Blind Guardian - Twist in the Myth (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Good, but certainly not some of their best stuff

General Zombie | the West | 09/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I don't have an awful lot to say about this album. BG have pulled things back a bit here, and 'Twist in the Myth' is definitely a bit more restrained and less over the top than the last album. They've made it more purely metallic with a greater emphasis on the rhythm guitar, and just the electric guitar in general. (Though it's still, by rational standards, extremely over the top and dramatic. This is BG, after all.) I'm neither disappointed nor pleased with this change; every sound BG has used has worked, it's just a matter of songwriting and, to a lesser extent, production. And, unfortunately, both of these are relatively weak here. Most significantly, with regards to the production, the rhythm guitars here just don't have any crunch. They're way to clean sounding, to processed and artificial. (Alright, that doesn't technically make much sense, but I can't come up with any other way to put it.) Just compare, say 'This Will Never End' to 'Welcome to Dying' or 'Journey through the Dark' or whatever. The rhythm guitar just doesn't propel you the same way now as it did then, and this drive is very important. It doesn't cripple the album, but it doesn't have the same impact it could've either. Drums are a bit weak sounding too.

As far as songwriting goes, it's consistently good, but they rarely blow you away the way they can at their best. The opener, 'This Will Never End' is excellent, easily the best thing here, but it's really not as good as the best tracks on just about any of their other albums. Other than that I have a hard time picking out any particular standouts. ('Fly' is one, I suppose, and 'The Edge' and perhaps 'Otherland' .) The songs all sound good when you're listening to them, but they don't stick with you the way they should. I've probably listened to this, I dunno, a dozen and looking over the track list there are still a few songs I can't really think of what they sound like specifically. This really shouldn't be the case for a power metal album, much less a Blind Guardian album. That all said, 'A Twist in the Myth' really doesn't have any particular tracks which should obviously be pulled, which isn't the case with some of their earlier albums. Nevertheless, it should probably be pared back by 2 tracks or so, just because it's got so many tracks which are just pretty good that they blend together a bit. Beyond all this, there really isn't anything at all new to find here, just the standard compilation of huge chorus, medieval melodies, fast alt-pick riffs and so on. I don't really mind when a band doesn't progress much, but the repetition here really serves to heighten the good but not remarkable songwriting. If some of these more average songs had a bit of novelty to them they might stand out more, but they don't.

Still, though I've complained a lot, this is definitely a good album and a worthwhile pick up for any Blind Guardian fan. There really isn't anything wrong with it, but it doesn't really come out and grab as much as it ought to either."

My Favorite Blind Guardian Release To Date -- Full of Epic T

Just Bill | Grand Rapids, MI United States | 09/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must admit I was leery of this release. A Night at the Opera was so busy and packed with tracks that it gave me a headache each time I tried to listen to it.

But A Twist in the Myth is astounding. The guitar riffs are - as the included interview track says -- '70s and '80s sounding. They have a crunchy-ness that I really like. And they're prominent, too. Right out front instead of buried under layer upon layer of stacked guitars and vocals.

And the fun kicks off from the very first track -- "This Will Never End." Great riffs, almost Judas Priest-like.

A few stand-out tracks for me:

Track 3: "Turn the Page," which has an anthemic, Celtic sound. Hansi's Na-na-na chorus is so catchy I hope they perform this one live. It would bring down the house. This is a really fine track!

Track 5: "Carry the Blessed Home," which is another big anthemic track with a melody that sweeps me away. This track is grand and uplifting, a big sound without an overpowering use of multi-track recording.

Track 6: "Another Stranger Me," which begins with a guitar riff straight from a .38 Special or Lynryd Skynrd album. Crunchy, catchy, and powerful.

Track 9: "Skalds and Shadows," a minstrel-like track with a pretty, emotional melody and acoustic guitars at the start that remain that way throughout. It's just a pretty track sandwiched in between a couple of all-out corkers.

Track 12: "Dead Sound of Misery," a powerful drum- and guitar-driven track that's a perfect way to end the album. Great soloing.

Hansi's voice is more restrained on A Twist in the Myth. He's less screechy and definitely less multi-tracked.

