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Blind Guardian Interview - 31st May 2006
By Frank Allain & Matt Mason
 
Power metal legends Blind Guardian have, after a 4-year hiatus, returned to these shores to once again assail our ears with their unique, multi-layered and textured approach to the genre. Oft-quoted as the power metal band of choice by ‘those in the know’, Blind Guardian so far have been frequently overlooked in England, their complex and progressive approach failing to find much favour with more pop-oriented tastes. All this could be set to change though with latest album ‘A Twist in the Myth’. Long-time Guardian enthusiast Frank Allain and metal stalwart Matt Mason were treated to a preview listening followed by an in-depth discussion on their feelings about the album, their forthcoming visit to the UK and the state of metal in general in 2006. 

Upstairs in the World's End pub in Camden, London, 'A Twist in the Myth' has just finished blasting from the speakers. The latest album from long-running, self-styled 'Symphonic, Progressive Heavy Metallers' Blind Guardian, it has spent the last 45 minutes or so filling the air with a beguiling collision of thumping thrash, soaring grandeur and trademark Teutonic pomp. It has been four long years since the German bards last assaulted the metal world with the cheekily titled 'A Night at the Opera' and indeed, four long years since they last visited these shores (for the first time in their career, no less). With this fact in mind and given the band's relative obscurity in the UK when compared to other, higher-profile European power metal troupes, one can't help but wonder if Blind Guardian feel that now, in 2006, is the time for them to strike. 

You wouldn't think it at first. Given that this is their first big UK push for four years, both vocalist Hansi Kursch and lead guitarist Andre Olbrich (the two men representing the songwriting nucleus of the band) seem extraordinarily relaxed and laid-back. Nonetheless, within a few moments of talking to them, it quickly becomes apparent that this chilled-out demeanour is part and parcel of the Blind Guardian way. No muscle-bound posturing or laughable, bellowed claims of genius here, just a quiet and unshakeable belief in the quality of their music. 
Having said that, within the first minute of conversation, we inadvertently stumble headlong into one of Hansi's other passions besides heavy metal and fantasy literature - football. Upon hearing that the album release date has been postponed until September in order to avoid clashing with the World Cup (amongst other things), your Live4metal crew could not help but explore this surprising and unexpected avenue of discussion. Keen to obtain a perspective from 'the other side' as it were and being acutely aware of the long-running enmity between the English and German national teams, we catch the frontman off-guard somewhat by quizzing him on his nation's preparations for the imminent tournament. Faced with two inquisitive Englishmen, Mr Kursch is somewhat diplomatic. 
'I don't know... I don't think they'll...' he mutters when asked how his country in general are gearing up at the prospect of hosting the greatest football tournament on Earth. 'Well, the people are getting crazy about it and so are we, but...' 
You don't fancy your chances then?
'No!' comes the emphatic answer from a man who has been known to pose for the occasional photoshoot wearing a German football top. 
Neither do we! Despite this display of false modesty, Hansi is pressed on whether he thinks Germany will at least make it through the group stages. 
'I think we will play three games...' he trails off, somewhat disconsolately. In an effort to cheer the man up, he is reminded of his country's remarkable record in tournaments such as this and their amazing ability to come through even when not playing to their best. We (generously) tip them for a semi-final which seems to lift his mood a little. 
