Somewhere Far Beyond
Studio album by Blind Guardian
Released	June 29th, 1992
Recorded	March-May 1992 Karo Studios
Genre	Power metal, speed metal
Length	55:28
Label	Virgin/Century Media
Producer	Kalle Trapp
Professional reviews
Sound Of Metal link All Music Guide link
Blind Guardian chronology
Tales from the Twilight World (1990) Somewhere Far Beyond (1992) Imaginations from the Other Side (1995)

Somewhere Far Beyond is the fourth studio-album by German Power/Speed-Metal act Blind Guardian. It was published in 1992 and produced by Kalle Trapp. The cover artwork was created by Andreas Marschall, who has also drawn the artwork for some more of Blind Guardian's releases (Tales from the Twilight World, Nightfall in Middle-Earth, etc.). The album saw the band creating its own original sound, while still employing some of their speed/power metal techniques. The strong songwriting of the album (including fan favorite The Bard's Song) made the album a power metal staple. The image of the cover and the two Bard's Songs gave the band its nickname "The Bards". The use of the nickname has been also extended to the fans of the group, Circle of the Bards being the now defunct fan club and Hansi frequently calling the fans Bards. Album cover for the Blind Guardian album Somewhere Far Beyond. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Power metal is a style of heavy metal music typically with the aim of evoking an epic feel, combining characteristics of traditional metal with thrash metal or speed metal, often within symphonic context. ... Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that spawned in the early 1980s and was the direct musical progenitor of thrash metal[1] [2]. When Speed metal first emerged as a genre, it innovatively increased the tempo of the music template set forth by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Virgin Records was a British recording label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Nik Powell in 1972. ... Century Media Records is an independant metal record label with offices in the USA, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Image File history File links Stars10085. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 3_stars. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Tales from the Twilight World is an album that was released in 1990 by Blind Guardian. ... Imaginations from the Other Side is an album by Blind Guardian that was released in 1995. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Tales from the Twilight World is an album that was released in 1990 by Blind Guardian. ... Nightfall in Middle-Earth is a concept album by Blind Guardian, released in 1998. ...

The album was acclaimed by power metal fans all across Europe and especially Japan, allowing them to tour for the first time outside Germany. The tour in the Far East led to the first live album of the band, Tokyo Tales. Power metal is a style of heavy metal music typically with the aim of evoking an epic feel, combining characteristics of traditional metal with thrash metal or speed metal, often within symphonic context. ... Tokyo Tales is the first live album by the German metal band Blind Guardian. ...

Remastered and re-released on 15th June 2007, with bonus tracks.

Track listing

1. "Time What is Time" – 5:42
2. "Journey Through the Dark" – 4:45
3. "Black Chamber" – 0:56
4. "Theatre of Pain" – 4:15
5. "The Quest for Tanelorn" – 5:53
6. "Ashes to Ashes" – 5:58
7. "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)" – 3:09
8. "The Bard's Song (The Hobbit)" – 3:52
9. "The Piper's Calling" – 0:58
10. "Somewhere Far Beyond" – 7:28

• Bonus Tracks

11. "Spread Your Wings" (Queen cover) – 4:13

12. "Trial By Fire" (Satan cover) – 3:42

13. "Theatre of Pain" (Classic version) – 4:13

• 2007 Re-release Bonus Tracks

14. "Ashes to Ashes" (Demo Version) – 5.51

15. "Time What is Time" (Demo Version)

Note: the 2007 re-release has all the previous bonus tracks, although they are not listed as such. The Bards Song (in the Forest) is a single by the German power metal band Blind Guardian, released in 2003. ... Spread Your Wings is a song by Queen, from their 1977 album News Of The Word. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ...

Lineup

• Hansi Kürsch – vocals and bass
• André Olbrich – lead, rhythm, acoustic guitars and backing vocals
• Marcus Siepen – rhythm, acoustic guitars and backing vocals
• Thomas "Thomen" Stauch – drums

Hansi Kürsch Hansi Kürsch (born August 10, 1966 in Lank-Latum, Germany) is the lead vocalist of metal band Blind Guardian. ... André Olbrich is one of two guitarists (and usually lead) in the German Power Metal band Blind Guardian. ... Marcus Siepen is one of two guitarists in the German Power Metal band Blind Guardian. ... Until April of 2005 Thomen Stauch was the drummer for German Power Metal act Blind Guardian. ...

Guest musicians

• Piet Sielck - effects and guitars
• Mathias Wiesner - effects and bass on "Spread Your Wings"
• Rolfi Köhler, Billy King and Kalle Trapp - backing vocals
• Stefan Will - piano
• Peter Rübsam - Scottish and Irish bagpipes
• Kai Hansen - lead guitar on "The Quest for Tanelorn"

Kai Michael Hansen (born January 17, 1963, in Hamburg, Germany) is a power metal guitarist and vocalist. ...

Personnel

• Kalle Trapp - producing, mixing and recording
• Piet Sielck - second engineer
• Andreas Marschall/Becker - Derouet Hamburg - cover paintings
• Tom Nagy - photo
• a•r•t•p•o•o•l - graphics

Lyrical references

• "Somewhere Far Beyond" is based on Stephen King's Dark Tower series.
• "The Bard's Song (The Hobbit)" is based on the J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit. "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)" also contains a short reference to the Middle-Earth legendarium, though probably more as a lead in to the next song.
• "Quest for Tanelorn" is based on the works of Michael Moorcock (Tanelorn being a fictional city in The Multiverse of Moorcock's stories).
• "Time What is Time" lyrics are widely inspired by the film Blade Runner.
• "Ashes to Ashes" has several notes to the story of Dr. Faustus, referencing to Faustus's remorese in the final scenes of the play
• "Journey Through the Dark" is about Jerry Cornelius, bard and companion of the Eternal Champion, from the books by Michael Moorcock.
• "Black Chamber" is based on Twin Peaks.
• "Theatre of Pain" is based on fantasy novel The Merman's Children by Poul Anderson