Blind Guardian

2011-09-29T01:15:05Z

67.184.252.122: /* Line-up */

{{band
| image=[[Image:Blind-guardian.jpg|250px]]
| name=Blind Guardian
| orgin=Krefeld, Germany
| genre=Power metal, speed metal, progressive metal
| years_active=1984-present
| labels=No Remorse, Virgin, Century Media, Nuclear Blast
| website=[http://www.blind-guardian.com/ www.blind-guardian.com ]
| 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: The Motion Picture Trilogy]]'' but this fell through.<ref name=high>Kenneth Morton, "[http://www.highwiredaze.com/blind.htm A New Twist in the Blind Guardian Legacy (Interview)]" at [http://highwiredaze.com/ HighwireDaze.com] (accessed 4 September 2011)</ref>

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]].<ref name=high/>

==Line-up==
*Big black mama - 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==
*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==
* ''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==
*[[Imaginations from the other Side]]
*[[:Category:Songs by Blind Guardian|Songs by Blind Guardian]]

==External Links==
*{{WP|Blind Guardian}}
*[http://blind-guardian.com Official Site]
*[http://www.myspace.com/blindguardian Official Myspace]
*[http://www.the-following.com/ Fan Site]
{{references}}
[[Category:Bands]]
[[Category:Heavy metal]]

[[de:Blind Guardian]]

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Blind Guardian