Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Nightfall in Middle-Earth is the sixth studio album by the German power metal band Blind Guardian. It was released on 28 April 1998 through Virgin Records. It is a concept album based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, a book of tales from the First Age of Middle-earth, recounting the troubled history of Beleriand as the Elves battle with the Dark Lord Morgoth. The album contains not only songs but also spoken parts narrating parts of the story. The cover depicts a scene from The Silmarillion, the elf Lúthien dancing in front of the Dark Lord Morgoth.
Nightfall in Middle-Earth | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 28 April 1998 | |||
Recorded | July 1997 – January 1998 | |||
Studio | Twilight Hall Studios Karo Studios Sweet Silence Studios Vox Studios Air-Edel Studios | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 65:29 | |||
Label | Virgin/Century Media | |||
Producer | Flemming Rasmussen, Blind Guardian | |||
Blind Guardian chronology | ||||
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Singles from Nightfall in Middle-Earth | ||||
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Nightfall in Middle-Earth is widely regarded as one of Blind Guardian's best-known and best-received albums in their discography. It is also the first album with Oliver Holzwarth as guest musician, playing bass guitar instead of Hansi Kürsch.
It was the first album by Blind Guardian to be released in the United States. The sales encouraged Century Media to release their entire back catalog in the US in 2007, at which point it was remastered and re-released, with a bonus track.