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65-495: Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld , West Germany . They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Nine musicians have been part of the band's lineup throughout its history, which currently includes singer Hansi Kürsch , guitarists André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen , and, since 2005, drummer Frederik Ehmke. Blind Guardian

130-505: A double bass pedal ; using them to play a constant stream of sixteenth notes (semiquavers) with snare drum accents on the beat, a style not restricted to, but most often associated with, power metal. The style was used by drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg of Helloween , setting a blueprint for many other drummers to follow. Others, such as the drummers of Blind Guardian and Iced Earth , use a more thrash metal style of drumming with rapid bursts of double bass that involve three to six beats with

195-633: A remastered edition in 1994, and once again as a deluxe Digipak edition on June 28, 2005. The latter includes a bonus disc containing demos and live tracks, as well as a DVD of a concert from December 28, 1986, at the Sundance Club in Long Island , New York; this being the only known video footage of the Awaken the Guardian line-up performing live. Robert Taylor at AllMusic gave Awaken

260-545: A full-time member after 13 years as Blind Guardian's session bassist. On January 27, 2012, Blind Guardian released a compilation album titled Memories of a Time to Come , featuring re-recorded and remixed songs from their entire discography. Almost exactly one year later, on January 28, 2013, they released a box set titled A Traveler's Guide to Space and Time , which included all of the band’s studio, live, and compilation albums from 1988 to 2004, along with some previously unreleased material. On July 11, 2012, Hansi posted on

325-413: A greater emphasis on guitar leads. USPM is also notable for its widespread (but not universal) use of high-register operatic vocals, a trend which would continue with the rise of European power metal in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This style is not exclusive to North America, as European bands such as Sacred Steel , Majesty , and Australian band Pegazus later adopted a style inspired by USPM bands in

390-648: A harsh, thrash metal style, including Chris Boltendahl of Grave Digger , Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray , Peavy Wagner of Rage , and Wintersun 's Jari Mäenpää . Many power metal vocalists, most notably Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian , record multi-layered vocals reminiscent of Queen , creating a choral effect. Themes that frequently feature throughout other metal subgenres, such as religion and politics, are comparatively rare in power metal - albeit not unheard of. Power metal's lyrical themes often focus on fantasy and mythology , camaraderie and hope, personal struggles and emotions, war and death, or combinations of

455-411: A high register, and the singer's vocal range is usually wide. The majority of the genre's vocalists sing in the tenor range and are capable of hitting very high notes, for example Timo Kotipelto of Stratovarius , Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica , Michael Kiske ( Helloween ) and Andre Matos (ex- Angra ). There are many exceptions who sing in either baritone or bass range. Some vocalists sing in

520-526: A new live album, Live Beyond the Spheres , which was released on July 7, 2017. When asked in July 2017 about the next Blind Guardian studio album, Kürsch stated, "We haven't done too much songwriting for the next regular Blind Guardian album, but still, we've made some steps at least, and I can sense a strong change in comparison to what we did on the last album. There's one song called 'Architect of Doom,' which

585-540: A notable and successful band and as pioneers of the power metal movement. In 1996, Kürsch ceased to act as the band's bassist to focus on vocals, with various session musicians filling in, primarily Oliver Holzwarth. However, in 2005, Stauch left the band, expressing disapproval of Blind Guardian's shift toward a more complex progressive sound with heavy backing vocals, and was replaced by Ehmke. Most of Blind Guardian's albums have been well received by fans and critics alike: Somewhere Far Beyond (1992), Imaginations from

650-692: A significant impact, particularly concerning the choir arrangements and harmonies, an effect most notable on A Night at the Opera . Singer Hansi Kürsch expressed the band's attraction to 1970s progressive rock , citing early Genesis , Gentle Giant , and ELP as key influences. However, regarding the genre, he sees more direct influences in progressive metal bands, particularly Fates Warning , Queensrÿche , and Savatage . The folkloric influences on Nightfall in Middle-Earth primarily stem from British rock band Jethro Tull . Along with Jon Schaffer ,

