Somewhere Far Beyond
has all the elements of classic
Blind Guardian
: fantasy and horror-story tracks inspired by the likes of
J.R.R. Tolkien
and
Stephen King
; speedy double-bass riffing; and searing melodic vocals punctuated by anthemic group choruses. Bassist/vocalist
Hansi Kuersch
seems to possess several different voices, which serve his band's dynamic purposes well. From regal tales of dragon warfare (
"The Bard's Song: The Hobbit,"
) to minstrel
ballads
(
"The Bard's Song: In the Forest,"
) to
's trademark early-'90s
speed metal
matrix of hyper riffs and melodic multi-voiced choruses (
"Journey Through the Dark,"
"Ashes to Ashes,"
"Somewhere Far Beyond,"
) every pompous, excessive base is covered. Practically unknown in America,
had grown into quite a formidable metal outfit by the time of this 1992 release. The coming world-wide revival of '80s-influenced
European metal
certainly did their burgeoning career no harm and the group began penetrating the U.S. market. This delighted many old-school
metal
fans tired of the fake anger, pasty
hip-hop
posturing, and overall uniformity of American "hard" music. With plenty of great performances, challenging material, and some wicked guitar playing,
is a cornerstone of
's sizable reputation. ~ Vincent Jeffries