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Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Blind Guardian| image = BlindGuardian 6.jpg| caption = BlindGuardian in Malmö , Sweden , September 21, 2006. L-R: Olbrich, Ehmke, Kürsch, Siepen, Schüren, Holzwarth| image_size = 250| landscape = Yes| background = group_or_band| origin = Krefeld, Germany|Krefeld , Germany | genre = Power metal , progressive metal , speed metal , thrash metal | years_active = 1984–present| label = No Remorse Records|No Remorse , Virgin Records|Virgin , Century Media Records|Century Media , Nuclear Blast | associated_acts = Demons and Wizards (band)|Demons and Wizards , Gamma Ray (band)|Gamma Ray , Helloween , Iced Earth , Iron Savior , Savage Circus , Schattentantz , Power Quest | website = URL| http://www.blind-guardian.com/| current_members = Hansi Kürsch André Olbrich Marcus Siepen Frederik Ehmke | past_members = Thomas "Thomen" Stauch Markus Dörk Christof Theißen Hans-Peter Frey Mathias WiesnerBlindGuardian is a Germany|German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in Krefeld , West Germany .cite web |url= http://www.blind-guardian.com/new_version/popups/history.html |title=Band: How it started... |author=Blind Guardian |accessdate=2007-07-15 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070630081851/ http://www.blind-guardian.com/new_version/popups/history.html |archivedate = June 30, 2007 They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.cite web|url= http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/blindguardian.htm |title=No Life Till Metal |publisher=Nolifetilmetal.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-15 http://www.rockhard.de/index.php? smod=p209Wz1iMUIfo2qAo2D9pz9wn2uupzDhLzShMUZhMTI0LJyfIzyyqlMapz91pRyRCKWbK2WuozDzL29hqTIhqRyRCGR0AGHzp3IwnUA0pzyhMm1PoTyhMPOUqJSlMTyuovL%3D Rock Hard MagazineBlindGuardian is a part of the Music of Germany#Metal|German heavy metal scene that emerged in the mid-1980s.
The band's lyrics, written by vocalist Hansi Kürsch , are inspired by the fiction of fantasy authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien , Michael Moorcock , Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin as well as traditional legend s and Epic poetry|epic s.Bradford Lee Eden. Middle-earth Minstrel: Essays on Music in Tolkien. McFarland, 2010. ISBN 0-7864-4814-8, ISBN 978-0-7864-4814-2. 215 pages Over the years, a running theme has developed personifying the band members as travelling bard s, leading some fans to refer to the band affectionately as "The Bards".
Biography
Formation as Lucifer's Heritage (1984–1987)
Blind Guardian was formed in 1984 in Krefeld , Germany , by Hansi Kürsch (vocals, bass) and Andre Olbrich (guitar) under the name Lucifer's Heritage. The band first released two demo (music)|demos in 1985 and 1986, despite undergoing chaotic lineup changes: Markus Dörk (guitar) and Thomen Stauch (drums) were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively. Finally, in 1987, Marcus Siepen joined and Thomen came back to form the lineup which would stay consistent for the next 18 years.
Name change and rise to success (1988–1996)
After Lucifer's Heritage signed a contract with No Remorse Records , the band changed their name to BlindGuardian to avoid any speculations about Satanism (in a bio it was stated that they also wanted to distance themselves from the black metal movement, as their demos were placed in with black metal albums at local record shops). They released their debut album Battalions of Fear in 1988, which was essentially a speed metal album heavily influenced by Helloween .cite web |url= http://www.metalstorm.ee/pub/review.php? review_id=3736& page=& message_id=|title=Battalions of Fear Review|accessdate=2008-02-17 These two German bands had close ties, and Helloween founder Kai Hansen made a guest appearance on Blind Guardian's second LP, Follow the Blind (1989), where the band revealed some thrash metal influence.cite web|url= http://www.metalkings.ru/reviews/blind-guardian/blind-guardian.htm |title=Metalkings.com |publisher=Metalkings.ru |date= |accessdate=2011-07-15cite web|url= http://soundofmetal.se/index.php? page=blindguardianfollowtheblindreview|title=Follow the Blind Review|accessdate=2008-02-17 Their third LP, Tales from the Twilight World (1990), had a much more melodic and "epic" feeling, with usage of choir and classical music influence.
