Dec 6th, 2010
Blind Guardian at The Showbox

Review/Photos By: P Ruttan
Photos:http://www.metaltitans.com/concertpics/blind-guardian/

If there is one thing that i learned tonight, it’s that power metal fans are incredibly devoted and passionate, once they have torn themselves away from one fantasy world to another. It’s monday night in downtown seattle and the showbox at the market had a line up of almost two city blocks long to see there idols... Germany's Blind Guardian. Mostly every fan in line was wearing a Blind Guardian tee and chanting “Blind Guardian...Blind Guardian.” waiting patiently in the cold to get into the theatre. Blind Guardian had support bands Seven Kingdoms and Holy Grail to be warmed up to before BG would hit the stage.

Once I was in the Showbox it was packed with excitement and frenzy as the all ages show fans were lined up to buy there favorite Blind Guardian tee or CD. People were putting down fist fulls of cash to get there favorite merch. I would have to wait till half through the show to get a chance to buy a tee. Seven Kingdoms from Florida started the show off and they did a very commendable job. Seven Kingdoms self-released 'Brothers of the Night' and latest self titled release ‘Seven Kingdoms’ offers plenty of it, as well as some Iced Earth-ish darkly melodic power metal, all enveloped in a medieval metal atmosphere. Lead singer Sabrina Valentine played to the crowd and gave what they wanted.....A TASTE OF POWER METAL!

Next up was Holy Grail from Pasadena, California and when it comes to the performance and on stage presence Holy Grail puts on a very impressive show. As you would expect Lead singer James Paul Luna is full of energy and genuinely looks like he loves being on stage fronting the band, even if he does come across rather camp at times with the 80’s thrash style metal posing. Eli Santana on guitar always fronts the bands thrash sound and he didn’t let the crowd down playing to songs like Immortal Man and Crisis in Utopia. I hope to see this band to continue to grow and one day headline there own tour.

Blind Guardian finally was next to hit the stage and the buzz was in the air. Whether you like it or not, there is no denying the genuine unity between band and the crowd, and frontman Hansi Kürsch shined in the spot light. They graced the stage one by one by, each member greeted by frantic applause, especially vocalist, Hansi Kürsch. They immediately break into Scared Worlds and Welcome to the dying filled with their unmistakable power metal middle earth sound. The crowd lapped it up, jumping, moshing, clapping and were singing at the top of their voices. The encore had 5 songs which left the fans even wanting more. This brought the night to a close in perfect style leaving the metal fans of young and old with one of the most memorable concerts ever. I was lucky to be the only photographer in the pit to capture all three bands and as i put away my newly bought Blind guardian tee in the drawer with my countless other black metal shirts i will think of what a great show the showbox fans experienced in middle earth seattle.