Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond - Reviews (2024)

Yes, the 1990s were a difficult time for metal, or at least for some metal subgenres, which fell out of favor and were often dismissed as outdated and clichéd, while other subgenres blossomed, such as death or black metal. On the one hand, it’s only fair to praise those bands that stubbornly stayed true to themselves and defiantly soldiered on even in the face of adversity, well-known German speed/power metallers Blind Guardian being one of them; on the other, that doesn’t mean we must blindly revere everything they put out during that time period, particularly when some releases fell short of a certain quality standard previously established by those bands.

1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond came on the heels of the very well-received Tales from the Twilight World, which was the album where Blind Guardian really found their own style and seriously challenged Helloween as the top dogs among Germany’s flourishing melodic speed-metal scene. When we talk about Blind Guardian, we often talk about their earlier, “pure” speed-metal phase and their later bombastic power-metal period, and Somewhere Far Beyond was arguably their first release to show glimpses of what the band was about to become later on in their career.

The first change to be noticed when comparing Somewhere Far Beyond to Tales from the Twilight World and other earlier releases is the updated, more sophisticated production. Unfortunately, those adjectives make the evolution regarding the band’s sonic delivery appear more beneficial than it actually was. While everything sounds way clearer and a lot more polished than before, it also sounds drier, brighter, thinner and treblier. Tales from the Twilight World still had that somewhat rumbling, cavernous, bass-heavy sound very much akin to the early output of Helloween and other like-minded outfits, and while that sound may not have been very nuanced, it definitely carried more heft and gave the music a more menacing edge, which is sometimes missing on the pristine Somewhere Far Beyond.

The lyrics mark another departure from the band’s previous work. Whereas there are still plenty of references to J. R. R. Tolkien and his fictitious fantasy universe, the lyrics seem to be more of a hodgepodge of various fantasy themes and motifs this time around. On “Theatre of Pain”, the band even ventures outside of the fantasy realm only to dabble in some of the overt environmentalism which was a quite common theme in early-nineties heavy metal. Truth be told, however, the lyrics for that particular track (as well as the track itself) are one of the low points on the entire album. Consider this:

»It's all gone
What is left behind
On a desert we called earth
When the last whale went away
Did they ever see the tears

»Don't fear your last step
From the theatre of pain
And the children will love your singing
From the sea
The sea is calling
Now we've to leave it«

Good grief. Cry me a river. Not only is this very clumsily written, it also comes across as whiny, childish drivel, which is definitely not what you want your metal lyrics to be like. The band may have raised a legitimate issue here, but with a cringy delivery like that, they certainly would have been better off just sticking to the usual Middle-Earth, sword-and-sorcery fare.

Anyway, on to the actual music. As mentioned before, Somewhere Far Beyond was when Blind Guardian first began to veer away from their melodic speed-metal roots in favor of a more symphonic, more restrained power-metal guise. Let’s hear the good news first, however: there’s still plenty of “traditional” melodic speed metal to sink your teeth into. “Time What Is Time”, “Journey Through the Dark”, “Ashes to Ashes” as well as the closing “Somewhere Far Beyond” fire on all cylinders and deliver the goods on all fronts, giving us fast-paced drumming with almost incessant use of the double-bass pedals, blistering riffs and solos, brilliant harmony leads and gigantic choruses, all capped by Hansi’s improved, more mature vocals. “Journey Through the Dark” is probably the most uncompromising of the bunch, yet sounds even better in its rawer, more energetic stage version featured on 1993’s live album Tokyo Tales.

“The Bard’s Song”, divided into two parts, is definitely another highlight. The second, metallic part (called “The Hobbit”), boasting that gorgeous “ice and fire and forest we passed, and horror in the halls of stone” section, is excellent, but for some reason it is the first, mellow part (“In the Forest”), an all-out ballad played on the acoustic guitar and going for that cozy camp-fire vibe, which went on to become a fan favorite and live staple, even though it could be argued the band did pretty much the same thing with “A Past and Future Secret”, featured on 1995’s Imaginations from the Other Side, only better and to greater effect.

The Guardians pull out all the stops on the concluding title track, a raging speed-metal barn burner and arguably the finest and most epic cut on the album, even though the briefly reappearing bagpipes, a carryover from the preceding instrumental “The Piper’s Calling”, are a rather unnecessary inclusion, momentarily giving it a bit of a campy feel belying its aggressive nature.

Speaking of campy, Somewhere Far Beyond offers plenty more of that in the shape of the already mentioned “Theatre of Pain”, the band’s first foray into pseudo-symphonic territory and a harbinger of the onslaught of symphonic power-metal bands (sometimes referred to as Euro-power metal) flooding the scene toward the end of the decade. It would be a bit harsh to call this track an abomination or unmitigated disaster; it is, however, safe to say Somewhere Far Beyond would have been much better off without it. The ensuing “Quest for Tanelorn” does better, even if not significantly better. It makes do without the pseudo-symphonic antics but doesn’t amount to much more than an average power/speed metal tune dragged down by a somewhat misbegotten chorus, which aims to be bombastic and grand but ends up as pompous and annoying instead; that said chorus is repeated way too often certainly doesn’t help matters.

The CD release sports no less than three bonus tracks rounding off the album, one of which happens to be a completely unnecessary “classical” version of none other than the completely forgettable “Theatre of Pain”; how the band came up with the brilliant idea to include an additional and equally forgettable version of easily the worst song on the entire damn thing is certainly mind-boggling. The other two bonus tracks are better but can hardly be considered essential; “Spread Your Wings” (Queen, one of their greatest and most under-appreciated songs) and “Trial by Fire” (Satan) are both cover versions that stay close to the originals but don’t quite measure up to them.

Somewhere Far Beyond ultimately ends up as a rather uneven affair, including some pretty awkward moments along with some truly great ones. It very much shows a band in transition, trying to create a sound it can already imagine but does not yet master. In an interview leading up to the release of the follow-up album Imaginations from the Other Side, the band mentioned that those who enjoyed Tales from the Twilight World but felt underwhelmed by Somewhere Far Beyond would probably like Imaginations from the Other Side better, and that assessment fortunately held true, as the latter came through where its predecessor often fell short.

Choicest cuts: Time What Is Time, Journey Through the Dark, The Bard’s Song – The Hobbit (this is not a typo – Hobbit beats Forest), Somewhere Far Beyond

Rating: 7.0 out of 10 points

We are living in some damn modern times. That's why you dont really need a computer (or a reason) to write an album review anymore. I am typing these sentences into my sperm encrusted smartphone as I am sitting half drunk next to a camp fire in an abandoned castle ruin, somewhere in ancient Europe. The castle was closed for visitors because its walls could crumble at any given moment, that's why I had to sneak in like a criminal, breaking several laws at once and almost my cute little nerd neck because the stairs are covered with snow and ice. Merry christmas, you castle barring f*cktards! I spent many hours at this castle in the years behind me and f*cking Somewhere f*cking Far Beyond was illustrating many thoughts, hopes and dreams in the back of my mind at the same time. It's time to return the favor.

As a German, it is my duty to tell you that "Hansi" is the exact opposite of a cool name in my language. It's like the singer of Slayer calling himself "Babygirl". You have to be a pretty badass dude with a lot of respectable artistic fire in your veins to regain that aura of coolness from the merciless abyss. Well, if you are the singer of Blind Guardian, you can pretty much call yourself any name you like. Hail Hansi! "Somewhere Far Beyond" carries the best from the past and the future, the crunchy speed metal fury of old meets up with the atmospheric orchestral choirs of the future and no part is overpowering the other. It's actually quite thrashy, therefore a little bit more stationed in the forgiving area of ABSOLUTE f*ckING ASSKICKING and the ultimate signature of one of the few power metal bands that even many death and black metal fans enjoy after they are finished with slinging hom*ophobic utterances in the direction of Sonata Arctica. That's their loss, because Sonata Arctica is (or rather WAS) also a great band. But we are here to talk about Blind Guardian now, aren't we? God damn it, just look at that cover artwork. It's one of Marschall's best and it is giving me a raging hard on to this day. If I could actually make sweet sweet love to an artwork of a metal record, it would be this. I would bang that magical forest scene until we both need a cigarette.

Did you notice that even thirty years later, Hansi and his crew are still the kings of this style? How many times have you read "in the style of old Blind Guardian" when a band tried to break rank with fast thrashing underneath melodic, yet still very hard lead guitars and a singer that exchanged flowery princess pony softness for pure and savage power? Persuader, Savage Circus, Evertale, Ancestral and many more to come owe everything to Blind Guardian because no one will ever come along to revolutionize the world of traditional metal like that. You CAN be hard and melodic at the same time, who would've thought? Do you think that melodic death metal would have evolved like it did if its protagonists didn't show up to band practice in Blind Guardian shirts? THINK AGAIN! This band is even more influential than you think.

It's still astounding to me how they pulled this majestic thing of. You have the steely pump of tight speedruns and the delicate, dreamy hobbit melodies in perfect balance on an album that should have prefered just one of the two. Hansi's voice is a perfect example of this, he screams and sings at the same time, his balad timbre is unbelievably gentle and he is the one and only motherf*cker to be an equal to those golden lead guitars that are just so damn otherworldly, wild and addictive. Angry, passionate headbanging and the remorseful shedding of brotherly tears is made possible in one single experience because the visionary scales were cemented and fixed horizontally. f*ck me, why do so many bands fail at this?

