Blind Guardian: The Bard´s Song / Valhalla - Live At Wacken is a must after this. A live situation that is the essence of ANY musician´s wet dream. Scandinavian Folk / Metal musician for more than forty years here and heavily into the modern Operatic Symphonic Progressive Melodic Contemporary Euro-Folk Metal thing going on,- immensely enjoying your first reactions to new music. Competent, invested, engaged and insightful,- brilliant. Thank you, mate. Enjoy.
I think I’m one of many who now recommend you check out Blind Guardian’s “The Bard’s Song” + “Valhalla” live video. Blind Guardian is definitely one of the best power metal bands out there. They pioneered the quintessential power metal and speed metal sound. Another fast song I like from Blind Guardian is “Traveler in Time.” They also have great covers of “Surfin’ USA,” “Barbara Ann,” and “Mr. Sandman.” They’ve even done some great symphonic metal on their albums “At the Edge of Time” and “Beyond the Red Mirror.” You pretty much can’t go wrong with Blind Guardian. They are indeed a _legendary_ band.
@@ghj290 Yeah, it's not interesting to react to, during the Bard's song there's really nothing to say besides acknowledging that it's a gorgeous song, and to marvel at the dedication of the crowd. Valhalla is a different story, but lives are very inferior to studio versions anyway. I'd much rather have youtuber guys react to studio versions.
@@meroweg2685 Depends. In some cases - like Eskimo Callboy - the music video is a must. In other cases - for example Blind Guardian and Nightwish - the live versions are preferrable.
People wrongly assume Hansi isn't also an instrumentalist. His instrument is the crowd, and he plays it to perfection. They have very dedicated fans, particularly here in germany, and their music lends itself to a choir of a thousand voices. So that is what we do. Reference the bards song, particularly at 'through the looking glass'. You'll cry, I promise.
Whenever I've seen them in my home country in Greece, we've destroyed the box office in the first day. They have a big and incredibly loyal following there.
The whole album Nightfall over Middleearth is just a masterpiece, i was still in school when it came out, most of us were more into death and blackmetal at the time, but that album was played at every gathering, and nobody objected.
Not the best as a first reaction, has to grow into the matter before. Mirror mirror, bards song/valhalla and then, when he thinks "i've seen bg before, i'm ready for ANYthing they can throw on me!" it's time... and silence there will be. ;P
Why it’s not even their best performance! And why do you want him to react to the 2 songs that everyone reacts too.....their best performance is off their Imaginations tour DVD Banish From Sanctuary and The Last Candle
Instant like, the Bards are finally getting their pause-breakdown! Bard's song live, Valhalla live are pretty much mandatory if you plan to continue with them.
Love that you praise their drummer Frederik! People tend to focus so much on Hansi's voice and André's guitar work, which YES they are on a whole other level - but damn he deserves all the recognition as well, he's doing incredible things!!! happy to finally hear another one of my all time favourite bands on your channel!
Of course the tradition was created by the one and forever Thomen Stauch... too bad he chose to leave, hope he's still kicking those skins somewhere even though I haven't heard him for a decade... But the band knew exactly who they were looking for in Frederik - as far as I remember they did not even hold interviews with anyone else, they just plucked the guy seemingly from nowhere and he fit like an (iron) glove. Though, in the tradition of Tolkien, probably we should call the guy Ironfoot. :))) \m/
@@bigg2988 Thomen has his own, cozy UA-cam channel. Doing covers, promoting his drum lessons. Lots of interacting with his fans in the comments. Edit: Thomen's drum chamber
As expected, nearly everybody recommends "The Bard's Song". Which is totally fine, because it is a great experience, even If you're just watching a video of it. But, since you mentioned you like longer songs, go for "... and then there was silence". This is an epic 15 minutes ballad, so good, you won't even notice the length.
It's so nice to see that I'm not the only one digging that one - although I usually prefer it in combination with "Precious Jerusalem" as the ouverture and either "Under the Ice", "Battlefield" or "The Soulforged" to complete my power metal sandwich. ^^
@@44WarmocK77 All 10-out-of-10 bingo selections. As I said, it is hard to pick, but let's just immerse Chase in this new rabbithole and then (I hope) we can pour them on! :]
You should give "Blind Guardian - The Bard's Song & Valhalla" at wacken 2016 a try and while at it... try "Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys (United Alive)"
Hansi also did a lot of great work with Ayreon, Demons and Wizards (their song Fiddler on the Green is amazing!) and lately Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra...
me: "Oh nice, I guy reacting to Mirror Mirror. I've listen to this song a thousand times, just gonna watch the reaction, I'm not gonna sing along, for sure." also me: "MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL! TRUE HOPE LIES BEYOND THE COAST!"
Blind Guardian has a very deep catalog. If you want something epic, give And Then There Was Silence or Wheel of Time a go. Or react to anything from the same album as Mirror Mirror such as Into the Storm, Curse of Feanor, or Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill). Go back and listen to some of their older stuff like Somewhere Far Beyond, Traveler In Time, or The Script for My Requiem. You could react to some of their new stuff like Fly, Straight Through the Mirror, Sacred Worlds, Curse My Name, Twilight of the Gods, Sacred Mind, or Grand Parade. You could even give something from their Twilight Orcestra side project album like War Feeds War, In the Red Dwarf's Tower, or This Storm. As you can see, there is a ton to pick from with Blind Guardian, and I've really only scratched the surface with all those suggestions.
"Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill") - YES! "Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)" - YES! "Bright Eyes" - YES. "Mordred's Song" - YES... All classics. Wholeaheartedly support. And the ballads - they might be kinda short for a single reactions, but Chase could combine a couple of them together... throw in "The War of Thrones" for good measure. ;)
Blind Guardian was the first band I saw live and I still remember that show as it was yesterday. The Bard's Song is a must if you want to continue with them, but pick the version carefully, as pretty much all live renditions are like at least 50% sang by the crowd xD
FINALLY XD i waited long for this. Now "the bards song & Valhalla" live at Wacken are a fantastic one too. =) Thanks so much for doing this song! And love that you love Hansis voice ^^
Hansi has one of the most beautiful and powerful male voices in the metal world. I love his cooperation with Avantasia making Raven Child...he gives something dreaming and epic at the same time. From Blind Guardian I love OtherLand and Curse my Name is my favorite in absolute.
Blind Guardian! Power Metal Dads! These guys are great and I'm glad you got around to doing them. Everyone is going to suggest The Bard's Song and Valhalla from Wacken, for sure, but my request and suggestions would be some personal favorites - Ashes of Eternity, the Ninth Wave, Ride into Obsession, Nightfall, etc. These guys have so many different sounds it's insane. Looking forward to more reactions! :)
Try this: BLIND GUARDIAN - The Ninth Wave (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO). It's from their latest album (2015) and imo a very special song in the song catalog. Everyone will say 'Valhalla' or 'Bard's Song' because this are audience songs. But the real musical pearls are other songs. Like the one I said. Or 'Blind Guardian - And then there was silence...HD ' or 'Wheel of Time'. But for the last there isn't exist an official live video I guess. Have fun listening to Blind Guardian. They are the Power Metal kings for a reason. ;)
Nice, Guardian, is a genuinely remarkable Band. What's next, if you want to get your mind blown, make bard's song / Valhalla live in wacken. Other than that, Twilight of the Gods (live) is also absolutely epic. All three songs are totally different from each other.
Erm i was under the impression Demons and wizards is just Guardian and Iced Earth together, i don't know if some bandmembers abstain, but i am pretty sure there are no outside musicians involved. But even if i am wrong, your recommendation is totally justified. Also the album Plagues of Babylon from Iced Earth is very good imo, i'm not going into the others just wanted to to leave a recommondation myself. :) (Dantes Inferno is my favorite song of all time, and i usually listen to variations of death metal nowadays.)
Yea, calling one of the foundations of power metal new is hilarious. Enjoy the ride. If you want to see the pinnacle of what they can do, check out "Imaginations through the looking glass" ... A concert with a crowd that sings better than many bands do.
Awesome dude, if you dig this check out Iced Earth, Hansi from Blind Guardian and Jon Shaffer of Iced Earth team up with Demons and Wizards 🤘 all killer power metal 🤘😈🤘
If you wanna see what they're capable of, try the imaginations through the looking glass concert. It's from a while ago but it's one amazing concert. Their newer stuff is a bit more proggy and a bit slower, but still amazing.
I love the reaction of all your reaction people when listening to Blind Guardian, the bright, wide eyes when Hansi sings, when André plays the guitar, it's something I've seen across oh so many people, be it voice coaches, metal bands, random reactors and so on.
