One Song – And Then There Was Silence [Blind Guardian]

A Night at the Opera 2001 (original)

Memories of a Time to Come 2012 (new recording)

Written by Hansi Kürsch and AndréOlbrich

Blind Guardian is a funny beast for me. The is one compilation album I love and everything else pretty much hasn’t caught me. They are a German Heavy Metal band who are most well know for doing songs based on Fantasy. Such as Lord of the Rings, Dark Tower or The Wheel of Time.

This song that I have singled out is based on an older story and may have a basis in history. The Iliad by Homer is a work that has come down through the ages, from when Alexander the Great slept with a copy to modern films of various quality. The story of the Trojan wars is very well known.

We have been betrayed
By the wind and rain
The sacred hall's empty and cold
The sacrifice made
Should not be done in vain
Revenge will be taken by Rome

This song had a lot of ups and downs, the tempo varies along with the part of the story its at. As feeling go up and down so dose the music. Being a long song (14:06) it need variance to keep interest and to better tell its story. It doesn’t get lost ins its own rhythm but crashes in at points were needed.

The are moments of power and moments of calm and peace. Then we get an almost fake end that then leads into the climax. The music and story builds and then the inevitable finally comes. The last two or so minuets is an epilogue to its story both in story and style. As the song fades out we get a reminder of the running riffs.

And then there was silence
Just a voice from other world
Like a leaf in an icy world
Memories will fade

This is such an awesome way of telling an epic story. It hits a lot of notes from the main story of the Illiad and manages to show some of the wonder. I get a feeling of anger at the start and it builds up to the war. The is aggression in the lyrics and in how they are sung.

One of my favourite parts is how they tell the story of the wooden horse. The glee and disbelief is amazing. The song shifts through so many feelings its a ride and a half. The main source of the changes is that we get both sides of the story. We get the victory and the despair.

Raise my hands and praise the day
Break the spell show me the way
In decay
The flame of Troy will shine bright

Its hard to take it all in in one go. The is so much going on from the simple story to the more abstract lyrics. I can just listen through and get carried away by the music. Then at other times is like listening to a story book.

The are two main versions of this song one from 2001 and the other from 2012. They sound very different and in my mind the is only one winner. The new version has more energy to it and the vocals so so much more full of life. It doesn’t hurt it's the first version I listened to but like so many things it got better with practise.

She's like the sunrise
Outshines the moon at night
Precious like starlight
She will bring in a murderous price

I can't emphasise it the scope and scale of this song enough, it's so impressive. Listening to it all the way trough is no challenge, its so good I can't but pay full attention to it. This is a song that defines a band for me. Blind Guardian do some great stuff some at this level but for me the sheer scope and scale of this track ups it up among my favourites of all time.

 Misty tales and poems lost
All the bliss and beauty will be gone
Will my weary soul find release for a while
At the moment of death I will smile
It's the triumph of shame and disease
In the end 

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Iliad