«Nightfall in Middle-Earth» is Blind Guardian’s sixth album and it was released on 24 April 1998 by Virgin Records. It is a concept album based on «The Silmarillion» by J.R.R. Tolkien, with the band telling the story of how Melkor took the Silmarils. The line-up is Hansi Kürsch on vocals, André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen on guitars, Oliver Holzwarth on bass and Thomen Stauch on drums.
“`Country: Germany
Style: Power Metal
For fans of: Helloween, Iced Earth, Gamma Ray
The album is slower and more epic than the band’s previous records. Short narrative passages are placed between the songs and pull the listener into Tolkien’s world, while the guitars weave dense melodies and Kürsch’s vocals give every track theatrical depth.
«Into the Storm» opens the album with one of its most majestic choruses. The title track «Nightfall», which starts quietly and builds to a peak, «The Curse of Feanor», «Thorns» and «Eldar» stand out. Every track keeps a high standard and it is hard to single one out above the rest.
The production is careful in every detail, from the mix to the running order, and the short narrative passages work as links that hold the story together. The album needs a few listens to reveal everything it hides, but from the very first one it stands out for its power and its scale — the same epic ambition that drives «The God Machine» years later.
«Nightfall in Middle-Earth» is regarded as one of the band’s finest albums and one of the best-loved power metal records of all time, bringing the genre to a much wider audience. Its music is so closely tied to Tolkien’s world that many see it as the soundtrack to the book.
See also: Blind Guardian – The God Machine | Metal Territory and Blind Guardian – Beyond the Red Mirror | Metal Territory.
