Amazing Reissue
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 11/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Originally released in 1998, the Forgotten Tales is one of my absolute favorite Blind Guardian albums, even though it's not one of their proper studio albums. The Forgotten Tales is basically a compilation of the various cover songs the band has performed as well as some alternate versions of some (at the time) recent Blind Guardian songs. The various demo/acoustic/live/instrumental versions are cool enough - and the live version of the Bard's Song is pretty spectacular - but I love this album because of the cover songs.
If there's one thing that Blind Guardian does better than any other band, it's their ability to record the most diverse (yet always powerful) covers. Well, that and the whole epic power metal thing that they do that no other band will ever touch even in their wildest dreams, but you get the general idea. From oldies like Mr. Sandman, Surfin' USA and Barbara Ann, to classic rock tracks like the Wizard (Uriah Heep) and Spread Your Wings (Queen), Blind Guardian always delivers unique cover songs. Some are obviously done just for laughs (you have to chuckle at a speed metal version of Mr. Sandman), and others, like the Uriah Heep and Queen songs are done to pay tribute to bands that had a profound influence on the band's sound. Whatever the reason, I've yet to hear a less than great cover song from this band, and it's particularly nice to have so many collected in one place.
The Forgotten Tales is a fantastic collection of unique material from the best power metal band on the planet. I wouldn't recommend it to new Blind Guardian fans right away, but once you have a handful of the band's great studio albums, you owe it to yourself to check this compilation out.
NOTE: The 2007 reissue of The Forgotten Tales is a Blind Guardian fan's dream. In addition to featuring digitally remastered sound, the CD includes three additional cover songs. From the Mr. Sandman single you get the b-side Hallelujah (a Deep Purple cover, I believe). From the Mirror Mirror single (or the Century Media Judas Priest tribute album) you get Beyond the Realms of Death, which is an absolute masterpiece. The final song - Don't Talk To Strangers - was originally found on Holy Dio: Tribute To Ronnie James Dio), and is another fantastic cover song. The disc also includes video clips for Mr. Sandman (one of the creepiest videos you'll ever hope to see) and The Bard's Song (the acoustic song is perfectly matched with a black & white, "Unplugged" style video.) These extras are more than enough to make this reissue a 5-star album.
"
