| A Night at the Opera | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Blind Guardian |
| Cover: | A Night at the Opera (Blind Guardian album - cover art).jpg |
| Caption: | Cover art by Paul R. Gregory |
| Released: | 25 March 2002 |
| Recorded: | January–December 2001 at Twilight Hall Studios, Grefrath and Hammer Music Studios, Hamburg, Germany |
| Length: | 67:01 |
| Label: | Virgin/Century Media |
| Producer: | Charlie Bauerfeind |
| Prev Title: | Nightfall in Middle-Earth |
| Prev Year: | 1998 |
| Next Title: | A Twist in the Myth |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
A Night at the Opera is the seventh studio album by the German power metal band Blind Guardian, released in 2002. It is named after the 1975 Queen album of the same name, which is itself named after the Marx brothers film of the same name.[1]
This album continues a stylistic change from power metal into a more progressive sound, with multiple overlaid vocals, choirs, orchestral keys and guitar leads and less emphasis on powerful guitar riffs and heavy rhythms.[2] As a result, drummer Thomen Stauch would leave the group, citing dissatisfaction with the direction the group was going in.[3]
There are seven different studio versions and two official live versions of "Harvest of Sorrow" – two in English, two in Spanish ("Mies Del Dolor", "La Cosecha Del Dolor"), one in Italian ("Frutto Del Buio"), one in French ("Moisson de Peine"), and one in a mix of all of the versions except the English acoustic and Italian (also called "Harvest of the World").
The song "Battlefield" is featured as the music in the heavy metal edition of the Adult Swim game Robot Unicorn Attack.
The album features the concepts and themes familiar to Blind Guardian fans, such as historical battles and religious references.
Blind Guardian
Guest musicians
Production