Blind Guardian

Biography

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Blind Guardian (1984-present): a Power Metal band from Krefeld, Germany.

he act Blind Guardian rank with Helloween and Stratovarius as one of the innovators of the melodic Germanic speed metal/power metal/thrash metal style that has been massively popular in Europe for the past several years. Originally named Lucifer's Heritage, Blind Guardian's style originated from Helloween early in their career, but took that style to a new level, with advanced musical styles and folk/fantasy-based lyrical themes dominating much of their work.

Boasting a refreshingly stable line up through their entire career, Hansi Kursch (ex-Demons And Wizards; bass/vocals), Marcus Siepen (guitar), Andre Olbrich (guitar) and Thomas Stauch (ex-Iron Savior; drums), Blind Guardian would release their debut Battalions of Fear in 1988. A year later, they would release Follow the Blind.

Proving they were a prolific act and increasing in popularity, Blind Guardian left the indie 'No Remorse' and moved to a major deal on 'Virgin' to open 1990 with Tales From the Twilight World, to followed it up with Somewhere Far Beyond (1992), Tokyo Tales (a Live effort; 1993), A Past and Future Secret EP (1995), Imaginations from the Other Side (1995), Bright Eyes EP (1995), The Forgotten Tales (1996), Mirror Mirror (1997), Nightfall in Middle Earth (1998). And There Was Silence EP (2001) and A Night at the Opera (2002) saw them off 'Virgin' and on the slightly lesser retirement label 'Century Media' for a time that saw them leaving their classic era; the former album being their first in four years.

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After almost twenty years with the same foursome, drummer Thomas Stauch then left the band. He would go on to devote his time to Savage Circus, a new project band featuring members of Persuader and Soilwork.

Frederik Ehmke would replace Stauch in 2003 when the Live set Live was released, an album followed up by A Twist in the Myth (2006) on 'Nuclear Blast'.

Excluding the various compilations and Live albums, their discography would grow to include A Twist in the Myth (2006), At the Edge of Time (2010) and A Traveler's Guide to Space and Time (2013).

By the time Beyond the Red Mirror (2015) was released the line-up would feature Hansi Kürsch (vocals), André Olbrich (guitars (lead, rhythm)), Marcus Siepen (guitars (rhythm)) and Frederik Ehmke (drums/percussion).

The Tides of War - Live at Rock Hard Festival 2016 EP (2018) would follow.

The band's long-awaited orchestral album, Legacy of the Dark Lands, would be next to follow on November 1, 2019; a project Olbrich and Kürsch had been writing since 1996. The album features only Kürsch with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (credited as Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra).

In 2022, the band would return with The God Machine.

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