Ooh, you are finally onto BLIND GUARDIAN!!! Extra big shout out for that, as the band are not getting enough plays among UA-cam reactors despite being one of the most unique bands in Power metal, heck - in all of Metal! The charismatic heroic roar from Hansi Kursch, the wah-pedal wizardry from Andre Olbrich, and the unrelenting storm provided by Markus Siepen on rhythm and Frederick Ehmke on the kit blend into one of the best signature sounds ever. They still have the rough edge today that they had as they started out playing a sort of melodic Thrash in the 80s, but along the way it's been mixed with increasing doses of Progressive and Symphonic writing, without the band ever becoming "progressive" in the conventional sense, but rather developing their own sound. For those who understand - THAT is truly what progressiveness means. :) And of course you hit the bullseye right away - the storytelling aspect! Fast or slow, acoustic or demonic, the GUARDIANs have not been named the Bards of Heavy metal for nothing... Hansi brings universes like Tolkien's Middle Earth, Wheel of Time or friggin' "Iliad" to life like few others. You owe it to yourself to explore the multifaceted legends these guys conjure, especially live, assisted by thousands of deliriously chanting mesmerized fans! The other guys in the comments will heavily recommend the double serving of "The Bard's Song - In the Forest" and "Valhalla", and you should definitely watch those. I am just a little partial to the earlier (2004) live presentations off "Imaginations Through the Looking Glass" DVD. One of the best of its kind, ever. They headlined an own 2-day festival during which the incredible performance was shot. For the legendary songs, you would do well to use that one. However, there is no dearth of good value performances that include also the newer songs. I have not studied what is the best way to give suggestions on this channel, so I will just put them forward. To not lose the reasonable look, ;)) let's stick to 5: "The Last Candle"; "Imaginations from the Other Side"; "Nightfall"; "And Then There Was Silence"; and "The Throne". I have a couple dozens of BLIND GUARDIAN songs I would call personal all-time favorites, but probably more people might get behind those suggestions... And by all means once you are into them, do branch out to discover DEMONS AND WIZARDS, the child of Hansi and ICED EARTH's mastermind John Schaffer. Start with "Fiddler on the Green" (one of those creations that can be called a heartfelt epic...), and continue the quest on to "Diabolic" from their new album, which had a really cool video shot to boot. Enjoy, enjoy! \m/
my favorite songs of them are "road of no release", "you're the voice" and " the ninth wave" you really should add Avantasia or Edguy to your list. I think you will like them
Ohh, YESSSSSS. Blind Guardian. Thanks for doing this. Bard's Song & Valhalla live at Wacken could give you some goosebumps... ;-) My BG trip ended with the Imaginations from the Other Side album, because i dipped then more into Black and Death Metal, so I could only recommend the older songs like welcome to dying or majesty. If I remember right, I read in an interview, that the drummer plays at the song "and then there was silence..." no part again, so it was hard work to remember for over 14min what to play.
I saw Blind Guardian in Baltimore in maybe 2016 and it was their first time playing the US in a LONG time and early in their tour. They clearly did not expect the energy from the crowd they got and it energized them and energized the crowd... and so on. They ended up playing like 6 encores and ended on Mirror Mirror. Was an awesome show.
Instaclick. Can’t believe it took you this long 😉 Great review. Got my intro to power metal in the mid 80s with Helloween, Savatage and Manowar and branched out in the early 90s (BG, Hammerfall, Gamma Ray, Edguy, Pink Cream, Kamelot, etc) when Michael Kiske left Helloween and grunge was all you could find here in the States. The best of the genre have very distinctive vocalists, and Hansi certainly does.
Great song! I remember seeing them live for the first time. The crowd was nuts! Power Metal was not a go to genre in my part of the world....Keep it coming! The Script for My Requiem, Time Stand Still (At The Iron Hill), Bright Eyes to name a few.
As a 40y old BG fan growing up with BG (and being inspired by them when learning guitar and drums) I would give you the following rundown: Early age BG: Young mosheads. Just some kids with a rehearsal room that take it really serious. Full of drive to become successful. However, not much musicial knowledge. Singer Hans never took lessons, but has a natural talent. Songwriting is thrash metal/punk. They drink a lot of beer. Teenagers basically. Andre, the lead guitarist seems to just be a genius. He also wasn't able to read notes. He was just a super talented introverted guitar genius already. Some notable songs from that era: "Majesty": ua-cam.com/video/EkR7pj02_Sw/v-deo.html "Banished from Sanctuary": ua-cam.com/video/g97meJ4YS4o/v-deo.html The underground scene takes note of them, they manage to kind of "live" of their music. They start getting more known in metal circles. The singing improves, the band starts to get more influences from their oldschool rock side. They release "Tales from the Twilight World" and "Somewhere far beyond". Nearly all of Germany's role-players start to know the band. You couldn't step into a pen&paper roleplay store without at least seeing one guy wearing a Blind Guardian shirt. It was the time when they started to be associated heavily with fantasy worlds. (Even the artwork they use was screaming in your face: Fantasy!). Also, they became stars in Japan, filling big halls and hitting the charts. Probably due to the melodic "computer game vibe" style of the lead guitars mixed with the fantasy like themed covers and artwork. Some notable songs from that era : "Traveler in Time": ua-cam.com/video/c9Q8-5EExGI/v-deo.html "Lost in the Twilight Hall": ua-cam.com/video/JphoVbGOnkA/v-deo.html "The Last Candle": ua-cam.com/video/MZ8wzlXCAVI/v-deo.html Their first "ballad"-> "Lord of the Rings": ua-cam.com/video/x1oWcUWOxZ8/v-deo.html "Time What is Time": ua-cam.com/video/0rqXWmNJq9A/v-deo.html Their second ballad: "The Bard's Song": ua-cam.com/video/zb5zrGR1juE/v-deo.html (Bard's song is the most popular song of the band, also to non BG fans. It has several million views on youtube.) In 1995 they were a very well established band, and their musicianship was well developed. The singer took lessons (later even operatic lessons). You could say they started to enter their "peak era". Virgin, their publisher, even made them release a nearly full "cover album" with covers such as "Mr. Sandman, The Wizard, To France, Spead your Wings (Queen). They were experienced, dynamic, skilled, still full of energy. What is especially noteworthy: They started to work with Flemming Rasmussen, the legendary producer from Denmark, who also did the older Metallica (e.g. Master Of Puppets) albums. It was immediately obvious when you heard the difference in sound. Everything sounds way crispier, clearer, but also more aggressive while the palm mutes and details on the guitar works, such as string slides etc. where extremely defined. Imho the best producer in their career. Notable songs from that era (ignoring the mostly covers based album "Forgotten Tales"): "Bright Eyes": ua-cam.com/video/pP6qMKW8jHo/v-deo.html "Imaginations from the other Side": ua-cam.com/video/HPG7gYoqpHM/v-deo.html After that kind of huge success, they took another long break (the first releases where in a 1y rythm, but then they started to write more and more complex stuff, so the cycle went up to a 3y gap). So in 1998 they released, what is considered, by most fans who followed them throughout all the years, to be their best album in the way of the "old Blind Guardian spirit": Nightfall in Middle Earth. The entire album is one art piece, telling the story of the "Silmarillion" with spoken narrative between the songs. It was the pinnacle of their "fantasy connection" and intensified their relationship with the whole fantasy games community. Few people that liked fantasy games didn't know of Blind Guardian at that point, in Germany, but also in most parts of Europe. In the USA, the publisher didn't see much potential for them, so they only played concerts in front of small audiences. Very intimate, compared to the big crowds they had in europa and asia. This album was also produced by Flemming Rasmussen. Since the whole album is a concept album, it should be viewed as such, but here are some notable songs from that: "Into the Storm": (A lot of concerts started with this song even years later): ua-cam.com/video/edRu9SGmm4E/v-deo.html "Nightfall" (Mid tempo song, very popular): ua-cam.com/video/qzSJLlyqh6Q/v-deo.html After the huge success of Nightfall (which was still the vocalists favorite album, even after the next following release) they took another even bigger break of 4 years. It was rather silent around the band at that time. I remember people asking "What's up with BG". I think they had realized that they peaked, and it was a big challenge to satisfy the ever growing expectations of the fans. However, even though the next album "A Night at the Opera" was kind of overshadowed by BG's former extremely well done albums, it was standing well on it's own. You could hear the band trying to put "more and more" into their songs. For some it felt like a desperate attempt to be more epic than what has done before, and eventually that journey towards more and more epic multi-layered progressive stuff with less and less room for the individual instrument, was the reason the drummer left the band after this album. Though it kind