Editing Nightfall in Middle-Earth

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Redirect|Blood Tears|the medical condition|Haemolacria}} 
{{Infobox album
| name        = Nightfall in Middle-Earth
| type        = studio
| artist      = [[Blind Guardian]]
| cover       = NFoME.jpg
| caption     = Cover art by Andreas Marschall<br/>of [[Lúthien and Beren|Lúthien]] dancing before [[Morgoth]],<br/>from ''[[The Tale of Beren and Lúthien]]''
| alt         = Painting in modern style of a scene from Tolkien's legendarium
| released    = 28 April 1998
| recorded    = July 1997 – January 1998
| venue       =
| studio      = Twilight Hall Studios<br/>Karo Studios<br/>Sweet Silence Studios<br/>Vox Studios<br/> Air-Edel Studios
| genre       = {{hlist|[[Power metal]]|[[progressive metal]]|[[speed metal]]|[[symphonic metal]]<ref name="metalhammerlist"/>}}
| length      = 65:29
| label       = [[Virgin Records|Virgin]]/[[Century Media]]
| producer    = [[Flemming Rasmussen]], Blind Guardian
| prev_title  = [[Imaginations from the Other Side]]
| prev_year   = 1995
| next_title  = [[A Night at the Opera (Blind Guardian album)|A Night at the Opera]]
| next_year   = 2002
| misc        = {{Singles
| name        = Nightfall in Middle-Earth
| type        = studio
| single1     = Mirror Mirror
| single1date = 7 February 1998
}}
}}

'''''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 in Middle-earth|Elves]] battle with the Dark Lord [[Morgoth]].<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/nightfall-in-middle-earth-mw0000047851 |title=Nightfall in Middle-Earth - Blind Guardian |last=Jeffries|first=Vincent|website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=December 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AOS74uZTasYC&pg=PA134 |title=Middle-earth Minstrel: Essays on Music in Tolkien |last=Eden |first=Bradford Lee |author-link=Bradford Lee Eden |date=2010 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]] |isbn=9780786456604 |page=134}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=72r0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA185 |title=Middle-earth Envisioned: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: On Screen, On Stage, and Beyond |last1=Robb |first1=Brian J. |last2=Simpson |first2=Paul |date=2013 |publisher=Race Point Publishing |isbn=9781627880787 |page=185}}</ref> 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'' is widely regarded as one of Blind Guardian's best-known and best-received albums in their discography.<ref name="Sputnik">{{cite web |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/14758/Blind-Guardian-Nightfall-in-Middle-Earth/ |title=Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth (album review 2) |last=Ward |first=Kyle |date=December 30, 2007 |website=Sputnikmusic |access-date=December 30, 2016}}</ref> 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 Records|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.

== Musical style ==

The album has been described as "grandiose"<ref name="Sputnik"/> and influenced by [[progressive rock]]. It has been compared to [[Queen (band) |Queen]]'s operatic approach with "dense choir-like vocal harmonies set against swirling multi-part guitar lines."<ref name="Sputnik"/> Music critics have noted the fast, melodic guitar-work and the use of folk instruments, flutes, violins, and other instruments. The album's songs are varied, with "quick-paced numbers", ballads, and operatic pieces.<ref name="Sputnik"/> ''[[Metal Hammer]]'' described it as "a banquet of [[Medieval music |medieval]]/[[Folk music |folk]], [[Speed metal |speed]]/[[power metal]], and Queen-esque vocal twists, complete with interludes to illustrate the plot."<ref name="metalhammerlist">{{cite web |date=2 November 2016 |title=The 10 Essential Symphonic Metal Albums |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-essential-symphonic-metal-albums |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118102709/https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-essential-symphonic-metal-albums |archive-date=18 November 2018 |website=[[Metal Hammer]] |publisher=loudersound.com}}</ref>

== 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]]''.

