Tales from the Twilight World (1991, Virgin)

This has to be the first really strong BG album. It features all the elements that later made this band the legend it is: harmonious choral parts, thundering drums with great fast double-bass work, guitar duels, and the sometimes annoying sequencing of balladic diversions and aggressive charge. Even though I could very well do without the instrumental "Weird Dreams," and the live version of "Run for the Night," I have to say that this is a great album overall.

"Traveller in Time" is too chaotic even for BG. There isn't a strong melodic line and the whole song seems sort of pointless and forced. Skip it. The second one, "Welcome to Dying" is what should really have been the first song - it's got some great guitar strumming, development, and a refrain that you won't be able to get out of your head any time soon. Third is the unmentionable. Fourth comes the nice (???) slow "Lord of the Rings". Unfortunately, it's far from Tolkien but close to Helloween. Too close for my taste. The chorus is probably the worst offender. The second memorable piece, "Goodbye, My Friend." Don't let the title fool you, this is no sobbing, grab-your-girl-by-the-ass dancing piece. No, this is real pain, served in the way true men feel it -- with uncontrollable anger. Great, simply unbelievable.

Finally, what BG is all about - "Lost in the Twilight World". If this isn't one of the coolest, best-composed, most invigorating songs I've ever heard, then I will be your pleasure slave in honor of Manowar. When you get the album (and you should), play this one first, you will not regret it. It will put you in the right mood. Hansi is at his best and the screaming Kai (voice, guitar, and all) fits surprisingly well into the music here.

Steven King should be proud. Man, I wish they had featured "Tommyknockers" in the movie (which wasn't half-bad either). Another typical BG, the stuff they do best (the guitar has to be the best part in this song). I am not quite sure what "Altair 4" is, but it surely sounds like a good idea they did not know how to finish. The song is over before it really begins, so it's hard to say anything about it either way.

"The Last Candle" is something I could do without but then the album would have been an MCD and you, greedy bastards, would never shell out the bucks for just 4 songs, no matter how good they are. So, here's the fluff for the non-discriminating fan on a tight budget. Ok, I am exaggerating a bit: if you get through to the chorus, you will find the song bearable.

Imaginations from the Other Side (1995, Virgin)

Finally, BG has found their niche in power metal. The sci-fi/fantasy lyrics are only a necessary ingredient but by no means exhaust the uniqueness of the style. First, BG is really a power metal band in the best German tradition. It is fast, it is thunderous, it is full of splendid energy. Second, their anthemic choruses explode with full strength here: multilayered vocals by Hansi, guest vocalists, the works. Extremely melodic tunes sang against the fast-paced background, with the lead vocal harsher than the guitar for one incredible effect. There are recognizable Queen influences, especially in the guitar arrangements, but this is only a compliment. There are several ballads for a change, but none of them approaches the teary teenage angst outpourings that exemplify other bands.

Two of my all-time favorite songs are here. "Mordred's Song," which projects strength with moving conviction, and "Bright Eyes" which has one of the coolest choruses that side of the ocean.

The Forgotten Tales (1996, Virgin)

This is "BG Unplugged," offering different takes on slower songs, like "Bright Eyes" (my favorite), "Lord of the Rings" (uh-oh), and "Mordred's Song" (Yeah!). Some of these are actually much better than the originals.

For some reason, BG went for some time without a full-length album, so they decided to appease the gods of fandom with a temporary filler. This offering features an eclectic mix of traditional BG ballads (rearranged and recorded acoustically), and covers of various famous songs. A nice addition to your BG collection (you do have a BG collection, right?) but not something you should lust after unless you already have at least four of their albums.

"Mr. Sandman" is great take on a 50s tune. The angelic singing is brutally ripped to shreds by Thomen's bass-drum frenzy. Uriah Heep's "The Wizard" is really close to the original (so what was the point of recording it?) Having played this song for quite some time with a band myself, I might be unnecessarily harsh here. Hansi does a good impersonation of David Byron. Queen's "Spread Your Wings" is better than Queen. Sorry, but it's true. At least now we know where Andre gets his ideas for guitar sound from. Mike Oldfield's "To France" is another skillful rendering of a good song. "Surfin' USA" and "Barbara Ann/Long Tall Sally" I could easily survive without. In fact, I would feel much better if they weren't included.

Overall, an uneven album, which consists mainly of previously released recordings, either rearranged or the same. Most of the "new" songs were actually available on Maxi singles before.

Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998, Virgin)

It is always a pleasant surprise when a great band churns out great albums. It is even better when they produce a definite masterpiece. BG has been developing steadily over the years and instead of suffering the usual cadre fluidity, changing styles in search for the elusive market niche, or quietly disintegrating into museless oblivion---what seems to be the trend for most bands---they built on their peculiar approach to music to evolve a style that is unmistakably BG. Even though the transition began back in 1991 with TFTW, and continued through IFTOS, with NIME BG seal their position as the premier power metal band on the old Continent today.

Digging into the wealth that is Tolkien, BG's concept album deals with the Silmarillion and comprises 22 pieces, of which half are songs and half---interludes, sometimes dialogue, other times light tunes. From the very beginning, we delve ``Into the Storm,'' an aptly named song, with such energy as to put a nuclear reactor to shame. ``Nightfall'' is one of those troubadour respites that BG often sneak into each of their albums. Incidentally, this is the title song and if the refrain does not emboss it in your head, nothing will. My other favorite song (the first being the second one) is ``Mirror Mirror,'' which is not surprising as it appears to be one of the most popular songs from NIME---it has its own Maxi, there's a T-shirt, and a video. Wonderful modulations of the vocals, and a rhythm that builds up consistently to explode into galvanizing fury. I could go on but this would only take from your time... time better spent listening to NIME.

The entire album boasts brilliant composition, rich orchestrations and arrangements, rivetting performance, and captivating vocals, both Hansi and the choir. Written and produced with painstaking attention to detail, this album is truly a rare treat for fans of complex layered power metal.

Just so that it does not appear I am salivating as I write about NIME, here are some obligatory gripes: ``The Eldar'' sounds suspiciously like something Queen would write, not that this is bad. In fact, the lead guitar often reminds me of Brian May's, not that this is bad. The person who does the narrative on the ``Final Chapter'' is wimpish and annoying. Still, hiring native English speakers was a fine touch for this excellently produced album. Here, even the gripe could not contain my admiration.