-Blind Guardian-

Back to 1985 two young german school mates, Hansi Kursch and Andre Olbrich decided to form a heavy metal band, after both having their frustrated projects. This new band was named Lucifer's Heritage and was very influenced by Iron Maiden, with the big difference of Hansi's harsch vocals, nowadays a trademark of the band. Thomas Stauch (drums) and Marcus Dork (guitar) joined them, and with this line up they recorded a demo tape called Symphonies of Doom. Demo released, band enters in tour to promote it, and get some famous in the german underground scene. In 1986 the line up is changed: Thomas and Marcus go away, Christoff Theissen (guitars) and Hans-Peter Frey (drums) fill the empty space, and thus the band releases their second demo tape, Battalions of Fear. This demo made Lucifer's Heritage big in german scene and they called the attention of Virgin Records to record a first official release. Thomas Stauch returns for the drums position and they found a definitive rhythm guitar, Marcus Siepen and thus is complete the line up Blind Guardian has had since then, because, to fit better their lyrics, which are aimed at a medieval and fantastic time, based upon books and movies, the band changed their name and Battalions Of Fear album took form. The album had all the songs from their second demo plus the song Halloween from Symphonies of Doom, now renamed to Wizard's Crown, and three new songs. One year later, the band enters the studio again to record the second album, Follow The Blind. This album had a very important special guest, Kai Hansen, who had just left Helloween and was very important in the beggining of their career. And there is Kai, singing on the song which became the first Bling Guardian hit, Valhalla, the only song from the first two albuns which is still played on their concerts. These two albuns were important for the band, because with them they estabilished a name on Germany and could now start to think on conquering the rest of the world.

And thus, in 1990, Tales From The Twilight World is released, with a completely new sound. They are now playing a very fast power metal, with powerfull chorus and killer riffs in an album fulfilled with highlights and not at least one weak song. Unforgetable songs like Traveler In Time, Welcome To Dying, Lost In The Twilight Hall or the beautiful ballad Lord Of The Rings are now worldwide famous classics, and covered by many bands. This was their first album they've got to release in Japan, where this kind of music is very appreciate. Kai Hansen had his name written in this one again, soloing on The Last Candle and doing a vocal-duet with Hansi in Lost In The Twilight Hall. People were now very ansious waiting for a next release, to check out if the band could keep the same level... and they did! In 1992 Somewhere Far Beyond arrives in the stores, bringing a more melodic Blind Guardian, with songs where heavy metal is mixed with classic music and arrangements, full of accoustic intros and some bagpipes, and, once again, forever-classics songs like Time What Is Time, The Quest For Tanelorn (which had the hands of Kai Hansen on the composing) and the most famous Blind Guardian song ever, The Bard's Song - In The Forest, sang in one voice by the crowd in every concert of them. The band was now ready to record their first live effort, and thus they travel to Japan, where they already were metal heroes, where in 4th and 6th December 1992, in Tokyo, they record what was released under the name of Tokyo Tales, with songs from all their previous albuns.

Their fans had to be patient in waiting for the next album by the Bards of Metal, cause only in 1995 Imaginations From The Other Side could be checked... but it was well worth the wait! This album was much faster and heavy than the previous one, still more melodic, specially in the chorus, and counting with some accoustic and mid-tempo songs. Imaginations... made Blind Guardian's name big world wide, and who didn't know them before, for the first time noticed their being with this album, but they, once again, took a rest before releasing another disc. But, this time, they had a gift to their fans, and in late 1996 The Forgotten Tales is released with some rearranged or remixed old songs and many covers. On the track list you can find jewels like an accoustic version for Bright Eyes and Mordred's Song, orchestral versions of Lord Of The Rings and Theatre Of Pain (the only Blind Guardian instrumental song since Tales From The Twilight World) and the amazing live version of The Bard's Song, plus some weird covers like Mr. Sandman and Surfin' USA. In 1998 the masterpiece comes... Blind Guardian releases their first conceptual album, Nightfall In Middle-Earth, based upon John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's book "The Silmarillion". On a totally original way, one song is completely different from the last one, resulting in an album which never gets the listener bored. Very fast and intricating melodies are mixed with calm and sorrowful songs and even a piano ballad. Between the songs there are spoken parts or short intros which complete the conceptual's way. This album gave to Hansi Kürsch and his team the first chance to play in South America, what happened in August 1998, when they drove the south american crowd crazy with fullhouse gigs and accoustic concerts, all that after being headliner in Wacken Open Air, in Germany. After this long tour, Hansi got some problems in his ear, which made him lose 75% of the auditive capacity, and thus the new Blind Guardian album was very delayed. In middle 1999 he gets this problem solved and starts working on a side project with Jon Schaffer, Iced Earth guitarist, which resulted in an album released in early 2000, by a new band called Demons & Wizards. He and the rest of the band are now in studio recording the new album, which might sound like a mix between Imaginations From The Other Side and Nightfall In Middle-Earth. It's expected to be released before September 2001.