of can be seen as the transition into a new era of the band by 2002, where the compact "wall of sound" approach was no longer constrained to the chorus elements of the songs, but even to the verse, bridge and many interlude parts: Some notable songs from the Night at the Opera: "Battlefield": ua-cam.com/video/AssG0Qj15i0/v-deo.html "And Then There Was Silence": ua-cam.com/video/JpbRVR_hXkQ/v-deo.html (often seen as their Magnum Opus). Again 4 years passed, and you could tell that the band members were starting to be less and less "rockstar-ish" guys. Probably a lot of family time, raising children. During this time, the vocalist also had a phase of serious health issues with his voice, if I remember correctly. Some concerts during that time were embarrassing. He had big trouble hitting the right pitch. For some reason, they believed in "never cancel a show". Anyway, after 4y they came up with "A Twist in the Myth" in 2006. This is the dividing line. The fanbase was basically split. Even to this day, you have many die hard fans that consider this to be the line where "Blind Guardian stopped to exist the way we knew it". However, other fans, especially newer fans too, didn't had that baggage of expectations and enjoyed it for what it was. The sound changed drastically (they no longer were produced by Flemming Rasmussen, but a new guy, a friend of the band). The songs were solid, but untypical of Blind Guardian. Much softer. Less heavy. More progressive. It kind of spoke a language of "we're getting older, we wanna do something new, let's try stuff out". Basically a phase many artists go through (see Metallica Load/Reload etc.). The thing is, objectively speaking BG never released a "bad album" in terms of craftsmanship. However, it cannot be denied that their vibe changed. Also, with the new drummer, who was a real educated drummer (unlike the former, who played by instinct) some of the heavyness got lost and the drums were feeling less prominent, moving further to the background. Less bass. Less kick. Less full toms. Much more of a "mainstream" production style. Generally more "groovy" too. Some notable songs from that: "Fly": ua-cam.com/video/UtxvZNxDFNA/v-deo.html "Lionheart": ua-cam.com/video/l-VYYvyPSuE/v-deo.html In 2010, at the age of 44+ they released "At the Edge Of Time", an album that brought in many many new, younger fans. It strikes a middle-ground between being accessible and epic. They kind of went with the new sound from the last album, but added even more orchestra and complex layers of sound. While complex in general, with many melodies and different voice tracks layered, the general harmonys used in the songs are very easy to listen to. Overall it is again, a great album, but you can tell why the diehard fans stopped bothering, as the album really spreads a very different vibe from what the band did 10y ago. However, many new fans I've met even said that this is their favorite album. Maybe because it also sounds much more "modern" and very "clean". Not as dirty and drum heavy (sound wise, drums are all over the place, just mixed rather approachable). Some notable songs: "Sacred Worlds": ua-cam.com/video/e6Y2qGK--NI/v-deo.html "Wheel Of Time": ua-cam.com/video/wJtFXTIEwYQ/v-deo.html Another 5 years passed. They played live here and there, but generally speaking the BG infos were sparse. Then they came up with "Beyond the Red Mirror" With the vocalist being about 50y old at that point, I personally was very surprised what they put together here. To me it's one of the best albums overall, not comparable to the early days obviously, but a good mix of their more modern style with some more elements of their roots. Sure, his voice no longer has the warmth and fullness in the lower end that he had when he was younger, but what do you expect at the age of 50+. I think he is still sounding very good at that age. Especially after a career of "raspy" singing. Just in terms of drums, I think the modern sound just lacks width in the basskick and reverb in the snare. It's all very sterile and close to "digital" on the drum side. Some notable songs: "The ninth wave": ua-cam.com/video/klVGR0JZmcg/v-deo.html "Twilight of the Gods": ua-cam.com/video/iGd97s265WM/v-deo.html And then, recently, the released a "spin off" album, call Twilight Orchestra, which basically is just the vocalist and the prague orchestra. Something they wanted to do for a long time, but always delayed. (I think they had the plan to do it for about 20y and in 2019 finally got to it). As it's not really the entire band and more of an "experimental side project" I'll skip any comment on it here.
@@ChaseCarneson Jumping to the present: They actually announced a new album for 2021. They are currently recording it. I am excited to see what they come up with. I guess at some point they going to retire, so every album they still make is a bonus for me, on top of a very outstanding career.
Hey Chase, i’ve been with you since the beginning of your Nightwish adventure, and now you’re doing another one of my favorite bands👍🏼👍🏼 keep up the good work, really enjoy your reactions. For Blind Guardian you should really check out “ and then there was Silence” (a long one😉) and “imaginations from the other Side” they are two rare beauties. I still believe the best version from Imaginations (and al other songs on the album) is from the live album of 2003. Unfortunately i don’t believe there are any video’s from the perfomances, but then just listen them for yourself to enjoy😉
Beyond the Red Mirror is spectacular , their early albums sound dated to me. Nightfall in Middle Earth is a classic worthy of Tolkien 🤘 Demons and Wizards have a concept album about the Dark Tower, Touched by the Crimson King. Simply great. Also BG did a soundtrack for a video game and full orchestra cd too
Definently check out more from them! You can pick almost any live performance and it's gonna be great. Listening to them since i was a child. Probably my all time favorite band. They really know music AND to play their instruments. Just great musicians and also great people. Looking forward to see you react to more of their stuff!
Having been a Blind Guardian fan for 30 years now and having been to numerous concerts I have never been disapointed by them. I remember one concert in Düsseldorf where the crowd (including me ;) ) kept them from continuing with their show for about 10 minutes by just keeping on to sing the corus of Valhalla - you should definitivly check out the double video "The Bard's Song/Valhalla" from Wacken 2016 (Tank already did and he loved it)!Also you should have a look at their latest project - Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra, a metal opera with several speakers, full orchestra and more.
Yesssss. Just because they're connected, hope you check out some Iced Earth, then Demons&Wizards. Demons&Wizards is band run by Jon Schaffer, the creator and rhythm guitarist of Iced Earth, with Blind Guardian's singer (Hansi Kursch) as its singer.
On my view there are at least three albums to check out of the bands discography: - Somewhere far beyond (a lot of great vocal-work and powerful arrengements) - Imaginations from the other side (perfect blend of melody, "singing"-guitar work and metal riffs) - Nightfall in Middle-Earth (the most versatile and symphony-like arrengements) "Mirror Mirror" is from the "Nightfall" album, btw. Go for this three masterpieces, you won't be disappointed... ;-) Greetz from Germany!
Glad to see you're reacting to Blind Guardian. My favourite band. Hope to see you do more reactions to them in the future. With all these music reactors on UA-cam, there's not nearly enough reactors who do Blind Guardian regularly. And I think the more you listen to them, the more impressed you're gonna be. There's some really musically rich stuff in their discography. Last year they even released a fully orchestral album, which had been in the making for 20+ years. :)
"You know what's impressive? *Not even waiting a splitsecond to consider the question* Obviously everything" I love that quote! :-D Thank you for the video!
Awesome! Since you are starting to discover all those european metal bands, i think its about time you see all these musicians together on ayreon-the day the world breaks down. Wont spoil all the guest appearances but yeah hansi from blind guardian is one of my favourites.
Here in Germany, wI konow many Metal fans, who call Blind Guardian the "Fischer Chöre des Metal" (the Fischer choir of metal) Fisher choir having been a quite famous german mass (mass meaning more than 1000 singers) choir, originally lead by late dirigent Ottfried Fischer) simply, because every one in the band and we, tha audience, do sing along on the vast majority of their songs ;).
Bist mir auch so ein Ottfried Fischer. Der Bulle von Tölz hat die Chöre nicht geleitet. 😉 Gotthilf Fischer hieß der Dirigent, der auch mit J.B.O. einen kleinen Disput hatte.
The Wizards of the Crowd are finally here. Thanks for highlighting Markus, Andre, the lead usually gets almost all the limelight. Also, Hansi played the bass in the begining, as well as singing...
Another great reaction video, Chase :-). Blind Guardian began their career in the style of Speed Metal as another German legend Helloween. Over time, their styl evolved into Power Metal. Their songs contain fantasy stories, most stories from Tolkien. You´re doing great again. Many thanks for this reaction video :-).
You just HAVE TO watch The Brad's Song & Valhalla at Wacken Open Air 2016. It is without exaggeration one of the best live metal acts of all time and the dream of every metal band out there. The crowd and the band are both just out of this world in that moment. Even if you don't react to it please for the love of all that is metal go watch it!
