Classical Composer Reacts to And Then There Was Silence (Blind Guardian) | The Daily Doug (Ep. 170)

#BlindGuardian #BlindGuardianReaction #AndThenThereWasSilence
In this episode of #TheDailyDoug, I'm reacting to And Then There Was Silence by the German band Blind Guardian. This was my first time listening to music by this band. Epic sounds!
Reference Video: • Blind Guardian-And the...

[@adrianmedeiros8431]

"It's almost like Lord of the Rings" said Doug. Funny you should say that.

[@revylokesh1783]

Nightfall incoming! 😆

[@antoniocarlin5026]

jajajajaja Doug is SO INNOCENT!!! jajajajaj a good guy.... Blid Guardian made the Eternal Soudtrack of Lord of the Rings! jajajajaja

[@DennisTrovato]

called out their entire identity xD

[@wikingagresor]

@@revylokesh1783 Noldor is a great tune too...

[@kforcer]

Indeed!

[@phred23]

"It's like making a song about the Lord of the Rings". Funny you should mention that..... (Their album "Nightfall on Middle Earth" is entirely based on the lore of JRRT's Silmarillion.....)

[@hipnofago2102]

And they have like 5 another songs about LOTR in others albums haha I love this band.

[@Agnes135]

They actually wrote to Peter Jackson and asked him could they write the soundtrack for the LOTR

[@phred23]

@@hipnofago2102 of bands writing songs that tie into existing fandoms, I think Blind Guardian is my favorite for doing it well. The question now is do we lobby Doug to listen to one or two more album tracks? or send him straight into live performances where Hansi barely sings because he's playing his chosen instrument (the audience) as well as Freddie Mercury ever did?

[@LeonardoPostacchini]

They have a song named Lord of the Rings. Valhala and bard song have the cool factor of BG show where we all know and sing the song, but it has being reacted multiple times, I think songs like LOTR orchestral arrangement, Nightfall in Middle Earth or The maiden and the Minstrel Knight are more in his alley, not to mention they make up a more authenticreaction.

[@kkmmtt]

Yep... he could do a "reaction party" of the full album "Nightfall on Middle Earth"!

[@ukaszkozinski9003]

There's only one choice now - "Nightfall" from "Nightfall in Middle Earth" please :)

[@trfp]

I said so! 👍🤘

[@DedoAglar]

Thorn is a better choice, in my opinion

[@lucasguimaraes4595]

Yes, please

[@lucasguimaraes4595]

That album...dope!

[@dontanton7775]

I think those "fan songs" like Nightfall are not so interesting for a composer, as they are basically just a repetition of verse - chorus - verse - chorus. We need to find songs with interesting chord progressions for Doug. And not to much "speed metal" which is basically half of Blind Guardians repertoire, because he doesn't like constant double base. Thorn has much more going on, as has been mentioned. But also Noldor. On the newer albums, like on "Beyond The Red Mirror" stuff like the song "At The Edge Of Time" would probably be much more interesting for a composer to analyze.

[@chrisrpg3913]

Basically lyrics are about Cassandra's visions of the war of Troy, as you said, but with a bunch of chronologic jumps. The song starts with her violent vision (Turn your head and see the fields of flame) of Troy in flames. She is with Priamo (king of Troy) on the terrace of the palace, waiting for Paride. Priamo is excited, but Cassandra is worried because she feels something is going wrong (He's on his way, he'll bring decay). Paride will come with Elena (the most beautiful woman on earth, "she's like the sunrise, Outshines the moon at night"), wife of Menelao, which will follow with his brother Agamennone to "rescue" her and take revenge (In darkness grows the seed of man's defeat: Jealousy. I can clearly see the end now). The song then shows the visions of Cassandra, Achille chasing Paride around the walls of Troy (Don't you think it's time to stop the chase around the ring? Just stop running around the ring), Ettore's death (The coin has been placed below my tongue), Achille again slaughtering the troyans (As the lion slaughters man, I'm the wolf and you're the lamb), men and babies throwed off the walls (bodies falls). But then something not expected happens: the greeks are gone, a wooden stallion has been placed in the battlefield. Troyans are happy (The nightmare shall be over now, There's nothing more to fear, Come join in our singing) but Cassandra warns (They'll truly believe in the lie, With blossoms they'll welcome the old foe). Then her visions are over, the song come back to the terrace, with Priamo been informed that the troyan ships are coming (Your handsome son is coming home!). Wind is moving the ships (Still the wind blows, Calm and silent, Carries news from a distant shore), the same that Cassadra saw as the "betrayer" at the start of the song (We have been betrayed by the wind), because with the ships is coming Elena and the war. But there is no hope, because "the blind leads the blind", and so the only logical end is "Sorrow and defeat". These are my 2 cents about this gorgeous piece. There is a lot more which I cannot understand, and I could be wrong with some details. Hope it helps.

[@user-ki4ms5jg7r]

> We don't regret it >That someone else dies hidden in disguise It's about Patrocles. Being insulted by Agamemnon, Achilles refused to take a part in fight one day, but prophesies told that there won't be any sign of a victory for Greeks if Achilles won't participate. Patrocles took Achilles's armor and shield with a sign of an Orion Hound on it and leaded myrmydonyans to the fight where he had beed killed by Hector. So death of Patrocles brought Achilles back in the fight next day. >Power and wisdom you deny (Bad choice) All the story started from a quarrel of three goddessess (Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite) about the apple. The Golden Apple of Discord with a sign "to the fairiest". After Zeus refused to resolve the dispute, they went to The Gracefull - to Paris, who choose the side of Aphrodite, when she proposed him a love of the most beautiful woman in the world. As a result he denied Hera, who proposed power over the Asia, and Athena, who offered him wisdom of a greatest strategist to be a winner in any war.

[@MrJerichoPumpkin]

you got the gist of it, the most important part is that everything is the cahotic visions Cassandra has of the impending doom of Troy. On a side note, Cassandra was cursed with prophetic visions that will go ignored by all because she refused Apollo's not so honourable attentions...

[@gringochucha]

Band only repeats chorus three times in a 14-minute song: "I think they've done this to many times." : D Dude, that chorus is amazing -- possibly the most epic one they've ever written, and they've written some EPIC choruses. It's so weird watching somebody listen to this for the first time when I've heard it hundreds and hundreds of times and always know exactly what's coming next. And yep, it's relentless and over-the-top, just like the whole "A Night at the Opera" album, but I personally love it. It took me a while to digest that album when it came out, because as you say there's so much going on the whole time, but it really rewards you on repeated listens, because you're constantly discovering new things. All in all I think it's an amazing album and it's one of my favorites.

