Blind Guardian (Vienna - Planet Music - 12.10.02)
Written by: Peter Podbrežnik

An unforgettable day began bleakly with unfortunate weather. Although we were quite late in my opinion, we had enough time to prepare for the finest act that power metal posses right now- Blind Guardian. There was great expectation in the air. In front of Planet Music, there were already a couple of dedicated fans from everywhere, unlike us they had already had the opportunity to exchange some words with the band. Surprisingly or not, there were also a lot of fans from Eastern Europe.

The supporting band were the German power metal maniacs Stormhammer, who didn't disguise their huge ambitions. They were playing some sort of a disinteresting power metal, and I felt really bored. I did not have any ambitions to support those guys, although they proved that they can play. The lead singer had some problems with his voice, but he desperately wanted to act like Ozzy or Dio. But he looked more like Meat Loaf. Later on, he apologized to us that he had a cold in the last days. Despite the fact that he even shouted out some good screams he quickly slowed down his voice. But even with such problems they completed their performance very correctly, so their fans seemed satisfied. Musically they were not so bad as it seemed at first, but they were just like one of the many other power metal clones.

Usually there is always some crap on tape before the real show, but that night it was just cool. Some songs were of the old Helloween ("March Of Time", "I Want Out", "A Tale That Wasn't Right") and it was good. Every metal band wants to have such base of fans as Blind Guardian possess. The temperature in the audience was rising and the fans started to call them.

And then it began! Suddenly we were inside of "War Of Wrath" between good and evil, slashy battle voices and Melkor`s speech. From the darkness to the light came the grandwizards of power metal-Blind Guardian and when they started with "Into The Storm" the audience went wild. Hansi cheered the crowd and then they played "Welcome To Dying", a classic song from "Tales From The Twilight World". The atmosphere grew even wilder. The things went a little easier with "Nightfall", the first song from their rich collection of melancholic songs. Everyone of us sang about the fall of the night on Middle-earth. The audience dictated the tempo of the song all the time. Hansi said that they are recording for a live album that will come out next year. That was another reason why audience stayed with the band to the end of the show. A little surprise was "The Scrypt For My Requiem". This extremely atmospheric song (I can't remember any of their songs that is not atmospheric) was the first song from their immortal album- "Imaginations From The Other Side". When it was over came the silence and then another story. With a serious voice, Hansi introduced the next song as a well known story about the one ring of all rings that was forged by the dark lord Sauron. Sure-"Lord Of The Rings"! Hansi sang it in its more dramatic and longer, acoustic version from "The Forgotten Tales", where Hansi sings ˝I keep the ring of sorrow˝ before the final bridge. Always when I heard this song I felt sorrow. Immortal "Valhalla" was the only song from trashy eighties. "The Soulforged" was the first song from the new album. The tempo went down as it was one of the new songs and it was not so well known. But then it was the "Mordred`s Song", one of the nice surprises of the show that blasted the crowd into delirium. Suddenly, the keyboards came to a close and it was the beginning of the biggest surprise of this show -"Bright Eyes"! Incredible song, if you know it than every word is enough. With that song, Hansi once again proved why he is simply the best singer in German power metal. As a fan I think that no other German metal singer has such a great voice colour as he does. The other song from the last record was "Punishment Divine", a nice up tempo song. I was a bit surprised that they did not play more songs from "A Night At The Opera". When the song was over, Hansi called to us that it is time to put our forces together and to sing the next song completely without his help. I knew which song he had in mind: "The Bard's Song-In The Forest", an acoustic masterpiece, one of their most representative songs. And then we were already on "Journey Through The Dark", another great song from "Somewhere Far Beyond". We were expecting another song from "Nightfall In Middle-Earth". So it came, one of the best songs from the said album- "Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)". The cream at the top was definitely "Imaginations From The Other Side", which represents their music style in the most beautiful way. Then they had a little break, which was short. After loud screams: "zugabe, zugabe" they came back. Hansi smiled and said that they have three more songs in the bag. Then came the encore with "Lost In The Twilight Hall" and the crowd showed every respect to that old classic. "A Past And Future Secret" ended the story about king Arthur. There, both guitarists once again, for the last time took acoustic guitars in their hands and excellently displayed the intro of this romantic ballad.

"Mirror Mirror" was the last song this night, although a fan favourite. The metal fairytale was over. The sound was very good and clean in my opinion. Hansi seemed a bit reserved at first but then he proved that he is a great showman. Always with his landmark sign - mind explosion. Both guitar players Andre and Magnus seemed reserved at first but then they got in gear. André was incredibly cool after all his wild riffs. Also the rhythm guitarist Marcus played all his duties excellently. The band was really cool and there was no handbanging at all-wonderful! Also, their bass guitarist Oliver Holzwarth was good, already an influential part of the band onstage. For the excellent composition elements, Michael Schüren, the keyboard player provided. Many praises go especially to one of the greatest drummers in Germany - Thomas Stauch (I was almost afraid that he will not appear as he was ill not long ago). So many praises, but then was it really so perfect?

O.k. there should be more songs from the old times like "Majesty" from their first album, "Traveler In Time", "Time What Is Time", "Somewhere Far Beyond", 14-minute epic "A Night At The Opera" or my favourite song "Theatre Of Pain", but after two hours the Guardians seemed a bit tired and I also had the first problems with my voice so it was the right time to close the show. However there were only two songs from the last album and that was not quite right, despite the thoughts of some other lousy fans!

This is another proof that they have a large set of songs. Every night they change their set list and there is no end of good songs from their repertoire. We did not meet Gandalf or any of those crazy guys from Middle-earth but I think that the masters of Tolkien metal must be their close relatives because it was really some sort of magic in the air that night. It was really magical, but what else to expect from metal masters of fantasy. At the end of the report I can just say a big thank you to the band for such a fantastic performance and I hope that we shall meet very soon. Up the Guardians!

1.) War Of Wrath (intro)
2.) Into The Storm
3.) Welcome To Dying
4.) Nightfall
5.) The Script For My Requiem
6.) Lord Of The Rings
7.) Valhalla
8.) The Soulforged
9.) Mordred's Song
10.) Bright Eyes
11.) Punishment Divine
12.) The Bard`s Song- In The Forest
13.) Journey Through The Dark
14.) Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)
15.) Imaginations From The Other Side
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
16.) Lost In The Twilight Hall
17.) A Past And Future Secret
18.) Mirror Mirror