Blind Guardian is one of the few bands where I would always rather listen to their live stuff than their albums... They are just one of the very best live bands out there... so much atmosphere, energy, emotion, showmenship, .... If you ever get the chance to see them live, do it!
I'm so glad that You react this band. Hansi is a great singer. I love Blind Guardian. Today liryc "Mirror Mirror on the wall" stay with me. Great, educative reaction Chase.
Finally! Blind Guardian was the Band that has brought me to the metal music 22 years ago now - i was just 6 years old, my father had this song on a cd and i loved it so much. that started everything. A lot of people will now suggest Bards Song, Valhalla and other classics and all are great. But if you really want to get blown away by the genius of this band, give Sacred Mind from their last Studio Album a try. Its a long song, but dude you will witness what vocal force Hansi truly is. And he is such a great guy, honestly!
Hi, everyone will suggest THE BARD'S SONG + VALHALLA live at Wacken it's realy a MUST. Guaranteed goosbumps. If you want to see fan's love and respect to a band watch it!!!
You made my morning, Chase! It is Nightwish Saturday and even there is no new video out, you just made me so happy already. I'm glad you choose Blind Guardian to react to, cause it is a very creative band that will bring you a lot of fun and a bunch of surprising moments. "Mirror Mirror" was one of the first songs I heard when I was a teen and is still one of my alltime favorites. Looking forward to a new journey that you'll take us on! 🤗
Here's a request for something that doesn't get requested at all (to my knowledge). It's probably one of the best metal bands you never heard off, although they are know internationally more than in our home country, Portugal. Moonspell. They've been around since 1992, have released 11 studio albums. They would be labeled as goth, but they do venture into other sounds. And they have some wicked videos. My request for you is the song Extinct, from the album with the same name, released in 2015. Official music video. I think you'd like it. They have keys, and killer guitar solos. Plus, the vocalists voice is very unique.
Yeah, the good old times.... thank you so much, Chase. A german metal legend for sure. Saw them live back in the 90´s and i´am still in love with them. Looking forward to seeing more reactions on the Bards. Greetings from a german Kitsune 🤘🏼🦊🤘🏼. Please stay healthy you all.
Love your reactions. Between you and Tank you have helped to turn me onto many new bands, as well as rediscover bands that I haven't listened to in a long time and for that I'm thankful. Keep up the great work and "Have A Damn Good Day" (bout to order me a new coffee cup)
Happy to find someone who reacts to more of Blind Guardian than the Bard song and Valhalla at Wacken. Don't get me wrong love the Bard song and Valhalla but don't whant peopel to belive that thees are the only good BG-songs!
The backing vocals for the chorus are the crowd! A little hard to tell on video, but seeing BG live is awesome. Lots of bands just play the set, but a BG show involves the crowd on every single song.
I love "Ashes to Ashes" with them. One of the first songs that made me embark on my metal-journey all those years ago. You have to check it out. It has everything: mean ass riffs, soaring solos, an adventurous sound and awesome vocals! To this day I still get goose flesh whenever I'm listening to that song!
Blind Guardian was the first band that intruduced me to metal. They started everything for me 15 years ago or so. The still have a very special place in my heart. I'd be happy to see you go deeper on them. All recommendations in the other comments are pretty much good. For sure the "Bard's Song + Valhalla" live video from Wacken. And a special love I have for ''Time Stands Still" and "Nightfall", they are from the same album as "Mirror Mirror" but I guess something from different ablum. Their style evolved massively through the years.
Blind Guardian - Harvest of Sorrow is a great and underrated song! The version from their Live (2003) album is my personal favorite, though it doesn't have a live video.
Yay! Please do more Blind Guardian! These guys are my first heavy metal love ever. And this song, as great and legendary as it is, doesn't even showcase all of Hansi's genius as a vocalist. And he is, absolute genius. The Bards don't get nowhere near the amount of love in the reactionverse as they deserve! Please do more!
![ROADIE REACTIONS | "Blind Guardian - Mirror Mirror (Live)" | [FIRST TIME SONG REACTION]](/img/n.gif)
"that choire effect" is in every Blind Guardian live performance, it's called "the crowd"
Quite literally. Crowd will sing 99% of the song with no issue
MIRROR! MIRROR! ON THE WALL!!!
Nanana nana nana na. @TankTheTech maybe Chase should do Vallhalla?
Who's the tankiest of them all? 😂 and I'm talking about gaming folks
You ain't the fairest of them all. 😜 The Ginger Vampire abides!
Hi Tank!
TRUE HOPE LIES BEYOND THE COAST
Blind Guardian: The Bard´s Song / Valhalla - Live At Wacken is a must after this.
A live situation that is the essence of ANY musician´s wet dream.
Scandinavian Folk / Metal musician for more than forty years here and heavily into the modern Operatic Symphonic Progressive Melodic Contemporary Euro-Folk Metal thing going on,- immensely enjoying your first reactions to new music.
Competent, invested, engaged and insightful,- brilliant.
Thank you, mate.
Enjoy.
absoolutely
Live At Wacken is a must 1000000000000000%!!!!!
I was just about to suggest that.
Valhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalla - Deliverance
Why've you ever forgotten me??!!!" \m/
I think that video is a must for anyone doing reactions on this band. Or any band, for that matter. Just go watch it.
I think I’m one of many who now recommend you check out Blind Guardian’s “The Bard’s Song” + “Valhalla” live video. Blind Guardian is definitely one of the best power metal bands out there. They pioneered the quintessential power metal and speed metal sound. Another fast song I like from Blind Guardian is “Traveler in Time.” They also have great covers of “Surfin’ USA,” “Barbara Ann,” and “Mr. Sandman.” They’ve even done some great symphonic metal on their albums “At the Edge of Time” and “Beyond the Red Mirror.” You pretty much can’t go wrong with Blind Guardian. They are indeed a _legendary_ band.
Yes please! This video is so good. It's even better once you've listened to the Bard's Song many times and can also sing along.
In Wacken i was in the audience! 80000 Singers . It was awesome! Please react Wacken "Bard's Song + Valhalla. Is one Video.
The trouble with Valhalla live is that it ends up with the audience doing most of the heavy lifting .... :)
@@ghj290 Yeah, it's not interesting to react to, during the Bard's song there's really nothing to say besides acknowledging that it's a gorgeous song, and to marvel at the dedication of the crowd. Valhalla is a different story, but lives are very inferior to studio versions anyway. I'd much rather have youtuber guys react to studio versions.
@@meroweg2685 Depends. In some cases - like Eskimo Callboy - the music video is a must. In other cases - for example Blind Guardian and Nightwish - the live versions are preferrable.
People wrongly assume Hansi isn't also an instrumentalist. His instrument is the crowd, and he plays it to perfection.
They have very dedicated fans, particularly here in germany, and their music lends itself to a choir of a thousand voices.
So that is what we do.
Reference the bards song, particularly at 'through the looking glass'. You'll cry, I promise.
Also he played bass a long time ago :D
Whenever I've seen them in my home country in Greece, we've destroyed the box office in the first day. They have a big and incredibly loyal following there.
Never took this perspective into account. You're right though, great comment.
@@angussharington2374 I loved all his old bass parts, way more interesting then their newer baselines
@@angussharington2374 he played the bass in the most of albums recording, at least till a night a the opera.
While most people like "Mirror Mirror" from this album, my favourite is by far "The Curse of Feanor". I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Into the storm it's a banger too
...aannndd now I cannot get the song out of my head again. "Morgoth I Cryyy Heaar Myyyyy Oath! I will take part, in your dark fate!"
The whole album Nightfall over Middleearth is just a masterpiece, i was still in school when it came out, most of us were more into death and blackmetal at the time, but that album was played at every gathering, and nobody objected.
@@nikolasmichaelides9444 Blood Tears and Thorn too. His belts in those songs are so good and emotional.
That whole album is a masterpiece. If I had to pick a favorite it would probably be Noldor (Dead winter reigns), but the rest is *chef's kiss*
"The vocalist is there just to sing."
*Hansi promptly crowdsources half the song*
I can't imagine a world where people's first reaction to Blind Guardian isn't "...And Then There Was Silence", the best power metal song ever.
If Chase does a reaction on "And then there was silence" it will be a 3 hour video :D
@@Aphain And I'm here for that!
Epicness is too much for one's first BG song. Brains on the floor and all that, it'd be a mess.