This is a tremendous release from Blind Guardian -- one of the world's most consistently fascinating bands. This is a powerful album, full of great guitar riffs, beautiful melodies, and anthemic themes. I highly recommend A Twist in the Myth.

I'm so glad these guys are touring the U.S. this fall. I can't wait to see them play these songs live!"

Simmer down, simmer down...

John Hawkins | San Francisco, CA | 10/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, I'm not a devoted fan, nor did I hold any personal expectations for "A Twist in the Myth." I bought it on a blind buy, when the only thing I've heard from Blind Guardian were a few of their songs (such as Another Holy War...) But I disgress, because despite such inexperience with past listening, I still found this album very enjoyable.

None of the songs jumped out in my head as being "spectacular", but they were all well-played to such an extent that it does not matter. The whole album stands as the sum greater then its individual parts, rather then the typical, "1 single, 3 so-so's, 7 other crappy fillers" that you'd find in today's albums. I prefer things this way, because when I spend $16 on an album, I expect to pay for the whole album and not just a few pegs that made in on the top 10 for a week.

This is not detracting from any of the songs on the album. I found many of them to be rather melodramatic, smooth-flowing, crunchy-yet-consistent. This gave me a nice change of pace after I've put in a few hours on the train-wreck (almost in a good way) that was "A Matter of Life and Death" (Iron Maiden). If you're someone who's a casual listener of metal or into to all kinds of music (such as much), I would recommend adding this to your collection. If you're a hardcore follower, then who knows you might be disappointed... just dont take things to seriously and enjoy the show."

Fantastic album, but that's my opinion

Orlando Morris | Sioux Falls, SD USA | 02/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rating any given Blind Guardian album is rather difficult, because they vary so much from album to album. People often whine about this, and I don't quite understand it. Looking at many of their interviews and such, BG has made it quite clear since their conception that they are the type of band who seeks new sounds and experiments in different means of musical presentation with every project they do.

"A Twist in the Myth" is definitely a lot of new stuff, but this album is definitely reminiscent of past BG themes and styles. This particular album is unique in that it brings a lot of the softer elements of BG music and intensifies them, and by that I mean this album is not very "crunchy." Am I still not making sense? The sound here has quite obviously reached a level of digital remastering (some would say editing) that is unprecedented in this band's history. Guitars are a little less solo-oriented (although guitarist Andre Olbrich certainly does not fail to deliver in songs where we do hear him in all his glory!), and a little more attention is spent on background patterns or melodic chord progression. This album is the maiden album of BG's new drummer Frederik Ehmke, and I for one am not disappointed in the least...the drum patterns are smooth and work very well with what the rest of the band is doing. Perhaps the biggeset part of this album is BG's beloved lead vocalist, Hansi Kursch, and rightfully so. The grand majority of BG fans simply can't get enough of this man's power and diverse styles. He absolutely delivers on "Myth." It is in Hansi's voice that the digital work is most apparent, but do not mistake that for a derogatory remark! He sounds GREAT - you get a taste of his immense power and fantastic range on virtually every song. One thing you won't hear, however, is the throaty screaming sound Hansi pulled off in previous albums (think "Another Holy War" from "Imaginations from the Other Side" and the like), but the greatness seen here makes it completely forgivable (some are glad of the lack thereof).

1. "This Will Never End" - good sound, probably the speediest song on the track, but still doesn't have a complete thrash sound. Imagine a more melodic, less frantic "I'm Alive."

2. "Otherland" - my personal favorite song on the album. Listen to the vocals on this one, it's what you're going to be hearing for most of the album (that isn't to say if you don't like this give up! then again, it's hard -not- to like this one)

3. "Turn the Page" - another one of my favorites. This is an interesting one, as it completely captures that jovial medieval melody style, yet has all the energy of the best of BG.

4. "Fly" - well done, BG. this was the single that preceded the album, and I would argue (as the band did) that this a completely new sound for BG. give it a shot - I bet you'll like it.

5. "Carry the Blessed Home" - this one starts off just a wee bit weak, but wait til it's 30 seconds in - you'll start to like it in a hurry. Chorus is a bit reminiscent of previous album. Did I mention the bagpipes? :)

6. "Another Stranger Me" - probably the most guitar-oriented song. The vocals here are a lot more gruff than the last song too, and Hansi just sounds amazing. It's different from the rest of the album (less epic and more head-bangin), but very good as well.