'I think we did very well in the past because we never changed the tactics, but Klinsmann (German coach) is the first one who has somehow tried to change the tactics of the last 3-4 years. Each World Championship was based on the defence and the goalie...' 
You chaps are looking a bit better up front these days though. 
'Well, that's what he tried but the defence is so bad - apart from the goalie, the goalie's good. So Kahn plays or Lehmann (excellent German keepers the pair of them), he decides to go for Lehmann and they're both good but the defence is not so good and that's the biggest issue. So, if you don't have a good defence, it will be very difficult.' At this point, it is suggested to Hansi that his team will get further than the England team. 'You never know,' he chuckles. 'They develop - that's the good thing about the German team, always. But Klinsmann has a strange mentality you know - doing discussions with the players instead of letting them do their sport, talking about climbing a mountain, stuff like that!' Grim laughter follows and it becomes more than apparent that both the Englishmen and the Germans present have similar concerns with regards to their national hopes. At the time of writing this interview, an out-of-sorts England have stumbled through to the second round to (possibly) face an only slightly more convincing Germany. It would appear that both journalists and band members have aired valid fears indeed... how it will end is, at this stage, anyone's guess. 
Swiftly moving the discussion towards matters more musical before all four of us decide to leap over the balcony and dash our brains out as a result of football-based despair, the pair are asked (only half-jokingly) if they ever considered putting forward a song for the World Cup. Hansi dismisses the idea out of hand and is then reminded that Hammerfall once produced a song (and corresponding video-nasty) for the Swedish national curling team. Hansi still remains to be convinced.
'They are very safe in Germany when it comes to football. The fans are very passionate but for the song, it always has to be a little girl singing or something. Something very obvious. Nothing like Lordi, that would never happen in Germany.'
Aha. The L-word. Hansi has mentioned it first, pre-empting our next line of enquiry. For those who don't know (and if you don't, you can only have spent the last two months with your head wedged in a barrel full of earth, studiously avoiding all contact with popular culture), Lordi are the Finnish shock-rock outfit who stormed to triumph in Eurovision on the strength of playing rehashed KISS-styled hard rock whilst dressed like extras from a particularly OTT episode of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. Reheated cheese it maybe, but the costumes are great and it appears that they have raised the profile of metal music in the public consciousness. Hansi however is not so happy about this increased acceptability of metal and the fact that it 'takes away the revolution'. But surely it doesn't have to remain underground forever?'
'Yes, I think in ways that it does. Take bands like Maiden and Metallica - now that's not underground underground, they've had mainstream success and so have we in certain markets.' Hang-on - you guys have played in front of 50,000 fans at Wacken, surely you can be successful without sacrificing your integrity? Hansi nods and becomes more animated as he talks. 'Exactly, and that is what Maiden and Metallica did - however, if it goes in the Lordi direction, then that would be the case - that's mainstream! Not because of the music or anything but the whole imagery. They're kind of a KISS-inspired band so that works for quite a while but if you do kind of serious music then I don't think that would work.' His point made and the obvious conviction that he feels for having his music taken seriously made clear, we cheekily ask man that if we will be seeing him and his colleagues bedecked in monster masks any time soon.
'Ah, no, no!' He and Andre both cackle with laughter. 'We are more the student guys...' 