Take notes, dear power metal producers, because that's how you record power metal drumming! Richly accentuated, with a crisp and earthy flavor that is echoing amongst the equally hammering rhythm guitars. HOT DAMN, the dynamics on this thing were just unheard of at the time. As Thomen is dragging the whole gang behind him like a warhorse on steroids, the wonderful and versatile choirs are always on the right spot on the chessboard of the composition. Some acoustic pickings here and there and I already forgot what I wanted to express with this sentence because this music is just TOO DAMN GOOD. These choruses are so extremely glorious, well crafted and catchy that Odin himself would give his other eye for them. And one of his balls, I'm sure.

There are no melodies like Blind Guardian melodies and on "Somewhere Far Beyond" they delivered every line from the book of the human soul. They are adventurous, excited, introverted, sad, happy, angry, mysterious, colourful, decadent and restrained. Somewhere Far Beyond is everything that metal can be. It's more than just music, it's actually art that can teach you to love and forgive yourself a bit more and to hate the world a bit less. I don't want to live without this album.

Time never ceases to march, indeed. Somewhere Far Beyond is 30 years old, DAMN! I still remember the first time I listened to it, thanks to a friend who was getting album recommendations from an older friend of his who worked at a record store. Blind Guardian was the gate for my high school pals and me to the wider European metal scene and all it offered, and the band’s 1992 masterpiece was the key that unlocked that door. It was 1998, we didn’t give a sh*t about most of the alternative stuff shown on MTV and what the mainstream Mexican radio stations fed to the public. We were already acquainted with the classic heavy metal gods and many of American thrash metal powerhouses from the 80s, but the Bard quartet hailing from Germany definitely changed the game for us, then fledgling metalheads and geeks. Andreas Marschall’s album cover elegantly screamed high fantasy and adventure, and that we found in spades.

My first draught of Blind Guardian’s magic brought forth a sensation of musical might and finesse I hadn’t really experienced, perhaps Metallica’s first four LPs being the closest comparison I could come up with a the time. Later I found the obvious connection, printed on the back of the jewel case of Battalions of Fear; a Master of Puppets t-shirt bearing Thomen Stauch. In Guardian’s own first four LPs there’s a palpable American power/thrash influence that most of the other European power bands of the 90s just didn’t seem to possess. André Olbrich and Magnus Siepen’s guitar riffs and rhythmic guitar tone have the requisite complexity, harshness and heaviness for someone coming from a thrash metal background to immediately fall in love with. The rhythmic section by the Omen and still-bassist Hansi Kürsch is fittingly likewise. The guitar solos scream with emotional potency and the melodies are immediately catchy. The acoustics create the sense of a campfire right there in one’s bedroom, clear and organic-sounding. And on top of all this, the warm and instantly recognizable voice of Hansi, the narrator. The result for me: immediate and everlasting LOVE.

“Blind in the dark dungeon's night
So God please take me away from here
And Gollum shows the way right out
I’M ALIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!”

Complete with an immersive narrative inspired by the fantasy literature deities of Tolkien, Moorco*ck, King among others, and other sources of inspiration, like mythology and sci-fi classics, this was love at first listen and remains my favorite Blind Guardian record. It marked the end of an era for the Bards, as future releases would slow down quite a bit, though not entirely, as the band gained fans, well-earned recognition, confidence and technical ambition. Somewhere Far Beyond is the last of the pure power/speed records, and hands down the best by far. The handful acoustic and instrumental interludes work perfectly as breath-catchers, since the album’s a non-stopping avalanche of adrenaline and energy. The magnificent start to "Time What Is Time" is the best acoustic guitar intro I’ve heard in my lifetime. After that, you’d better prepare your neck and fists, because you’ll need everything you got throughout the 50+ minutes of POWER. Sure, there’re some ballads as well, “The Bard’s Song - In the Forest” and Queen’s cover, “Spread Your Wing”, but the potency is never below 11 on any track, even if not every minute is pure breakneck speed.

Masterpieces like “Time What Is Time”, “Journey Through the Dark”, “The Bard’s Song – The Hobbit” (which packs just a much epicness as Peter Jackson’s cinematic 9-hour version in under four minutes of duration) and the seven-minute tour-de-force that is the titular composition, have remained in my regular listening hobbits… I mean, habits, all these years and I don’t seem stop playing them anytime soon. And not content with providing the listener with badass music of their own there’s that other cover version, criminally underrated (but not by the Guardian itself) NWOBHM act Satan’s “Trial by Fire” served with an extra dose of adrenaline. There’s simple not a minute wasted on Somewhere Far Beyond. Aside from the fact that this is a top-20 all-time, any genre record for me personally, this is mandatory listen for anyone interested in experiencing Blind Guardian in any capacity, and a cornerstone in European power metal.

Blind Guardian's fourth studio album "Somewhere Far Beyond" finally does it. It took four albums to get there, but finally the fourth time was the charm. It's the first Blind Guardian album that is truly special. This album also ends up being a significant transition album for the band. Guardian is one of the few bands that needs three albums to complete a transition, too. Where their previous album definitely did not transition their style, but started getting the wheels in motion, "Somewhere Far Beyond" is the first to really be a full blown transition album. This album and their next would each be a mixture of their old speed metal style and their future true power metal style. This one, I would say, leans more on the speed metal style still, but definitely has enough power metal in there.

The album's opener "Time What Is Time" was really the perfect way to begin the album, as it's a really incredible blend of their styles, and lets the audience know exactly what they should be expecting. It begins with a moving and beautiful acoustic intro before slamming forward with their traditional speed and power. The song's riffs are quick and punchy; quite in a similar way to their older albums; but where a lot of their older material got old and stale pretty fast, "Time What Is Time" breaks those riffs up enough here and there throughout the song with smaller acoustic interludes and soaring vocals to balance the whole track out very nicely. "Theatre of Pain" adds some very fantastical sounding keyboard work for a fresh breath of air. Thomen really gets to show his chops off nicely on this album. His subtle work on this song always shined through to me. They keyboards elevate the low register of the guitars really nicely, and the chorus is an explosion of power. "Theatre of Pain" is a track that I think will make power metal fans extremely pleased, but also isn't enough on that side of the fence to put off people who liked their old style. It's a very fun and memorable track.

Of course, you cannot talk about this record without mentioning "The Bard's Song - In the Forest." It pretty much is strictly known as "The Bard's Song" at this point by fans, while the following track is just called "The Hobbit" by most I talk to. Even though the band never made any official attempt at changing the titles on subsequent released. In the history of music, let alone metal, there are maybe a handful of songs that captures a mood or image so vividly and perfectly. I don't think there's anyone who has ever played a game of D&D, played a fantasy video game, seen a fantasy movie, or read a fantasy book that can't close their eyes when this song is played and immediately be right there in that setting/world. There are just few ways to describe how magical the track is. Every word and every note is a masterclass in storytelling. This song is Blind Guardian creating a legacy and paying homage to what both they and their fans love so much in one track.

"The Quest for Tanelorn" ends up being my favorite song on the record. It's another song that just does everything right. Just like "Time What Is Time," the song starts out with an acoustic intro, but this time, the song builds to its heaviness instead of exploding with it like the other. Hansi and the electric guitars slowly trickle in during that intro before it really starts moving. The lead guitar work is frenetic and frenzied, and Hansi hits all of his spots. Soaring vocals, gruff lower notes, high screams, chanting...he gets all of them in on this track. That's to say nothing of how unrelentingly catchy the chorus is. This is another one that gets stuck in my head for hours after one listen. The solo is equally as catchy and memorable, which makes so much of this song so memorable. The ending is a beautiful repetition of the chorus with Hansi doing some powerful adlibbing over it before a melodic and satisfying end. This is another song that is just prime Blind Guardian at their best.

Unfortunately, "Somewhere Far Beyond" still has its share of blemishes, though. There are still some instances where the band just cannot let go of some of those old, bad habits they established all the way back during their debut. "Journey Through the Dark" is full of them. While nothing about the song is unacceptable, and the lead work is again very memorable, the band once again relies on that tired chugging over a reused speed metal beat to get the point across. The chorus feels extremely half baked to me. I always expect it to elevate even more and up itself, but it just kind of hangs in the air. Overall, there's just not enough happening in this song, and too much we've already heard before to save it. "Ashes to Ashes" is also pretty forgettable to me, although not nearly as much as "Journey Through the Dark." The real shame is that it's so close to being much more. It has a much more impressive mood and agenda to it. Hansi's bass work is some of the best on the entire album on this track, and both the guitar work and the verse lines have this chilling, spooky, yet frenzied energy. There's a lot I really do like about "Ashes to Ashes," but a lot about it also is very formulaic for me, too. I think if this song had a few more quality riffs, or a tempo change, or something to help breathe some more life into it, it'd be one of the best.

"Somewhere Far Beyond" is a genuine culmination of everything Blind Guardian had been working towards since they started. Many people even consider this one their best ever. For those that aren't that big into strict power metal, I can definitely see why, but for me, they'd still have several more that improved on this even more. From this point forward, Guardian would start to take more and more time between each record to make sure they were all up to par. They'd quickly become known as a band that only releases a few albums each decade. While I don't think "Somewhere Far Beyond" is the best the band has to offer, there's no doubt that this was their first flirtation with greatness.

While their first three studio albums stayed on a more generic speed metal track, Somewhere Far Beyond gives a whole new flavor to the speed metal genre and cements Blind Guardian (BG) with their own, unique style. They implement a far stronger classical vibe into this album, and utilize classical instruments. They've even decided to explore folk music here. Somewhere Far Beyond pulls BG into a whole new act within the speed metal scene. It still has the traditional speed metal riffs but BG has captured the genre and taken it entirely into a new direction.