@@Aphain HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Not the best as a first reaction, has to grow into the matter before. Mirror mirror, bards song/valhalla and then, when he thinks "i've seen bg before, i'm ready for ANYthing they can throw on me!" it's time... and silence there will be. ;P
When reacting to Blind Guardian then:The Bard´s Song / Valhalla - Live At Wacken!
I saw them Live in Munich, and it was Epic! We all stressed our Vocal Cords out ^^
Why it’s not even their best performance! And why do you want him to react to the 2 songs that everyone reacts too.....their best performance is off their Imaginations tour DVD Banish From Sanctuary and The Last Candle
Instant like, the Bards are finally getting their pause-breakdown! Bard's song live, Valhalla live are pretty much mandatory if you plan to continue with them.
Yup! Live at Waken. That's a crowdwork and a half!
Andrey Chernyshov Well, if you don’t know the Bard‘s song by heart, you‘re not allowed to enter the Holy Ground in Wacken 😆😜
Love that you praise their drummer Frederik! People tend to focus so much on Hansi's voice and André's guitar work, which YES they are on a whole other level - but damn he deserves all the recognition as well, he's doing incredible things!!! happy to finally hear another one of my all time favourite bands on your channel!
Of course the tradition was created by the one and forever Thomen Stauch... too bad he chose to leave, hope he's still kicking those skins somewhere even though I haven't heard him for a decade... But the band knew exactly who they were looking for in Frederik - as far as I remember they did not even hold interviews with anyone else, they just plucked the guy seemingly from nowhere and he fit like an (iron) glove. Though, in the tradition of Tolkien, probably we should call the guy Ironfoot. :))) \m/
@@bigg2988 Thomen has his own, cozy UA-cam channel. Doing covers, promoting his drum lessons. Lots of interacting with his fans in the comments.
Edit: Thomen's drum chamber
As expected, nearly everybody recommends "The Bard's Song". Which is totally fine, because it is a great experience, even If you're just watching a video of it.
But, since you mentioned you like longer songs, go for "... and then there was silence".
This is an epic 15 minutes ballad, so good, you won't even notice the length.
My all time favorite song!🔥🔥
It's so nice to see that I'm not the only one digging that one - although I usually prefer it in combination with "Precious Jerusalem" as the ouverture and either "Under the Ice", "Battlefield" or "The Soulforged" to complete my power metal sandwich. ^^
@@44WarmocK77 All 10-out-of-10 bingo selections. As I said, it is hard to pick, but let's just immerse Chase in this new rabbithole and then (I hope) we can pour them on! :]
how has he not done this yet? it needs to happen
"And then there was silence" is quite amazing, would love to see him do it
The singer was also the bass player in their early stages, but later switched to "only singing"
The Bards! Love this band. They made an entire album (which this song is from) based on Tolkien's The Silmarillion.
Night Fall In Middle Earth is one of the best metal albums ever.
You should give "Blind Guardian - The Bard's Song & Valhalla" at wacken 2016 a try and while at it... try "Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys (United Alive)"
Links: ua-cam.com/video/i-IcX_bccFc/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/1CqaLqNyFDI/v-deo.html
Keeper of the seven keyes live united is great..... :)
i would prefer How many tears, but Helloween is always good
Actually, wouldn´t he need to do both entire albums back to back,- just for good measure???
please react to Blind Guardian - The Bard's Song & Valhalla - Live at Wacken Open Air 2016, such a good concert. keep them reactions coming ;)
Hansi also did a lot of great work with Ayreon, Demons and Wizards (their song Fiddler on the Green is amazing!) and lately Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra...
I've been hoping for Chase to get to some Ayreon soon, still holding out hope!
me: "Oh nice, I guy reacting to Mirror Mirror. I've listen to this song a thousand times, just gonna watch the reaction, I'm not gonna sing along, for sure."
also me: "MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL! TRUE HOPE LIES BEYOND THE COAST!"
😂 MIRROR MIRROR!!!!
It just is soooo good and i just found them a few weeks ago. Love the band. 100% one of my new favourites
Blind Guardian has a very deep catalog. If you want something epic, give And Then There Was Silence or Wheel of Time a go. Or react to anything from the same album as Mirror Mirror such as Into the Storm, Curse of Feanor, or Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill). Go back and listen to some of their older stuff like Somewhere Far Beyond, Traveler In Time, or The Script for My Requiem. You could react to some of their new stuff like Fly, Straight Through the Mirror, Sacred Worlds, Curse My Name, Twilight of the Gods, Sacred Mind, or Grand Parade. You could even give something from their Twilight Orcestra side project album like War Feeds War, In the Red Dwarf's Tower, or This Storm.
As you can see, there is a ton to pick from with Blind Guardian, and I've really only scratched the surface with all those suggestions.
Valkyrie is very underrated song
For my taste their masterpieces are: Time stands Still, Blood Tears, Noldor, Bard's Song, Valhalla, Bright Eyes, Mordred's Song, Lord of The Rings.
"Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill") - YES!
"Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)" - YES!
"Bright Eyes" - YES.
"Mordred's Song" - YES... All classics. Wholeaheartedly support.
And the ballads - they might be kinda short for a single reactions, but Chase could combine a couple of them together... throw in "The War of Thrones" for good measure. ;)
Meh these are good live songs for sure but their newer songs are a lot more complex and beautiful
I think you would also enjoy Avantasia - The Scarecrow (from the flying opera live). It's a quite long song at 10:26 though.
His voice is better in that one but I much prefer the guitar solos in the newer wacken version
Now that he know Hansi I think he might prefer The Raven Child tho
If we are looking at Tobi's work, I *really* like Hansi in Edguy - Out of Control
Blind Guardian was the first band I saw live and I still remember that show as it was yesterday. The Bard's Song is a must if you want to continue with them, but pick the version carefully, as pretty much all live renditions are like at least 50% sang by the crowd xD
Awesome, Blind Guardian was the first Metal Band I've ever listen to. The whole Nightfall in Middle-Earth album is fantastic.
Same here! Started with Nightfall, didn't stop ever since ;)
FINALLY XD i waited long for this. Now "the bards song & Valhalla" live at Wacken are a fantastic one too. =) Thanks so much for doing this song!
And love that you love Hansis voice ^^
Valhalal,-.........?
Good one. :)
Great to see some Blind Guardian here!
Hansi is another reason why you should listen to Ayreon - The Day That The World Breaks Down.
Hansi has one of the most beautiful and powerful male voices in the metal world. I love his cooperation with Avantasia making Raven Child...he gives something dreaming and epic at the same time. From Blind Guardian I love OtherLand and Curse my Name is my favorite in absolute.
Blind Guardian! Power Metal Dads! These guys are great and I'm glad you got around to doing them. Everyone is going to suggest The Bard's Song and Valhalla from Wacken, for sure, but my request and suggestions would be some personal favorites - Ashes of Eternity, the Ninth Wave, Ride into Obsession, Nightfall, etc. These guys have so many different sounds it's insane. Looking forward to more reactions! :)
Try this: BLIND GUARDIAN - The Ninth Wave (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO). It's from their latest album (2015) and imo a very special song in the song catalog.
Everyone will say 'Valhalla' or 'Bard's Song' because this are audience songs. But the real musical pearls are other songs. Like the one I said. Or 'Blind Guardian - And then there was silence...HD
' or 'Wheel of Time'. But for the last there isn't exist an official live video I guess.
Have fun listening to Blind Guardian. They are the Power Metal kings for a reason. ;)
Nice, Guardian, is a genuinely remarkable Band.
What's next, if you want to get your mind blown, make bard's song / Valhalla live in wacken. Other than that, Twilight of the Gods (live) is also absolutely epic. All three songs are totally different from each other.
Hansi and Jon Shaffer of Iced Earth team up with Demons and Wizards 🤘 check them out everybody 🤘😈🤘
Erm i was under the impression Demons and wizards is just Guardian and Iced Earth together, i don't know if some bandmembers abstain, but i am pretty sure there are no outside musicians involved. But even if i am wrong, your recommendation is totally justified. Also the album Plagues of Babylon from Iced Earth is very good imo, i'm not going into the others just wanted to to leave a recommondation myself. :) (Dantes Inferno is my favorite song of all time, and i usually listen to variations of death metal nowadays.)
@@Landcervelatwurst you are correct it's a mix of IE and BG musicians 🤘
Yes!
I like discovering new bands through your reactions. This one's starting off strong! Cheers :)
Blind Guardian is a legendary band \m/ Literally... It does amazes us when ppl do not know them. I am glad you discovered them. Enjoy!!!
Yea, calling one of the foundations of power metal new is hilarious. Enjoy the ride.
