Imaginations from the Other Side
| Imaginations from the Other Side | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Blind Guardian | ||||
| Released | 4 April 1995 | |||
| Recorded | August 1994 - March 1995 | |||
| Studio | Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 49:18 | |||
| Label | Virgin, Century Media | |||
| Producer | Flemming Rasmussen | |||
| Blind Guardian chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Imaginations from the Other Side | ||||
| ||||
Imaginations from the Other Side is the fifth studio album by Blind Guardian that was released in 1995. The atmosphere of this album is darker in comparison to their earlier works, such as Battalions of Fear, which had a relatively light tone. This album also marks the first since Battalions of Fear in which Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray) did not guest on vocals or guitar, and the last album to feature vocalist Hansi Kürsch as bassist. It was also their first album to spawn off any singles, in the form of "A Past and Future Secret" and "Bright Eyes". It was remastered and re-released on 15 June 2007, with bonus tracks and videos.
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Rock Hard | 9.5/10[2] |
In 2005, Imaginations from the Other Side was ranked number 373 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[3]
Track listing
All songs written by Hansi Kürsch and André Olbrich, except for where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Imaginations from the Other Side" | 7:19 |
| 2. | "I'm Alive" | 5:31 |
| 3. | "A Past and Future Secret" | 3:48 |
| 4. | "The Script for My Requiem" | 6:09 |
| 5. | "Mordred's Song" | 5:29 |
| 6. | "Born in a Mourning Hall" | 5:14 |
| 7. | "Bright Eyes" | 5:16 |
| 8. | "Another Holy War" | 4:32 |
| 9. | "And the Story Ends" | 6:00 |
| Japanese Bonus Tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 10. | "The Wizard" (Uriah Heep Cover) | 3:17 |
| Japanese Limited Edition Bonus Tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 10. | "The Wizard" (Uriah Heep Cover) | 3:17 |
| 11. | "I'm Alive" (Demo Version) | 5:20 |
| 12. | "Imaginations from the Other Side" (Demo Version) | 7:03 |
| 13. | "A Past and Future Secret" (Demo Version) | 3:38 |
| 14. | "The Script for My Requiem" (Demo Version) | 7:01 |
| 2007 Re-release Bonus Tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 10. | "A Past and Future Secret" (Demo Version) | 3:38 |
| 11. | "Imaginations from the Other Side" (Demo Version) | 7:03 |
| 12. | "The Script for My Requiem" (Demo Version) | 7:01 |
| 13. | "Bright Eyes" (Video) | |
| 14. | "Born in a Mourning Hall" (Video) | |
Lineup
- Hansi Kürsch - vocals and bass
- André Olbrich - lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars
- Marcus Siepen - rhythm guitar
- Thomen Stauch - drums and percussion
Guest musicians
- Mathias Wiesner - effects
- Jacob Moth - acoustic guitar on "A Past and Future Secret"
- Billy King, "Hacky" Hackmann, Rolf Köhler, Piet Sielck, Ronnie Atkins - backing vocals
Personnel
- Andreas Marschall - cover paintings
- Ulf Thürmann - photos
- Flemming Rasmussen - producing and mixing
- Flemming Rasmussen and Piet Sielck - engineering
- Henrik Vindeby - assistant engineer
- Flemming Rasmussen and Cuni - drum tech
Lyrical references
- "Imaginations from the Other Side" contains references to The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, The Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Chronicles of Narnia and the Corum novels.
- "I'm Alive" is about Haplo trying to escape all of the 99 levels from the Sartan's Prison called Labirynth found on the book series Death Gate Cycle.
- "A Past and Future Secret" is about T.H. White's The Once and Future King.
- "Mordred's Song" is about the character Mordred from Arthurian Legend.
References
- ↑ Huey, Steve. "Imaginations from the Other Side - Blind Guardian : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ↑ Albrecht, Frank. "Rock Hard". issue 96. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ↑ [...], Rock Hard (Hrsg.). [Red.: Michael Rensen. Mitarb.: Götz Kühnemund] (2005). Best of Rock & Metal die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten. Königswinter: Heel. p. 59. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.