== Reception ==

{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="AllMusic"/>
| rev2 = [[Sputnikmusic]]
| rev2score = 4.5/5<ref name="Sputnik"/>
| rev3 = [[Metal Storm (webzine)|Metal Storm]]
| rev3score = 7.7/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=4612|title=Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth review|last=Ernis|date=October 1, 2007|website=[[Metal Storm (webzine)|Metal Storm]]|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref>
}}

The album has drawn universally positive critical acclaim since its release. Writing for Sputnikmusic, Kyle Ward said that on this album "Blind Guardian laid down their finest instrumental performance to date. Everything goes hand in hand with each other, the guitars being nearly always furiously paced and extremely melodic, but not over-the-top and cheesy like many other power metal bands out there." He singled out [[Hansi Kürsch]]'s vocals for particular praise, writing that "In every aspect and mood, Blind Guardian delivers in the vocal department. Whether the song is amazingly fast and melodic, like "Time Stands Still (at the Iron Hill)" or whether the mood is somber and slow ("The Eldar") you are sure to be hit in the face with a simply remarkable feat in terms of vocal achievement, one of the finest vocal performances I have ever seen on a metal album."<ref name="Sputnik" />

[[AllMusic]]'s Vincent Jeffries gave a similarly glowing assessment of the album, describing the album as "complete with anthemic choruses, spoken word story lines, and plenty of bombastic [[power metal]] punctuating every dramatic turn" and "perhaps Blind Guardian's most triumphant effort."<ref name="AllMusic" />

In a volume edited by Tolkien scholar [[Bradford Lee Eden]], [[Amy H. Sturgis]] writes that "although one can assume that Tolkien was not a headbanger",<ref name="Eden 2010">{{cite book |last=Eden |first=Bradford Lee |author-link=Bradford Lee Eden |title=Middle-earth Minstrel: Essays on Music in Tolkien |publisher=McFarland |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7864-4814-2 |page=134}}</ref> she finds that in the opinion of her students, the "driving energy" of the power metal sound is appropriate for the stories: "The music conveys rage and despair, which fits lyrics such as 'The doom of the [[Noldor]] drew near/ The words of a banished king, “I swear revenge!”'"<ref name="Eden 2010"/> Sturgis adds that this facilitates discussion of [[Christianity in Middle-earth|Tolkien's Christian view]] of the [[fall of man]].<ref name="Eden 2010"/>

''[[Metal Hammer]]'' named it in its lists "The 10 Essential Symphonic Metal Albums"<ref name="metalhammerlist"/> and in "The 10 Essential Power Metal Albums".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-essential-power-metal-albums|title=The 10 essential power metal albums|last=Lawson|first=Dom|date=October 19, 2016|website=[[Metal Hammer]]|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref> ''[[Dotdash|ThoughtCo]]'' named it one of the essential power metal albums.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-power-metal-albums-1759036|title=Essential Power Metal Albums|last=Marsicano|first=Dan|website=[[ThoughtCo]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029101025/https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-power-metal-albums-1759036|archive-date=October 29, 2018|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref>

Grimdark Magazine's C.T. Phipps called it one of his "favorite power metal band's greatest works". He states that it is told from the point of view of the Dark Lord Morgoth, with the story told both in the songs and in "little vignettes" in between. He describes the music as "not just your traditional power metal sound but there’s quite a bit of melodious, folksy Medieval sounding tunes spread between the fast guitar work."<ref name="Phipps 2022"/>

