Battalions of Fear is the debut album by German power metal band Blind Guardian, released in 1988. The album is a raw and unpolished speed metal effort that touches on thrash metal. It lacks many of the stylistic flourishes that would mark the band's music in later years, focusing more on speed and aggression. The opening track "Majesty" remains a fan favorite and is often featured in the band's live performances. This album was remastered, remixed and re-released on 15 June 2007, with the whole first demo tape, Symphonies of Doom, of the band (at the time called Lucifer's Heritage) as part of the bonus tracks. The album was again re-released as part of the A Traveler's Guide to Space and Time boxset with minor adjustments to the mixing and with new mastering.
All songs written by André Olbrich and Hansi Kürsch, except where noted. All lyrics written by Kürsch.
Side one
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Majesty"
7:28
2.
"Guardian of the Blind" (André Olbrich, Hansi Kürsch, Marcus Siepen, Thomas Stauch)
5:09
3.
"Trial by the Archon" (instrumental)
1:41
4.
"Wizard's Crown"
3:48
Side two
No.
Title
Length
5.
"Run for the Night"
3:33
6.
"The Martyr"
6:14
7.
"Battalions of Fear"
6:06
8.
"By the Gates of Moria" (instrumental)
2:52
Cassette and CD edition bonus track
No.
Title
Length
9.
"Gandalf's Rebirth" (instrumental)
2:10
2007 re-release bonus tracks
No.
Title
Length
10.
"Brian" (demo version) (André Olbrich, Hansi Kürsch, Markus Dörk)
2:41
11.
"Halloween (The Wizard's Crown)" (demo version)
3:22
12.
"Lucifer's Heritage" (demo version)
4:36
13.
"Symphonies of Doom" (demo version)
4:08
14.
"Dead of the Night" (demo version)
3:33
Lyrical and musical themes[]
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The songs "Majesty" and "Run For the Night", as well as the titles of instrumentals "By the Gates of Moria" and "Gandalf's Rebirth", are based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
"Wizard's Crown" is about Aleister Crowley. The song was originally titled "Halloween" on the Symphonies of Doom demo tape (1985) while the band was still Lucifer's Heritage. The song name was changed probably to avoid confusion with a song of the same name by fellow German power/speed metal band Helloween.