Despite the many positive reviews for me a great disappointment

Blind Guardian's latest album "Beyond The Red Mirror" has produced a rare positive for a metal album media frenzy which I can understand in any way. Well, the plates of the band were estimated always relatively high in general, and so far I could ever comprehend. In "Beyond The Red Mirror" but I've got the feeling for the first time to get presents set pieces from old albums thrown together confused and glued with orchestra. Really bad disc in my opinion is not, however, considering the expectations and reactions so far (!), I am very disappointed.

Before I get to the actual song material, I want to address a fundamental problem of the plate, which I thank God knows that I am not the only one who regurgitates acid: The production is terrible! The whole sound of the album sounds mushy and undifferentiated, especially heavier passages lose quite a bit of power and the momentum is pretty messed up. If Blind Guardian it is not new that the production is rather poor, especially "A Night At The Opera" and "A Twist In The Myth" sounded at least used to. Nevertheless, in my opinion, a new stage has been reached with "Beyond The Red Mirror". For the first time bothers me the recording quality permanently in listening pleasure, simply because many nuances lost in the mushy.

If only the production standard, that would be annoying, but no reason for me to look at the plate, especially from a deficit-oriented view. "Beyond The Red Mirror" but has a completely different problem: The songs themselves like me simply significantly less than that of any other Blind Guardian album. The opener "The Ninth Wave" is a good example for the bad points of the album for me. First, it starts with atmospheric choirs and orchestra, which knows how to please absolutely. After some time, then uses the actual tape. Meanwhile, I am no longer shocked by the mushy guitars and I can concentrate on about the music itself. Consisting of frequently changing passages which all coincide in one point each for me: In themselves they are boring! Everyone should only once be clear that 'Beyond The Red Mirror' has complex song structures, who has a second "Tales from the Twilight World" expects, is unsurprisingly misplaced. But even if I "Beyond The Red Mirror" listen to it again and again and the individual pieces can follow in their course, do not tear with the album. Just compare the times mentioned opening title "The Ninth Wave" with "Precious Jerusalem" from "A Night At The Opera". Both are varied and diverse, but during my "Precious Jerusalem" always enthusiastic, bored "The Ninth Wave" only. Especially the chorus is so banal and unimaginative, that I wonder how to get the idea, calling him "Progressive".

The problems of the opener affect most of the new songs. Despite the variety, which owns the album admittedly, I do not bekomm many pieces help feeling, all to have better heard by the same band. This applies, for example on "At the Edge of Time" (song!), "The Throne" or the bouncer "Grand Parade". I am sometimes almost ready, "Beyond The Red Mirror" as a mixture of "A Night At The Opera" for the poor and "At the Edge of Time" to call for arms.
The only song on the new record, which suits me perfectly is "Distant Memories". Here the otherwise happily around kleisternde bombast are just like the pace scaled back considerably and there is a varied, touching ballad with a great chorus. "Prophecies" in my opinion, still stands out positively, would on the previous album, but not noticed. With "Miracle Machine" there is finally a short ballad, is in the dispensed drums and guitars - nice, but nothing more.

A true horror bite for me, however, the already pre-release as a single, "Twilight of the Gods". The piece seems to me like a caricature of old tape exploits. Apart from the fact that the bad production is particularly striking at a no-frills, hard pieces like "Twilight ...." annoys me the song tremendously. "... Twilight" publish Compare him sometimes with very old songs like "Banish from Sanctuary" or "Journey Through the Dark" and wondered if it was really necessary nor in such pieces in the book catalog, as a half-baked speed number as , My answer is a resounding 'No'! The second up-tempo song, "The Holy Grail", I like a little better, coming in the past still nowhere near.

The bottom line is not a brutally bad, but simply a superfluous album "Beyond The Red Mirror" for me. Neither is there to hear great new features that would somehow bring the band, yet the BID is nearing similar from the past. It is clear that "Beyond The Red Mirror" is growing by several passes, but well, it is my opinion, not even after a detailed hearing. Instead I recommend the new album "A Night At The Opera" and "At the Edge of Time" (album). These plates like them much better and include together stylistically almost everything can be found on 'Beyond The Red Mirror.