The power-chord riffs are rip-roaring in many places but BG also shows off their bipolar styles. While the riffs are constantly heavy, they aren't always fast such as in "Theatre of Pain" and "The Bard's Song - The Hobbit". In places where it is fast, such as in "Time What is Time", "Journey Through the Dark", and "Somewhere Far Beyond", the speed of the riffs reaches to such a climax that it almost sounds more like tremolo picking. They have strong acoustic introductions to "Time What is Time" and "The Quest for Tanelorn" and the riffs on "Ashes to Ashes" set a more ominous mood. The legato is smooth in many places but rough in other places. It is exceptionally smooth, flowing, and complex in "Theatre of Pain", one that features many neo-classical elements. The places where the legato is more rough are the areas where the riff speed is at its fastest. Rather than obstructing the sound though, the rough legato shows more of a natural element to the sound.

The effects throughout the album provide an even stronger emphasis on the classical direction that BG is taking their speed metal style on this album. There are dark bell tolls on "Ashes to Ashes" and symphonic horn sounds on "Theatre of Pain". Besides the effects, BG also throws in traditional classical instruments. Bagpipes are utilized at one point in the pounding "Somewhere Far Beyond" and a piano is used in "Black Chamber". It takes a genre known for its traditional stance in heavy metal to an entirely new place where it almost becomes fused with an even more ancient sound.

The drums are like the Rock of Gibraltar, constantly pounding. They mellow down on a few different melodies to provide backing rhythm but then they start up again with the blast-beat drumming. The drums might actually be the only thing faster than the riffs on the entire album. True to speed metal form, they provide the complementary speed to the guitar riffs.

Hansi Kursch is solid on the vocals. His harshness on vocals makes your hair stand on even the slower-tempo melodies on this speed metal album. He provides passion on the delicate moments and aggression on the heavier moments in order to double-down on the metal onslaught. If you take away the instruments and leave it just to Hansi Kursch's vocals, what you may discover is that BG's overall heaviness is really set by him. He's not just the lead singer, he is the leader of the band who guides the ship on course through the treacherous waters it sails through.

Somewhere Far Beyond toys around with an interesting idea to bring a more classical sound to speed metal and by doing so sets BG on course to experiment even further down the line with what they can do with metal. Somewhere Far Beyond is the album that begins to define BG as a band with their own style. For these reasons, Somewhere Far Beyond may be BG's greatest work as to this point.

Somewhere Far Beyond continues down the expansion bridge that Tales of the Twilight World (or at least Lord of the Rings) began. A transitional album, although not quite as transitional as say, Killing Machine or Arise, as this album is still about 55% speed metal. Even songs that don't necessarily start that way, like Quest For Tanelorn and The Bard's Song (The Hobbit) can't help but give in to the 200 BPM rhythm Blind Guardian was always chained to. That said, they seem more like involuntary spasms rather than genuine attempts to kick it up a notch.

Not to mention this sound feels like a much more natural evolution of European metal rather than say, Faith No More or the post Operation Mindcrime Queensryche sound. It's very easy to trace the bloodline between this and say, Sad Wings of Destiny and Stained Class. In addition, because of the speed element (not to mention early photos of the band would see them sporting Metallica and Testament shirts), Guardian is using thrash metal as a mechanical modification, such as how an automobile would use a custom engine or fuel intake to increase efficiency. Such an addition would prove to be so useful, most bands with a pure sense for this music would make these features standard issue. Granted you could make the argument that this started with power metal's inception, but somehow Gates to Purgatory, Walls of Jericho, and even the Keeper albums never quite sounded this overtly melodic.

I have just one question. Why the f*ck was Theater of Pain not aggressively marketed to American rock radio? This song could have been the Living After Midnight Guardian needed. All the elements of a classic hit true metal song are here, great harmony riffs, a soaring chorus, a mid-paced rocking rhythm; as long as the band didn't have a video of them prancing around in pantaloons or something stupid like that this absolutely could have been a hit, positioning the band as a worthy successor to the tired sounding Iron Maiden in 1992. It was more perfect than any other song on the album, which would have been written off as too fast by those miserly gatekeepers of radio. Hell there are some 80's Metallica songs that weren't this fast. The Bard's Song (In The Forest)? Yea, ask Extreme how releasing an acoustic heavily melodic based song as a single worked out for their credibility. Don't give me that "Blind Guardian shouldn't make hits" bullsh*t either. Plus I never cared that much for In The Forest to begin with. However, I certainly won't deny its musical force as a live staple.

Somewhere Far Beyond is essential to any metalhead's collection. Very much worthy of being your first Blind Guardian purchase, as it illustrates the artistic journey between the bands early years and more well known albums like Imaginations From The Other Side and Nightfall On Middle Earth.

Recommended tracks:

Time What Is Time
Theater of Pain
Ashes To Ashes

I think Somewhere Far Beyond would have been the perfect album to be introduced to Blind Guardian with. Like so many others, the first track I ever heard of theirs was "The Bard's Song", but when it came time for a more substantive experience of the power metal titans, I dove straight into Nightfall in Middle-Earth, where many of the threads introduced on this and Tales from the Twilight World would finally come full-circle. Considering they soon earned a spot as one of my must-listen metal bands, I don't think it was a misstep on my part, but there's something about this one that makes it the quintessential Blind Guardian album in my opinion. Somewhere Far Beyond may not be as biting or as consistently written as Tales, nor does it ascend to the ambitious heights of the output that followed it, but in good faith, could I really recommend a better album to someone who wanted to know what the Bards are all about?

Although I might call Somewhere Far Beyond the 'safest' of their classics, that's only in hindsight; the evolution between this and Tales from the Twilight World two years prior required a grand leap of faith. For all of the intelligence and literacy Blind Guardian demonstrated on their three earliest albums, they still had a coat of speed metal grime to hide behind, if ever their ambition outreached their grasp. Although "Time What is Time" and "Journey Through the Dark" are both speedy and aggressive enough to have fit on Tales snugly enough, there's a much greater emphasis on the finer facets of musicianship. Somewhere Far Beyond is the first album of theirs that sounds completely professional in its execution. And all of this without the sense of feeling overbearing, as much of Blind Guardian's latter material (as much as I love it) is blatantly guilty of. I've always thought Tales from the Twilight World as the album of their most significant artistic evolution, but it was on Somewhere Far Beyond where they truly found their voice.

Although the songwriting sessions for Tales from the Twilight World had greater energy and produced a wider array of standout tracks, I don't think there's a single weak song on Somewhere Far Beyond. The Blade Runner-inspired "Time What Is Time" is one of the best openers they ever had, and a perfect representation of their 'heavy metal Queen' style. While Hansi Kürsch had made a point of establishing his choral arranging/performing genius on their third album, Somewhere Far Beyond makes a strong point of showing André Olbrich's skill and character with the guitar. Ubiquitous comparisons to Brian May aren't unfounded; he has a similarly playful, futuristic sound to his leads, and though I doubt any seasoned rock listener won't have the reference pass through their heads when they first hear the band, I think Olbrich came onto his own as an exceptional, unique musician.

"Theatre of Pain" and "Ashes to Ashes" are better proof of the artistic evolution between albums. "Theatre of Pain" is one of my favourite cuts off the album, being an early adopter of their future 'symphonic' leanings, as well as an uncharacteristically melancholic power metal anthem. The latter goes a step further, taking a reprieve (however brief) from the band's fantasy imagery to explore the very real pain of Hansi having then-recently lost his father. While the two "Bard's Song" tracks are crafted from a much more typical Blind Guardian topic (Lord of the Rings-- what else?) the two combine to make one of my favourite BG songs ever. It's a real shame that the second, 'metal' half of the set gets overlooked in comparison with the acoustic tune; the first "Bard's Song" may be more iconic, but the second is one of the most exciting songs of theirs I've ever heard.

There are days I might argue that this album's slower approach resulted in less memorable songwriting, but as a whole, Somewhere Far Beyond comes off as far more confident than any of its predecessors. If anything may be said for this album, it's that I think Blind Guardian were finally making the kind of music they dreamed of creating. Everything I associate with them-- the intelligent, fantasy-inspired lyrics, the complex vocal arrangements, the Brian May-influenced guitar leads, the grand scale of composition; the works! -- come to pass on Somewhere Far Beyond. What's more; the album gave us some of their best songs; "Time What Is Time", "Theatre of Pain, and the "Bard's Song" duology chiefly among them. There's no way they could rightly be described as a speed metal band by this point-- even calling them a power metal band does little to convey their depth and personality. It's far from my favourite of their albums, but I can't think of another time in their history where they sounded so much like... themselves.

In the '90s, a bunch of metal bands really came to life and began making some noise. Among these are Stratovraius, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, and Nightwish. Unfortunately, it seems to me that too much emphasis is put on Stratovarius with the peak of their career being '94-'98. While Dreamspace, Fourth Dimension, Visions, and Destiny are all good albums, they're not amazing. They seem kind of formulaic and a bit repetitive to me. But Blind Guardian I think deserve THE spotlight of the '90s. Somewhere Far Beyond was their best album until At the Edge of Time and I think it was the best album to be released in the 1990s. The style of this is mainly power metal with a little symphonic edge and even some awesome Scottish tones thrown in.

