Blind Guardian

Blind Guardian is a German heavy metal band from Krefeld, formed in 1984. It begins as Lucifer's Heritage, with Hansi Kürsch on vocals and bass, André Olbrich and Markus Dörk on guitars, and Thomas Stauch on drums. The group later takes the name Blind Guardian and becomes one of the best-known bands in power metal and speed metal, and a key part of the German heavy metal scene that develops in the mid-1980s.

Line-up and history

After the original formation, Dörk and Stauch leave in 1985 and are replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, both of whom also depart before the end of the year. Marcus Siepen joins in 1987 and Stauch returns, creating the line-up that lasts for 18 years and includes the release of the band's first album, Battalions of Fear, in 1988. Kürsch stops playing bass in 1996 to focus on vocals, and session players, mainly Oliver Holzwarth, cover bass duties. Stauch leaves in 2005 and Frederik Ehmke replaces him.

Style and recordings

The band's sound centres on music written mainly by Kürsch and Olbrich, with lyrics by Kürsch. Those lyrics often draw on fantasy literature, including writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, Stephen King, George R. R. Martin and Robert Jordan, as well as traditional legends and epics. Over time, the group develops a storytelling image that leads fans to call them “The Bards”. Their later work shows a move towards a more complex progressive sound with extensive backing vocals.

Blind Guardian releases ten studio albums after Battalions of Fear, including Follow the Blind (1989), Tales from the Twilight World (1990), Somewhere Far Beyond (1992), Imaginations from the Other Side (1995), Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998), A Night at the Opera (2002), A Twist in the Myth (2006), At the Edge of Time (2010), Beyond the Red Mirror (2015), Legacy of the Dark Lands (2019) and The God Machine (2022). An orchestral album is also issued under the name Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra. Somewhere Far Beyond, Imaginations from the Other Side and Nightfall in Middle-Earth are especially regarded as influential.

Reputation

The band is often described as influential within power metal and speed metal, and as part of the wider movement that helps define the genre. It is also sometimes placed among the “big four” of power metal alongside Helloween, Sabaton and DragonForce.