Blind Guardian signed with Virgin Records in 1991, and released their fourth studio album Somewhere Far Beyond in 1992 and the live album Tokyo Tales in 1993. Flemming Rasmussen , former Metallica producer, began working with the band in 1994, producing their fifth studio album Imaginations from the Other Side , released in 1995, and The Forgotten Tales , an album that contained half covers and half original work, released in 1996.
Later years and departure of Thomen Stauch (1997–2009)
In 1998, BlindGuardian released their epic album Nightfall in Middle-Earth . "Complete with anthemic choruses, spoken word story lines, and plenty of bombastic power metal punctuating every dramatic turn", says Allmusic|Allmusic's Vincent Jeffries, "Nightfall in Middle-Earth is perhaps Blind Guardian's most triumphant".cite web |url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r396625|pure_url=yes|title=Nightfall in Middle-Earth Review|accessdate=2008-02-17 A concept album based on J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Silmarillion ,Blind Guardian's music demonstrated some folk rock influence, but also featured heavy use of Queen (band)|Queen -style layered backing vocals . Since Nightfall , bass guitar has been played by sessional member Oliver Holzwarth , and Hansi has been able to devote all his attention to singing. Nightfall was also the last BlindGuardian album produced by Rasmussen.
A Night at the Opera (Blind Guardian album)|A Night at the Opera , named after A Night at the Opera (Queen album)|the Queen album , was released four years later. On this album, the band's sound lacked almost all influence of their original speed metal. Power and progressive metal abound, with over the top orchestral backing and a consistent vocal and guitar layering throughout.cite web |url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r579741|pure_url=yes|title=A Night at the Opera Review|accessdate=2008-02-17 Though not a true concept album, many of the lyrics dealt with the common themes of religion and relations between human and divine powers. It was followed by a live album in 2003 and a DVD , Imaginations Through the Looking Glass , in 2004, which was the last recorded BlindGuardian material to feature Thomen Stauch on drums. He left the band due to musical differences and was replaced by Frederik Ehmke. The first album with Ehmke was A Twist in the Myth , which came out in 2006.
Blind Guardian participated in the soundtrack for the In the Name of the King: a Dungeon Siege Tale fantasy movie ( Uwe Boll ), which came out in 2008.cite web|url= http://www.imhotep.no/? did=9074224& aid=9069487 |title=Various Artists – In the Name of the King. Soundtrack review |publisher=Imhotep.no |date= |accessdate=2011-07-15 The band also recorded a theme song for Sacred 2 Fallen Angel role-playing video game , the prequel to Sacred (video game)|Sacred . http://www.the-following.com/page.php? show=news& view=bg Hansi's letter to "the Following" fan sitedead link|date=July 2011
Recent events (2010–present)
" A Voice in the Dark " was the next single from BlindGuardian that was released 25 June 2010. On July 30, 2010 the album followed, called At the Edge of Time . The band started "The Sacred Worlds and Songs Divine Tour 2010", the European dates will have the opening acts Enforcer (band)|Enforcer and Steelwing . The 22 October in Gothenburg , Sweden only Steelwing was the opening act. The US dates will have Holy Grail and Seven Kingdoms (band)|Seven Kingdoms and later they were announced that they would play at Wacken Open Air in 2011.
