Blind Guardian

Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The band is credited as one of the pioneering and most influential bands in the speed metal and power metal genres. Blind Guardian is a part of the heavy metal scene in Germany that came out in the mid-1980s. Blind Guardian was formed in 1984 as Lucifer’s Heritage by vocalist Hansi Kürsch (then also a bassist), guitarists André Olbrich and Markus Dörk, and drummer Thomas Stauch.

They released two demos in 1985 and 1986 under the name Lucifer’s Heritage. The band went through lineup changes. Dörk and Stauch were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively. In 1987, guitarist Marcus Siepen joined and Stauch returned to form the lineup which would stay consistent for the next 18 years. After signing to No Remorse Records, the band changed their name to Blind Guardian. Inspired by the Fates Warning album Awaken the Guardian, the band took up the name Blind Guardian.

In 1988, the band released their debut album Battalions of Fear, which was a speed metal album influenced by German band Helloween. In 1989, Blind Guardian released their second studio album, Follow the Blind. Helloween founder Kai Hansen made guest appearances on this album and two next albums as well. In 1990, the band released their third full-length album, Tales from the Twilight World, which was more melodic and power metal-influenced.

After signing a contract with Virgin Records in 1991, Blind Guardian released their fourth studio album Somewhere Far Beyond in 1992. Producer Flemming Rasmussen began working with the band in 1994, producing their fifth studio album Imaginations from the Other Side, released in 1995. Blind Guardian released their sixth studio album, Nightfall in Middle-Earth in 1998, a concept album based upon J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. It was also the last Blind Guardian album produced by Rasmussen. A Night at the Opera named after the Queen album, was released in 2002. It was the last recorded Blind Guardian studio album to feature Thomen Stauch on drums. He was replaced by Frederik Ehmke. The first album with Ehmke on drums was A Twist in the Myth, which was released in 2006. The band released their ninth album, At the Edge of Time, in 2010.

In 2015, Blind Guardian returned with their tenth full-length album Beyond the Red Mirror, a concept album and sequel to 1995’s Imaginations from the Other Side. In 2019, the band released an orchestral album, Legacy of the Dark Lands, under the name Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra, instead of the band’s regular name.

Members

Current

Hansi Kürsch – lead vocals (1984–present), bass guitar (1984–1996)
André Olbrich – lead guitar (1984–present)
Marcus Siepen – rhythm guitar (1987–present)
Frederik Ehmke – drums, percussion, flute, bagpipes (2005–present)

Past

Thomas “Thomen” Stauch – drums, percussion (1984–1986, 1987–2005)
Thomas Kelleners – lead vocals (1984)
Markus Dörk – rhythm guitar (1984–1986)
Christoph Theissen – rhythm guitar (1986)
Hans-Peter Frey – drums, percussion (1986)