715-518: A theatrical, dramatic and emotionally "powerful" sound. The term was first used in the mid-1980s and refers to two different but related styles: Anthropologist Sam Dunn traced the origins of power metal back to the late 1970s, when the groundwork for power metal lyrical style was laid down by Ronnie James Dio . The fantasy-oriented lyrics he wrote for Rainbow , concentrated around medieval, renaissance, folk, and science fiction themes, directly influenced modern power metal bands. According to Dunn,

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780-503: A true concept album, many of the lyrics explored common themes of religion and the relationships between human and divine powers. This was followed by a live album in 2003 and a DVD, Imaginations Through the Looking Glass , in 2004, which was the last recorded Blind Guardian material featuring Thomen Stauch on drums. He departed from the band due to musical differences and was replaced by Frederik Ehmke. The first album with Ehmke

845-475: Is a key player in the German heavy metal scene that emerged in the mid-1980s. The band was formed in 1984 as Lucifer's Heritage by Kürsch (who also played bass at the time), Olbrich, fellow guitarist Markus Dörk, and drummer Thomas Stauch . Dörk and Stauch left the following year and were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively, who also departed before the year ended. In 1987, Siepen joined

910-432: Is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal , often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contrast with the heaviness and dissonance prevalent in, for example, extreme metal . Power metal bands usually have anthemic songs with fantasy-based subject matter and strong choruses, thus creating

975-442: Is a truly heavy track. Very powerful. Very thrashy at points. And there's another song called 'American Goth,' which is kind of what you would expect from Blind Guardian, but the way we maintained the drums and the orchestra—this song features orchestral elements—makes it feel distinctly different. I'm pretty sure that you will notice a significant change when you listen to these two albums, and from that point of view, yes, Live Beyond

1040-426: Is perhaps Blind Guardian's most triumphant" work. A concept album based on J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Silmarillion , the music on Nightfall demonstrated some folk rock influence while also featuring heavy use of Queen -style layered backing vocals. Following the release of Nightfall , bass duties were taken over by session member Oliver Holzwarth, allowing Hansi to focus entirely on vocals. This album also marked

1105-421: Is significant in defining power metal just as the fast rapid chord changes often define traditional thrash metal . Power metal often makes use of Major chord progressions as well as circle progressions. Some of the most influential and acclaimed power metal guitarists are Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray , Michael Weikath of Helloween , and Timo Tolkki formerly of Stratovarius. It is a common trait in power metal for

1170-489: Is today associated with fast guitar riffs and drumming, twin melodies, operatic singing. The sound is tempered by characteristics of speed metal , power metal's musical forerunner. Power metal is highly focused on the vocalist, with "clean" vocals being much more prevalent than the growling vocals often associated with extreme metal . Inspired by Ronnie James Dio , Bruce Dickinson , Rob Halford , Geoff Tate , and other heavy metal vocalists, power metal vocals are often in

1235-592: The NWOBHM , emerging in late 1980s, particularly in Germany, with Helloween , Running Wild , Rage , Grave Digger , and Blind Guardian . The second and third Helloween albums; Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I (1987) and Part II (1988) are usually considered the first proper European power metal albums. Alongside the early German bands came Finland's Stratovarius in late 1980s. These bands pioneered

1300-453: The epic doom metal band Cirith Ungol ); or even with thrash metal elements, e.g., Iced Earth . US power metal saw a sharp decline in popularity at the beginning of the 1990s, though the style has rebounded somewhat in the past decade, with bands such as Liege Lord or Heir Apparent reforming for live performances and many, such as Helstar and Omen , still releasing new material. European power metal originated from speed metal and

1365-507: The "second wave" of power metal since its spread was in the late 1980s and especially the mid-late 1990s rather than proliferating throughout the 1980s, and the widespread influence and development of the genre that came in its tow while US "first wave" style markedly declined. Awaken the Guardian Awaken the Guardian has been reissued several times. The first was as part of a double album with No Exit in 1992, followed by

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1430-599: The 1990s. The early releases of progressive metal bands Queensrÿche and Fates Warning , such as The Warning (1984) and The Spectre Within (1985), heavily influenced a number of bands that were to develop a common sound towards the late 1980s. Among the better known representatives of the style, such as Manowar , Vicious Rumors , Virgin Steele , Riot , or Jag Panzer , a small number of bands enriched their sound with progressive and epic elements (the most obvious examples being Crimson Glory , Savatage , Sanctuary and