[@bloody4558]

I still think Wheel of Time greatly outdoes this one though.

[@gringochucha]

@@bloody4558 WHAAAAAT?!?!?! That's cool, man. Different tastes ; )

[@andrelanca2700]

As a huge blind guardian fan, I just love to listen to their songs in multiple different sound outputs. Home theaters, good earbuds, bad earbuds, good headphones, bad headphones… and EACH TIME I discover hidden pieces in the mix, especially on this album, but on Imaginations from the other side as well. Andre Olbrich is a GENIUS, and their Twilight Orchestra album is a Masterpiece!

[@ThePorpoisepower]

What I really love about the chorus, is that while most choruses are the peaks of the song... in this song it's more of the trough and rising towards the verses where things are the most frantic.

[@chiefmangotv]

The vocalist you hear here in Blind Guardian, Hansi Kürsch, you actually partially reacted to in Ayreon's "The day that the world breaks down" where he had the part as The Astronomer!

[@enginproject]

I had a chance to listen him live. his voice was riddiculusly good and clean on that live performance

[@astrotecn]

got a video on that bro? got me interested

[@andymath89]

Ayreon is so damn cool, man. I hope to see them live someday (I hope to be on Europe in case they go on tour again)

[@chiefmangotv]

@@astrotecn kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXfYfn6ap9-Dp7c - I'm not late to reply at all.

[@LeonardoPostacchini]

Blind Guardian is an impressive band. The most impressive thing is that they manage to always make something different and yet sound clearly Blind Guardian, if you liked this mythological theme, I strongly suggest doing a full album review for Nightfall in Middle Earth, believe me, you are not going to be disappointed. Another one of my favourites in the same category is The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight based on the Arthurian tale, it is absolutely necessary to follow the lyrics on this one.

[@crabuki1273]

I couldn't agree more with this. They change, yet their sound's DNA remains undeniably Blind Guardian, you wouldn't mistake it for any other band.

[@mikeprado30]

Bro, The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight is based on Tristan and Isolde, just to clarify 😉

[@theamaranththeory]

I would definitely pitch in to pay for a full album review of Nightfall in Middle-earth, if he'd take his time and really pick them apart. I'd love to see him take that journey.

[@davep8221]

Helen: The face that launched 1000 ships. Millihelen: the amount of beauty required to launch a single ship.

[@RenatoRamonda]

I saw Blind Guardian perform this song live the first year after the release of the album (A Night at the Opera); they were headliners at the "Summer Day in Hell" festival in Italy in 2003 and... frankly, the general consensus was that this ultra-long and super complex and hyper-produced song was a "studio song" that they wouldn't be able to play live. Not only they did, they performed it FLAWLESSLY. I was blown away. It's not my favorite Blind Guardian song, but it was a very badass. "THOUGHT WE COULDN'T, UH. CHECK THIS OUT"

[@MrJerichoPumpkin]

man, I was there too! I went berserk when they performed it!

[@thenomad4123]

Blind Guardian's worst problem in their latest albums are indeed mixing. They try to bring many diverse layers, orchestral parts etc to their songs, but in the end some instruments becomes muffled and flat. Their last album is the most glaring one about this unfortunately. This mix is even better compared to some songs in that one. Too many highs problem is present only in this song I think. I think if you want to go on with this band the next song could be Wheel of Time. Other chocies can be The Bard's Song - In the Forest, Mordred's Song, or Nightfall.

[@TheDryparn]

I agree completely. The mixing started to get bad with Nightfall in Middle-Earth and worse after. I stopped listening to the newer albums after Nightfall because i think they are to busy to listen to.

[@emilyrattini8462]

I think NiME is the best of both worlds, so to speak. But we all have our own opinions.

[@Ichnos76]

I stopped to listen them after this album...too much of everything.

[@TheDryparn]

@@emilyrattini8462Don't get me wrong, I still love that album but it was the beginning of the end of good BG for me. It was here the new direction became apparent but it wasn't too pronounced yet. I tried to listen to what came after NiME but it is just too many layers to be pleasant.

[@mburgers1964]

at least they are not Wintersun :D (just a fun comment, nothing serious)

[@nberedim]

- "The newborn child will carry ruin to the hall, the newborn's death will be a blessing to us all." This is clearly the prophecy about Paris, which is not however attributed to Cassandra but fits the theme of the song - "So the judgement's been made, to the fairest the graceful says, badly he fails". A clear reference to the story of Paris presenting the golden apple to Aphrodite (an incident known as the Judgement of Paris). Just before that it was "Power and wisdom, You deny" ---> The gifts offered by Hera and Athena when asking for the apple. - "Fear the heat of passion ...". Cassandra when seeing Paris bringing Helen to Troy. - "I feel that something's wrong, suprise they're gone". When the Greeks appeared to have deserted their camp (just before the whole trojan horse story comes into play) --> "They'll tear down the wall to bring it in, They'll truly believe in the lie", "Mare or Stallion, there's far more inside" - "we'll cheerfully die". The celebrations just before the sack of Troy. I would suggest giving a listen to "Nightfall in Middle-Earth".

[@Hellion22T]

Blind Guardian - “Wheel of Time” The most intricate piece of metal/classical music ever

[@Nikioko]

The whole At the Edge of Time album is gorgeous.

[@WarguyPlayz]

@@Nikioko While I love Nightfall in Middle Earth, At the Edge of Time might just be my favorite.

[@ladywhatsername713]

wheel of time introduced me to blind guardian, 10 years ago. best. decision. ever. I love that song so much.

[@Nikioko]

@@ladywhatsername713 For me, it was Imaginations from the Other Side. But that was 25 years ago. ;-)

[@WarguyPlayz]

@@ladywhatsername713 For me Blind Guardian was my intro to metal

[@BlackGoliath987]

Welcome to Blind Guardian ... They always blow me away especially the lead singer and his vocals 👌🏿🤘🏿💪🏿

[@vashwolfwood5899]

8:40 Oh Doug, you have no idea haha

[@MetalHeadReacts]

Personally, I always saw the frenetic nature of the song sort of represented the chaos of battle, like it's fast and relentless with only short moments of reprieve, which is where the quiet moments come in, and then the "celtic" moment towards the end kind of represents the feast/celebration after the battle has been fought. This track is by far one of my favourite ever tracks by Blind Guardian, and the chorus moment always stirs something almost primal within me when it comes around, and I just love it.

