Somewhere Far Beyond

by Blind Guardian

Overview

Somewhere Far Beyond has all the elements of classic Blind Guardian: fantasy and horror-story tracks inspired by the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen King; speedy double-bass riffing; and searing melodic vocals punctuated by anthemic group choruses. Bassist/vocalist Hansi Kuersch seems to possess several different voices, which serve his band's dynamic purposes well. From regal tales of dragon warfare ("The Bard's Song: The Hobbit,") to minstrel ballads ("The Bard's Song: In the Forest,") to Blind Guardian's trademark early-'90s speed metal matrix of hyper riffs and melodic multi-voiced choruses ("Journey Through the Dark," "Ashes to Ashes," and "Somewhere Far Beyond,") every pompous, excessive base is covered. Practically unknown in America, Blind Guardian had grown into quite a formidable metal outfit by the time of this 1992 release. The coming world-wide revival of '80s-influenced European metal certainly did their burgeoning career no harm and the group began penetrating the U.S. market. This delighted many old-school metal fans tired of the fake anger, pasty hip-hop posturing, and overall uniformity of American "hard" music. With plenty of great performances, challenging material, and some wicked guitar playing, Somewhere Far Beyond is a cornerstone of Blind Guardian's sizable reputation. ~ Vincent Jeffries

Product Details

Release Date:	08/02/2024
Label:	Nuclear Blast
UPC:	4065629726836
Rank:	185500

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Blind Guardian   Primary Artist
Kai Hansen   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Guitar
Matthias Wiesner   Bass,Drums,Keyboards
Rolf Koehler   Vocals (Background)
Andre Olbrich   Vocals (Background),Rhythm,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Billy King   Vocals (Background)
Kalle Trapp   Vocals (Background)
Stephanie Will   Piano
Peter Ruebsam   Bagpipes
Armin "Magnus" Siepen   Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Piet Sielck   Guitar
Hansi Kuersch   Bass,Vocals
Thomen Stauch   Drums
Stefan Will   Piano

Technical Credits

Matthias Wiesner   Effects,Composer
Kalle Trapp   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Russ Tippins   Composer
Becker Derouet Hamburg   Cover Painting
Andreas Marschall   Cover Painting
John Deacon   Composer
Piet Sielck   Effects,Engineer
Kai Hansen   Composer
Hansi Kuersch   Composer
Marcus Siepen   Composer
Andre Olbrich   Composer
Tom Nagy   Photography