1495-586: The Blind , were more in the style of speed metal compared to their subsequent works. Beginning with their third album, Tales from the Twilight World , Blind Guardian gradually started to write more intricate compositions, placing less emphasis on speed. By the time of their sixth album, Nightfall in Middle Earth , Hansi Kürsch ceased playing bass to concentrate solely on vocals. At this juncture,

1560-439: The Guardian three stars out of five, calling it "a closet classic from the underground metal years of the '80s" and the song "Guardian" being noted as a highlight. As with Fates Warning's previous album The Spectre Within (1985), Taylor recommended it more for fans of heavy metal than progressive metal, remarking that "the song structures are too rudimentary to be called progressive." Jeff Wagner at Decibel magazine ranked

1625-482: The Other Side (1995), and Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998) are particularly regarded as influential works. The music is primarily composed by Kürsch and Olbrich together, while the lyrics, penned by Kürsch, draw inspiration from the works of fantasy authors 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

1690-699: The Red Mirror and The God Machine , Kürsch reiterated that the band will "keep [their] focus on regular songwriting" after their upcoming tour. Regarding a possible release date, he stated, "I don't know—I would be very surprised to find out that there's no new Blind Guardian album before '27, which is an accomplishment already, but I'm hoping for either late '25 or '26." The musical style of Blind Guardian has been described as power metal , symphonic metal , progressive metal , speed metal , heavy metal , thrash metal , and neoclassical metal . Blind Guardian's first two albums, Battalions of Fear and Follow

1755-514: The Red Mirror , was released on January 30, 2015. The first single, "Twilight of the Gods," was released on December 5, 2014. On January 28, 2015, two days before the release of Beyond the Red Mirror , Blind Guardian announced Barend Courbois as their new session/live bassist on their official Facebook page. The band recorded live shows during the 2015 European leg of the Beyond the Red Mirror tour for

1820-478: The Spheres is the end of an era." He also mentioned that they were working on an orchestral album, which was originally scheduled to be finished and released in 2016, but was now due for release in 2019, followed by a "heavy album" slated for release in 2020. The band's long-awaited orchestral album, Legacy of the Dark Lands , was released on 1 November 2019, after Olbrich and Kürsch had conceived and written

1885-454: The Twilight World (1990), showcased a much more melodic and "epic" sound, incorporating elements of choir and classical music. Blind Guardian signed with Virgin Records in 1991 and released their fourth studio album, Somewhere Far Beyond , in 1992, followed by the live album Tokyo Tales in 1993. In 1994, Flemming Rasmussen , the former producer for Metallica , began working with

1950-462: The United States, drawing influence primarily from traditional metal and the NWOBHM . Though very close to its roots, US power metal (often abbreviated USPM) is often faster and more energetic than traditional heavy metal, with a more riff-driven approach and a relative lack of keyboard usage compared to its later European counterpart. However, it is often more melodic than thrash metal , with

2015-726: The aforementioned. For example, Finnish band Sonata Arctica have been known for focusing their lyrics of their songs on fantasy but also have many songs based on reality, love and relationships. Many power metal bands based their concept albums on fantasy books and national epics ; Blind Guardian based Nightfall in Middle-Earth on Tolkien's The Silmarillion , while Kamelot based Epica and The Black Halo on Goethe's Faust . Some bands have even written their own imaginary stories, like Rhapsody of Fire 's Emerald Sword Saga and The Dark Secret Saga , Iced Earth 's Something Wicked Saga , or Avantasia by Edguy 's Tobias Sammet . Historical themes have also seen usage in

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2080-615: The album At the Edge of Time was released on July 30, 2010. To promote the album, the band embarked on "The Sacred Worlds and Songs Divine Tour 2010," with opening acts including Enforcer and Steelwing for European dates, while Holy Grail and Seven Kingdoms opened for the U.S. shows. The band also announced they would perform at Wacken Open Air in 2011. On July 21, 2011, Hansi Kürsch revealed on Blind Guardian's official website that they were working on an orchestral album. On September 1, 2011, Oliver Holzwarth joined Rhapsody of Fire as