[@michanowak7060]

Oh Boy! Blind Guardian is epic! I think their song Sacred Worlds will be sooo much in your alley! Symphonic through and through!

[@tmauro386]

Was hoping for that one ☝️

[@comparestore5805]

Yes please do this one!

[@seanokennedy4348]

Both that and the Wheel of time on the edge of time album are in my mjnd their finest work.

[@Nikioko]

War of the Thrones. ;-)

[@goncalobaia1574]

One of their best. That one, voice in the Dark, and Fly

[@ruancarlos2965]

Listen to "WHEEL OF TIME" and "SACRED WORLDS" from this same band. It was recorded with a real orchestra and a choir.

[@Funckmeister]

Very much agreed! Wheel of time is such a great song with a bunch of different interesting elements to it. One of my favourites for sure!

[@olilusca]

Up

[@Nikioko]

The whole At the Edge of Time album is great. I just say War of the Thrones. Tanelorn and A Voice in the Dark are also great songs.

[@andymath89]

I love those 2 some much OMG I recall seeing them and And then There Was Silence on my first Blind Guardian concert, back in 2011. Fucking awesome experience. I've seen those guys live 3 times and it feels like it's still not enough.

[@Nikioko]

The whole Legacy of the Dark Lands album is recorded with a real orchestra. ;-) And this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGa7aICOm7Gre8k But to be fair, it's not their composition, but Benny Oschmann's.

[@M31292]

Yes finally some Blind Guardian! Can't wait for the next episode with this truly underrated band!

[@r2dezki]

This song is goosebumps-inducing. I think you should try Avantasia - The Seven Angels.

[@Fedorevsky]

Or The Raven Child

[@nicolasjungblut7874]

Sign of the Cross would be a good choice as well

[@Immortan_Bob]

Seven Angels is still #1

[@felipel9958]

up

[@r2dezki]

Oh yeah, the Scarecrow could be cool too

[@kaanemir2154]

You're a classical composer and they have an album completely made out of orchestra and vocals only. You have to react to their song called "The Point of No Return". It will be perfectly up your alley and match your background!

[@thewal1ofsleep]

Your criticism of the mix is very apt. Blind Guardian is one of my all time favorite bands, but their production very often leaves something to be desired. The issues with clarity and preserving dynamics in their studio recordings increased as the became more orchestral and started including many, many tracks. Their last couple records have been an improvement, likely the result of better technology and more experienced engineers. They can remaster their older recordings all they want, but if it wasn't recorded ideally to begin with, that can't really be fixed. Hot recordings with lost dynamics are pretty common with metal, as there must be a balancing act between clarity and still sounding "heavy" and exciting. I think a lot of these issues are incredibly evident on their first really "epic" album, "Nightfall in Middle-earth" (my favorite BG album).

[@user-po9sd8nq8v]

Honestly, BG’s studio production has been getting worse since IFTOS and it’s just sad. Red Mirror is such a great album but the production is so bad it’s uncomfortable to listen to the music. Legacy Of The Dark Lands sounded good btw.

[@garanceadrosehn9691]

I'll agree with everything said here, including the choice of favorite BG album.

[@thewal1ofsleep]

@@user-po9sd8nq8v I thought "At the Edge of Time" sounded decent, but can't remember much about the sound of the production on "Red Mirror". I honestly don't listen to post-"Nightfall" Blind Guardian that much, as their obsession with dozens of tracks and excessive instrumentation isn't really my cup of tea. I also don't like their more epic songwriting as much. "Nightfall" was the sweet spot for me, and all the albums up to and including "Nightfall" are just amazing. There are songs I enjoy on all of the albums after "Nightfall", but I don't usually put them on and listen to the albums beginning to end. Nothing wrong with them, just not my thing.

[@user-po9sd8nq8v]

@@thewal1ofsleep there are actually not so much songs with too much tracks in their catalogue, I think NIME and ANATO are their two most "epic" and pretentious(in a good way) albums

[@emilyrattini8462]

In my honest opinion, ANATO is where things begin to get iffy.

[@harrykarampasidis]

As soon as this video came up on my page I was MINDBLOWN. Doug doing BG!!!!!!

[@Dosenpruegel]

The vocals are mainly done by Hansi Kürsch alone, even the quire-like parts and synchronized/harmonized vocal parts. Although, sometimes he has an little choire supporting him in his awesomeness. Thank you for this reaction, I've been waitin for this day to come. Greetings from germany. :)

[@antranigafarian3335]

My personal favorite, musically - from Blind Guardian... is Curse of Feanor. It's a musical masterpiece

[@TheSpiritOf97]

YES! And very underappreciated IMO. Right up there with some of the best they've created.

[@TheEternalWayfarer]

Basically, the story goes like this. After 10 years of war and the death of their strongest hero, Achilles, the Greeks decide to follow Odysseus' plan and build a huge wooden horse to be left in front of Troy's doors as a gift to the Trojans, then the Greeks dismantle the camp and apparently leave admitting their loss. The Greek army is hidden into the horse so that they can infiltrate the city and win the war. Cassandra, also known as Alexandra, was one of Priamus' daughters and she had the gift of seeing the future, but as she went back from her word to Apollo, he cursed her by having it that she would see the future, but nobody would believe her. She predicted Troy's defeat if the Trojans would bring the horse into the city (the horse was so big that they had to break down the walls) as did Laocoon, a priest, but nobody listened to them. And so the Greeks took Troy.

[@jacobstewart7915]

"Unrelenting" is an apt description. I love every note and every second of it!

[@khellendross3573]

Starting with this album until present day their production was done by Charlie Bauerfeind. And much as i love BG and have loved them since their third album, back when they were much more speed/power metal than anything else. I think his ultra hot production takes away from a lot of the detail. It does tend to reward repeat listens but it is...tiring on the ears? For lack of a better word. I think their best produced albums were the two done by Flemming Rasmussen, Imaginations from the Otherside and Nightfall in Middle Earth. Ultimately the end result is that Nightfall in MIddle Earth is their best album, the perfect marriage of their older speed/power sound with their later progressive more bombastic style. And The Silmarillon is a poor read, but a wealth of incredible story hooks to write good songs about. Two great songs that you would enjoy more are probably Noldor and Thorn which have a slower pace. but for someone unaccustomed to speed/power metal will be easier to wrap your head around. My personal favorite track is the Curse of Feanor but that song is A LOT. Of everything. Into the Storm is a good middle ground where its a pretty fast and heavy song but it does slow things down a tad during the chorus. If I had to pick one song I think it would be Thorn, its one of the best stories from the book and lends it self well to a mid to slower paced power metal song. Ultimately with BG one of the highlights is always Hansi's stellar lyricism. Its one reason why BG has garnered the nickname of "The Bards" so much of what they excel at is telling stories.

