LIVE REVIEW: Blind Guardian @ Academy, Manchester

Despite a career spanning near four decades, it’s remarkable that we can count on two hands how many times German power metal legends BLIND GUARDIAN have graced UK shores and only their second appearance in Manchester. The eight years since they blew us away at The Ritz feels like an age, but finally, they are back. And given the queue is snaking its way down Oxford Road, it’s fair to say that this will be an occasion to remember.

The Night Eternal live @ Academy, Manchester. Photo Credit: Jess Robinson

As sole support, there’s a lot riding on fellow countrymen THE NIGHT ETERNAL to kick start the evening with a bang and with a sizeable crowd inside Manchester’s Academy to greet them, it could have been easy for the Germans to wilt under the pressure. But thanks a bombastic, no-nonsense thrills homage to 80s heavy metal, the band hit the ground running. Over the course of their eight song set, guitarists Rob Richter and Henry Käseberg dual and gallop as they deploy riff after riff and in Ricardo Baum, the frontman channels the heroes of yesteryear with an energetic stage presence and soaring vocals to boot. Whilst their sound is far from ground-breaking or truly innovative, THE NIGHT ETERNAL deliver denim and leather in fine fashion and their warm reception from the crowd amassed in front of them shows they will be welcome back on our shores with open arms.

Rating: 8/10Blind Guardian live @ Academy, Manchester. Photo Credit: Jess Robinson

Impressive they may be, but tonight is all about BLIND GUARDIAN and in the moments prior to their grand entrance, the excitement is palpable. As the lights dim and the band announce their arrival with Imaginations From The Other Side, the energy is electric as the band, led by the charismatic Hansi Kürsch, built the atmosphere before delivering a knock out punch of bombastic proportions.

From there, the band just excel as they embark on a journey across their extensive discography. Nightfall‘s early outing sees the crowd grin with glee as the guitar harmonies from Marcus Siepen and André Olbrich sound utterly immense in the live arena, whilst material from the band’s latest album (2022’s The God Machine) sit comfortably amongst their decorated back catalogue. Given that technically, this tour is in support of their latest album, it’s somewhat surprising that just three songs from their latest record make a live outing, but BLIND GUARDIAN‘s history is rich and extensive, and they play to what their fans want; a victory lap of masterful power metal.Blind Guardian live @ Academy, Manchester. Photo Credit: Jess Robinson

The Bard’s Song – In The Forest sees two thousand people join the band in singing the sombre folk tale, and it’s a moment that raises the hairs on the back of the neck, whereas Majesty and Traveler In Time injects a ton of adrenaline in the show’s closing stages.

It’s an exhilarating performance, but a triumphant encore ensures that BLIND GUARDIAN finish their time in Manchester with the most epic of finishes. Sacred Worlds soars as the booming symphonics, mix with the epic riffs and Kürsch‘s soaring vocals, Valhalla has the crowd screaming every word back to the band and in finale Mirror Mirror, the band end their time in Manchester with a flourish. And as the crowds filter out of Manchester chanting in unison, “Valhalla – Deliverance, Why’ve you ever forgotten me”, one thing is clear: BLIND GUARDIAN are one of metal’s greatest properties.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Jess Robinson here:


























































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BAND FEATURESFEATURESHARD ROCK

It’s a horrible feeling when you lose your job. You feel all the emotions of sadness, anger, confusion and more, more than anything you feel stuck and unsure of what to do next. Now imagine that scenario in that you’re following your passions, you’re in a band and suddenly, one day, it’s gone. What would you do? Well in the case of Guernica Mancini when she received the email in being fired from THUNDERMOTHER, the choice was clear: not to give up and to rebuild by forming new band THE GEMS.



After Guernica’s departure, fellow band members, Emlee Johansson [drums] and Mona Lindgren [guitars, bass], also left and they immediately formed THE GEMS. Almost a year since that day, they went on to release their debut album Phoenix, a record aptly named given their goal of rising from the ashes. Speaking to Guernica a few weeks after the album was released, she recounted on the events that followed leaving THUNDERMOTHER.

“As soon as I got the email that I was fired, I talked to Mona and Emlee that same day and we decided that we were going to continue playing together no matter what. We were like ‘this is crazy, how is this even happening?!’ and for us it was just instant, we just knew we had to rebuild and regroup quick as hell, because to be able to take advantage of the momentum that we had helped build up in THUNDERMOTHER. So that was one of the driving forces in not wasting a second and just waiting around, like, we were working while crying, it was just intense!”

“It was very much therapy; music is the best way to get it out. Like writing the lyrics, some days you’re angry, some days you’re super sad and devastated, and other days you’re starting to feel hopeful again and actually excited about the future. I think that we captured all those feelings on this album.”


As said, the album title reflects their determination in continuing to push through unexpected circumstances. Not only is this displayed in the record, its name and its songs, but also the thought put into it behind the scenes. For Mancini, the vital thing was to create something that sounded epic, professional and something that they can be proud of.

When asked about what the album represents to her, Guernica says, “just the feeling of never giving up, and I just wanted it to be sonically well-crafted, like, just professional and levelled up from what we’ve done before. We didn’t want to take a step back with the production and all that stuff. So, we really made the effort to find a producer, Johan Randén, who did an amazing job with us, we felt good to be given a product of that level.”

“We still had a tight budget, and all that stuff, but we worked really efficiently, and we had most of the things prepared that we needed before we hit the studio, we really made use of all the time. I think most importantly, giving people music that is really well produced and showcases all of our talents. On my part with the singing, I got to really showcase my range and different styles of vocals, Mona did super interesting guitar solos that I saw her working so hard on, and Emlee too who’s always killing it on the drums. I’d also say we were creatively more free now, it’s been a really amazing journey.”

Phoenix itself truly displays THE GEMS’ talent, chemistry and no-nonsense attitude with endless guitar riffs, strong rock n roll vocals, and lyrics that will get you pumped and ready to take on anything in life. Determination has truly paid off here, yet what do they think of the result? Well, Guernica couldn’t be happier. “I still feel really proud and excited about it. Not to say we weren’t a real band before, but it now feels like we have something to show for ourselves with this album, and I’m really happy about that. It feels like now we can start booking shows for real and we can start planning our future in a different way. The feeling is just really good.”

“It’s been really positive, at least from what I’ve seen. I’m just grateful that people have enjoyed it, that they can relate to the topics that we talk about on the songs. You need uplifting songs; you need to be able to go through it whatever that emotion is and still try to be hopeful. You know, all that stuff that is life! I think it’s a relatable album and I’m very happy.”

Phoenix is out now via Napalm Records.

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