''Tales from the Twilight World'' is the third 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.Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel ''Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as ...

's ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

'' * "Welcome to Dying" is based on

Peter Straub Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

's '' Floating Dragon'' * "Lord of the Rings" is based on J. R. R. Tolkien'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 bo ...

'' * "Tommyknockers" and "Altair 4" are 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 ''

The Tommyknockers ''The Tommyknockers'' is a 1987 science fiction novel by Stephen King. While maintaining a horror style, the novel is an excursion into the realm of science fiction for King, as the residents of the Maine town of Haven gradually fall under the i ...

'' * "Goodbye My Friend" is inspired by the film ''

E.T. ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dub ...

'' * "Lost in the Twilight Hall" is about the time spent "between worlds" by the wizard

Gandalf the Grey Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels '' The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Nor ...

after defeating the

Balrog A Balrog () is a powerful demonic monster in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. One first appeared in print in his high-fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', where the Fellowship of the Ring encounter a Balrog known as Durin's Bane in the Min ...

Moria Moria may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Moria (Middle-earth), fictional location in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien * '' Moria: The Dwarven City'', a 1984 fantasy role-playing game supplement * ''Moria'' (1978 video game), a dungeon-crawler g ...

before his reincarnation as Gandalf the White. * "The Last Candle" talks about places and events of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's

Dragonlance ''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...

universe, specially from the "Chronicles" and "Legends" trilogies.

Personnel

Blind Guardian *

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 it ...

– vocals, bass *

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 ...

– lead guitar, backing vocals *

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, backing vocals * Thomas "Thomen" Stauch – drums Guest appearances * Kai Hansen (

Iron Savior Iron Savior is a German power metal band that was formed in Hamburg in 1996. Following a period of several years working behind the scenes in music production, multi-instrumentalist and producer/engineer Piet Sielck joined with former Helloween ...

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 Wei ...

Gamma Ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically ...

) – backing vocals, vocals on "Lost in the Twilight Hall", guitar solo on "The Last Candle" *

Piet Sielck Piet Sielck (born 14 November 1964) is a German power metal guitarist, vocalist and producer. He is member of the power/speed metal band Iron Savior as well as owner of the studio Powerhouse in Hamburg. Early years Born in Hamburg, Germany, ...

(

Savage Circus Savage Circus is a German/Swedish power metal band originally formed as a side project by Thomas "Thomen" Stauch before leaving Blind Guardian. History Formation and ''Dreamland Manor'' Savage Circus began when Stauch asked his friend Pie ...

) – backing vocals, effects * Mathias Wiesner – effects, keyboards *

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 ...

, "Hacky" Hackmann and

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 a ...

– backing vocals Production *

– production, mixing, recording * Piet Sielck – second engineer * Charley Rinne – executive producer * Andreas Marshall – cover paintings and idea * Buffo/Charley Rinne – pictures

Charts

References

{{Authority control Tales from the Twilight World (Blind Guardian) Blind Guardian albums