If you want to see the pinnacle of what they can do, check out "Imaginations through the looking glass" ... A concert with a crowd that sings better than many bands do.
@@aenorist2431 The Script for my Requiem! Time Stand Still (At The Iron Hill)!
Awesome dude, if you dig this check out Iced Earth, Hansi from Blind Guardian and Jon Shaffer of Iced Earth team up with Demons and Wizards 🤘 all killer power metal 🤘😈🤘
If you wanna see what they're capable of, try the imaginations through the looking glass concert. It's from a while ago but it's one amazing concert. Their newer stuff is a bit more proggy and a bit slower, but still amazing.
Chase... do, “and then there was silence” 🤯
Yeah! This song is a masterpiece
I love the reaction of all your reaction people when listening to Blind Guardian, the bright, wide eyes when Hansi sings, when André plays the guitar, it's something I've seen across oh so many people, be it voice coaches, metal bands, random reactors and so on.
Ooh, you are finally onto BLIND GUARDIAN!!! Extra big shout out for that, as the band are not getting enough plays among UA-cam reactors despite being one of the most unique bands in Power metal, heck - in all of Metal! The charismatic heroic roar from Hansi Kursch, the wah-pedal wizardry from Andre Olbrich, and the unrelenting storm provided by Markus Siepen on rhythm and Frederick Ehmke on the kit blend into one of the best signature sounds ever. They still have the rough edge today that they had as they started out playing a sort of melodic Thrash in the 80s, but along the way it's been mixed with increasing doses of Progressive and Symphonic writing, without the band ever becoming "progressive" in the conventional sense, but rather developing their own sound. For those who understand - THAT is truly what progressiveness means. :)
And of course you hit the bullseye right away - the storytelling aspect! Fast or slow, acoustic or demonic, the GUARDIANs have not been named the Bards of Heavy metal for nothing... Hansi brings universes like Tolkien's Middle Earth, Wheel of Time or friggin' "Iliad" to life like few others. You owe it to yourself to explore the multifaceted legends these guys conjure, especially live, assisted by thousands of deliriously chanting mesmerized fans!
The other guys in the comments will heavily recommend the double serving of "The Bard's Song - In the Forest" and "Valhalla", and you should definitely watch those. I am just a little partial to the earlier (2004) live presentations off "Imaginations Through the Looking Glass" DVD. One of the best of its kind, ever. They headlined an own 2-day festival during which the incredible performance was shot. For the legendary songs, you would do well to use that one. However, there is no dearth of good value performances that include also the newer songs.
I have not studied what is the best way to give suggestions on this channel, so I will just put them forward. To not lose the reasonable look, ;)) let's stick to 5: "The Last Candle"; "Imaginations from the Other Side"; "Nightfall"; "And Then There Was Silence"; and "The Throne". I have a couple dozens of BLIND GUARDIAN songs I would call personal all-time favorites, but probably more people might get behind those suggestions...
And by all means once you are into them, do branch out to discover DEMONS AND WIZARDS, the child of Hansi and ICED EARTH's mastermind John Schaffer. Start with "Fiddler on the Green" (one of those creations that can be called a heartfelt epic...), and continue the quest on to "Diabolic" from their new album, which had a really cool video shot to boot. Enjoy, enjoy! \m/
I listen to Guardian since 1997 and I am learning so much things from you that I didn't notice before. Thank you so much!
Means a lot. Thank you so much 🙏
my favorite songs of them are "road of no release", "you're the voice" and " the ninth wave"
you really should add Avantasia or Edguy to your list. I think you will like them
Ohh, YESSSSSS. Blind Guardian. Thanks for doing this. Bard's Song & Valhalla live at Wacken could give you some goosebumps... ;-)
My BG trip ended with the Imaginations from the Other Side album, because i dipped then more into Black and Death Metal, so I could only recommend the older songs like welcome to dying or majesty.
If I remember right, I read in an interview, that the drummer plays at the song "and then there was silence..." no part again, so it was hard work to remember for over 14min what to play.
Blind Guardian puts on one of the best live shows you will ever experience. The crowd interaction with the crowd singing along is just amazing.
I saw Blind Guardian in Baltimore in maybe 2016 and it was their first time playing the US in a LONG time and early in their tour. They clearly did not expect the energy from the crowd they got and it energized them and energized the crowd... and so on. They ended up playing like 6 encores and ended on Mirror Mirror. Was an awesome show.
Instaclick. Can’t believe it took you this long 😉
Great review. Got my intro to power metal in the mid 80s with Helloween, Savatage and Manowar and branched out in the early 90s (BG, Hammerfall, Gamma Ray, Edguy, Pink Cream, Kamelot, etc) when Michael Kiske left Helloween and grunge was all you could find here in the States. The best of the genre have very distinctive vocalists, and Hansi certainly does.
Great song! I remember seeing them live for the first time. The crowd was nuts! Power Metal was not a go to genre in my part of the world....Keep it coming! The Script for My Requiem, Time Stand Still (At The Iron Hill), Bright Eyes to name a few.
When a song about Middle Earth history gets that reaction you know there's hope for the world.
As a 40y old BG fan growing up with BG (and being inspired by them when learning guitar and drums) I would give you the following rundown:
Early age BG: Young mosheads. Just some kids with a rehearsal room that take it really serious. Full of drive to become successful. However, not much musicial knowledge. Singer Hans never took lessons, but has a natural talent. Songwriting is thrash metal/punk. They drink a lot of beer. Teenagers basically. Andre, the lead guitarist seems to just be a genius. He also wasn't able to read notes. He was just a super talented introverted guitar genius already.
Some notable songs from that era:
"Majesty": ua-cam.com/video/EkR7pj02_Sw/v-deo.html
"Banished from Sanctuary": ua-cam.com/video/g97meJ4YS4o/v-deo.html
The underground scene takes note of them, they manage to kind of "live" of their music. They start getting more known in metal circles. The singing improves, the band starts to get more influences from their oldschool rock side. They release "Tales from the Twilight World" and "Somewhere far beyond". Nearly all of Germany's role-players start to know the band. You couldn't step into a pen&paper roleplay store without at least seeing one guy wearing a Blind Guardian shirt. It was the time when they started to be associated heavily with fantasy worlds. (Even the artwork they use was screaming in your face: Fantasy!).
Also, they became stars in Japan, filling big halls and hitting the charts. Probably due to the melodic "computer game vibe" style of the lead guitars mixed with the fantasy like themed covers and artwork.
Some notable songs from that era :
"Traveler in Time": ua-cam.com/video/c9Q8-5EExGI/v-deo.html
"Lost in the Twilight Hall": ua-cam.com/video/JphoVbGOnkA/v-deo.html
"The Last Candle": ua-cam.com/video/MZ8wzlXCAVI/v-deo.html
Their first "ballad"-> "Lord of the Rings": ua-cam.com/video/x1oWcUWOxZ8/v-deo.html
"Time What is Time": ua-cam.com/video/0rqXWmNJq9A/v-deo.html
Their second ballad: "The Bard's Song": ua-cam.com/video/zb5zrGR1juE/v-deo.html
(Bard's song is the most popular song of the band, also to non BG fans. It has several million views on youtube.)
In 1995 they were a very well established band, and their musicianship was well developed. The singer took lessons (later even operatic lessons). You could say they started to enter their "peak era". Virgin, their publisher, even made them release a nearly full "cover album" with covers such as "Mr. Sandman, The Wizard, To France, Spead your Wings (Queen). They were experienced, dynamic, skilled, still full of energy. What is especially noteworthy: They started to work with Flemming Rasmussen, the legendary producer from Denmark, who also did the older Metallica (e.g. Master Of Puppets) albums. It was immediately obvious when you heard the difference in sound. Everything sounds way crispier, clearer, but also more aggressive while the palm mutes and details on the guitar works, such as string slides etc. where extremely defined. Imho the best producer in their career.
Notable songs from that era (ignoring the mostly covers based album "Forgotten Tales"):
"Bright Eyes": ua-cam.com/video/pP6qMKW8jHo/v-deo.html
"Imaginations from the other Side": ua-cam.com/video/HPG7gYoqpHM/v-deo.html
After that kind of huge success, they took another long break (the first releases where in a 1y rythm, but then they started to write more and more complex stuff, so the cycle went up to a 3y gap).
So in 1998 they released, what is considered, by most fans who followed them throughout all the years, to be their best album in the way of the "old Blind Guardian spirit": Nightfall in Middle Earth.
