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BLIND GUARDIAN
Twilight Orchestra: Legacy Of The Dark Lands
2019, Nuclear Blast

Twenty years is a long time - almost an entire generation - and it passes in nary the blink of an eye. For BLIND GUARDIAN, the last 20 years have been filled with whispers of a fabled fable now presented in the form of “Twilight Orchestra…” Ambitious seems too tame a word for the sheer scope of such an album but be aware, there is a balancing power to be reckoned with.

In 2002, the Bards fully embraced their symphonic predilections with A Night At The Opera and everyone lost their minds. Since then, tinkering with the ingredients, BLIND GUARDIAN just keep getting better while always being themselves and the idea of a purely orchestral album was clearly stated to be something worked on off the side of the desk, with a different quill. The focus was always BLIND GUARDIAN. And now, the focus is on an orchestra with the same moniker, but also as a misnomer of sorts.

Make no mistake - the sounds contained on Twilight Orchestra are as epic and grandiose as the amazing cover art would lead one to believe. The organization and orchestration are excellently paced and the characterization of rock opera would absolutely be apt in any discussion, the album moving through so many moods, feelings, intros, narrations, and themes it is dizzying to make the attempt at a clear dissection even after many listens. The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is simply sublime. And that’s the problem.

Twilight Orchestra is not, strictly speaking, a BLIND GUARDIAN album and its cachet is by name recognition therein. With that said it is also not a vanity project - the album stands on its own merits and is an astounding piece of orchestral vision and storytelling, but it is not a metal album. It is a BLIND GUARDIAN album insofar as the subject matter but also feels at times like an extended introduction track - both the blessing and curse of BLIND GUARDIAN.

Admittedly I expressed trepidation at reviewing this particular title as I did not feel I could fairly rate it in the context of a metal release. I stand by that sentiment and will hold a rating of “Not Applicable”.

Twilight Orchestra is well worth repeated visits and investigations. Dig in.

Rating: N/A