Top 10 Bonus Tracks by Blind Guardian and Demons & Wizards

It makes sense to put these metal bands on a common list because they are closely related - Demons & Wizards is a side project of Blind Guardian's vocalist Hansi Kürsch. Moreover, Hansi is the sole lyricist for both bands and also an influential band member in the decision-making process.

Some bonus tracks are so good that I wonder why the bands left them outside the album. One of the reasons could be that some of the tracks are mellow and the bands didn't want to be accused of getting soft, i.e. selling out. Yes, this is very important in the metal community.
The Top Ten
1 Distant Memories - Blind Guardian
2 Harvest of Sorrow - Blind Guardian

This beautiful ballad was a bonus track to several albums but was never on an album. Godly vocals and vocal harmonies by Hansi.
I think it's the softest Blind Guardian song and that was the reason to be a permanent bonus track and never on an album.

3 Lunar Lament - Demons & Wizards

A song with a great chorus, lyrics and vox - bonus to Limited Edition only (2005).

The song is about two Tolkien characters from The Silmarillion: Maia Tilion who travels across the sky driving the Moon Ship and Arien (the woman he loves), who drives the Sun Ship. When Tilion approaches, her fire hurts him.
"I drift alone in silence

'Cause I can't reach the sun

It's all I long for
The heat of the sun
It's all I long for
What I'm wishing for is the blessing
Of the sun"

4 Theatre of Pain (Classic Version) - Blind Guardian

The song Theatre of Pain has 4 studio versions but I think this bonus version (aka Classic Version) is the best version, even better than the original.

5 The Wizard - Blind Guardian

A remarkable Uriah Heep cover that was a Japanese Bonus Track to the 1995 album (Imaginations from the Other Side).
In 1996 Blind Guardian included the track in their compilation album The Forgotten Tales.

6 White Room - Demons & Wizards

A great Cream cover.

7 Spatial Architects - Demons & Wizards

A song of 2005, bonus to Limited Edition only.
A song with a cool rhythm. It reminds of Blind Guardian songs more than any other song by Demons & Wizards. I guess Hansi wrote part of the music to this song and not only Jon Schaffer. Hansi also uses more of his "staccato vox" (esp. in the pre-chorus) typical for some Blind Guardian songs.

8 Doom - Blind Guardian

Bonus Track On Earbook Version of the 2015 album.
Hansi hits his lowest note on this song (C2) - he did that before in several songs but he proves he still has it in 2015. Also, one of the best Blind Guardian lines is in this song:

"Truth is a beast
With a sad face
A demon
The cruelest of all"

9 All the King's Horses - Blind Guardian

Bonus track to the Japanese edition only (2006).

10 Dead Sound of Misery - Blind Guardian

Digipak Bonus Track to their 2006 album.
Most of the music to this bonus track was used in the song Fly but lyrics are completely different and Dead Sound of Misery is in a lower octave.

I would say Dead Sound of Misery was an early version of Fly - Fly a gorgeous proggy song and my favorite from the 2006 album. So I really enjoy listening to a different version of a favorite song.

The Contenders
11 Harvest of Sorrow (Acoustic Version) - Blind Guardian

Acoustic Version is awesome, too. Japanese bonus, 2002

12 Nightfall (Orchestral Version) - Blind Guardian

Japanese Bonus Tracks 1998

13 A Dark Passage (Instrumental Version) - Blind Guardian

Japanese Bonus Track 1998

14 Mies Del Dolor - Blind Guardian

Harvest of Sorrow in Spanish, bonus to Spanish edition

15 Market Square - Blind Guardian

It's the demo version of "Straight Through the Mirror" and is only available on the Double LP and Limited Book versions of the 2006 album.

16 Wicked Witch (slow version) - Demons & Wizards

Bonus to Limited Edition only

17 Moisson de peine - Blind Guardian

Harvest of Sorrow in French, French Bonus

18 Frutto del Buio - Blind Guardian

Italian Bonus, the song is Harvest of Sorrow in Italian

19 La Cosecha del Dolor - Blind Guardian

This is Harvest of Sorrow in Spanish, bonus to Argentine edition

20 Gandalf's Rebirth - Blind Guardian

Bonus to 1988 album

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