Lame Cash Grab - A Review of Blind Guardian's Imaginations from the Other Side Live

Blind Guardian is one of the greatest live bands and Imaginations from the Other Side might be my favourite studio album of the influential German power metal quartet. In theory, the combination of the band's energetic shows and the excellent song material on display should therefore please me. However, Blind Guardian's Imaginations from the Other Side Live is a cheap cash grab that doesn't deserve any attention.

Things start badly with the bland functional release title. The bad impressions continue with a lazy cover artwork ripping off the original studio album. The booklet won't impress anyone either.

Even though that concert was already recorded four years before its release, Blind Guardian simply doesn't have the same conviction, energy and skills as it had during its peak in the mid-nineties. Hansi Kürsch's dramatic, gritty and theatrical vocals still sound unique but he sounds at times out of breath and misses some of the higher notes. The musicianship is decent but not as precise, sharp and technical as on the studio record. The production is also of an average quality and doesn't properly represent the enthusiastic atmosphere of the band's concerts.

This record doesn't feature a full concert and doesn't include any bonus material either. One only gets to hear the nine songs from the original studio record performed live for fifty-four minutes of entertainment and that's it. Paying twenty bucks or even more for such a modest concept is certainly way too much.

Blind Guardian has released numerous truly stunning live albums. Live Beyond the Spheres for instance is an absolute masterpiece with three discs, twenty-two songs and a generous running time of two hours and thirty-nine minutes. Said album offers a perfectly balanced set list, excellent musicianship and great atmosphere from an energetic crowd. Purchasing that release or attending a Blind Guardian concert in person makes perfect sense. Wasting your time with Imaginations from Other Side Live however doesn't.

Final Rating: 50%