The highlights of this album are Theatre of Pain, The Quest for Tanelorn, The Bard's Song - In the Forest, and Somewhere Far Beyond. Theatre of Pain is a really good example of '90s symphonic power metal, like just about anything from Stratovarius's Fourth Dimension. Quest for Tanelorn is one of my favorites as a bit of progressive metal goes a long way with me and this one definitely has progressive elements and a fun chorus to boot, making this a definite winner and one of Blind Guardian's best songs. The Bard's Song is one of the most recognized and beloved metal ballads of all time, and if you watch some live performances of it, particularly the one from Imaginations Through the Looking Glass, you will notice that the crowd sings half the song, showing you how well most of them know it. I has that same folk feel found in most Blind Guardian ballads, slowed down a bit and with a really, really catchy chorus. Also, the emotion in this song is done very well and really adds to it as Hansi's voice really developed on this album and sounded better than any of the previous albums. Now the best song on this album and probably in the top five Blind Guardian songs of all time is Somewhere far Beyond. The chorus and refrain of this song are just so much fun and the whole song is fast, but upbeat and enjoyable from start to finish. My favorite part is when the bagpipes come back in halfway through and offer a brief, fun interlude.

All in all, this album is really fun without any real weak points and some of the best material the band has written to date. In my opinion, this album was the best album released in the 1990s and deserves so much more recognition. Also, it ages fairly well. It's 2012 and I'm not mortified by the production at all (unlike a certain album called Dreamspace) and it's still really enjoyable, but the new 2011 recordings of both Bard songs are really good and even better than the originals.

It would be hard not to be a Blind Guardian fan in 1992. With four albums under their belt, and every one of them good, if not classic, the band could seemingly do no wrong. Since they began experimenting with a softer, slower approach with 1998's Nightfall in Middle-Earth, they've become pretty controversial, and virtually everyone found A Twist in the Myth pretty lackluster at best, but man, I bet being a Blind Guardian fan in 1992 would have been fantastic. I certainly would've liked to hear Somewhere Far Beyond blow away any of the expectations I could have had for it after hearing only the first three albums.

Sadly, that was twenty years ago now, but the album remains no less excellent. It's similar in style to Tales from the Twilight World, but it looms over that album in every way possible; it's more ambitious and has a sharper production, better riffs, sharper and more refined vocals, and more atmosphere overall. While it's not quite as consistent as its successor, Imaginations from the Other Side, at its highest points it soars over Imaginations, and quite possibly over everything else Blind Guardian have ever done.

From the beginning of the album it's clear that this is leaps and bounds beyond Tales, as we are serenaded by an emotive, mystical acoustic guitar solo. Immediately afterward, we're introduced to the powerful, atmospheric, fantasy-drenched riff-fest that is "Time What Is Time". As the first Blind Guardian album to be devoid of songs written through collective band jamming, it's pretty clear from the get-go that the songs are a lot more complex and completely stray from the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus song structure. The riffs change quickly and often, with songs generally possessing several sections, albeit still with choruses and some other repetitions. This is the style Blind Guardian would eventually become well-known for, as they continue to practice it to this day, although At the Edge of Time was a bit of a step back towards simplicity.

"Journey Through the Dark" is a darker, more aggressive number that is savage and relentless, not failing to deliver in a large quantity and high quality of riffs. Here we're also introduced to the accompanying group vocals, which are, not surprisingly, better than they've been in the past, sounding almost like an ancient council warning of danger on the road ahead. The song is slightly more traditional, but definitely still more progressive in structure than the average power metal song.

"Black Chamber" is a somber, passionate, keyboard-driven passage that, despite being only about a minute long, stands pretty nicely on its own and fits well with the album.

"Theatre of Pain" is the only departure from the rest of the album, a poppier, simpler song than the others that, while good and well-executed, detracts from the relentless speed metal assault the rest of the album brings. In addition, it's merely good for what it is, not great, as most of the album is. It's not without its merits, just not up to par with nor on the same page as the other songs.

"The Quest For Tanelorn" is definitely in the category of songs with more progressive song structures, with a dark, foreboding intro and a nasty opening riff that won't fail to keep you headbanging. The biggest complaint here is the chorus, which is slower and a bit cheesy, sounding closer to a Helloween-inspired europower chorus than a dark speed/power one. Not all the riffs are fantastic here, but they're all at least solid and not overused, and the song doesn't fail to disappoint.

"Ashes to Ashes" is possibly the darkest song here, starting with a fantastic opening riff and continuing without pause nor dip in quality for the remainder of the song. The backing chorus is used to maximum effect, creating a feeling of utmost dread and foreboding that fits perfectly with the rest of the song. The chorus is probably the highlight here, remaining dark and ominous while still being infectious catchy.

"The Bard's Song - In the Forest" is the mandatory ballad of the album, and while decent, feels unnecessary and a little forced. There is some enjoyable acoustic soloing here, and the atmosphere is good, but, like "Theatre of Pain", it is less ambitious and ultimately falls short of the rest of the album.

"The Bard's Song - The Hobbit" is a darker, heavier take on the previous ballad, and it's much better. It's a bit slower than most of the album, but no less excellent, in the vein of "Time What Is Time" with its fantasy-dripping atmosphere. It feels almost like an anthem, with its story-based lyrics and more traditional song structure. The acoustic outro hearkens back to the previous song, and it works well, closing out the pair with a chilling passage that's slow and somber, evoking feelings of some ancient crypt or spell or something.

"The Piper's Calling" is a poorly though-out introduction to the title track, consisting entirely of bagpipes that are completely inconsistent with the atmosphere of the album. Luckily, it's short enough.

"Somewhere Far Beyond" is quite possibly the best song here, over seven minutes long and never failing to keep my attention. It has a vast, epic atmosphere, like some dark wizards from long ago are casting forbidden magic that has a lasting impact on the world. The lyrics fit the atmosphere well, with lines such as "Somewhere far beyond...the march of time, it has begun!" They're apparently about Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, but as I haven't read them I can't really comment much. The only problem here is the bagpipe solo partway through, but it's short. The highlight is probably the chorus, which is layered perfectly and just has a grandiose, epic, important feel to it.

Overall, with perhaps Hansi's best vocals ever, a fantastic production, and great riffs, this is one of Blind Guardian's strongest efforts, and I highly recommend it.

What we have here is an album that became my favourite of all time in a VERY short amount of time.

I wasn’t really into power metal at all until i came across Blind Guardian but after listening to “Follow the Blind” and hearing classics like Banish From Sanctuary and Valhalla, well i was f*cking hooked.

Where as the first 2 albums were pure speed metal, they began experimenting with power metal on Tales From The Twilight World, and while that was still pretty much a speed metal album it introduced us to Blind Guardians epic tendencies and amazing chorus’s, Somewhere Far Beyond expands on Tales From The Twilight World and is probably their last real speed metal album before they started focusing more on the vocals and melodies, in this album the speed metal assault of the first 3 Blind Guardian album remains mostly and they throw in a few mid paced songs and a few ballads.

This is the first album where the mid paced stuff begins to really shine, “Theatre of Pain” is maybe their first pure power metal song and my god is it amazing, a glorious whirl of intertwining melody, solo’s and keyboards and not to mention Hansi’s amazing operatic vocals and an absolutely gorgeous chorus which will be stuck in your head the next few days(the whole f*cking album will be).

Now the fast stuff which is what Blind Guardian do best in my opinion, we start the album off with a duo of two brutal bangers they would be two of the best songs on the album and two of Blind Guardians best songs of their career, “Time What Is Time” and “Journey Through The Dark” and like Autothrall says, “Journey Through The Dark” is probably the greatest song on this whole cd and is probably Blind Guardians fastest song ever, the whole song is just balls out speed metal of the highest order and with another beautiful chorus you’ll be sucked into another world.

The album also features Blind Guardians first full out acoustic song “The Bards Song – In The Forest”, i know this song isn’t really very popular with hardcore old Blind Guardian fans but i really don’t see anything bad about it, its a fan favourite and no matter where they play it the whole crowd actually sings the whole damn song, to get the whole of Wacken singing your song word for word, you know you’re doing something right.

I do find its counterpart “ The Bards Song – The Hobbit” a much better song though, this song like “The Quest for Tanelorn mixes the speed metal of the first two songs with the mid pace of “Theatre Of Pain” to great effect.

Now a special mention must go out the closing track “Somewhere Far Beyond”, you’d think they’d have run out of steam by the end of the album right? Think the f*ck again, this song almost rivals “Journey Through the Dark”(maybe it does i just prefer that song), anyway...here we have 7:28 of bombastic speed/power metal which even clocking in at that time it seems so short, the song starts off in typical Blind Guardian fashion, thrashing riffa*ge, soaring melodies and a surprisingly aggressive vocal approach by Mr Kursch, the song comes complete with ringing bells and halfway through we’re treated to a f*cking bagpipe solo!, this is small but adds so much to the song and breaks it up nicely before going back full speed ahead and THEN we’re treated to the best f*cking solo on the album, i dont know if André and Marcus share soloing duties on this song but it sounds like a battle to see who can come up with the best solo, and then just when you thought the song might lose some steam they change the song up again with the whole band coming in with backing vocals for an epic and PERFECT closure to the song.

Now a special mention must be given to Thomen Stauch who just pounds the hell out of the double bass throughout the whole album with amazing precision, and also Hansi who i think really his peak on this album, he is actually pretty damn aggressive and strains the hell out of his voice, i’m surprised nearly 20 years after this album he’s still an amazing singer and should be revered as much almost as much(if not as much) as Dio.

The lyrics on the album mostly deal with Hansi’s obsession with fantasy literature but with a slight twist, a few of the songs deal with a person who is lost in these fantasy worlds for example Time What is Time deals with someone lost in the Blade Runner world, Black Chamber deals with someone lost in the Twin Peaks world, they’re in first person and they’re almost like small stories themselves which is really cool and adds some uniqueness to the cheesiness of usual power metal lyrics.

If you like your power metal with BALLS then this should not be missed and sadly they wouldn’t continue this route getting slower over the next few albums, although “Imaginations From The Other Side” comes close.

100/10.