7. "Straight Through the Mirror" - classic BG. this one could is something you would hear on "Nightfall in Middle-Earth" with bit 'happier' melody to it. vocal editing very evident, but very well done.

8. "Lionheart" - the freshman drummer shines on this one. it's a just a wee bit buried, but if you listen to what he's doing it's great. the musical rhythms all around the band in this one are fun (tri-ple-et, tri-ple-et).

9. "Skalds and Shadows" - you know you're not going to get away from a BG album without a ballad. It's definitely going to remind you of "The Bard's Song" or "A Past and Future Secret," but it's unique. Definitely not their best ballad, but it's still fun if you're into that sort of song.

10. "The Edge" - another one of my favorites...energy just radiates all over this song, from drums to guitars..everything. Once again, musical rhythms are lots of fun, even if you don't consciously recognize they're there and changing up on you. Have fun listening to this one :)

11. "The New Order" - this one is less tempo, but all the same it's beautiful. The chorus of this song is simply phenomenal, from drums to guitars to vocals - not to say the rest of the song isn't good, but the chorus is just such a highlight here!

12. "Dead Sound of Misery" - this is basically Fly again, except a lot darker and new lyrics. a good song, lots of classic BG stuff ("Opera"/"Nightfall" elements present).

That having been said, it really depends on what kind of BG fan you are (or, if you have never heard these guys before, read on nonetheless). For example, if you are into the thrashy crunchy sound BG has to offer, this album is probably not for you. The speed-thrash metal sounds of oldies like "Majesty" and "Valhalla" won't be found here. Nor should you expect the high wailing vocals of the previous album "A Night at the Opera". For BG regulars, by that I mean don't expect the vocals you heard on the chorus of "Age of False Innocence," but rather expect to hear a -lot- of what Hansi managed to do on "Curse of Feanor" (remember how awesome that chorus was?).

The bottom line is this: if you're a BG fan, you're probably going to get this album anyway, and you very well should. If you're the dark speed-thrash type, you're going to scratch your head a bit, but eventually you'll like it. If you're the melodic, major-key energy type, you'll fall in love with this album 7 times over again. I'm giving it 5 stars, some might disagree, but I can't imagine anyone who likes metal in general will give this masterpiece any significant grief.

There's simply too much to appreciate. Enjoy!!"

Another fine one from Blind Guardian

Oleh Romaniw | 01/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge BG fan, and when this album came out I was psyched to recieve it. I listened to it repeatedly, and managed to write a review for my school paper, which normally only runs more mainstream stuff. Therefore, I'm just gonna copy and paste as is, since it just sums up what I have to say succinctly.

European power metal band Blind Guardian hits us once again with their newest release, A Twist in the Myth. Four years in the making, this album is not quite as bombastic and over-the-top as any of their previous releases. While retaining similar fantasy themes and vocal harmony of previous releases, there is less going on at every moment in each song, vocally and instrumentally than before. This is a relief for those that got a headache from listening to their last album, A Night at the Opera. For more hardcore fans, however, the album seems less thought out and is slightly disappointing.

The range of subjects the songs address is as varied as ever as well. Folk music-inspired "Turn the Page," speaks to ancient pagan beliefs, while slower paced "Carry the Blessed Home," is based in Stephen King's The Dark Tower universe. "Skalds and Shadows," is a typical bard's song, for which Blind Guardian is known, while "This Will Never End," "The Edge," and "Dead Sound Misery," show the aggressive and thrashy side of the band.

Edgier and more aggressive overall than previous releases, A Twist in the Myth offers something for everybody while not completely satisfying anyone. Unlike the band's other albums of which every minute of every song is memorable, there are few songs that truly stick in the mind of the listener. For fans of Blind Guardian, this album is an interesting look of where the band is headed. For those looking to try out this unique band, look at some of their earlier albums."

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	Blind Guardian Twist in the Myth Genres: Pop, Rock, Metal Track Listings (13) - Disc #1 This Will Never End Otherland Turn the Page Fly Carry the Blessed Home Another Stranger Me Straight Through the Mirror Lionheart Skalds and Shadows The Edge The New Order Dead Sound of Misery Interview - Blind Guardian,
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