Blind Guardian
 | |
| Origin | Krefeld, Germany |
| Genre | Power metal, speed metal, progressive metal |
| Years active | 1984-present |
| Label | No Remorse, Virgin, Century Media, Nuclear Blast |
| Website | www.blind-guardian.com |
| Current members | Hansi Kürsch André Olbrich Marcus Siepen Frederik Ehmke |
| Former members | Thomas "Thomen" Stauch Markus Dörk Christof Theißen Peter Frey |
Blind Guardian is a power metal (and more recently epic metal) band started in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, Germany. Before calling themselves Blind Guardian, the band released two demos under the name Lucifer's Heritage in 1986 and 1987. There were negotiations with the band to do soundtrack work for The Lord of the Rings (film series) but this fell through.[1]
From the very beginning, Blind Guardian have been inspired by the fictional worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien and other fantasy authors, as well as traditional legends and epics. The 1998 album Nightfall in Middle-Earth, for example, is a concept album based on Tolkien's The Silmarillion, while the 2002 album A Night at the Opera features a 14-minute song about the Trojan War, titled "And Then There Was Silence." Over the years, a running theme has developed associating the band members with traveling bards.
There were plans on releasing a CD of The Lord of the Rings orchestral music in 2008.[1]
Line-up[edit | edit source]
- Hansi Kürsch - lead singer and (formerly) bass
- André Olbrich - guitars
- Marcus Siepen - guitars
- Frederik Ehmke – drums, percussion, flute and bagpipes
- Oliver Holzwarth - bass (touring member)
- Michael "Mi" Schüren - Keyboards (touring member)
Former members[edit | edit source]
- Thomas "Thomen" Stauch - drums (1986-2005)
- Markus Dörk – rhythm and lead guitar (Lucifer's Heritage) (1984–1985)
- Christof Theißen – rhythm guitar (Lucifer's Heritage) (1986)
- Hans-Peter Frey – drums (Lucifer's Heritage) (1986)
Discography[edit | edit source]
- Symphony of Doom (demo) (1986)
- Battalions Of Fear (demo) (1987)
- Battalions of Fear (1988)
- Follow the Blind (1989)
- Tales from the Twilight World (1990)
- Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)
- Tokyo Tales (1993)
- Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)
- The Forgotten Tales (1996)
- Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)
- A Night at the Opera (2002)
- Live (2003)
- Imaginations Through the Looking Glass (DVD) (2004)
- A Twist in the Myth (2006)
- At The Edge of Time (2010)
See also[edit | edit source]
External Links[edit | edit source]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kenneth Morton, "A New Twist in the Blind Guardian Legacy (Interview)" at HighwireDaze.com (accessed 4 September 2011)