2145-473: The band are characterized by the treatment of Christianity and ancient Romanian legends. Powerwolf, however, do not consider themselves a religious band, but rather call themselves spiritual. Power metal guitarists and bassists generally play rapid streams of notes, but change chords comparatively slowly, with a harmonic tempo of once per measure or slower. Fast and technically demanding guitar solos, however, are almost guaranteed. The slow changing of chords

2210-472: The band began to incorporate substantial orchestral arrangements and utilized the technique of overdubbing , heavily influenced by the English rock band Queen . Blind Guardian's music features the staccato guitars and double bass drumming characteristic of power metal, along with the use of overdubs and numerous backing vocals to create a rich and dense sound. This proved significant on all albums after

2275-427: The band's twelfth album was announced as The God Machine , along with a release date of 2 September 2022. In a February 2024 interview with Australia's Subculture Entertainment, Kürsch revealed that Blind Guardian will commence "real songwriting" for their thirteenth studio album in 2025. When asked that same month if there would be "a shorter turnaround time" for the album, following a seven-year gap between Beyond

2340-516: The band, producing their fifth studio album, Imaginations from the Other Side , released in 1995, as well as The Forgotten Tales , an album that featured a mix of covers and original material, released in 1996. In 1998, Blind Guardian released their epic album Nightfall in Middle-Earth . Described by Allmusic 's Vincent Jeffries as "complete with anthemic choruses, spoken word storylines, and plenty of bombastic power metal punctuating every dramatic turn," he stated that "Nightfall in Middle-Earth

2405-522: The band’s official website that they would cease touring after their performance at the Rockharz festival in Ballenstedt , which occurred two days later. In his announcement, he mentioned the desire to focus on a new record before returning to the road by 2014. He also expressed a wish to perform songs they had never played live before their next tour. In October 2013, Blind Guardian was announced as

2470-422: The bass guitar to take a back seat, so to speak; often simply providing the chord root notes and being drowned out by the more prevalent rhythm guitars. However, some power metal bands incorporate bass that is more audible with colorful patterns distinct from the rhythm guitars, such as Helloween, Hibria , and Symphony X . Many power metal drummers play double bass patterns with either two bass drums , or utilize

2535-407: The digital era and its endless possibilities. Oh, and the album title. There is one, but I won't tell you yet. This would be giving away far too much right now." In July 2022, Jon Van Stratum replaced Barend Courbois as a session member. Despite persistent belief among some fans that he became a permanent member, Hansi Kürsch confirmed that he is only a live session member. In May 2022, the title of

2600-409: The double kick. Power metal bands often incorporate keyboards into their musical arrangements, something popularized by Jens Johansson of Stratovarius (though their prominence varies). Some power metal bands also record with symphonic elements, and as such, they utilize a full orchestra to fill the role usually played by the keyboardist. The American branch of power metal emerged in early 1980s in

2665-414: The earliest who combined elements of power metal and an early form of melodic death metal . European-style power metal became widespread in comparison with US style as of the mid 1990s, with numerous North American bands such as Theocracy , Borealis , Forgotten Tales , Avian , Pharaoh , Circle II Circle , and Kamelot demonstrating the style. This European style of power metal is sometimes considered

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2730-597: The first two, but most particularly on A Night at the Opera . Another defining feature of Blind Guardian's music is the frequent use of folk tunes and instruments, especially in power ballads such as "Lord of the Rings," "The Bard's Song," "A Past and Future Secret," "Skalds and Shadows," and "Curse My Name," among others. The band was initially inspired by their fellow countrymen Helloween , and in its early releases, it also displayed influences from Iron Maiden and Metallica . According to guitarist Marcus Siepen, during

2795-466: The gap between now and the album release in late 2022 is painfully long. Neither we nor our label could defy the current worldwide economic crisis. A long story short: There is no one to blame for this situation... Talking about anticipation, even though 'Violent Shadows' and 'Deliver Us From Evil' are indisputably fantastic tracks, rest assured: We won't let you wait another ten months with only two songs. I promise you, you will always be blown away—cheers to