Up to this point Blind Guardian had merely been a good band with a ton of promise...but it would be Somewhere Far Beyond that would vault them into something far more, and initiate a string of releases that showcase an epoch of creativity that transformed them into a reliable, go-to, must buy type of artist. This album is a seamless hybrid of tranquil, folksy moments and explosive, inspirational speed and power that nearly steals the breath away, and aside from the first of the "The Bard's Song" tracks (which others seem to laud, but I find a little dopey), it's a flawless exercise in songwriting, nicely rounding out the force of Follow the Blind with an increased wealth of vocal hooks and ballistic balladry.

It was the third consecutive album with a 'Time' track, in this case "Time What is Time" which christens the album with some graceful acoustics, perfect for a spell by the river (of water, or time...), which escalate into the dominant chords, then the thrashing outbreak, and the surge of the chorus, with Hansi hitting some higher vocals that truly cultivate the dirty soils of his throat. This is a great song, but very few tracks in the Blind Guardian discography can compete with the following "Journey Through the Dark", an eruption of speed metal emotion so powerful that it has drawn tears from me on more than one occasion. The flighty opening riffs are complex and wonderfully written, melodic speed metal, while the verse is like a bristling of spears and arrows straight to the heart, Hansi going wild as he screams through the melodies. The chorus is a climax over but three perfect chords, and once the track hits about 1:30, you are about to experience some of the most emotionally jerking moments in metal, with the pretty vocal breakdown over the guitar melody, the successive, thrusting eruption and subsequent return to the chorus. But the fun isn't over yet, for this track has some of the best solos of Blind Guardian's career, performed in a sauteed Helloween/Judas Priest style. Holy sh*t!

Yeah, there's pretty much nothing that can top this. But that doesn't mean the Germans are about to let their album trail off. Allowing you to compose yourself, they next hit you with the Queen-like, brief rock operetta "Black Chamber" and then the orchestral "Theatre of Pain", which soars through some great leads as it morphs into its trudging, beautiful verse, Hansi twisting a deep, solemn gothic tone in among his normal growling melodic bite. "The Quest for Tanelorn" is a wonderful tribute to Michael Moorco*ck's Elric series, though Hansi's low resonance in the word 'Tanelorn' might seem slightly dorky. The track has a great 70s feel to the leads that really conjures up the mental imagery of the original books, and the chorus is once again similar to something Queen might perform.

"Ashes to Ashes" brings back the hard rocking from earlier in the album, another surge of melodic, post-thrash speed with more of the soaring leads and vocals that few other bands can pull off with such aplomb. After this the album takes a slight nosedive with the first half of "The Bard's Song - In the Forest", and I say slight because it just feels a little corny to me, as I picture men in tights lilting about a woodland as they court satyrs and dryads (depending on their preference). It sounds like a minstrel's song, surely, but I don't like the self-referential title and lyrics...even if the acoustic guitars are decent. The second half, "The Bard's Song - The Hobbit", is a folksy metal anthem that trudges along at a majestic pace, with a catchy guitar melody weaving over the chords. There would be many folk metal bands later (of the Northern, woodland or Viking variety) who simply copy this song over and over.

"The Piper's Calling" is a resonant bagpipe track, under a minute, that sets up the album's original closer, title track "Somewhere Far Beyond", an excellent scorcher that continues the path set by "Journey Through the Dark" and "Ashes to Ashes". 7 minutes 30 seconds of raging guitar rhythms and powerful vocals later, you know you've just had a serious face rocking. There are also several bonus tracks on the CD version, including the band's decent cover of "Spread Your Wing" by Queen, and an even better cover of Satan's "Trial By Fire". How f*cking cool is it that Blind Guardian actually cover a Satan song? Along with their Demon cover, it's one of their best renditions, sounding perfect in the hands of the Germans. Additionally, the fully orchestral edition of "Theatre of Pain" is nicely handled (some of these bonus tracks would appear once more on The Forgotten Tales compilation in 1996).

With the exception of "The Bard's Tale - In the Forest", this was a pretty stunning album for its day, by far the best power metal of 1992 and the best Blind Guardian album to date. The production is top notch, and regardless of how much dust might gather on the CD case, "Journey Through the Dark" will always be one of my favorite songs from this band, if not THE favorite. It shocks me to think that the band would top even this album with their next two releases, which are overall that much more solid, but Somewhere Far Beyond is the crossroads where Blind Guardian upgraded from pretty damn good to essential.

Highlights: Time What is Time, Journey Through the Dark, Ashes to Ashes, Theatre of Pain, Somewhere Far Beyond, and another vote for Journey Through the Dark!

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

And there was a really good reason for it, too. Somewhere Far Beyond is representative of that.

This album combines the best of both thrash metal and power metal. From power metal it takes the expansive, bombastic chorus work and clean melodic singing, as well as the high fantasy lyrical subjects. From thrash it takes the dark, morbid atmosphere and the aggression, and balances out all the clean singing with just as much harsh singing. Hansi’s voice gets particularly harsh in the first verse of Theatre of Pain, if you listen to it loud enough it gets just within range of splitting your skull. All that is topped off with a dash of folky-ness in the instrumentation to complement the general sense of metal minstrelsy.

Tragedy happens to pique my interest, and there is no shortage of that on here. This is what darkness in power metal is all about, this is darkness in power metal taken to its highest quality extreme. It never gets cheesy and it avoids pure depression. There’s no boredom inducing parts anywhere on this album. There’s more soloing on this BG album than on any other, and it’s more intense, but the music overall is intense. The riffing is still as high speed as these guys can play—and without getting stale.

There are a couple of slower moments here with Black Chamber and In the Forest, but they do not disappoint. On Black Chamber Hansi’s voice maintains its ability to cut right through your head, while on In the Forest he goes for his minstrel style almost in full. The only thing that would have made this album’s ballad stand out would be if they had taken it to the next level as they did with Lord of the Rings and A Past and Future Secret. On those songs the music is dense and Hansi is in full-on Rennaissance mode. This is mere acoustic work with Hansi’s voice flowing normally, the structure isn’t that adventurous. But I don’t consider this a flaw, just a possibility that went unexplored here, unlike on the other albums. This is still one of my favorite albums.

Another song that was very well done and easy to enjoy but that could have been a little more adventurous was Quest for Tanelorn. It seemed sort of standard, as far as songs go, and BG’s strength is playing with the songs in unusual ways, creating oddly structured songs. Most of the rest of the songs on here are unusual and offer much for the ears to catch, that all flies by at lightning speed, but without going overboard on happiness. Actually none of this is upbeat in any way, it’s just that sometimes the mistrel style of the music makes all these tales of dread and woe seem lighthearted, the way a Rennaissance guy with a flute would prance around in a skirt singing poems to women who always ended up with the hunky knight instead. It didn’t matter what that guy sang about, he always seemed happy about it. When you take into account his record for getting laid you’re left wondering if he was on drugs, or what.

This is much meatier, much more manly. This is the equivalent of hearing the hunky knight kill the minstrel and take over his duties. This is how the knight—who has been laid, and who has been to battle—would sing the poems. The knight is thrash metal and the minstrel is power metal. I like both genres, but this is what I want to hear more of from thrash—an epic sensibility—and what I want to hear from power—snarling aggression and, well, a real acknowledgement that there is more than just idealistic super-happiness to write about. There are bands in both genres that do some of this, but none so well as Blind Guardian, and on SFB they reached one of their career zeniths with one of their loudest, most intense and yet melodic albums.

Often regarded as a classic, “Somewhere Far Beyond” represents also an important transitional point for Blind Guardian, from the relatively straight-forward speed metal music they were playing, in the beginning, to the more ambitious path they went through with this record and all its sucessors. All in all, “Somewhere Far Beyond” contains, at the same time, elements from both phases of the band; the songs are quite fast and, at times, aggressive, but the album also carries an interesting epic vibe, similar to the one present on the most recent Blind Guardian records, like “Nightfall in Middle-Earth”.

“Time What is Time” is the perfect example to describe this album's sound. The tune begins with a little acoustic intro, reminiscent of the intros of the early Metallica albums, getting heavier then with a nice aggressive riff which is also repeated throughout the song. The track sounds pretty much like the ones featured on some of the early Blind Guardian records until the chorus is sung for the first time; it is quite anthemic and wouldn't sound out of place on, say, “A Night at the Opera”. As you can see, “Time What is Time” is a perfect representation of what this album is: the point where they, while still playing the traditional speed metal, began adding the so-called 'epic' elements to their music.

So, “Somewhere Far Beyond” seems to be the 'perfect', so to speak, Blind Guardian album: the fans of both phases off the band can be pleased and will certainly like the record. Those who loved the power metal anthems featured on “Nightfall” will love the choruses, the vocal layers present and the whole atmosphere of the album, while those who prefer “Follow the Blind” will still love the aggressive riffs, raw drumming and blazing guitar solos featured on many of the tunes.

There are some nice interludes present here, but they are not in the vein of the ones present on, say, “Follow the Blind”; while the so-called 'interludes' of that record were more like little instrumentals, generally filled with some solos, this time they are different and are used to improve the atmosphere and the whole listening experience. “Black Chamber” is a quite somber piano piece, featuring some heartfelt vocals by Hansi and “Piper's Calling” works perfectly well as a folk-ish intro, leading us to the title track, the longest song of the bunch.

Returning to Hansi's vocals, he always was a great vocalist and, again, his performance doesn't disappoint. He is extremely talented and his performance is quite varied on this album. Examples? On “Time What is Time” he adopts a more aggressive approach, the same thing going for “Quest for Talenorn”; on other hand we can found him singing very emotionally and melodically on the already mentioned “Black Chamber” and on “Bard's Song – In the Forest”, which is one of the most popular Blind Guardian ballads (and, for a damn good reason, since it absolutely rules). At times he even delivers some high-pitched screams, a la Halford, which just confirms how amazing his vocal range is.