[@tmauro386]

Great comment

[@pedroteran5885]

I was so disappointed with Rasmussen's approach to this song in the album after repeatedly listening to Bauerfeind's version. And similarly with Mirror Mirror.

[@franesustic988]

@@pedroteran5885 So what's the best version? original, re-recorded o remaster?

[@joel20596]

I agree completely, Nightfall has by far the best audio production, everything has its place in the mix and sounds raw, less processed, more dynamic

[@KaiHansen-sf1lq]

Noldor. :)

[@Laurasiana]

I’ve never heard of this band. But I’m hearing a lot of Queen in their vocal harmony and voice leading, as well as the lead vocalist’s timbre. And in their melodrama! So they have an album called “Night at the Opera,” eh? That’s rather telling! Although what you hear as “celtic,” Doug, I hear as a sea chanty.

[@dontanton7775]

Are there any particular Queen songs that come to your mind? Just curious. I always hear this comparison, but I cannot get it, but would like to.

[@mburgers1964]

@@dontanton7775 Prophet's Song (I think Doug just reacted to it) and Death on two legs both from A Night at the Opera, the Queen album, not this BG album haha

[@fruitchewx127]

@@dontanton7775 I hear a lot of Queen's earlier stuff (especially Queen II: White Queen, Ogre Battle etc.) in Blind Guardian's music

[@Vivaozoom]

Listen to the cover Spread your wings they made.

[@benjamineer3045]

It is amazing how Dough gets things... Blind Guardians break to fame basically was Lords of the Rings related. Basically the did a concept album on the Silmarilion (Nightfalls to Middleearth), they had song called Lord of the Rings (which is great bye the Way) and they did the Bard Song (probably their most famous songs). For me they are a sing along band, as I really love their vocal arrangements, which really encourange you to just want to sing it, and that is basically what happens at their concerts... They basically have a really big Choir band and it is really magical. Back to LOTR, they actually wanted to be on the Soundtrack for the Movies, but unfortunately did make it... I think that was really a missed opportunity, as they really are a LOTR band

[@LeonardoPostacchini]

Tell me about it, I have gone to 3 of theirs concerts in Brazil and one in Montreal, it never gets old.

[@emilyrattini8462]

@@LeonardoPostacchini LUCKY! I'm saving up to see them next March

[@galadballcrusher8182]

Actually their break to fame was way before nightfall while they still had bard's song lord of the rings, the wizard , bright eyes, mordred's song, quest for Tanelorn.... And don't get me started on Imaginations.....

[@Leo-uq6jp]

I think reacting to Leprous would be really cool, maybe the Sky is Red or Slave

[@pallassallad]

I usually don't suggest reaction material in the comments, unless asked for, but I second this suggestion. Slave if going for vocal progression, the live performance for composition - both visual and musical. The Sky Is Red for if going for higher meaning of life. ;)

[@railshock8890]

Came here to suggest Leprous "Below". It's got some great strings on it and a powerful vocal performance by Einar Solberg.

[@sVieira151]

I actually think it'd be really interesting to hear him react to their new single Running Low. Very interesting track

[@zoltandemeter919]

Leprous is one of my absolut favourites and since a long time have I thought that Doug should submerge in their musical world. My suggestions would be: Forced entry or MB. Indifferentia from Bilateral album, or Chronic (with its terrifing rythmical variations in the middle), The valley (not the most interesting in construction, but incredibly catchy) or Contaminate me (with a fantastic live performance with Ishnar) . Good choice would be also Rewind or Slave from The congregation album.

[@CloudMountainJuror]

Agree with this! Both good choices.

[@luisnunes3863]

Doug, that switch from the Tralalala to that somber section, is the switch from the perspective of the trojans that just brought in the wooden horse and Cassandra's perspective, her knowing what is coming but powerless to persuade them that they're destroying themselves.

[@TSPH1992]

One of the few power metal bands who never sounds cheesy

[@DennisTrovato]

Blind Guardian do have a lot of celtic influences. Check out "The Bard's Song" or "Maiden and the Minstrel Knight"

[@loadedcouchpotato6567]

If by all the singers in Blind Guardian, you mean Hansi recording himself doing 11 different vocals and then putting them all together then... yes... singers. He's a mad lad.

[@DeteWoi]

Yea, this album has a lot of overlapping vocals

[@theblindguardian3673]

Best band in human history!!!

[@javgoro]

All right, now that I listened to your reaction: - First of all, I'm really happy that you liked it, given how I recommended it, and that you're not really into the double kick drum that's so prevalent in power metal. - The lyrics of the song, and the dynamics of it, are mostly driven by telling the story. It is, indeed, an epic, as befits the Illiad. Some moments (like the slow chime that you found so interesting) correspond with moments in the Trojan war (in that case, it's the Athenians disappearing overnight, leaving only the wooden horse behind, to the counfoundment of the Trojans. Likewise, the celtic, celebratory part is the Trojans bringing the horse into the city and celebrating their victory, a bit prematurely as we all know). - Blind Guardian went through a lot of style changes, but they always had big pretensions. Their early stuff is very rough, almost thrash metal, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like it much. Their latter stuff has been way more operatic, and I can't recommend "Wheel of Time" enough. It's another big epic, and compositively speaking, I also think will be interesting to look at. - Blind Guardian have a side project called "Blind Guardian's Twilight Orchestra", which came out with a fully symphonic album (no guitars, bass guitars or metal drums, just Hansi singing with the Hungarian Philharmonic orchestra). That may also be worth taking a look at. - The mix is very compressed, as it's typical in metal these days, which creates that "wall of sound" that you hear. I will say that many of the choir lines in this song are almost inaudible, but I think that's in no small part by design, as they're meant to give texture more than anything. Finally, thanks a lot of the reaction, Doug. I've always found this song to be a masterful piece of songwriting, and I, barely knowing any music theory, have really appreciated the view of an expert on harmony and composition.