2860-427: The genre's precise stylistic origins are often contested, acts such as Cirith Ungol , Jag Panzer , Manilla Road , Omen , Riot , Savatage , and Warlord are generally believed to have influenced the earliest development of the style. More concretely, in 1987 German band Helloween released their second album, Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I , cited by AllMusic as "a landmark recording that remains arguably

2925-409: The genre, but took it in somewhat different directions. Helloween, followed by early Gamma Ray , mixed fast palm muted speed metal riffs with high-pitched clean vocals, and with a strong focus on melody and uplifting, positive themes. Stratovarius further developed this melodic direction by making heavy use of keyboards , with lyrics dealing with emotions and personal issues. Blind Guardian utilized

2990-433: The group, and Stauch returned; this lineup, which lasted 18 years (the longest in the band's history), led the band to change their name to Blind Guardian and release their debut album, Battalions of Fear , in 1988. They have since released ten more studio albums, including an orchestral album released under the name Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra. Through their discography, Blind Guardian has established themselves as

3055-688: The headliner for the Out & Loud Festival in Geiselwind on May 31, 2014. On October 18, 2013, Hansi shared an update via the official website, stating he expected the new record to be fully produced by May 2014. He confirmed that the album was progressing well and mentioned nine new songs by name: Irish Hill (later titled Grand Parade ), Encrypted Time , Prophecies , Holy Grail , Winter's Coming , The Throne , The Ocean , and Outcast , along with two others with uncertain titles, Song 9 and Midtempo Song . The tenth Blind Guardian album, titled Beyond

3120-468: The keyboard sound of Deep Purple 's Jon Lord , which was further incorporated into the genre. Manowar 's mythological sword and sorcery lyrics influenced a number of power metal bands. Throughout the early 1980s (especially during 1982 and 1983), the US power metal style first emerged from traditional heavy metal, the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), and thrash / speed metal backgrounds. Although

3185-453: The last time Blind Guardian worked with producer Flemming Rasmussen. Four years later, the band released A Night at the Opera , named after the Queen album. On this album, the band's sound largely departed from their original speed metal influences, instead embracing power and progressive metal with over-the-top orchestral backing and consistent vocal and guitar layering throughout. While not

3250-509: The late 90s and early 00s, power metal spread over Europe especially as well as the rest of the world, often incorporating new influences. Italy's Elvenking , Sweden's Falconer , Spain's Mägo de Oz , and Denmark's Wuthering Heights integrated elements of folk music with power metal. Angra , Kamelot , and especially Symphony X are known for combining progressive and power metal. Some bands are known for combining power metal with more aggressive musical forms; Children of Bodom were one of

3315-466: The leader and founder of Iced Earth , Kürsch was a member of Demons & Wizards , where he served as the lead singer until its disbandment in early 2021 due to Schaffer's involvement in the January 6 US Capitol attack . Frederik Ehmke was a founding member of the band Sinbreed , in which Marcus Siepen was initially a session member. Later, in 2012, Marcus became a full member of the band. Following

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3380-436: The lineup that would remain consistent for the next 18 years. After Lucifer's Heritage signed a contract with No Remorse Records , the band changed their name to Blind Guardian to avoid any speculation regarding Satanism . In their biography, the band noted that they also wanted to distance themselves from the black metal movement, as their demos had been placed alongside black metal albums in local record shops. The new name

3445-426: The main characteristics of power metal. The twin-guitar sound promoted by Judas Priest's duo of K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton also highly influenced this subgenre. Another British band, Iron Maiden , brought epic and melodic sensibility to metal, creating anthemic, singalong music, an approach widely embraced by modern power metal musicians. Referred to as the "main prototype" of the power metal genre, Iron Maiden

3510-522: The name Lucifer's Heritage, alongside Markus Dörk (guitar) and Thomen Stauch (drums). The band briefly expanded into a quintet with the addition of a second lead vocalist, Thomas Kelleners. However, after three months, Kelleners left the band by mutual agreement. Lucifer's Heritage released two demos in 1985 and 1986, despite undergoing chaotic lineup changes: Dörk and Stauch were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively. Finally, in 1987, Marcus Siepen joined, and Stauch returned to form

