Battalions of Fear

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Battalions of Fear
Studio album by Blind Guardian
Released	1988
Recorded	October-November 1987 at Karo Studios, Münster, West Germany
Genre	Power metal, speed metal
Length	39:20
Label	No Remorse, Virgin, Century Media
Producer	Kalle Trapp
Professional reviews
Sound Of Metal link All Music Guide link
Blind Guardian chronology
Battalions of Fear (demo) (1986) Battalions of Fear (1988) Follow the Blind (1989)

Battalions of Fear is the debut album by German metal band Blind Guardian. It was released in 1988 and is a straightforward metal album, greatly inspired by Helloween's works. The album is a raw and unpolished speed metal effort that touches on thrash metal. This album lacks many of the stylistic flourishes that would mark the band's music in later years. Remastered, remixed and re-released on 15th June 2007, with the whole first demo tape, Symphonies of Doom, of the band (at the time called Lucifer's Heritage) as part of the bonus tracks. It is a significant Power Metal album along with Stratovarius's Fright Night and Helloween's firsts albums.

Contents 1 Track listing 2 Lineup 3 Credits 4 Lyrical references

[edit] Track listing

1. "Majesty" – 7:28
2. "Guardian of the Blind" – 5:09
3. "Trial by the Archon" – 1:41
4. "Wizard's Crown" – 3:48
5. "Run for the Night" – 3:33
6. "The Martyr" – 6:14
7. "Battalions of Fear" – 6:06
8. "By the Gates of Moria" – 2:52

• Bonus Track

9. "Gandalf's Rebirth" – 2:10

• 2007 Re-release Bonus Tracks

10. "Brian" (Demo Version) – 2:41
11. "Halloween (The Wizard's Crown)" (Demo Version) – 3:22
12. "Lucifer's Heritage" (Demo Version) – 4:36
13. "Symphonies of Doom" (Demo Version) – 4:08
14. "Dead of the Night" (Demo Version) – 3:33

Note: the 2007 re-release has "Gandalf's Rebirth" bonus tracks, although it is not listed as such.

[edit] Lineup

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

[edit] Credits

• van Waay Design – cover painting
• Kalle Trapp – Recording, mixing and producing

[edit] Lyrical references

• "Majesty" is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. One can also find references to The Lord of the Rings from the songs "Wizard's Crown" and "Run For the Night"
• "By the Gates of Moria" and "Gandalf's Rebirth" are instrumentals and thus contain no lyrics but are also based on the same work. "By the Gates of Moria" is derived from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World".
• "Guardian of the Blind" is based on Stephen King's It.
• "The Martyr" is about Jesus Christ.
• "Battalions of Fear" is criticism against Ronald Reagan and his politics as the President of the United States of America.
• "Wizard's Crown" is about Aleister Crowley.

v • d • e Blind Guardian Hansi Kürsch | André Olbrich  | Marcus Siepen | Frederik Ehmke Former members Thomen Stauch | Markus Dörk | Christof Theißen | Hans-Peter Frey Demo albums as Lucifer's Heritage Symphonies of Doom | Battalions of Fear Studio albums Battalions of Fear | Follow the Blind | Tales from the Twilight World | Somewhere Far Beyond | Imaginations from the Other Side | Nightfall in Middle-Earth | A Night at the Opera | A Twist in the Myth Live albums Tokyo Tales | Live Compilations The Forgotten Tales Singles "A Past and Future Secret" | "Bright Eyes" | "Mr. Sandman" | "Mirror Mirror" | "And Then There Was Silence" | "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)" | "Fly" | "Another Stranger Me" DVDs Imaginations Through the Looking Glass