The entire album is one art piece, telling the story of the "Silmarillion" with spoken narrative between the songs. It was the pinnacle of their "fantasy connection" and intensified their relationship with the whole fantasy games community. Few people that liked fantasy games didn't know of Blind Guardian at that point, in Germany, but also in most parts of Europe. In the USA, the publisher didn't see much potential for them, so they only played concerts in front of small audiences. Very intimate, compared to the big crowds they had in europa and asia. This album was also produced by Flemming Rasmussen.
Since the whole album is a concept album, it should be viewed as such, but here are some
notable songs from that:
"Into the Storm": (A lot of concerts started with this song even years later): ua-cam.com/video/edRu9SGmm4E/v-deo.html
"Nightfall" (Mid tempo song, very popular): ua-cam.com/video/qzSJLlyqh6Q/v-deo.html
After the huge success of Nightfall (which was still the vocalists favorite album, even after the next following release) they took another even bigger break of 4 years. It was rather silent around the band at that time. I remember people asking "What's up with BG". I think they had realized that they peaked, and it was a big challenge to satisfy the ever growing expectations of the fans.
However, even though the next album "A Night at the Opera" was kind of overshadowed by BG's former extremely well done albums, it was standing well on it's own. You could hear the band trying to put "more and more" into their songs. For some it felt like a desperate attempt to be more epic than what has done before, and eventually that journey towards more and more epic multi-layered progressive stuff with less and less room for the individual instrument, was the reason the drummer left the band after this album. Though it kind of can be seen as the transition into a new era of the band by 2002, where the compact "wall of sound" approach was no longer constrained to the chorus elements of the songs, but even to the verse, bridge and many interlude parts:
Some notable songs from the Night at the Opera:
"Battlefield": ua-cam.com/video/AssG0Qj15i0/v-deo.html
"And Then There Was Silence": ua-cam.com/video/JpbRVR_hXkQ/v-deo.html (often seen as their Magnum Opus).
Again 4 years passed, and you could tell that the band members were starting to be less and less "rockstar-ish" guys. Probably a lot of family time, raising children. During this time, the vocalist also had a phase of serious health issues with his voice, if I remember correctly. Some concerts during that time were embarrassing. He had big trouble hitting the right pitch. For some reason, they believed in "never cancel a show".
Anyway, after 4y they came up with "A Twist in the Myth" in 2006. This is the dividing line. The fanbase was basically split. Even to this day, you have many die hard fans that consider this to be the line where "Blind Guardian stopped to exist the way we knew it". However, other fans, especially newer fans too, didn't had that baggage of expectations and enjoyed it for what it was.
The sound changed drastically (they no longer were produced by Flemming Rasmussen, but a new guy, a friend of the band). The songs were solid, but untypical of Blind Guardian. Much softer. Less heavy. More progressive. It kind of spoke a language of "we're getting older, we wanna do something new, let's try stuff out". Basically a phase many artists go through (see Metallica Load/Reload etc.).
The thing is, objectively speaking BG never released a "bad album" in terms of craftsmanship. However, it cannot be denied that their vibe changed. Also, with the new drummer, who was a real educated drummer (unlike the former, who played by instinct) some of the heavyness got lost and the drums were feeling less prominent, moving further to the background. Less bass. Less kick. Less full toms. Much more of a "mainstream" production style. Generally more "groovy" too.
Some notable songs from that:
"Fly": ua-cam.com/video/UtxvZNxDFNA/v-deo.html
"Lionheart": ua-cam.com/video/l-VYYvyPSuE/v-deo.html
In 2010, at the age of 44+ they released "At the Edge Of Time", an album that brought in many many new, younger fans. It strikes a middle-ground between being accessible and epic. They kind of went with the new sound from the last album, but added even more orchestra and complex layers of sound. While complex in general, with many melodies and different voice tracks layered, the general harmonys used in the songs are very easy to listen to. Overall it is again, a great album, but you can tell why the diehard fans stopped bothering, as the album really spreads a very different vibe from what the band did 10y ago. However, many new fans I've met even said that this is their favorite album. Maybe because it also sounds much more "modern" and very "clean". Not as dirty and drum heavy (sound wise, drums are all over the place, just mixed rather approachable).
Some notable songs:
"Sacred Worlds": ua-cam.com/video/e6Y2qGK--NI/v-deo.html
"Wheel Of Time": ua-cam.com/video/wJtFXTIEwYQ/v-deo.html
Another 5 years passed. They played live here and there, but generally speaking the BG infos were sparse. Then they came up with "Beyond the Red Mirror"
With the vocalist being about 50y old at that point, I personally was very surprised what they put together here.
To me it's one of the best albums overall, not comparable to the early days obviously, but a good mix of their more modern style with some more elements of their roots. Sure, his voice no longer has the warmth and fullness in the lower end that he had when he was younger, but what do you expect at the age of 50+. I think he is still sounding very good at that age. Especially after a career of "raspy" singing. Just in terms of drums, I think the modern sound just lacks width in the basskick and reverb in the snare. It's all very sterile and close to "digital" on the drum side.
Some notable songs:
"The ninth wave": ua-cam.com/video/klVGR0JZmcg/v-deo.html
"Twilight of the Gods": ua-cam.com/video/iGd97s265WM/v-deo.html
And then, recently, the released a "spin off" album, call Twilight Orchestra, which basically is just the vocalist and the prague orchestra. Something they wanted to do for a long time, but always delayed. (I think they had the plan to do it for about 20y and in 2019 finally got to it). As it's not really the entire band and more of an "experimental side project" I'll skip any comment on it here.
Holy hell, its a lot of information in one go. 😅 Thank you. 😅😅😅
@@ChaseCarneson Jumping to the present: They actually announced a new album for 2021. They are currently recording it. I am excited to see what they come up with. I guess at some point they going to retire, so every album they still make is a bonus for me, on top of a very outstanding career.
Hey Chase, i’ve been with you since the beginning of your Nightwish adventure, and now you’re doing another one of my favorite bands👍🏼👍🏼 keep up the good work, really enjoy your reactions.
For Blind Guardian you should really check out “ and then there was Silence” (a long one😉) and “imaginations from the other Side” they are two rare beauties. I still believe the best version from Imaginations (and al other songs on the album) is from the live album of 2003. Unfortunately i don’t believe there are any video’s from the perfomances, but then just listen them for yourself to enjoy😉
"Daaamnn, you know what's impressive? Well, obviously everything." :D
Nice reaction. I would probably be content bathing in Blind Guardian music to the very end of my days.
Beyond the Red Mirror is spectacular , their early albums sound dated to me. Nightfall in Middle Earth is a classic worthy of Tolkien 🤘 Demons and Wizards have a concept album about the Dark Tower, Touched by the Crimson King. Simply great. Also BG did a soundtrack for a video game and full orchestra cd too
Agreed. Love the old stuff, but the new stuff is such a different sound and I haven't seen anyone react to anything new in a long time.
"You know what's impressive? Obviously everything [...]"
2:35 .... i also loved the remark immediately.
Definently check out more from them!
You can pick almost any live performance and it's gonna be great.
Listening to them since i was a child. Probably my all time favorite band. They really know music AND to play their instruments. Just great musicians and also great people. Looking forward to see you react to more of their stuff!
Having been a Blind Guardian fan for 30 years now and having been to numerous concerts I have never been disapointed by them. I remember one concert in Düsseldorf where the crowd (including me ;) ) kept them from continuing with their show for about 10 minutes by just keeping on to sing the corus of Valhalla - you should definitivly check out the double video "The Bard's Song/Valhalla" from Wacken 2016 (Tank already did and he loved it)!Also you should have a look at their latest project - Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra, a metal opera with several speakers, full orchestra and more.
They did a opera album 'A night at the opera' ... check out 'sadly sings destiny' it is .. soo.. good
The whole album is a masterpiece
Blind Guardian - The Bard's Song & Valhalla - Live at Wacken Open Air 2016
Yesssss. Just because they're connected, hope you check out some Iced Earth, then Demons&Wizards. Demons&Wizards is band run by Jon Schaffer, the creator and rhythm guitarist of Iced Earth, with Blind Guardian's singer (Hansi Kursch) as its singer.
It is always a pleasure to see someone discover Blind Guardian. Boy you are in for a ride :)
On my view there are at least three albums to check out of the bands discography:
- Somewhere far beyond (a lot of great vocal-work and powerful arrengements)
- Imaginations from the other side (perfect blend of melody, "singing"-guitar work and metal riffs)
- Nightfall in Middle-Earth (the most versatile and symphony-like arrengements)
"Mirror Mirror" is from the "Nightfall" album, btw.
