Really I have lost count of how many times I have been in BLIND GUARDIAN. Actually, the first time was in the Rock Of Gods festival (the initial name of the Rockwave Festival) back in 1996 (yes I am that old!). The Germans are in the favorite list of every Greek metalhead and for one more time this was proven by the two sold out gigs held in Athens. I was already informed by the fellow countrymen from Thessaloniki that the GUARDIAN elves performed very well on the Friday gig. To be honest, I was a little bit skeptical about the live because I found the A Twist In The Myth album a little bit weak and shallow taking into account the rich BLIND GUARDIAN back-catalogue.

I got into the venue almost 1,5 hour before the announce time to find a descent parking space even though there is a parking lot besides the Fuzz club. I think that most of you will agree that this club is totally inappropriate for live shows; ok, you can get there by bus or by the metro and there are places inside where you can watch the show without being stepped over or being hidden by the taller metalheads but the stage is TOO small and the sound is pretty low. Well the latter means that you a cleaner sound with less noise but in a live should we have both? Another serious issue is ventilation; the heat was unbearable especially for the guys in the arena where things get always hotter, if you know what I mean.

The band took over the stage after a minor 15 minute delay with the intro War Of Wrath that eventually lead us to Into The Storm. The band was or got in a perfect mood driven by the enthusiastic Greek audience. Hansi Kursch prefaced most of the songs while his performance was great, despite the fact that this show was the third in a row in Greece that came along with the proper amounts of traditional food and alcohol. The guitars served us the classic uplifting riffs and melodies, while the new drums proved its worth with his steady and powerful performance. Of course, the highlights of the show were Valhala, Lord Of The Rings and The Bard's Song, were we were all singing our lungs out. Fly was the best moment from the new album, but didn?t manage to change my opinion about the latest GUARDIAN treat. The tradition demands that we must have some set list complaints; so here you are: they should play Majesty, Bright Eyes and Somewhere Far Beyond. Lastly they could choose another song from the A Night Of The Opera album.

I think all the young metalheads left the club with a smile on their face and all the old guys had a nice evening with the German band that continues to give honest alive shows! Until the next time lets sing the Bard's song...
The complete set-list (if I can remember well..) is:

1.War Of Wrath
2.Into The Storm
3.Welcome To Dying
4.Nightfall
5.I'm Alive
6.Fly
7.Valhalla
8.Time Stands Still(At The Iron Hill)
9.A Past And Future Secret
10.This Will Never End
11.Mordred's Song
12.Banish From Sanctuary
13.Another Stranger Me
14.Ashes To Ashes
15.Lord Of The Rings
16.Imaginations From The Other Side
17.Punishment Divine
18.The Bard's Song-In The Forest
19.Mirror Mirror