On July 21, 2011, Hansi Kürsch announced on Blind Guardian's official website that they are working on an orchestral album.cite web|url= http://www.blind-guardian.com/2011/07/21/harbinger-of-great-things-to-come/|title=Harbinger of great things to come|accessdate=2011-09-10cite web|url= http://www.metalstorm.net/events/news_comments.php? news_id=14162|title=Blind Guardian - Update On New Orchestral Album |accessdate=2011-09-10 On September 1, 2011, Oliver Holzwarth joined Rhapsody of Fire as a full-time member, after 13 years as Blind Guardian's session bass player.cite web|url= http://www.rhapsodyoffire.com/|title=Rhapsody of Fire annonces Holzwarth as their new member|accessdate=2011-08-23 On January 27th, 2012, the band released a compilation album , titled Memories of a Time to Come , containing re-recorded and remixed songs from the band's entire BlindGuardian discography|discography .cite web|url= http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/products/tontraeger/cd/3cd-digi/blind-guardian-best-of-deluxe.html|title=Nuclear Blast's "Memories of a Time to Come" page|accessdate=2011-10-12
Musical style
Blind Guardian's first two albums, Battalions of Fear and Follow the Blind , were more in the style of speed metal than their following works. Beginning with their third album Tales from the Twilight World , BlindGuardian gradually began to write more complicated compositions focusing less on speed. As of their sixth album, Nightfall in Middle Earth , Hansi stopped playing bass to focus on singing. At this point the band began to incorporate large amounts of orchestra l arrangements, and utilized the technique of overdub bing, heavily influenced by the English rock band Queen (band)|Queen .Cite document|title=Queen influence |publisher= BlindGuardian official site|url= http://www.blind-guardian.com/new_version/band_members.php3dead link|date=June 2010
Blind Guardian's music features the staccato electric guitar|guitars and double bass drum ming characteristic of power metal, as well as the use of overdub s and numerous backing vocals to create a dense sound. This technique, especially notable in the guitar and vocal tracks, creates the impression of a vast army of musicians playing in unison and singing in harmony. This proved significant on all albums after the first two but most particularly on A Night at the Opera (Blind Guardian album)|A Night at the Opera .
Another definitive feature of BlindGuardian music is frequent use of folk music|folk tunes and instruments, especially in power ballad s such as "Lord of the Rings", "The Bard's Song", "A Past and Future Secret", "Skalds and Shadows" and "Curse My Name", among others.
Side projects
Along with Jon Schaffer , the leader and founder of Iced Earth , Kürsch is a member of Demons and Wizards (band)|Demons and Wizards , where he is the lead singer.
Blind Guardian have been working on and off for eight years on an orchestral project writing music about The Lord of the Rings (negotiations failed to be included on the famous The Lord of the Rings film trilogy| The Lord of the Rings film trilogy as the soundtrack, because the band wanted to concentrate on their next album). Although it will not be a power metal album, it will be published under the name of BlindGuardian because it matches the theme of the band's lyrics, according to Hansi.cite web|url= http://www.highwiredaze.com/blind.htm |title="A New Twist in the BlindGuardian Legacy" by Kenneth Morton |publisher=Highwiredaze.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-15
Due to the tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, BlindGuardian began working with their former record company, EMI|EMI Music , and auctioned off an exclusive studio session for two in the Twilight Hall Studio in Grefrath, Germany for charity in which 100% of proceeds would be donated to the tsunami relief efforts.cite web|title=Build a better Bard’s Song and help Japan|url= http://www.blind-guardian.com/2011/04/14/build-a-better-bards-song-and-help-japan/|accessdate=2 May 2011 The auction ended on April 22, 2011 with a final bid of £1,171.00.cite web|title=EMI Music Exclusive Studio Session with Blind Guardian|url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ViewItem& item=270734893862|accessdate=2 May 2011
Line-up
Current members
Hansi Kürsch – Lead vocalist|lead vocals (1984–present), Bass guitar|bass (1984–1996)
André Olbrich – lead guitar , Backing vocalist|backing vocals (1984–present)
Marcus Siepen – Rhythm guitar , backing vocals (1987–present)
Frederik Ehmke – Drum kit|drums , percussion instrument|percussion , flute and bagpipes (2005–present)
With:
Thomas Hackmann (sessional member) – backing vocals (1990–present)
Oliver Holzwarth (sessional and live member) – bass, backing vocals (1997–present)
Michael Schüren (sessional member) – Keyboard instrument|keyboards , grand piano (1997-present)
Olaf Senkbeil (sessional member) - backing vocals (1998–present)
Pat Bender (sessional member) – keyboards, sound effects (2002–present)
Former members
Thomas "Thomen" Stauch – drums (1984–1985, 1987–2005)
http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/2039/85/ Hansi Kurskch Interview With Metal Rules
Blind Guardian Category:German heavy metal musical groups Category:German power metal musical groups Category:Middle-earth music Category:Musical groups established in 1984 Category:Musical quartets Category:Speed metal musical groups
