Blind Guardian/ Leaves Eyes

Setlist:
Into The Storm
Born in a Mourning Hall
Nightfall
The Script for my Requiem
Fly
Mordred Song
Valhalla
Time Stands Still
Welcome to Dying
Lord of the Rings
This Will Never End
And Then There Was Silence

(Encore):
Imaginations From the Other Side
Bard's Song (In The Forest)
Mirror Mirror

Openers Leaves Eyes are serving as direct support for Blind Guardian’s current U.S. tour. They are fronted by an operatic female voice with a style very similar to Nightwish and more so Epica in they mix both the female with a male voice accompanied by gothic sounding keyboards. Really between the death metal growls of the male vocals and the opera tone from the female they offered me nothing new or interesting I have not heard before by the above mentioned bands. The crowd seemed to enjoy them as an opener and I only see them being nothing more than just that. This is Nightwish’s territory.

It has been 4 years since Blind Guardian (supported by Symphony X) made their first trek through the States in support of their latest release at the time “A Night at the Opera”. In 2002 they also made their U.S. debut prior at the pioneering ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, joined by other Euro style heavy hitters Angra, Gamma Ray, Edguy, a festival I attended and reviewed under my previous publication name That’s so Metal.

Currently they are touring behind their latest release “A Twist in the Myth”, an album still very much a traditional BG disc in the sense yet not as grand or layered with vocals melodies like “Night at the Opera” and finding more in common with album’s like “Imaginations from the Other Side”. This night at BB Kings was sold out and with their last visits both at the now defunct Birch Hill Night Club in NJ and The World in Times Square were equally as packed. With a highly regarded album by both fans and critiques, the band have triumphantly come back to play for a loyal yet growing fan base.

I must make note of how much the music scene in at least this area of the U.S., has embraced and grown since these Tolkien (“The Lord of the Rings” novels/movies) inspired Germans made their first landing in our fickle, trendy saturated lovely country. I am more than happy to say it is great to see this slightly more modern sounding new album “A Twist in the Myth” continues to expand the band’s fan base while retaining all the great qualities that make Blind Guardian a unique and dynamic force in classic Heavy Metal well grounded in the traditions set by Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, and Helloween to name a few.

The fans are what have made this musical form come to the surface in the States with of equal importance bands like Blind Guardian keeping true to their craft, as for many years during the nineties this musical style and sound was virtually un recognized by the metal listening masses in the States and was only able to strive in European countries. I continue to solute the fans and journalists who have supported the European style Power Metal music for all those under dog years to this day as we have finally become regarded to an extent.

But the battle rages on…….