Production-wise, this album is damn competent. All the instruments sound pretty clear, even though I have some problems at times with the double-bass pedals, they are almost inaudible on some songs. The guitars sound pretty good though, which kind of compensates. The bass isn't as present here as on their debut and is, unfortunately, inaudible during most of the times, but I've already got used to it (generally, the metal bands bury their bassists), so I won't complain that much. Comparing to the other Blind Guardian works, I actually prefer the production of this album to the one of the so-called magnum opus of this act, “Nightfall in Middle-Earth”, as the latter highlights the vocals too much, the guitars being quite inaudible during most of the times.

As a whole, the album flows really well, there aren't many fillers present here, the only one being “Bard's Song – The Hobbit”, a weak tune I never really understood. Its structure is quite generic and so is the guitar work. Overall, a pretty worthless track. The other songs are all quite strong, despite not being absolute masterpieces. My personal favourite is the before-mentioned opener, “Time What is Time”; the great “Bard's Song – In the Forest” (one of the best Blind Guardian ballads, together with “Lord of the Rings”) is also absolutely worth listening too, and so are all the tracks pretty much from “Journey Through the Dark” to “Ashes to Ashes”. They all have powerful choruses, good guitar work and impressive vocal performances. The title track is also very similar to those tunes, despite being a little more elaborated and ambitious. There's also a constant use of acoustic guitars throughout the record, “In the Forest” is the perfect example, being a 100% acoustic song; “Time What is Time” and “Ashes to Ashes” also contain some acoustic lines. Personally, I think that the presence of acoustic guitar is excellent, giving more variety to “Somewhere Far Beyond”.

Concluding, one of my favourite Blind Guardian records, a good mixture of power and speed metal, and highly recommended to fans of both genres. If you intend to buy this piece, I'd recommend you to get the remastered version; the sound is better and there are some interesting bonus tracks (the covers of “Trial by Fire” and “Spread Your Wings” are both excellent and deserve a listen, that's for sure – the two demo versions included are both a bit worthless though, oh well).

Best Moments of the CD:
-the beginning of “Time What is Time”.
-the transition between the interlude “Piper's Calling” to the title track.

In my humble opinion this is essentially and easily Blind Guardian at their peak in terms of creativity. Even though it's usually a tie between this and their debut for my personal favorite pick from them in terms of releases, there's no denying that this is one of those albums that defines "Blind Guardian" and was truly innovative during the time. Their first two albums were straight up German speed metal with the occasional epic factor here and there, while Tales From The Twilight World was certainly transitional and a hint to what they'd do here with Somewhere Far Beyond. With this one, they nailed their own style and got everything right. Riffs prevail and the speed is always furious with a majestic atmosphere and epic elements making this a one of a kind gem.

Usually I tend to believe Germany (or just the entire European) side of things were having an easier time during the 90's, compared to other places like the US where metal was sinking a bit and some genres were just completely dying out altogether. This album kind of came out of nowhere and what were some of the other big German names doing around this time? Let's see, Helloween were in between Pink Bubbles and Chameleon ... yikes, let's not even get started on that. The newly born Gamma Ray were in between Sigh No More and Insanity & Genius, how about another "yikes"? Well at least Running Wild were tearing things apart with Pile of Skulls in between their older classics left and right. Aside from them though I think it's safe to say around 1992, Blind Guardian were at the top of their game and smashing most other legends around.

As it was already pointed out by some of the previous reviews, one of the greatest aspects to this album is the incredible production. The mix is very consistent and hey, this is something you can still call real heavy metal! The special effects and instrumental stuff is definitely abound on several tracks but unlike their later albums, the main instruments such as the guitars, drums, bass, and vocals are still the dominant forces and rightfully so. The guitars in my opinion are an absolute highlight, as I also mentioned in my review for Battalions of Fear but on here they're even tougher than before and those leads/solo's are downright razor sharp. The tone on them should instantly make anyone familiar with the band say "That's Blind Guardian alright". The riffs here really stand out and that's a connection you can make to my title for this review. For all the generic European power metal out there, what happened to the riffs!? (and don't get me wrong, there's still a chunk of stuff within this realm I really enjoy). All members are in top form here and by this time Hansi had fully developed his odd, semi-raspy, and aggressive melodic vocals. I also absolutely love his spoken segments where he pretty much just talks as if he's telling some tale or something, with his cool accent it adds a lot to the music and atmosphere (the Bard's Song is a good example of what I'm talking about). It's obvious, but Blind Guardian wouldn't be Blind Guardian without Hansi.

As much as I want to say this album is nearly flawless for Blind Guardian's sake, the choruses are something I have an issue with and are typically a hit or miss for me personally. Some of them are just a little too sing-along/sappy for me, I think a more aggressive approach to a lot of the choruses here could've worked better (since the music itself is typically pretty tough). It also gets a little predictable at times, on a lot of the tracks you can just tell "that chorus" is coming. Quest For Tanelorn is probably an example of one that bothers me that I could do without, regardless however Hansi's vocals and rest of this song (especially the excellent solo!) are its saving grace. That's why I still give this a pretty high rating overall. As I said though, they're a hit or miss. There's some here that I actually think work pretty well like Journey Through The Dark, Ashes to Ashes, Somewhere Far Beyond - multiple layers and choruses on this one and wow, it actually works incredibly well.

All the way through this album is a great experience. It's extremely consistent and chances are you'll walk away easily remembering half of the songs after your first listen. This is the path European power metal and even Blind Guardian themselves should've stuck with, the aggression and "metal" is still there with some nice epic elements that sets it apart from normal traditional/speed metal. Imaginations From the Other Side is often regarded as their finest and it's definitely a solid follow up, but I've always preferred Somewhere Far Beyond since they still had an emphasis on straight up aggression and speed. After that one though, the instruments slowly started to rot away. Anyways, it's also worth noting that all of the extra tracks along with the re-master are pretty awesome, especially the cover of Satan's Trial By Fire. Of course it's not superior to the original but I commend Blind Guardian for covering it so well while at the same time giving it their own flavor, it really goes along with the rest of the album pretty much perfectly. Overall, if you think European power metal is a little too "cheesy" for you or whatever and haven't heard this one yet, well you really need to give it a shot. Definitely one of the best out of the genre and easily one of the bands finest. Highlights: Journey Through The Dark, Ashes To Ashes, and Somewhere Far Beyond.

Blind Guardian are legends in the power metal scene, and for a damn good reason: they're utterly amazing. I was never the biggest power metal fan, but something about Blind Guardian and this album in particular just clicks with me. Usually power metal is far too cheesy, not heavy enough, or just too flat out stupid and unoriginal for me to care. However, everything about this album, from start to finish, is exactly how power metal SHOULD sound. I could listen to this album every day and never get bored with it; it's that good.

Of course, the main draw to this band is the strong vocals of Hansi, and he is in fine form here. Later on, Hansi would have too much fun experimenting with vocal layers and such, but for the most part here, he's fairly restrained and never feels as over the top as he has been as of late. Hansi's voice commands the music, and without him, Blind Guardian would be a good, but not great, band. He has charisma, power and emotion; in short, what every power metal vocalist should aspire to be. Like earlier reviewers have mentioned, he sounds like a Middle Ages bard that has somehow found his way to our time. Standout track "The Quest for Tanelorn" shows how versatile Hansi is, and is one of the instances where the choir vocals are used properly in Blind Guardian; the chorus is simply spellbinding. Of course, I may be slightly biased as I love the Eternal Champion novels this song is based on, and this song is a fitting soundtrack for parts of them.

The other main draw of this album, for me at least, is the guitars. Moving effortlessly through great riffing, melancholy quiet parts and blazing solos, the guitars are all over the place. André Olbrich really is one of the best in the business, and he shines here. His solos are tasteful and have just enough shred to make you really sit up and take notice without getting bored by excess wankery. Drums and bass aren't really noticeable, although there are some awesome double bass runs here and there that build tension in the music; the rhythm section is solid, nothing more needs be said.

The acoustic parts and ballads are also really well done; usually, ballads are the downfall for most PM bands, but the combination of Hansi's emotional output and André's skillful playing make them work. Although later on in their career Blind Guardian would veer a bit too far into melodramatic territory, everything just works here. Even "Black Chamber," which is just Hansi and a piano, is stunning. It is rare that a vocalist can put such genuine emotion into their music.

The icing on the cake for this album is the production. It is, hands down, some of the best production on a metal album I have ever heard. Heavy, crystal clear guitars, a nice, even mix, powerful and upfront vocals, it's really great. I wish more metal bands had the skill and money to get a production like this. It's a pleasure to listen to.

Even for someone who doesn't particularly like power metal, this album is utterly amazing. I can't find a single bad thing about it. I love it.

To start, Blind Guardian are my favorite band, everything about there music is just mind blowing, the vocals, guitar, bass, drumming. The first album that got me into them was A Night At The Opera, then I went back, I found Somewhere Far Beyond and it just hit me. The production was not to high and not to low, just right in the middle where it would be perfect. But why is it overlooked?

Somewhere Far Beyond is the transition from speed metal to power metal for Blind Guardian, incorporating aspects of both genre's such as speed, lyrics, style, etc. All the songs on the album are perfect, the only thing that wanes on it is that I noticed the guitar tone sometimes overtook the vocals on several parts of the album. This is pretty much a must have to any power metal fan, it contains what most bands would later use for there music. There is no reason this album should be overlooked, no reason what so ever.

