exceeded expectations with EOT. They have pushed the envelope with writing, sound production, and innovation; yet have managed to capture the essence of all of their greatest work. Amazing!
I am currently awed by "Curse My Name" (Reminds me of a cross between "A Past and Future Secret" and "The Script for My Requiem", musically). This song forces you to learn the words and sing along. The vocals and percussion are indescribably magnificent. This song will be a crowd favorite, and I cannot wait to hear it live.
"Tanelorn", "Ride Into Obsession", "Valkyries", and "A Voice In the Dark", punch you in the face like BG tracks of yore. They just don't let up.
"Road of No Release" has become one of my favorite tracks and "War of the Thrones" is absolutely incredible.
"Sacred Worlds" and "Wheel of Time" have high production value and song length. I have left one of the songs off the list because I tend to skip over it, because I'm having trouble identifying with it.
This album has become my favorite in the BG catalog (over Imaginations...), and I can only hope that they continue to put out albums like this for the next twenty years. Honestly, I have become a bigger fan of Demons and Wizards due to the last release of BG. Thanks to Hansai and the gang for putting out this album. Absolutely AMAZING!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. Disclaimer: The products referenced on this site are manufactured and sold by other parties and sold through Amazon.com We make no representations regarding either the products or any information vendors offer about their products. Any questions, complaints, or claims regarding the products must be directed to the appropriate manufacturer or vendor, or to Amazon.com. | |