Go for this three masterpieces, you won't be disappointed... ;-)
Greetz from Germany!
Glad to see you're reacting to Blind Guardian. My favourite band. Hope to see you do more reactions to them in the future. With all these music reactors on UA-cam, there's not nearly enough reactors who do Blind Guardian regularly. And I think the more you listen to them, the more impressed you're gonna be. There's some really musically rich stuff in their discography. Last year they even released a fully orchestral album, which had been in the making for 20+ years. :)
"You know what's impressive? *Not even waiting a splitsecond to consider the question*
Obviously everything"
I love that quote! :-D Thank you for the video!
Awesome! Since you are starting to discover all those european metal bands, i think its about time you see all these musicians together on ayreon-the day the world breaks down. Wont spoil all the guest appearances but yeah hansi from blind guardian is one of my favourites.
Great suggestion :)
@@Honken55 It's Chase's turn!
Here in Germany, wI konow many Metal fans, who call Blind Guardian the "Fischer Chöre des Metal" (the Fischer choir of metal) Fisher choir having been a quite famous german mass (mass meaning more than 1000 singers) choir, originally lead by late dirigent Ottfried Fischer) simply, because every one in the band and we, tha audience, do sing along on the vast majority of their songs ;).
Bist mir auch so ein Ottfried Fischer. Der Bulle von Tölz hat die Chöre nicht geleitet. 😉
Gotthilf Fischer hieß der Dirigent, der auch mit J.B.O. einen kleinen Disput hatte.
i fell in love with metal music when i met Blind Guardian and Nightwish at 12 years old
The Wizards of the Crowd are finally here.
Thanks for highlighting Markus, Andre, the lead usually gets almost all the limelight. Also, Hansi played the bass in the begining, as well as singing...
Another great reaction video, Chase :-). Blind Guardian began their career in the style of Speed Metal as another German legend Helloween. Over time, their styl evolved into Power Metal. Their songs contain fantasy stories, most stories from Tolkien. You´re doing great again. Many thanks for this reaction video :-).
Whoo Hoo! I love this band! Always have always will! Keep rockin’ it out! 🤘🏻❤️
You just HAVE TO watch The Brad's Song & Valhalla at Wacken Open Air 2016. It is without exaggeration one of the best live metal acts of all time and the dream of every metal band out there. The crowd and the band are both just out of this world in that moment. Even if you don't react to it please for the love of all that is metal go watch it!
Blind Guardian is one of the few bands where I would always rather listen to their live stuff than their albums... They are just one of the very best live bands out there... so much atmosphere, energy, emotion, showmenship, .... If you ever get the chance to see them live, do it!
I'm so glad that You react this band. Hansi is a great singer. I love Blind Guardian. Today liryc "Mirror Mirror on the wall" stay with me. Great, educative reaction Chase.
Finally! Blind Guardian was the Band that has brought me to the metal music 22 years ago now - i was just 6 years old, my father had this song on a cd and i loved it so much. that started everything.
A lot of people will now suggest Bards Song, Valhalla and other classics and all are great. But if you really want to get blown away by the genius of this band, give Sacred Mind from their last Studio Album a try. Its a long song, but dude you will witness what vocal force Hansi truly is. And he is such a great guy, honestly!
You might also want to check out "Nightfall" from Wacken 2011 or Rockpalast 2016.
Honestly, one of my favourite vocalists of all time. I’ll recognise Hansi, wherever I hear him.
Blind guardian reaction and this not Valhalla? Respect 👏👍
great in depth analysis of the track from an outside perspective
I heard Them over 20 years ago and it is still loooveeeee!
Hi, everyone will suggest THE BARD'S SONG + VALHALLA live at Wacken it's realy a MUST. Guaranteed goosbumps. If you want to see fan's love and respect to a band watch it!!!
You made my morning, Chase! It is Nightwish Saturday and even there is no new video out, you just made me so happy already. I'm glad you choose Blind Guardian to react to, cause it is a very creative band that will bring you a lot of fun and a bunch of surprising moments. "Mirror Mirror" was one of the first songs I heard when I was a teen and is still one of my alltime favorites. Looking forward to a new journey that you'll take us on! 🤗
You should do next "and then there was silence" the live version, it's a long song but it is a great song.
Studio version is better. The original one not the remastered.....
Holy crap had I known you’d never heard blind guardian I woulda suggested it!
I suggest Edguy or Iced Earth, in that case...
Yes to both!!! WE would love Iced Earth and Edguy!!! \m/
Δέσποινα Μαρκοπούλου the question is...which songs?! Uugh, too many good choices
Or Iced Earth First and then Demons&Wizards...xD
@@Wriwnas1 Dante's Inferno from Alive in Athens \m/
I am still waiting and hoping to see more Blind Guardian on this Channel! :)
Here's a request for something that doesn't get requested at all (to my knowledge). It's probably one of the best metal bands you never heard off, although they are know internationally more than in our home country, Portugal.
Moonspell.
They've been around since 1992, have released 11 studio albums. They would be labeled as goth, but they do venture into other sounds. And they have some wicked videos.
My request for you is the song Extinct, from the album with the same name, released in 2015. Official music video.
I think you'd like it. They have keys, and killer guitar solos. Plus, the vocalists voice is very unique.
Yeah, the good old times.... thank you so much, Chase. A german metal legend for sure. Saw them live back in the 90´s and i´am still in love with them. Looking forward to seeing more reactions on the Bards. Greetings from a german Kitsune 🤘🏼🦊🤘🏼. Please stay healthy you all.
"you know whats impressive? obviously everything.." couldnt have said it better myself.. thats blind guardian for you :)
Saw them in Worcester MA Halloween 2015 maybe 14 or -16 with grave digger they played a 4 hour set 10pm -2am best show of my life
if you want to see hansi, marco and floor . try age of shadows, ayreon. great job as usual. good one liked this.
Love your reactions. Between you and Tank you have helped to turn me onto many new bands, as well as rediscover bands that I haven't listened to in a long time and for that I'm thankful. Keep up the great work and "Have A Damn Good Day" (bout to order me a new coffee cup)
First the Nightwish and now Blind Guardian!! You got me dude! That's Great!
Blind Guardian - Wheel of Time
I dont think there is a live Version, but its amazing
Happy to find someone who reacts to more of Blind Guardian than the Bard song and Valhalla at Wacken. Don't get me wrong love the Bard song and Valhalla but don't whant peopel to belive that thees are the only good BG-songs!
I recommend "Bright Eyes" from Blind Guardian :)!
The backing vocals for the chorus are the crowd! A little hard to tell on video, but seeing BG live is awesome. Lots of bands just play the set, but a BG show involves the crowd on every single song.
Blind guardian's pretty great! :)
you should totally check out Starkill "Untill We Fall" it's awesome as well!!
The various characters get distinct voices. Listening through that cd all the way through makes it even that more impressive...
They are such a classic. Everything you want from a classic power metal band.
I love "Ashes to Ashes" with them. One of the first songs that made me embark on my metal-journey all those years ago. You have to check it out. It has everything: mean ass riffs, soaring solos, an adventurous sound and awesome vocals! To this day I still get goose flesh whenever I'm listening to that song!
Glad I found your channel man! FINALLY not just meaningless slackjawed reactions but some actual information ^^
Blind Guardian was the first band that intruduced me to metal. They started everything for me 15 years ago or so. The still have a very special place in my heart. I'd be happy to see you go deeper on them. All recommendations in the other comments are pretty much good.
For sure the "Bard's Song + Valhalla" live video from Wacken. And a special love I have for ''Time Stands Still" and "Nightfall", they are from the same album as "Mirror Mirror" but I guess something from different ablum. Their style evolved massively through the years.
Blind Guardian - Harvest of Sorrow is a great and underrated song! The version from their Live (2003) album is my personal favorite, though it doesn't have a live video.
As much as I like Blind Guardian; it's time for Demons and Wizards...The Gunslinger....Wacken 2019.
Every song -->
Me: Omg this lead-guitar, the crowd chants, this beautiful singing voice!
Chase Carneson: Omg this drummer!
Yay! Please do more Blind Guardian! These guys are my first heavy metal love ever. And this song, as great and legendary as it is, doesn't even showcase all of Hansi's genius as a vocalist. And he is, absolute genius. The Bards don't get nowhere near the amount of love in the reactionverse as they deserve! Please do more!
Love blind guardian they are awesome, thankyou Chase hope you do more.🤘
The chorus you hear is their amaizing audience singing