The album starts out with Time What Is Time, after a bit of acoustic playing goes straight into what the album will be set for, exciting, powerful and filled with kickass power speed metal. The Black Chamber is a filler track only spanning 58 seconds of only Hansi and a piano interlude, this filler appears again as The Piper's Calling which is soley all bagpipes, and heads straight into the closing track (unless you have a special edition version with the bonus tracks), Somewhere Far Beyond. The song itself is the longest on the album at 7:30 seconds, but its filled with energy and amazing vocal work from Hansi showing his stellar range as a singer. The only thing that gets me is that 3:50 into the song is theres a bagpipe part that startles me because its louder than sh*t and its unexpected.

There is a re-issue that contains about 7 bonus tracks, one of them a "classic" version of Theater Of Pain, and a cover of Queen's Spread Your Wing's. This version also includes a cover of Satan's Trial By Fire, and demo versions of several songs. Overall this is a must get album, it contains the essence of metal, energy, instrumentation, and killer production.

When people ask about Blind Guardian, the usual answer is "Listen to Nightfall in Middle Earth!" or "Listen to Imaginations!" I always find myself being the only one to recommend this album as a starter album. This is probably my favorite power metal release of all time.

First of all, the production is amazing. The overproduction on later releases, such as Night at the Opera, is what makes me stop listening to that album and turn this one on. The same for the releases prior to this, with their underproduction. Pretty raw recordings, although they are great. This one is right in the center of the spectrum, and it's their best produced album to date. I don't think that will change, with the way their albums are going now.

Second, the vocals. Hansi is one of the most respected power metal vocalists ever. His vocals are just as great on this one as their are any other album. Not too much harmonization on this one, although there is some; and in all the right places too. His vocals show emotion, like during aggressive songs like Somewhere Far Beyond, or ballads like The Bard's Song - In the Forest. They always seem to fit. You can always sing along to Hansi.

The leads are my favorite part of Blind Guardian. I'm a bass player, and I really hate when guitarists try to be flashy just for the sake of being flashy. The leads and solos on here are ALL memorable, and catchy. Just like the vocals, you can sing along too. Kai Hansen (ex-Helloween, Gamma Ray)

The rhythm section works. Nothing spectacular. Hansi still plays bass on this one. The drumming is good, and locks in with the bass. The kick drum work provides a foundation for a riff, and they're usually galloping along or doing a fast 16th note run.

Blind Guardian really shines when writing memorable songs. They're all catchy, and they are the perfect power metal band for introducing people to the genre. If it was up to me, this would be the first power metal album everyone heard. I love this album.

I don't have the remastered edition that just came out, but my edition has three bonus tracks. They are a cover of Queen's "Spread Your Wings," which is better than the original in my opinion. There is a fast, thrashy cover of Satan's "Trial By Fire" and a different version of "Theatre of Pain," which I honestly don't like that much compared to the album version.

Favorite songs: Journey Through The Dark, Theatre of Pain, Quest for Tanelorn, The Bard's Song - In The Forest, and Somewhere Far Beyond.

They often say that when a band starts to transition that you get a large amount of contradictory sounds appearing on the albums where it occurs, but they obviously didn’t listen to “Somewhere Far Beyond” when they said this, or the album that preceded it. One thing that Blind Guardian did differently from their fellow German Power Metal brethren Helloween was realize the transition from Speed Metal into Power Metal gradually, phasing in the folk and epic influences in little by little on “Tales From the Twilight Hall” and this release along side songs that are geared towards their older style.

Many of the Speed metal tracks have acoustic intros and interludes reminiscent of Progressive acts, although they are otherwise dominated by some very aggressive speed riffs. “Time what is time” and “Quest for Tanelorn” are the two best examples of this, the former highlighting blazing speed and a classically inspired intro, the latter showcasing some guest solos courtesy of Kai Hansen and a powerful chorus. Both parts of the Bard Song give an acoustic and electric take on the more folk oriented side of the band, the first one being a less atmospheric version of the more polished acoustic epic “A Past and Future Secret”.

“Journey through the dark” and “Ashes to Ashes” are a good deal heavier and more dissonant, the latter hinting a move towards the sound on “Imaginations from the Other Side”, while the first seems like a better produced version of something from the previous release. Meanwhile we also have a collection of interesting little short caprices that function as segues between songs. “Black Chamber” is a rather somber and dramatic vocal number by Hansi with a piano behind him, and seems to function more as an attached ending to “Journey through the dark”. “The Piper’s Calling” functions as a 1 minute intro to the riveting title track, dominated by Scottish pipes, which one could only be found of when they are pulled off properly, which is the case here.

The two highlights are the ones that hint more towards the Progressive sound that would follow, both using a more epic atmosphere to push them over the top. “Theater of Pain” is a nice slower rock/metal track with a catchy keyboard theme and some amazing guitar brilliance ala Andre Olbrich. The title track is one of the longest and most powerful speed driven epics they’ve put together, clearly the influences that resulted in “Nightfall” are to be found here, be it the dueling guitar solos or the smooth yet frequent transitions from section to section. The Irish pipes used during one of the instrumental sections are a nice touch, as I tend to be fonder of the pipes of my ancestors’ abode as they are less raucous and obnoxious sounding.

The bonus tracks are a nice touch, as BG has always been superb at marrying older rock and metal songs to their own brand of power metal. The classic version of “Theater of Pain” is not all that different from the one found earlier on the album, save perhaps a slightly larger keyboard presence. No complaints about any of these songs, but they are not quite as good as the bulk of the original work that is found on here.

Fans of older Blind Guardian will still be able to respect this, even though it is the first release they had on Virgin Records, which oversaw their transition into a different entity altogether. But fans of newer Blind Guardian should also check this out, particularly for the two highlights mentioned. I can’t say it’s the best they’ve done, but it is superior to much work they have done up until now.

Blind Guardian is one of the essential power/speed metal bands, and one of the founders of the genre in the first place. This is their best album (that I've heard---still missing their first 3 albums), and there really isn't much wrong with it. The opener "Time What Is Time" is fantastic, and sums up Blind Guardian for those who have never heard them before. The solo is energetic and the riffs are precise and totally killer. "Journey Through The Dark" is another speedy killer, with a bombastic chorus and speedy riffs that never let up.

"Black Chamber" is a little interlude that I can't really say much about, leading to "Theatre Of Pain", a midpaced song with a fantastic, majestic chorus and great lyrics. One of my favorites here. "Quest For Tanelorn" is another midpaced one that sounds like something straight out of the Middle Ages. That chorus is really catchy, and the solo provided by Kai Hansen is amazing, soaring and uplifting. "Ashes to Ashes", another classic, very good speed metal here.

Then we reach the essential Blind Guardian song "The Bard's Song - In The Forest", a nice little acoustic ballad. It's an album standout, and Blind Guardian always seem to play this one live. The second Bard's Song, "The Hobbit" is a step down, heavier without any real standout parts. It's still Blind Guardian though, which means it never sucks. "The Piper's Calling" is a bagpipe intro into...

The title track. What an epic song. It's perfect in every way possible. Blind Guardian hit a high point with this song, and not many other things they've done can even touch it. Just go listen to it, it's classic and essential power metal. Just like the album as a whole.

The production here is absolutely amazing. It's softer and calmer then later releases, but you can hear every precise note, every little riff and solo piece. If only every BG album had production like this. It carries with it a strong feeling of arrogance, of sureness. Blind Guardian had truly hit their stride here, in full force. Highly, highly recommended. I wish I could find some bad things to say about this to balance the review, but this album is just far too good. Solid, professional, and classic.

The album is just the finest of the band, Power Metal as it should be. Just take a look to the cover; first thing you would notice is that is a kind of scene taken from a Tolkien´s story; well when you hear it is not different.

One of the things that surprise me most is the atmosphere that Blind Guardian created in this album, the acoustic guitars are used in a magisterial way, they don’t abuse of them, but only appear to emphasize the mood of the album. The lead guitar in the other hand makes an incredible work, and the voice of Hansi Kürsch is at their best, powerful and mighty when it had to be, and catchy in other cases as a medieval taleteller.

We start with “Time what is Time”, great song, strong, fast and with a great chorus, calmly at the beginning and in the end, but catchy as the middle part, just a great opener. “Journey Through the dark” is another f*cking amazing song, just continuing where the previous one left us. The album continues with “The Black Chamber”, “Theatre of pain” and “The Quest of Talanorn” all are very well done, and can stand by their own, even that they are not the best of Blind Guardian.

Then we pass to “Ashes to ashes” another highlight, again the band demonstrate their domain of melodies and never gets boring in its six minutes of duration, without mentioning the kicking ass chorus.

Now we have the two “Bard’s Songs” the first one is very calmly but not weak, and resemblance quite a bit a medieval story, remembering the past with a comforting feeling and seeing the future as an eraser of the existence, but at the same time accepting that fate. The acoustic guitar and the voice of Hansi complete the scene. The other song is based in the novel “The Hobbit” by Tolkien, the song reflects a lot the essence of the story, even that for some ones this can be one of the weakest songs in the album, nevertheless being one of the worst in this mighty album is not that bad, and this is a great song. Passing by we found a nice song of bagpipes, nothing special really but not bad.

Now we finally get to the climax, the title track, well what can I say, is just the best song in here and one of the best of Blind Guardian, powerful, fast and with a great structure. Since the beginning the guitar take the song into an ass kicking sound, then the voice of Hansi takes the lead and it only gets better and better. With an intelligent lyrics, great vocals, changing tempos, powerful guitars and a spectacular chorus that intercalate among the seven minutes and half that it poses it truly convert this into a jewel not only of the genre but to all metal.

The cd comes with three bonus tracks that are brilliant done but even if they are removed that don’t affect the strength of the album.