[@bigg2988]

Great words! Considerate, knowledgeable and passionate. \m/ I might only add that it is just as fun (maybe even easier) to enjoy the song in a more stripped down live setting (the take from "Imaginations through the Looking Glass" DVD is still my favorite), where one can appreciate just how driven and muscular "And then there Was Silence" really is, fully retaining the dramatic factor! But for now, I would be happy for Doug to move into "Nightfall in Middle Earth" territory, be it semi-namesake "Nightfall", or "Curse of Feanor", "Mirror Mirror", "Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)" - now THIS is a chorus that pervades everything, although still giving the song plenty of character!...

[@LWkolby]

Just to clarify, the philharmonic used on the latest album is not from Hungary but from the Czech Republic. BG has been working with this orchestra for several years.

[@javgoro]

My fault for not checking the booklet and speaking from memory!

[@goncalobaia1574]

I think the real problem with the double bass that he said he had in the Dragonforce video (which I'm pretty sure is what you were referring to) isn't really the fact that it's double bass, but rather how loud it is, how equalized the tone is, and how it's presented, when it appears. The problem with Dragonforce, which is also why a lot of people even in the power metal genre don't appreciate them either is that they're kinda "noisy" and more about the fast speed than the musical equilibrium. I personally like Dragonforce, but it took me a while to get used to them, and they're still not the first thing that comes to mind unless I want some adrenaline. It's the sound itself. Because double bass drum is just another part that gives you the sense of rythym and tempo. I think if Doug listened to some more power metal like Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, Deris' Helloween (for the better mix), and Rhapsody he would end up being okay with the double bass. It's just good music, and the double bass, when pleasantly equalized and mixed, is just a good tool to give you a good feeling of tempo, and you can't get that same feeling without it

[@creamrich]

you wrote all that but didn't mention Demons and Wizards

[@Tintop]

from germany, krefeld. my hometown. My band (when I was still making music) used the old rehearsal room they had when they were younger. good vibes in these catacombs...

[@k_fry_express7504]

Yes!! One of my favorite tunes of all time. I'm so happy you enjoyed it :D

[@neilslater1182]

If you're open to reviewing more power metal I would really recommend Gargoyles Angels of Darkness by the band Rhapsody. It's a 19 minute bombastic epic that goes through a few different movements. It's also the conclusion to a five album concept, so I imagine lyrically it'll give you something to talk about too. As to Blind Guardian, I saw them a few years back at the Bloodstock festival here in the UK and it was one of the best shows I've been too. The mixture of energy, crowd participation, and the band's command of the stage/crowd was top tier. There's a lot of great songs by them but I'm just not entirely sure how interesting you'll find their more straight forward stuff. I suppose Nightfall and The Bard's Song (In The Forest) and like the band signature songs, but equally A Script For My Requiem and Noldor are tracks I have a lot of time for.

[@AurigaCR]

From Rhapsody I would prefer something short, like Warrior of Ice. Also Fabio Lione has impressive vocals in that song.

[@avex13]

Anything Rhapsody! But maybe those large pieces full of narration are better for the already initiated.

[@neilslater1182]

@@AurigaCR I think there's a great many songs to choose from all of which are valid. Gargoyles stood out to me for its different movements, talking points with lyrics, big bombastic choral sections, and I think Doug would get a laugh out of the worst voiceover in the history of metal. But yeah I mean I'm a bit Rhapsody fan and I'm not going to say no to any of their stuff being reviewed.

[@bigg2988]

I would wholeheartedly support suggestions of both "A Script for My Requiem" (one of their typical songs, i. e., good representation of the band's style), or "Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)" for its theatricality and heavy aura.

[@bigg2988]

@@neilslater1182 We should mention that RHAPSODY (OF FIRE) went form the worst to best imaginable voiceover in all Metal with the addition of Sir Christopher Lee to the roster in the early '00s. \m/ \m/ "Gargoyles" have full on treatment complete with flamenco guitars (!) and is one of the Italians' cooler epics. My favorite is still "The Wizard's Last Rhymes", which revolves around none else than the iconic Allegro con fuoco melody from Dvorak's "New World Symphony"... as a composer, Doug might appreciate this kind of apt "cover". High recommendation!

[@randomstuffzofdoom]

Oh I love this song! :) Edit: Funny that you mentioned lord of the rings, many of their songs and even albums are themed around tolkiens works.

[@MrStarfalleyes]

Avanatsia -The Seven Angels. 14 min epic masterpiece

[@bigg2988]

Great to hear a perspective of someone who has not been a fan of the band on one of the most complex songs in BLIND GUARDIAN's history! They are essentially a Power metal band (with roots in Thrash-Speed metal) who has gone their very own way. I cannot think of another band that would be a dead-ringer for (or even a pale copy of) them. The guitar sound and Hansi Kursch's powerful wails have become trademark (even though they overdub his voice a lot in studio, he can carry a song just as well live by himself - recorded examples abound. Now you are right about the commonly acknowledged weakness of precisely "A Night at the Opera" album - they went for such a "big" sound their engineering team at the time could not keep up, and the mix came up muddy at best. That really detracts from the listening experience, as more transparency would work miracles for a song like this one. I used not to like the album much, but under all the layers, the story and the realization is just overwhelming, and - to the end, where the Trojan crowd blissfully dances around the legendary Horse - even emotional. When Hansi's vocals add that almost hysterical/fatalistic quality on "blind lead the blind" (a nod to the band's history, they have, besides the name, an album called "Follow the Blind"), and you just feel the tragedy brewing - and it all resolves one final time into the powerhouse chorus and that BEAUTIFUL poignant play out ("Still the wind blows, calm and silent...")... that's where the song redeems its any flaws. Btw, I am not fully behind the suggestion that 3 times to revisit the chorus in a 14 minute song is too many. It can SEEM that way because the impact is positively humongous, like all dams bursting in the listener's brain. :)) AND, it must be among the longest choruses in existence, with its 3 sections beginning with "Misty tales and poems lost...", through "Will my weary soul find release for a while", and - when you think they are done - pouring on to "Raise my hands and praise the day The Flame of Troy will shine bright"... That can seem like a lot. But I would not be without that second iteration, beginning, as it does, with a dramatic interjection of "We live... (Misty tales and Poems Lost) We die... (All the bliss and beauty shall be gone)" just piling tension! And, gotta give it to them, this song has some of the most poetic lyrics BLIND GUARDIAN have penned. Please investigate more of their songs for better grasp of the many-sided style!

