''Battalions of Fear'' is the debut studio album by German

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band

Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.speed metal Speed metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It ...

effort that touches on

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

. It lacks many of the stylistic flourishes that would mark the band's music in later years, focusing more on speed and aggression. The opening track "Majesty" remains a fan favorite and is often featured in the band's live performances. This album was remastered, remixed and re-released on 15 June 2007, with the whole first demo tape, ''

Symphonies of Doom This is the discography of German power metal band Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal ...

'', of the band (at the time called ''Lucifer's Heritage'') as part of the bonus tracks. The album was again re-released as part of the '' A Traveler's Guide to Space and Time'' boxset with minor adjustments to the mixing and with new mastering.

Track listing

All songs written by

André Olbrich André Olbrich (born 3 May 1967) is a German musician, best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of power metal band Blind Guardian, in which he serves as one of the main composers with other founder Hansi Kürsch. Olbrich was ranked num ...

and

Hansi Kürsch Hans Jürgen "Hansi" Kürsch (born 10 August 1966) is a German singer, songwriter and former bass guitarist, best known as a member of the power metal band Blind Guardian. One of the founders of the band, he has been its lead vocalist since its ...

, except where noted. All lyrics written by Kürsch.

Lyrical and musical themes

* The songs "Majesty" and "Run for the Night", as well as the titles of instrumentals "By the Gates of Moria" and "Gandalf's Rebirth", are based on

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...

's ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

''. * Parts of "By the Gates of Moria" are derived from

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czechs, Czech composer. Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravian traditional music, Moravia and his native Bohemia, following t ...

's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World". * "Majesty" opens with a

barrel organ A barrel organ (also called roller organ or crank organ) is a French mechanical musical instrument consisting of bellows and one or more ranks of pipes housed in a case, usually of wood, and often highly decorated. The basic principle is the sa ...

version of

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...

's waltz ''

The Blue Danube "The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen blauen Donau", Op. 314 (German for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube"), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 Februa ...

''. * "Guardian of the Blind" is based on

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

's '' It''. * "The Martyr" is about

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

's passion. * "Battalions of Fear" refers to US president

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

Strategic Defense Initiative The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), derisively nicknamed the "''Star Wars'' program", was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons (intercontinental ballistic ...

. * "Wizard's Crown" is about

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pro ...

. The song was originally titled "Halloween" on the ''Symphonies of Doom'' demo tape (1985) while the band was still Lucifer's Heritage. The song name was changed probably to avoid confusion with a song of the same name by fellow German power/speed metal band

Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...

. * "Brian" is about the film ''

Monty Python's Life of Brian ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (also known as ''Life of Brian'') is a 1979 British comedy film starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin). It wa ...

''.

Personnel

;Blind Guardian *

– vocals and bass, producer on "Gandalf's Rebirth" *

– lead guitar and backing vocals, producer on "Gandalf's Rebirth" *

Marcus Siepen Marcus Siepen (born 8 September 1968) is a German guitarist, best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist of power metal band Blind Guardian. For the biggest percentage of Blind Guardian's songs, particularly in more recent years, he ...

– rhythm guitar and backing vocals *

Thomas "Thomen" Stauch Thomas "Thomen" Stauch (born 11 March 1970), also known by his nickname The Omen, is a German heavy metal drummer, mostly known as the co-founder and former drummer of Blind Guardian. Biography He began his career in 1984 the band Lucifer� ...

– drums ;Guest musicians * Hans-Peter Frey – drums on "Gandalf's Rebirth" * Christof Theisen – rhythm guitar on "Gandalf's Rebirth" *

Rolf Köhler Rolf Köhler (24 May 1951 – 16 September 2007) was a German singer, musician, and record producer. Career Köhler initially achieved commercial success performing under the pseudonym Marc de Ville in the late 1970s. As Marc de Ville, he recor ...

, Michael Voss – backing vocals ;Production *

Kalle Trapp Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Trapp was a German music engineer and producer, and owner of the Karo Studio in Münster. The federal state North Rhine-Westphalia became breeding ground for most German metal bands in the 1980s, with Trapp being referred to as " ...

– production, engineering, mixing * Holger Schreiber – engineering on "Gandalf's Rebirth" * van Waay Design – cover art ;''Lucifer's Heritage'' (tracks 10–14) * Hansi Kürsch – vocals and bass * André Olbrich – lead guitar * Markus Dörk – rhythm guitar, additional vocals on "Symphonies of Doom" * Thomas "Thomen" Stauch – drums

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1988 debut albums Blind Guardian albums