Review Summary: Though Blind Guardian's "Imaginations from the Other Side" takes some time to grow on you, the fruits of your mental labor will be worth it.
My first taste of the German power metal band Blind Guardian was definitely one that had to be acquired. Between the somewhat-annoying vocals of Hansi Kursch, the cheesy medieval lyrics, and the grandiose choruses, there was far too much for my brain to digest happily in one sitting. So for weeks, the CD sat on my rack, collecting dust as I continued to take the path most trodden and listened to music I was already familiar with. But I got more and more curious as I stared at that Blind Guardian CD. What if I gave it a second chance? Would that change my then-negative opinions of the band? Curiosity got the better of me; I grabbed the disk, popped it into my computer, and gave it a second, then a third listen. This turned out to be the right decision: with each listen, I loved Imaginations from the Other Side more and more.
One thing that really grabbed me was the sheer power of every song. Even on the quieter ones like "A Past and Future Secret", there was so much grandeur. This seems excessive at first- a lot like Hansi Kursch's voice- but once you're able to find your way around the music well enough it's easy to see that this style of music fits the usually medieval lyrics to a tee. This brings me to another point: the music on this album is very hard to navigate at first. It's like going to a far off land (Middle Earth, perhaps?) with no map: you have no idea what's next. Unlike some things, though, the more you know what's coming, the easier it is to enjoy this.
The performance of each band member is definitely superb. The guitar-work is the first thing that stuck out to me: thrashy and round. Every riff was memorable; every solo enjoyable. The drum-work is also great: the double-bass rounds are fast and accurate, an attribute usually found in power metal, but the rhythms and fills are well-placed and catchy as well(You'll probably want to tap your fingers along to something like "Script for my Requiem" or "Bright Eyes", for instance). One problem I have is the bass: it's inaudible. I couldn't hum even one bass-line to you.
The bass problem also ties in with the only other issue I had with this: the production. Flemming Rasmussen has always seemed to have a problem with the bass volume, but this isn't the only flaw in his work this time. The sound is muddy, and the effects are smothered by the guitar and drums. (ESPECIALLY the bass drum.) This is definitely another thing that takes much getting used to.
Now that I've explained the sound of this album-flaws and all- I'll remind you once again that this is a "grower" album. Chances are, you won't get into this in one sitting. Like wine, it takes time to get used to it's taste. Definitely give this time to grow on you.
PROS:
-Excellent musicianship
-Vocals, though they take a long time to get used to, fit the sound of this album well
-Great song-writing
-Everything flows well
CONS:
-Muddy production
-Lack of bass
To get a feel for each type of song on the album, listen to these first:
-Bright Eyes
-Another Holy War
-Script for My Requiem
-A Past and Future Secret
This Message Edited On 11.25.07
