Blind Guardian

Blind Guardian formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany; they are now recognised as one of the groundbreaking and most influential power metal bands. The albums Somewhere Far Beyond (1992), Imaginations from the Other Side (1995) and Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998) are seen as seminal works of the genre, and the lyrics written by frontman Hansi Kürsch are mostly inspired by the works of fantasy authors such as JRR Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, Stephen King and George RR Martin. The group’s current discography concludes with the 2022 release The God Machine.