Epic, grandiose, mesmerizing: all are stylized words penned to describe the Blind Guardian sound. It goes without saying that indeterminate amounts of work went into the creation of A Night At The Opera. From the meticulous songwriting and ultra-inspired performances, to the insurmountable task that must have been production, Blind Guardian has taken the goat by the horns this time and is ready to cast the spirit of original power metal the world over. While listening to this record, the most predominate emotion I feel isn't heavy metal thunder, but just sheer amazement at the effort that went into A Night At The Opera. The 14 minute epics, the Eastern-flavored passages, the encyclopedic lore that surrounds the lyrics of every composition - lots of time (and even more money) was invested into this piece of plastic, kids. It's incredibly difficult to review a release of this magnitude, mainly because the jaw-dropping wonderment factor is so high. I mean, you're simultaneously impressed by the flash and slickness of it all, but the real hit comes when you realize there's actual substance that lies at the foundation of each track. The whole pinpointing individual highlights exercise is useless in this case, as this is one of those records that must be taken as a whole (think Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt. II or any Rhapsody album). However, two aspects of A Night At The Opera definitely require isolation. First is Hansi Kursch's vocal performance. We all knew the man could sing, but it's now more than evident that Kursch is within the lonely upper echelon of metal vocalists inhabited only by the likes of Dickinson, Halford and Barlow. The second immediately striking aspect of this monstrous (exaggerated adjective intentional) release is the production. I wasn't impressed with Charlie Bauerfiend's methods on the And Then There Was Silence single, but I now release the enormous challenge that must have faced the man during the creation process. Mixing upwards of 100 tracks into a listenable, and more importantly enjoyable, menagerie deserves commendation of the highest order. Blind Guardian, you've finally got my attention after years of being on the fence. Let's hope the rest of the world will listen.