3575-589: The project since 1996. It features only Kürsch as a performer, along with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra , and is credited to the "Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra" rather than the band's regular name. In November 2021, it was announced that a new single, "Deliver Us From Evil," would be released on 3 December 2021, and that the band's forthcoming twelfth album would be released in September 2022. Kürsch told Nuclear Blast, "We know that

3640-406: The single most influential power metal album to date. Its volatile combination of power and melody would inspire an entire generation of metal bands". This release influenced a European power metal style to evolve, which proliferated throughout the globe and since the start of the 1990s is still the most commonly heard style of power metal. Power metal "bears all the hallmarks of traditional metal"

3705-605: The songs "Stargazer" and "A Light in the Black" from the 1976 album Rising , as well as "Kill the King" and "Lady of the Lake" from the 1978 album Long Live Rock 'n' Roll , might be among the earliest examples of power metal. In his 2011 documentary series Metal Evolution , Dunn further explained how Rob Halford of Judas Priest created a blueprint for power metal vocal delivery. His almost constant high-pitched singing became one of

3770-434: The songwriting for Follow the Blind , they also listened to Bay Area thrash metal bands, such as Testament and Forbidden , resulting in a somewhat heavier sound. Starting with their third album, Tales from the Twilight World , and continuing through Somewhere Far Beyond and Imaginations from the Other Side , Blind Guardian gradually incorporated more influences from progressive and classical music. Queen had

3835-454: The technique of vocal and guitar overdubbing to create an epic atmosphere, with lyrical content strongly based on fantasy novels, myths and legends. The symphonic and neo-classical elements also found their way through power metal with bands like Rhapsody of Fire (Italy), Serenity (Austria) and Nightwish (Finland). At the same time, bands such as HammerFall simplified their power metal to bring it closer to traditional heavy metal. Over

3900-634: The tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March 2011, Blind Guardian collaborated with their former record company, EMI Music , to auction an exclusive studio session for two at the Twilight Hall Studio in Grefrath, Germany, for charity. All proceeds were donated to tsunami relief efforts. The auction concluded on 22 April 2011 with a final bid of £1,171.00. Current members Current session musicians Former members Former session musicians Power metal Power metal

3965-746: The works of bands, most famously Sabaton , whose lyrics extensively focus on historical wars, battles, and individuals that received notable recognition for their wartime accomplishments. Examples include World War I , World War II , Vikings , Samurai , and much more from around the world including the American , Swedish and German militaries . Serenity , an Austrian (symphonic) power metal band, focuses mainly on historical figures and events, including Sir Francis Drake , Marco Polo , Galileo , Beethoven , and Napoleon . Contrary to traditional power metal music, Powerwolf focuses on Transylvanian werewolf and vampire legends and dark myths . The lyrics of

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4030-437: The years, a theme has developed that personifies the band members as traveling storytellers, leading fans to affectionately refer to them as "The Bards." Blind Guardian has been described in one article as one of the "big four" bands of power metal, alongside Helloween , Sabaton , and DragonForce . Blind Guardian was formed in 1984 in Krefeld , West Germany , by Hansi Kürsch (vocals, bass) and André Olbrich (guitar) under

4095-704: Was A Twist in the Myth , released in 2006. Blind Guardian contributed to the soundtrack for the In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale fantasy film directed by Uwe Boll , which was released in 2008. The band also recorded a theme song for Sacred 2: Fallen Angel , a role-playing video game and the sequel to Sacred . " A Voice in the Dark " was the next single from Blind Guardian, released on June 25, 2010. Following this,

4160-483: Was heavily influenced by Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules (the first two albums of Black Sabbath 's Dio-era ), which would also go on to influence modern power metal. The emergence of the early German power metal scene in particular was made possible by Scorpions and Accept . Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen made a significant impact on many future power metal guitarists, with his accurate and fast neo-classical style. His bandmate Jens Johansson modernized

4225-516: Was inspired by the Fates Warning album Awaken the Guardian . They released their debut album, Battalions of Fear , in 1988, which was essentially a speed metal album heavily influenced by Helloween . 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 influences. Their third LP, Tales from

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