Welcome to Retro-Reviews, a space where I indulge in my own nostalgic reveries, reminiscing about a time that never truly existed, but one that I’ve crafted through various random albums that hold significance for me. Whether good or bad, one thing is certain: remembering can be a bittersweet journey.
It’s 1998. President Clinton faces impeachment for not keeping it in his pants, India and Pakistan conduct their first nuclear tests, the Human Genome Project begins, and Russia’s economy sinks into its worst crisis ever. Oh, right, the Metal! It was a…complicated year, to say the least. Bands like Slayer and Iron Maiden reached new lows, but Death and Opeth were in their prime. Today, though, we’re going to talk about something completely different: Blind Guardian‘s Nightfall in Middle-Earth.
It might surprise you, but Power Metal was kind of cool back then. Its musicians were highly respected for their talent, and it was the genre many of us first explored. Going back to this album is a true trip to my beginnings as a Metalhead. To talk about Nightfall is to define Power Metal itself. Every album after this one took something from it. It’s as important as Helloween‘s Keepers of the Seven Keys Part I and II, or Kamelot‘s The Black Halo. Awesome, but does it hold up today?
The cheese here is almost as high as it can get. I’d give it a 9, so a moldy cheese? Maybe the main tracks don’t seem that corny to you, but remember that a) this is LOTR music and b) there are a ton of short interludes with “epic” dialogues that prime you more than a Dungeons & Dragons match. You really need to be ready to embrace your inner geek because the album isn’t ashamed to be that fundamentalist Comic-Con attendee who would immolate themselves before admitting they didn’t understand The Silmarillion.
It’s definitely a product of its time—a snapshot before Metal would take radical changes in both the mainstream and the underground. This is probably the last great work of “classic” Heavy Metal. After this, we would reshape or deconstruct Metal to a point that anyone who lived through the ’80s would end up alienated. Having said that, let’s be honest, the riffs in this album are iconic! Even if you hate Power Metal, “Mirror Mirror” is so catchy that you’ll swallow all your guilt.
The guitars are playful and intricate without ever losing focus. And the vocals—Kürsch had some pipes. Few singers since have come in with such presence. He could carry this album on his own, but luckily for us, everyone else was on their A-game. Nightfall makes you feel like you want to die for a noble cause. Sadly, there are none left (or were there ever any?). It’s an energizing journey that will motivate you enough to stop procrastinating by reading our reviews and get your life together once and for all.
This thing is as dated as it can get. The production, the writing, the themes—yet it’s still one of the most enjoyable Metal albums you can listen to. It’s like an old classic western: incredibly antiquated, but it could still teach half of today’s filmmakers a thing or two. Blind Guardian is the same for its genre: aeons in the business and still finding ways to surprise us. However, even after decades of exciting work, Nightfall is without a doubt a strong candidate for the best Power Metal album in history.
Your turn again! Suggest an old album in the comments (10 years old or more), but I’ll review it in two weeks since next Friday is booked already!
Label: Virgin/Century Media
Release date: 28 April, 1998
Website: https://blindguardian.bandcamp.com/album/nightfall-in-middle-earth
Country: Germany
Score: dated, but the best of its kind (protecting your virginity since 1998)
Metal Eclipse Reviews 