Editing Nightfall in Middle-Earth (section)

== Thematic references ==

The album retells the events in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', beginning with an episode at the end:<ref name="Phipps 2022">{{cite news |last=Phipps |first=C. T. |title=Review: Nightfall in Middle Earth by Blind Guardian |url=https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-nightfall-in-middle-earth-by/ |access-date=5 May 2023 |work=Grimdark Magazine |date=23 August 2022}}</ref>

# In "War of Wrath", [[Sauron]] advises his master [[Morgoth]] to flee the triumphant [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Valar]] in the [[War of Wrath]]. Morgoth sends him away and reflects on the events leading up to his defeat.
# In "Into the Storm", Morgoth and [[Ungoliant]], fleeing from [[Valinor]] after having destroyed the [[Two Trees of Valinor|Two Trees]], struggle for the possession of the [[Silmaril]]s.
# "Lammoth" is Morgoth's scream of fear. It summons his [[Balrog]]s to his aid to fight off Ungoliant.
# In "Nightfall", [[Fëanor]] and [[Sons of Fëanor|his seven sons]] mourn the destruction wrought by Morgoth, including the slaying of [[Finwë]], Fëanor's father, and swear to get revenge on him, in spite of the Valar's disapproval.
# "The Minstrel" is most likely about Maglor, son of Fëanor, who composed the song "The Fall of the [[Noldor]]" based on the Kinslaying.
# In "The Curse of Fëanor", Fëanor expresses his wrath and anger and relates the misdeeds he commits, especially the Kinslaying, in pursuit of Morgoth.
# In "Captured", Morgoth addresses the captive [[Maedhros]], Fëanor's son, and chains him to the [[Thangorodrim]] mountains.
# In "Blood Tears", Maedhros relates the horrors of his captivity and his deliverance by Fingon.
# "Mirror Mirror" recounts how Turgon, in view of inevitable defeat, builds the city of [[Gondolin]], aided by [[Ulmo]] ("The Lord of Water").
# In "Face the Truth", [[Fingolfin]] reflects about the destiny of the [[Noldor]].
# In "Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)", Fingolfin recounts his Noldor army's passage from the icy waste of [[Minor places in Arda#H|Helcaraxë]] and the prophecy by [[Mandos]] about the Noldor's fate; he reflects on his own and his people's guilt and foreshadows their ultimate defeat.
# "The Battle of Sudden Flame" refers to [[Dagor Bragollach|the battle]] in which Morgoth breaks the [[Siege of Angband]] using his Balrogs and [[Dragon (Middle-earth)|dragons]]. The lyrics tell of how Barahir of the [[Edain|House of Bëor]], with great loss to his own company, saved the life of the Elven king [[Finrod Felagund]], and in return Finrod swore an oath of friendship to Barahir and all of his kin.
# "Time Stands Still (at the Iron Hill)" is about Fingolfin riding to the gates of [[Angband (Middle-earth)|Angband]] to challenge Morgoth to a duel. Fingolfin wounds Morgoth seven times but is eventually killed.<ref name="Metal 2021">{{cite web |title=Nightfall in Middle-Earth / Unplugged Västeras Blind Guardian |url=https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Blind_Guardian/Nightfall_in_Middle-Earth_-_Unplugged_V%C3%A4steras/455258/ |website=Metal-Archives |access-date=17 February 2022 |date=28 October 2021}}</ref>
# "The [[Moriquendi|Dark Elf]]" refers to Eöl who seduced Turgon's sister and fathered Maeglin, who would eventually betray Gondolin.
# "Thorn" is a song describing Maeglin's captivity in Angband and Morgoth trying to convert Maeglin to his side with threats and lies. The title of the song refers to the thorn bushes that hid the outer gates of Gondolin.
# "The [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Eldar]]" is Elven king [[Finrod Felagund]]'s farewell to his people, dying from wounds sustained by saving his human friend [[Beren]] from a werewolf, thereby fulfilling his oath to the [[Edain|House of Bëor]].
# In "Nom the Wise", Beren mourns his friend Finrod. ''Nóm'' means "wise" and was the name given to Finrod by Beren's forefather Bëor.
# In "When Sorrow Sang", Beren sings about his love to the Elven princess [[Lúthien]] and his death at the teeth of Morgoth's wolf [[Carcharoth]]. Last part is about Mandos listening to Luthien's song about their grief experienced by being different in kin.
# "Out on the Water" refers to the last dwelling-place of Beren and Lúthien.
# In "The Steadfast", Morgoth curses his captive [[Húrin]] (known in Elvish as the Steadfast) who refused to reveal the secret of Gondolin.
# In "A Dark Passage", Morgoth ponders his triumph in the fifth battle. The song also relates the origins of the [[Man (Middle-earth)|kindred of men]] and Morgoth's curse on Húrin [[The Children of Húrin|to be witness to his children's tragic fate]].
# "Final Chapter (Thus Ends ...)" concludes the album, speaking of Morgoth's victory by the "treachery of man" but also of the hope for a new day.
# "Harvest of Sorrow" is a bonus track on the 2007 and 2018 remastered versions of the album. [[Túrin Turambar|Túrin]] mourns the loss of his sister [[Niënor Níniel|Niënor]].
# "Doom" is a bonus track on the 2018 remastered version of the album. The track shows a more detailed account of Húrin being cursed by Morgoth.  A slightly rewritten version appears on a limited edition of ''[[Beyond the Red Mirror]]'' as an epilogue chapter.
# "The Tides of War" is a bonus track on the 2018 remastered version of the album.  The track tells of the rebellious Noldor arriving in Beleriand to face Morgoth, thinking also about the burning of the Teleri ships at Losgar and the Oath of Fëanor.

The cover art for the album features Lúthien dancing before Morgoth, from ''[[The Tale of Beren and Lúthien]]''.