And so it has now come to pass that the venerable institution of BLIND GUARDIAN has risen again, breathing fire while riding the back of a dragon right through Tolkien's heart. Or, for some, it has now come to pass that one of the most over rated, over the top, and plain annoying bands in the Power Metal game has put out something else that someone, somewhere, cares about. Regardless of personal feelings, the integrity of BLIND GUARDIAN is beyond reproach; they are true ambassadors of the form. With "At The Edge Of Time", Hansi and company have crafted a album that ranks with the best (and most contested) offerings in their mighty tome. But really, time, what is time? Come into the black chamber, friends, and have a look.

After getting over the pomposity of "A Night At The Opera", many fans and critics were unsure of the next step for BLIND GUARDIAN, given that album's overarching use of a great amount of symphonic heft and Freddie Mercury vocal layering to give the choir effect and less of a "Metal" feel. Fast forward to "A Twist In The Myth" and the band righted this sail upon their ship of Power Metal glory, but something was still arguably amiss. Now, with "At The Edge Of Time" the whole damn ship is bearing down with menace as it sails the choppy seas of artistic growth and staying true to that which endeared a band to the hearts of headbangers the world over. It's a stunning sight, really, and one that is destined to be the topic of debate for years to come.

The riffery on this album simply smokes, it twists and turns and tug at the guts like a tapeworm that hasn't been fed in a week and yet, amazingly, the perfectly executed bits of abject symphonic grandiosity are still intact. So too is Hansi's ridiculously capable voice. From the slow build of opening track "Sacred Worlds" through to "Ride Into Obsession" the listener can't help but be rapt in the sheer scope of ground covered and the panache with which it's all put into place. And then, as in days of yore, "Curse My Name" evokes memories of gems like "The Bard's Song" (both parts) or "The Maiden And The Minstrel Knight", the listener is transported to a place only BLIND GUARDIAN know: folky in an non-superficial way with a spectacular side of whispered might. The remainder of "At The Edge Of Time" continues in kind, alternating between music so over the top it can't be wrong and songs that are memorable, catchy, and pleasing to any ear. On a side note, kudos to BLIND GUARDIAN for resurrecting the frenetic pacing and time changes found in "Somewhere Far Beyond" and "Battallions Of Fear" and for referencing earlier material with a new spin and tying it all up in this seething and simmering platter of unabashed humanity, which is another point to touch on.

Unlike some Power Metal bands, BLIND GUARDIAN has always had the good fortune of making dragons sound really, really cool. In other words there is an authentic feeling to their art as opposed to mindless blather about mythical this or Heavy Metal blah blah blah that. It's human, it's true, and it warms the heart. On beginning the task of reviewing "At the Edge Of Time" this humble scribe could not escape the gravity of something read some time ago regarding BLIND GUARDIAN and their genius. As it happens, the source was available, and so in better words than I can muster (you can only get struck by lightning once right?), this review is closed with that thought, and a mighty hail. Thanks, Martin.

With BLIND GUARDIAN, all of the visual and lyrical and graphical tropes are there, but the mechanistic elements of Power Metal as music have been so replaced by such a huge pile of humanity, that calling it Power Metal is belittling.