[@tmauro386]

Great comment ☝️

[@chriss.8582]

One day we'll get a Pain of Salvation reaction, and it'll be epic. I'm rooting for Beyond the Pale, People Passing By, Water, or Iter Impius.

[@bernardofreitas8721]

I was looking for this exact comment!! Beyond the pale!! (Just don't put the lyrics on screen... lol)

[@railshock8890]

Yes! Pain of Salvation would be amazing

[@DrMaquisapa]

Beyond the Pale, the live recording. Absolutely.

[@Censeo]

Too few reactions of Pain of Salvation and Orphaned Land

[@strumpf777]

Could not agree more. Handful of nothing is also awesome...

[@JM-jacknthegreen]

I've been an audio engineer since the late 70's and I totally agree with you concerning the mixing and mastering of this. Good catch on your part! I own several Blind Guardian albums and although I enjoy their music, they do tend you have issues in this regard.

[@Sorc47]

If you find time for more Blind Guardian stuff, I'm going to join the others here and recommend "Wheel of Time" and "Sacred Worlds". Also, "The Bard's Song - in the Forest" and "Nightfall" would be pretty cool, they're short enough to be in one video.

[@tmauro386]

That’s what I was saying! They’ve progressed so much and while ‘and then there was silence’ is great I don’t think it showcases their abilities. More orchestration and raw energy in sacred worlds and actually thought it would be most interesting to hear what he thought of Legacy of the Dark Lands…war feeds war or Dark clouds rising. Without Hansi’s vocals it would be tough to say it’s BG. At the edge of time is their most solid album imho but they’re all actually pretty awesome.

[@Nikioko]

War of the Thrones, A Voice in the Dark, Tanelorn... Why not suggest the whole album? ;-)

[@jochentram9301]

Sacred Worlds - album or game version?

[@tmauro386]

@@jochentram9301 while the game version is awesome because of the video, it cuts off the last part of the song so the best choice is album opener version..

[@jochentram9301]

@@tmauro386 Yeah, musically, the album version is far superior.

[@cobrasys]

Haven't even watched it yet, and I'm already going "yaaaaaaaaaaaay!". :D

[@themadmattster9647]

One of the best Metal bands of all time

[@eliaframsgimp9618]

Fourth time listening to this reaction. I love that you thought it was impressive ;)

[@strumpf777]

Grand Parade, The nith wave and nearly everything they do live is also awesome as hell.

[@kforcer]

BTW, Doug, IMO, you did a great job navigating the meaning of the song. I actually think there's something of a twist to this song, in a sense; I don't think any part of it is in the "present"; I think the song is almost entirely from the perspective of Cassandra, predicting the events of The Iliad, The Aeneid, etc.. I think the chase around the ring is a premonition of Achilles' pursuit of Hector around the walls of Troy. The line "don't you know fate has been decided by the gods" is, I think, talking about how Zeus weighed two dooms on his golden scales before the final confrontation between Achilles and Hector, with Hector's doom sinking, foretelling his death. The "bad choice" is Priam's choice to not kill Paris, even though it is foretold that he will bring ruin to Troy. The judgment being referred to, where a graceful one chooses love over wisdom and power is the judgment of Paris, where he deems Aphrodite, the goddess of love, more beautiful than Hera (power) and Athena (wisdom), earning their enmity and Aphrodite's loyalty. I think it is definitely Helen who "outshines the moon at night" and who Cassandra is being warned to keep her out. The "lion who slaughters man" and one who states "I am the wolf and you are the lamb" is probably again Achilles, who coldly tells Hector, after being asked to return his body to his people should he slay him, that there are "no covenants between men and lions, wolves and lambs can never be of one mind..." The battle cry of Achilles also sends the Trojans fleeing and even kills some of them, so I think that may be the roar that is referenced. The flame of Troy shining bright is of course, a reference to the city being burned, as well as perhaps the moments of glory enjoyed by the likes of Hector, Sarpedon, Aeneas and others. "That they've gone away and won't come back" is speaking to the false belief of the Trojans that the Argives have truly left when they fake a retreat and leave the Trojan Horse in their wake. "They'll tear down the wall to bring it in, they truly believe in the lie" i.e., they'll tear down the walls which have been holding back the Argive forces in order to let in the Trojan Horse, truly believing Sinon, the Argive who claims that it was left behind as a parting gift. That's followed by the false celebration, as they declare the nightmare over as they celebrate the retreat of the Argives and the seeming end to the war. The false celebration and the mistake of letting in the Trojan Horse;"the blind leads the blind." "Mare or stallion there's far more inside"; Cassandra sees that, in the midst of this false celebration, the Trojan Horse has "far more inside", namely Argive warriors who are going to emerge while Troy is sleeping to signal to their waiting ships and slaughter the unguarded Trojans. I think when they talk about cheerfully dying, they're speaking of the fact that the Trojans are in a state of celebration when the Argives sweep over them. Seeing all this, Cassandra wonders if she will ever be released from what promises to become a torturous existence. "The holy light shines on" must refer to Aeneas guiding his small group of survivors across treacherous waters to finally found Rome, through which Troy's glory will survive, albeit under a new name. "The crack of doom father, your handsome son is heading home"; Paris is headed home, no doubt with Helen and stolen treasures from Menalus's Spartan Kingdom in hand. The distant shore he carries news from is probably the kingdom of the Argives. After all she's seen, she knows the doom that Paris is bringing with him and cannot get it out of her head. So, basically, I think the entire song is essentially Cassandra's premonition of events to come, ending with Paris's return from his trip to the Argives, which she knows is essentially the death knell of her people. My two cents.

[@bravenewozzy]

great breakdown. My fave part of the song is the Trojan horse part. The imagery BG conjures in this part, is the best story telling in music I have ever heard. I can literally imagine a couple drunk Trojans arguing whether its a 'mare' or a 'stallion', but unbeknownst to them, they are about to be slaughtered in their sleep...

[@felicien93]

Great breakdown. The part that I think you get wrong is about the choice. "Good choice, bad choice, out of three you've chosen misery". It is a reference to Paris' judgement. Check it out on wikipedia. In brief, he had to choose between three goddess who was the most beautiful. He chose Aphrodite, because she promised him Helen, which led to misery.

[@Ruless]

Love this reaction a lot, thanks

[@Questmetalband]

I love this band!

