A semi-conceptual journey through what is, initially, a Heavy Metal wonderland of tastes.
Sophomore records, the needle in the haystack, the apple of Eden, the Philosophers Stone; almost always the curse of the curious causing bands to continually battle bravely with their catalogue to compete with their own material. In Heavy Metal, many warriors take on the task of flying the flag for traditional balls-to-the-wall Metal and many of them fall short of the mark, delivering a debut of immense proportion, yet find themselves forever chasing the forbidden forest that is the greatness beyond their first attempt. Blind Man's Gun are the latest in a long line of German Heavy Metal bands fighting for the flag, and are certainly not going to be the last to see their flame fan out.
'Beyond The Darkness' isn't a terrible follow-up to their 2013 EP 'Helldorado'. In fact, considering it's their first official full-length opus, BMG have produced a semi-conceptual journey through what is, initially, a Heavy Metal wonderland of tastes. Opener 'Helldorado' comes off like a Dio "Z-side", leaving you questioning their very authenticity as Heavy Metal flag bearers, instead wondering if this is the ushering in of the "New Wave of Cheesy Metal" era. Yet it quickly cascades into 'Inside Out', a riff-and-roll express where vocalist Nadine splices herself between Vince Neil and Brian Johnson. Guitarists Lars and Sebastian are the calling card of the German guard, slinging solos left-right-and-centre, destroying your ears with a magical touch akin to Def Leppard, Lionheart, and Quartz.
BMG then trickle through their genre-traversing trappings one-by-one, drifting off into a triptych of songs detailing the destruction of Earth at the hands of humanity and their last-ditch attempt to save it. Whilst 'Beyond The Darkness' as a whole fails to drift anywhere out of a deeply twisted affection for eighties Metal, the conceptual trilogy 'Evil Eyes', 'Beyond The Darkness' and 'One Thousand' come off as if Megadeth were a NWOBHM act, and Dave Mustaine had suddenly become Mrs Mustaine, taking a waltz through their 'Youthanasia'/'Risk' days. It weirdly works in wondrous ways, but fails feverously to find itself anywhere but on the ground.
Blind Man's Gun have something, but I'm not quite sure what it is, and I don't think they themselves quite know what it is yet either. Perhaps, if they can disseminate 'Beyond The Darkness' to pastures new, or at least a pasture of something solid, then they can maybe flourish feverously.
Jack Press
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