Nightfall in Middle-Earth is a concept album by Blind Guardian, released in 1998.
Many of the tracks from the album are not complete songs, but are merely narratives to advance the story. Every track tells a piece of the story, and contributes to the listening experience. The storyline is exclusively based upon J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, a book of tales from the First Age of Middle-earth. The lyrics range from the theft of the Silmarils to the dawn of the Second Age.
This is one of most epic and impressive albums I've ever heard. The vocals are very clean, not cookie monster-esque; the singer reminds me of Maynerd from Tool in the sense that he can sound very soft and still pull of metal-worthy screams. The muscianship on the album is simply stunning. It's very, very detailed. Every note is thought out and ready to kick your ass.
As a concept album, everything is connected through various "skits" that tell the story. Muscially this story is brought to life through speed metal (
Into the Storm) , melodic "ballads" (
Nightfall), and hard rock assaults (
Blood Tears). The mix of folk, opera, metal, and speed metal come together perfectly to create a lush yet brutal musical landscape.
Into the Storm Nightfall Mirror Mirror (edited...the real version is twice as long, and twice as good) Thorn