[@RichHutchinson]

Wheel of Time for sure! Really enjoyed this Doug

[@winterfireofficial2101]

check out 'Valkyries', it has great dynamics and is a very underrated blind guardian song which i think you will appreciate, there are so many great blind guardian songs but some do suffer from overly epic production lol

[@tmauro386]

Another great suggestion

[@lukasfehrwight4247]

I love to hear do more Blind Guardian, I would recommend the song "Wheel of Time". They are a Power Metal band, so bombastic over the top drive force in the music is part of genre.

[@MattSamma]

Great one Doug! Blind Guardian is such an interesting band. They were classic power on their first albums, but through the years they turned to a little more prog sound. Lately they released a full orchestral album, "Legacy of the Dark Lands", wich is based on the novel The Dark Lands, by Markus Heitz. They have "Nighftall in Middle-Earth", a whole album based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Silmarillion", and a pack of songs based on Lord of the Rings and other writers work, like Stephen King. I suggest the songs "Nightfall" or "Sacred Worlds".

[@tmauro386]

Legacy of the dark lands should have been first so that the follow up of a song like sacred worlds would have rocked his socks off!

[@sabbaseleftheriadis5601]

Since we're getting into power metal, I can't help myself than suggesting Virgin Steele, like "Kingdom of the Fearless", "The Wine of Violence", "A Token of My Hatred", "Voice as a Weapon", "Invictus", "Immortal I Stand", "Flames of Thy Power" and a load more :)

[@davideruffa6183]

Veni, Vidi, VICI

[@cederickforsberg5840]

Yes please :) but he dont like doublebass drumming tho xD

[@gfcapitani]

House of Atreus

[@chriss.8582]

It's not their most epic song by a longshot, but I've always been partial to "Gate of Kings" on The House of Atreus Act 1.

[@creamrich]

no we'd rather have Doug review good power metal bands

[@jasonantbro]

I would suggest to also check songs like Nightfall, Imaginations from the Other Side, Bright Eyes, Mirror Mirror...too many amazing songs from this band really! ^_^

[@marcusviniciusconceicaodas8138]

Greetings from Brazil, you may someday react to a band from here, named Angra and the song called The Shadow Hunter. It's an amazing song. Please give it a chance. thanks.

[@juanignaciosotorojas3450]

Carolina IV

[@esegueojogo]

@@juanignaciosotorojas3450 Good choice

[@imokin86]

Anything with Andre really. Such a great talent. Carolina, Angels Cry, Make Believe, Lisbon...

[@marcusviniciusconceicaodas8138]

Carolina IV and Fairy tale from Shaman live both with André Matos R.I.P, had some intricaded transitions and beautiful melodies.

[@crabuki1273]

YES! TY Doug, looking forward to this! Hansi has a unique voice, and clearly some of these parts he recorded first thing in the morning after some lemon tea, because by 10am there's no way he'd be hitting some of those high notes. ;-) The lyrics jump around in time and in voice, though mainly it's from Cassandra's point of view. Song Genius has pretty good annotated lyrics. I hope you'll give it another listen while going through that page, as there's some important story elements that I think you missed while explaining things to us (thank you). "War is the only answer, when love will conquer fear" is Paris throwing caution to the wind, as he and Helen decide to run away together despite knowing how Menalaus (her husband, the king of Sparta) would react. Cassandra's experience - knowing the future, terrified of the future, utterly helpless to prevent the carnage of a foolish yet inevitable war - drives this song, the relentless pacing, the at times hopeless lyrics. Hah, there it is! The "double kick drums make me make this face" face! Ok, this band started in the late 80s as a VERY straight forward speed power metal band, and got very popular in Europe. Funny thing, though, they didn't stagnate and stick with the style that brought them to prominence. They kept evolving. Over time they started adding big choral parts to their songs - it was a clear evolution, not a sudden change. "Nightfall in Middle Earth" is a concept album based on the Silmarillion, and the song "Nightfall" is (at least in my mind) where they fully gave over to the big, sweeping choral assemblies. The later you get in their career, the more accomplished the song writing (as you'd hope I guess). They've even done a "nothing but orchestra" album called Blind Guardian's Twilight Orchestra. As a suggestion, I think "Wheel of Time" (inspired, oddly enough, by Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series) would be a great next step.

[@pierrevanniekerk9063]

How did I mis this episode !? What a legend...

[@myewgul]

THANK YOU! I was hoping you'd do this!

[@DedoAglar]

I liked the outro 🤣🤣🤣 Anyway, Blind Guardian are known as Bards of Metal, that's why you hear something Celtic. A legend says that they have been contacted for the "lord of the Rings Trilogy" , but they couldn't join because they were working on "a night at the opera"

[@scottandrews3452]

Can't wait to check this one out. Been waiting for some blind guardian!

[@LeonardoPostacchini]

Oh! Yes! BG is my favourite band! Ty for reacting to it!

[@bravenewozzy]

Yes, If you have ever read any Tolkein, you really should give NightFall in Middle Earth a listen. No 15min over the top Epicness like ATTWS, just great story telling through music and spoken word throughout. A note on the mixing, I read in interview from the vocalist Hansi at the time this song was released, saying it was the most ambitious and overwhelming mixing they ever attempted. I can't remember the exact number but it was around 250 tracks total that had to be mixed for this song. That is insane.

[@Depipro]

17:32 Where you notice the changing perspectives, what I see/hear in that is the cheerful crowd of Troy dragging the horse into the city versus Kassandra who knows what that horse really is. All the contrasts and sarcastic wordings right after this point make perfect sense that way.

[@iliangeorgiev1060]

Please, try Their Orchestral Project. It's called Legacy of The Dark lands and this is their climax till now. You can try songs like War Feeds War, Beyond The Wall, In The Underworld or Point of No Return, for example. This project was firstly written for the Lord Of The Rings soundtrack and in 2019 it was finally released.

[@cleidsonn]

Yes! So happy you did a Blind Guardian song. They are my all time favorite. This song is amazing. Please, consider reacting to "Sacred words". I'm sure you will like it.

[@VeridianBlues]

This is my favorite song of theirs. I have been listening to BG for 17 years now. :) I consider them to be their own individual genre of metal. First time I saw them was the first time they came to Belgrade. I could not believe it. During the Nightfall, I randomly raised my right hand towards Hansi (just to follow the music) but he gave me his hand. For a couple of second we sang chorus of Nighfall "together" holding hands but for me it felt like a lifetime. Then everybody jumped on me to take his hand. Came back home with bruises but was worth it. I adore them but in a normal way - just to be clear because people, who do not know who they are, usually assume something else. :/ That gesture of his made me so happy. Of course, they have no idea it happened and what it meant for me just to see them, not to mention to be noticed in a crowd by Hansi. \m/

[@karloschavezmetal]

André Olbrich just doing a constant ultra melodic solo in the background. How impressive is that, and it goes unnoticed 🤘

[@thomede]

Doug is dropping A LOT of content, thanks so much for a lot of reactions and ture opinions on all songs

[@mathiaswittinger2808]

This was a great reaction, more please :D

[@eliaframsgimp9618]

Hey man thanks for doing blind guardian! Super exciting to see your reaction. Really awesome.