== Track listing ==

The tracks are:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nightfall in Middle-Earth – 1998|url=https://www.blind-guardian.com/nightfall-in-middle-earth-album/|access-date=2020-10-17|publisher=blind-guardian.com}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| all_writing = 
| all_lyrics = [[Hansi Kürsch]]
| all_music = [[André Olbrich]] and Hansi Kürsch except where noted
| title1   = War of Wrath
| length1  = 1:50
| title2   = Into the Storm
| length2  = 4:24
| title3   = Lammoth
| length3  = 0:28
| title4   = Nightfall
| length4  = 5:34
| title5   = The Minstrel
| length5  = 0:32
| title6   = The Curse of Fëanor
| note6    = Olbrich, Kürsch, [[Thomas "Thomen" Stauch]] and [[Marcus Siepen]]
| length6  = 5:41
| title7   = Captured
| length7  = 0:26
| title8   = Blood Tears
| length8  = 5:24
| title9   = Mirror Mirror
| length9  = 5:06
| title10  = Face the Truth
| length10 = 0:24
| title11  = Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)
| length11 = 6:51
| title12  = Battle of Sudden Flame
| length12 = 0:44
| title13  = Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)
| length13 = 4:53
| title14  = The Dark Elf
| length14 = 0:23
| title15  = Thorn
| length15 = 6:19
| title16  = The Eldar
| note16   = Olbrich, Kürsch, Michael Schüren
| length16 = 3:39
| title17  = Nom the Wise
| length17 = 0:33
| title18  = When Sorrow Sang
| length18 = 4:25
| title19  = Out on the Water
| length19 = 0:44
| title20  = The Steadfast
| length20 = 0:21
| total_length = 
| title21  = A Dark Passage
| length21 = 6:01
| title22  = Final Chapter (Thus Ends...)
| length22 = 0:48
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Japanese edition bonus tracks
| title23  = Nightfall
| note23   = orchestral version
| length23 = 5:38
| title24  = A Dark Passage
| note24   = instrumental version
| length24 = 6:06
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = 2007 re-release bonus track
| title23  = Harvest of Sorrow 
| length23 = 3:39
| note23   = Siepen, Kürsch and Stauch
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = 2018 re-release bonus tracks
| title23 = Doom
| length23 = 5:51
| title24 = Harvest of Sorrow
| length24 = 3:41
| title25 = The Tides of War
| length25 = 5:17
}}

== Personnel ==

;Blind Guardian
* [[Hansi Kürsch]]&nbsp;– lead and backing vocals
* [[André Olbrich]]&nbsp;– lead and acoustic guitar
* [[Marcus Siepen]]&nbsp;– rhythm guitar
* [[Thomen Stauch|Thomas "Thomen" Stauch]]&nbsp;– drums

;Guest musicians
* Oliver Holzwarth – bass
* Mathias Weisner – keyboards, orchestral effects
* Michael Schüren– [[grand piano]]
* Max Zelzner – flutes, [[alto flute]]
* [[Norman Eshley]], [[Douglas Fielding]] – narration
* Billy King, [[Rolf Köhler]], Olaf Senkbeil, Thomas Hackmann – choir

;Production
* [[Blind Guardian]]&nbsp;– [[Record producer|producers]]
* [[Flemming Rasmussen]]&nbsp;– [[Audio mixing|mixing]]
* [[Charlie Bauerfeind]]&nbsp;– mixing of interludes
* [[Flemming Rasmussen]], [[Charlie Bauerfeind]] and [[Piet Sielck]] – mixing engineers
* [[Charlie Bauerfeind]]&nbsp;– recording and engineering of drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals, bass guitars, piano and interludes
* Piet Sielck&nbsp;– recording and engineering of lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, keyboards and orchestral effects
* [[Flemming Rasmussen]]&nbsp;– recording and engineering of vocals
* Cuny&nbsp;– recording and engineering of flutes, alto-flutes and vocals
* Andreas Marshall&nbsp;– cover and story paintings
* Thorsten Eichhorst&nbsp;– photos

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"| Chart (1998)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Austria|39|artist=Blind Guardian|album=Nightfall in Middle-Earth|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|7|id=7810|artist=Blind Guardian|album=Nightfall in Middle-Earth|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}}
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JPN">{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=[[Oricon|Oricon Entertainment]]|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9|language=ja}}</ref>
| align="center"| 12
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|44|artist=Blind Guardian|album=Nightfall in Middle-Earth|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}}
|}

== See also ==

* [[Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien]]

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{Blind Guardian}}
{{Middle-earth}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nightfall In Middle-Earth}}
[[Category:Blind Guardian albums]]
[[Category:Music based on Middle-earth]]
[[Category:1990s concept albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Flemming Rasmussen]]
[[Category:1998 soundtrack albums]]
[[Category:Virgin Records albums]]
[[Category:Fantasy albums]]