In the medieval times the bards were poets or singers that tell stories and were very admired. Now we have Blind Guardian, the bards of metal, the only ones that can take you Somewhere far Beyond…

This might sound cheesy, but this is the best album ever. (Sorry DragonForce, I only have one champion). After listening to Blind Guardian's music for about 3.5 years, I figured out that this is their best album they had ever did. All the songs are catchy from the beginning to the end, and even the last 3 bonus tracks sound really special.

This album is a mixture between speed and power metal but the power metal section is more dominant than the speed metal section unlike the first few albums but this isn't a bad thing but there is a great atmosphere going with this style of mixing.

About the members and the music, Hansi's vocal has always been amazing with this some sort of a harsh and heavy German accent that makes it special than any high pitch vocals that are surrounding the power metal scene, and his bass playing is good in this album. The guitars are amazing flowing together and the amazing harmonies that goes between Andre's leads and Marcus's rhythms. The drum patterns of Thomen are fast and technical. There are couple of keyboard parts are in some of the album going here and there but they had not credit the guest keyboardist.

For the tracks, this perfect album begins with an acoustic section by Andre and gets heavy and you are having a clue that you're listening to "Time What Is Time". Very catchy vocal lines with amazing change of guitar riffs and the choruses are memorable. This is an example of a perfect opener for a perfect album. "Journey Through The Dark" opens up with a fast drumming and an amazing riff comes building on it. What impressive about this song is that the different variations in the verses to make the music feel like an epic. The choruses are very catchy and sing-along. "Black Chamber" is a short vocal/piano song and it is nice to recite the lyrics while Hansi is singing throughout the song.

"Thearter of Pain" is beyond words. The first time I've heard it, it took my breathe away by the atmosphere created within the music and the background keyboards. If you had never heard Hansi's best vocal performance, then listen to the part after the first chorus when he starts singing "The sea was clear...But I can't change it, forever" and it isn't like he did an amazing high-pitch but it is made in an emotion to make you feel like you're in the middle of the sea. This is my personal favorite on the album. Another acoustic opener comes in which is for "The Quest For Tanelorn" and this is one of these songs that Blind Guardian is famous for, and that's when the song has these that keeps on building up that makes a great mood. The chorus is short but it is sweet. There is spoken section (and I think it is in German) and it is chilly.

"Ashes To Ashes" has to be one of the darkest power metal songs and the intro is very creepy. This is a big highlight on this perfect album. The chorus is filled with energy when Hansi screams "TIME" and the entire song freezes for 3.4 milliseconds "Isn't here to say" and the chorus continues in a higher and exciting tone. "The Bard's Song - The Forest" is BG's popular ballad and it is very catchy and happy. Amazing sing along and the atmosphere is nice when it is sung live. "The Bard's Song - The Hobbit" is the heavy version of the previous song.

BANG YOUR HEAD IN BAGPIPES SOLO on "The Piper's Calling", he he! "Somewhere Far Beyond" is an ultimate number one epic. A 7:30 minute song that never gets boring and the march of time will always begin. Everything is perfect on the title track and it is a pure classic. Great leads, great vocals, and great atmosphere. There is a beautiful bagpipe section which better than "The Piper's Calling" in the middle. This is my second favorite and the composition is flawless and the ending of this song is like that catchiest song ending ever. Dammit! I can't stop praising this perfect album.

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Bonus Tracks:

"Spread Your Wings" is the first of the bonus tracks, and it is a cover from Queen. It’s sweet and enjoyable. I haven’t heard the original version but this one sounds nice. Nice vocals by Hansi, as usual. Leads are very catchy in this song.

“Trial By Fire” is the best between the three bonus tracks. This is pure speed/thrash metal. It is covered from Satan, the U.K heavy metal band. It is f*cking heavy plus there are like three blistering guitar solos. Blind Guardian tops it.

“Theater Of Pain (Orchestral Version)” has is more melodic than the first version, but I prefer the original one. In this one, there is more orchestration in the background and it is still good.

All in all, THIS IS THE BEST f*ckING ALBUM OF ALL OF METAL EVER! There is not a slight mistake and the bonus tracks are not even fillers. If you want perfect power metal, then this is it. Every band member does a great job on this album and this is an ultr-masterpiece. THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM FROM THE BEST BAND IN THE f*ckING UNIVERSE. If you don’t buy this, then hang yourself with shame. It is highly recommended for every power/speed metal freaks.

“Somewhere far beyond
The march of time it has begun
Somewhere far beyond your reality
And then the march of time begins”

This album has some of the best production i have ever heard. the songs sound beautifully clear and yet very powerful. As such, the later albums, to a veriying degree, get panelled by me for having only average/poor production. Still, production of course is not everything about an album, thus, to the songs...

Opening with "time what is time" this album gets off to a blast. a nice acoustic intro quickly enters in to an amzing song, one of the best the band have ever done, the lyrics are very catchy, and the main solo is brilliant. truelly amazing song.

Then its on to "journey through the dark" a nice little speed monger this one. nice riff work there.

Then we get a little instrumental "Black chamber" ok, pass there, the same sort of reaction goes partially with the next song as well "Theater of pain" which is a bit of a plodder. not a bad song, but it takes a while to appreciate it. but the orchestral sounds carry the day, saving it from being boring.

Then it's "the quest for tanelorn" after the little intro this song speeds up nicely. its main grabbing point is its catchy as hell lyrics, as well as some nice soloing, the drumming is quite noticeable as well, which is always a good thing for BG, even the latin chanting adds to the atmosphere. all in all, very good song, but not a patch on the following...

Yep, "ashes to ashes" Cheesy? no, Catchy as hell? Damn right. it takes a while to build up, but when it gets there, hell, it gets there. Those guitar riffs are crunchy and fast as hell, nicely done on that department. of course though its the lyrics which carry this. i can honestly rememeber humming this track for weeks and singing the lyrics to myself. i'm not sure if they ever played it live, but it would make one hell of a sing along song this!

Then we have their "Title" song if you will, the ballad "the Bards song - in the forest" of course, having listened to two live versions of this, i can understand the value of it live, i would love to see the band live and chant along to this. But the studio version seems flat in comparason. its a good ballad, not as good as "lord of the rings" from Tales... and as such it gets only average marks from me here (unlike the live versions)

Then its "the other bards song" i.e, "the hobbit" Not a bad song, some nice solo work, and its certainly a good telling of the story, but the lack of catchyness causes it to suffer, especially when thats what's good about power metal. i'll give it average.

Ignoring the other silly little intro "the pipers calling" we are shoved right into the title track, and to be blunt, its my favorite Blind guardian song of all time, rivalled only by "the curse of feanor" This song is fast, cathcy as hell, tells a good story, and has some amazing guitar and drum work. hence, all in all, a classic song, Hansi is at top form, and the chorus is just unforgetable. at 7:30 minutes long, it is perfectly balalnced between length and intrest, Best Blind guardian song ever, nuff said.

The main problem with this album, is again, the length. this time the "acutal length" is better, at about 45 minutes (ignoring the bonus tracks) but there are only 8 songs proper, which is too little. the bonus tracks try to balance it somewhat, but only "trial by fire" is a good song. still, i can't complain to much.

All in all, i would say this is the bands best album. None of their Albums are perfect, this one included, but it has Three absolutely brilliant songs with three more close behind, leaving only two average numbers. The prodcution is the best on any of their albums, and though i like "Nightfall in middle earth" equally as much because of my love of Tolkien, that album is slightly too mellow in parts for me. Hence, My favorite BG Album, a definite classic.

Power Metal is just like any other metal genre..there are some great power metal bands, and they are some bad and incredibly cheesy ones as well , such as Manowar and the like. These "cheesy" bands are cheesy becuase they take the idea of Power Metal and just go too far, and can even make themselves look like glam rock. I like Power bands such as Iced Earth and the like..and Blind Guardian is one of the few bands that can write songs about J.R.R Tolkien books and other fantasy themes without being cheesy at all. That's why I think they are one of if not the best modern power metal band out there. And " Somewhere Far Beyond" is an album that truly shows this.

Things start up with " Time What is Time". The beginning features a strange acoustic spanish inspired intro, which progresses into a thrashy riff that starts off a great song. The chorus of this song is one of the catchiest I've ever heard. " Journey Through the Dark" also blends in with the mix of Power Metal and Thrash Metal, and like the previous track , has a catchy chorus as well. " Black Chamber" is a bizarre song because in retrospect it is pretty much a 50 second ballad. I really enjoy the song and find it catchy, but you sometimes want to think what drugs Blind Guardian were really doing when they came up with the idea for the song. " Theatre of Pain" takes things back to normal with an excellent power metal track. " Quest for Tanelorn" does the same, with Kai Hansen from Gamma Ray/ Helloween playing lead guitar as a guest musician.

" Ashes to Ashes" has a weird introduction for a power metal band that could easily be used in a Black Metal band's song. Pretty good song as well. " The Bard's Song-In the Forrest" is one of the songs when you want to get high/drunk with your friends and sing along to it. A beautiful, 3 minute Acoustic ballad is one of the best on the album. The album continues as " The Bard's Song-The Hobbit" and the intro " The Piper's Calling" go by, and are both great songs. The title/final track is one of the best on the album. I love the " Sommmmeeewhhheerrre Farrr Beyyyonnd" rhythm. If you have the Remastered version, then you have the cover songs " Spread Your Wings", " Trial by Fire", and " Theatre of Pain( Classic Version)" . All are great songs and I actually prefer the classic version of Theatre of Pain.

Overall, Somewhere Far Beyond is a great album that I reccomend to any metalhead.