[@RealRuler2112]

Love that you discovered Blind Guardian... they're amazing! =) *edit - "Don't give us too many climaxes" - Doug Helvering 2021 ;-) =) *

[@mrrominemr]

A great song. Love your reaction.

[@javgoro]

I've already liked the video, and the ads weren't even over!

[@ASAP_1234]

Yes, definitely need to check out more guardian, even going from the bards song to valhalla just to see there range, awesome reaction doug!

[@oakboundstudio]

Yay Blind Guardian!

[@Chocybananas]

Thank you so much for reacting to Blind Guardian! They are an amazing band and have a lot to offer, but could I recommend the song Point of No Return to you? It's by Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra, which means it's just Hansi (the singer) and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and I would love to hear your take on it!

[@Xiatar]

Awesome! Thanks.

[@acharris5091]

U gotta do Wheel of Time by Blind Guardian!

[@kristianfaeldt2727]

+1. Excellent song and an excellent recording as well. I love this song but the mix is indeed exhausting.

[@geoffchilders]

I was one of the folks who suggested this song, so it's really cool to see you react to it! I agree with your criticisms, but love the song nonetheless. I'm a sound guy and my issue with the mix is that they went for the "wall of sound" production, where everything is doubled, tripled, quadrupled, quintupled! The whole album is like that. It's a very deliberate choice, but in my opinion, an unfortunate one. For another Blind Guardian song to check out, I would recommend Mordred's Song, which looks at Arthurian legend from Mordred's perspective, or The Script for My Requiem, which is about the Crusades from the perspective of a soldier. Both are from the excellent album Imaginations from the Other Side, and I think you'll appreciate the production more on that one.

[@salvatorenastasi6475]

Great one Doug. I am really enjoying your reactions. Blind Guardian's Nightfall on middle earth is my favourite album and I propose the title-track as one of the best example of orchestral-progressive-epic-power-narrative metal out there ever.

[@shredder66]

Would love you to check out Wintersun - Time, a great melodic metal piece with lots of layered synths and choral sections. The drummer has now moved to Nightwish who you are very familiar with of course!

[@stephensanislo7126]

Wow, first you make a bunch of videos of my favorite Iron Maiden songs, then you review my favorite Blind Guardian song? This is my new favorite KZbin channel. Glad that so many people with good metal music tastes are giving you great suggestions.

[@stephensanislo7126]

Finished watching the video, very good analysis. One comment I'd like to make is this entire song is a climax in the sense that it is the last song of a very long album. Yes the chorus may be a little over-climactic, but I think the ending after the last chorus adds something special that isn't present the first two times. I think that most songs could drop the last chorus, but this is one song where I think it works perfectly. More Blind Guardian please :)

[@PHEONIX_720]

I love hansi. I saw him with Demons and Wizards and it was totally awesome.

[@judas_christ01]

I really dig your take on this song. I appreciate your objective and thought out perspective. Definitely subscribing.

[@Fastmax13]

Wow what a epic fucking song !!

[@RahpaSmurf]

Aww yes!

[@edgarmaestre6622]

I really enjoy your chanel, thanks for your work!! Welcome to Blind Guardian, one of my favorite bands of all time, i hope you react to more Blind Guardian pieces in the future. Greetings from Catalonia!

[@benjaminleonparodi4521]

Hey Doug, can you react to Savior in the Clockwork by Avantasia? They don't have a live version, but it's a very complete song with a great instrumental arrangement, epic story telling, amazing lyrics and insane vocals.

[@mtaffer]

One of my favorite Avantasia songs

[@alexandre_am]

Now do Angra, Doug...Angra!!!

[@marcusviniciusconceicaodas8138]

The Shadow Hunter.

[@mstrasser]

LOVE how you did this. My favourite band (avatar shows that) and just such an epic amazing song. Loved it too all the comments being so true to Blind Guardian. "Almost a celtic vibe" yup, that's them! Great breakdown and analysis too (as always) and, also as always, gives me a better appreciation of the song. Ne Obliviscaris next! (don't think you've done them)

[@chja00]

I'd love to watch your reaction to "Storm" by Godspeed You! Black Emperor. It's 20 minutes long, but it's broken down into movements. The first and second movements in particular have some spectacular buildup that would be fun to hear your analysis of.

[@garanceadrosehn9691]

Interesting suggestion...

[@IsraelQuezada999]

Blind Guardian is my favorite Power Metal group, no other group can make music about The Lord Of the Rings and fantasy literature like them. About the mix of this song, yes, it's very hot, but I love it because it makes it sound epic, massive and multilayered, as if a big army was singing going to battle. The new edition is a different mix, they tried to make it sound more clean and clear, but it sounds like they reduced that army, and though I also like it, I always go back to the original mix, because it sounds a lot more epic and massive, and it's the version I grew up with. And about repeating the chorus too many times, I loved that, I love that chorus and it didn't bother me, I didn't see it as the climax. But this was a very god reaction video, I'm watching more of them.

[@zerofoxarmy]

Great reactions Doug! Next, go with: Avantasia - The Seven Angels Gamma Ray - Rebellion in dreamland Angra - Carolina the IV (Brazilian power metal band) Liquid Tension Experiment (Dream Theater members mostly, 100% instrumental) - When the water breaks Enjoy!!

[@literally9056]

You are always impressive at summing up a meaning, while seemingly only casually paying attention to it.

[@hansmercier2809]

The bard song live was one of my best live experiences.

[@shitpuppets]

The change in tone before the last chorus is after the Trojans bring in the Trojan horse and celebrating the end of the war. The darker parts surrounding it is Cassandra lamenting the fact they took the bait "They'll tear down the wall to bring it in..." and "No hope The blind leads the blind...". The end of the song is Paris coming home with Helen of Troy leading to the start of the war "Your handsome son is heading home". This is my favourite song from my least favourite Blind Guardian album. The mix made the album kind of exhausting to listen to. I still love this track though.