Album number three from Blind Guardian. The transitional album from one style to another and probably the defining record of their careers. It's got a nice mix of some Speed Metal from earlier material and plenty more of a purer Power Metal sound which was explored and embraced further in subsequent releases. This is a record that divided a few fans but no one can deny that both musically and stylistically Blind Guardian hadn't sounded better.

In a break from the norm, the opening track 'Traveler In Time' isn't one of the strongest. That honour is saved for later songs. 'Welcome To Dying' is the first gem on 'Tales From The Twilight World', a song which really embraced their newfound sound, with a very catchy and memorable chorus and wonderful riffs. If it weren't for track four I would have no doubt this is the song almost everyone who hears the album would remember it by. It's crystal clear at this early stage in the album that Blind Guardian had progressed in leaps and bounds in terms of songwriting. 'Welcome To Dying' is a killer. 'Wierd Dreams' is a brief instrumental, running through at quite a rapid pace which makes for a stark contrast between it and the following track, the (mostly) acoustic 'Lord Of The Rings'. I'm not much of a ballad fan but this song is really something. Yes, it is about that Lord Of The Rings and I think Tolkien would be proud. (My only question is why the fuck this wasn't involved with the movie trilogy in some way). Blind Guardian had based much of their previous (and later) material on novels, but this is by far the most obvious and shameless example. Another memorable track is 'Lost In The Twilight Hall' but with such a strong first half of the record, the second was always going to have a tough job on its hands in maintaining the quality and does lag a little behind.

The best was yet to come but as it stands 'Tales From The Twilight World' is a worthy addition to the collection of both big Power Metal fans and those getting into Blind Guardian. The addition of a live rendition of 'Run To The Night (from 'Battalions Of Fear') makes the purchase that little bit sweeter. To top things off, if you look hard enough you may be able to find a discount package which includes this, along with 2002's fantastic 'A Night At The Opera'. Double score.Traveler In Time
Welcome To Dying
Weird Dreams
Lord Of The Rings
Goodbye My Friend
Lost In The Twilight Hall
Tommyknockers
Altair 4
The Last Candle
Run For The Night (Live)