 

 
Twisting and Turning
So, silliness out of the way, we move onto the more pressing subject at hand - namely, the long-awaited new album from the band, the recently aired 'A Twist in the Myth'. From the word go, it is clear that, in the ever-more cluttered power metal world of 2006, Blind Guardian intend to make their mark. Many (myself included) were of the opinion that 'A Night at the Opera' took the band's complexity more or less as far as it could be taken and it seems that this is something that Blind Guardian themselves were aware of. Whilst still retaining the progressive structures and multi-layered histrionics of yore, 'A Twist in the Myth' is a more direct beast - drums thunder, riffs bite with crunching vigour and hooks coruscate from every track. This observation is confirmed by Hansi's response. 
'That was the goal we had before we started' elaborates the frontman. 'It's still very busy but we also wanted to do a 'let our hair down' kind of thing.' Lead guitarist Andre takes picks up on the thread. 
'We reached a limit and that's why we said 'OK, we don't need to do it again'. We reached the limit and we wanted to do something different so we said 'OK, we have to change the structure' and the easiest way - since we had the epic concept on 'A Night at the Opera' - was to say, let's do this a little bit more 'back to basics. Take out these orchestrated parts, take out a couple of choirs and bring in more rhythm guitars and more supporting lead guitars.' He goes on, clearly keen to outline the sonic differences between this latest album and it's predecessor. 'Playing around with the dynamics too, so you go to the main verse and take out some of the power and then when the whole chorus part comes in, it becomes epic like typical Blind Guardian. But we play around with it - some riffs for example are more modern.' 
It's certainly very heavy - indeed the track 'The Edge' is one of the heaviest songs that the band have produced to date, all searing vocals and hammering double bass drumming. Indeed, once can sense that feeling that sends chills down the spine upon first clapping ears on proper heavy metal - Slayer, Priest et al. It's a positive, bold step forward from a band in their position and should go down well with old fans and younger listeners alike. This is put to the band who nod with enthusiasm. Hansi takes up the baton. 
'That's one of the things - there are so many unusual things in there and the best way is to take a kind of modern approach so it should appeal directly to the kids who are used to listening to Korn or Marilyn Manson. It is in no way trendy but you can feel the spirit and I guess that will be effective.' The production too is remarkably direct and heavy - it seems richer and punchier than the last album, with more prominent riffs and intense vocals. Was it a conscious decision to add this 'edge' (no pun intended) to it? 
'Yes, that was one of the outlines from the songwriting - we said 'lets go for red-line vocals'. Whatever we decide, the vocals should be the main focus and they should be kind of edgy and aggressive, with aggressive screams. Ultimately, we try to make it easier for the listener to find a way through the song because still, some are very demanding - its not like its all just straightforward stuff. At some points it feels easy to listen to because we have that one vocal and that brings you back, it helps you on your way through. It was one of the ideas also to feature different modes in the vocals - not always aggression. As Andre says, the music is kind of dynamic so we try to play around with the vocals as well so there are some more singable parts which are not screamed. On the other hand, we also try to introduce some better ways to scream.' 
The new song 'Skalds & Shadows' brings back into play the acoustic, ballad-esque approach that Blind Guardian used to deploy so effectively during the nineties. Medieval-tinged strumming and orchestral percussion come into play to create a compelling soundscape. - heavily reminiscent of a mixture of 1995's 'A Past and Future Secret' and one of their best known singles 'The Bard's Song'. It's something that was missing from 'A Night at the Opera' and this writer is more than pleased to observe that the band have not abandoned a style of song that they are so accomplished at performing. Hansi is quick to agree. 
'Yes, we made a mistake. We had the song 'Harvest of Sorrow' (a ballad that was only available as a bonus track) which was not on the 'A Night at the Opera' album. We used that as a bonus track for Japan as the song was actually written during the recording of 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth' (1998's epic, Tolkien-focussed album) and was actually recorded during that period but we thought 'it does not fit in' and it did not fit in. However, it would have given a little 'air' to the listener if we had put it in somewhere in the middle of the last album. Making that mistake on 'A Night at the Opera', right from the beginning, we started to put the riffs together. Whenever we do the acoustic stuff it doesn't all have to be in that direction and actually if you look at it, it is in between 'The Bard's Song' and 'A Past and Future Secret'.' Well, fancy that... Hansi elaborates further. 'It actually has that feeling of 'The Bard's Song' and more of the orchestral elements of 'A Past and Future Secret' - indeed, in the power, it is actually more like 'A Past and Future Secret'. The song has come out well - in terms of atmosphere it came out very well. Also, when playing it live, it has been very well received.' 
Will you play it live when you visit England in September? 
'Yes, I think so. We might do live three or four songs off the new album. We cannot play more because then we wouldn't have time for some of the older stuff.' I suppose it is that old problem that long-running bands always face - having to choose which songs to play. 'It is very tough for us also. We feel 'oh no, we can't play this song that we want to play'. However, if you go for a set that is, say, longer than two hours, it is not so bad. Two hours is OK.'
 

 
Storming these Shores
The new album discussed and dissected, we move on to another pressing subject - namely, whether Blind Guardian feel that they can now, finally, make some headway in the UK. The new album certainly sounds potent and they are touring here to coincide with it's release. A positive move indeed and we ask the duo if they feel that England now, in the seemingly metal-friendly year of 2006, are ready for them. 
'It has always been like a dream for us to come and get established in England but so far... when we played the Bloodstock festival (in 2002) that's a good start, but unfortunately we take four years - or are seemed to take four years - until we have a new album and come back!' laughs Andre. 'We would have been here earlier. Now that is our next goal, to really carry ourselves on this and we hope that a lot of people will show up!' Looking at the popularity of bands like Dragonforce, Nightwish etc. - can you see yourselves riding this 'wave' so to speak?
'To be honest, I recognise that there is a trend,' comments Hansi - it is clearly something that the band have thought about at length. He goes on. 'As a band, our perception is that there is a hardcore source of people who are interested in that kind of music so we have to be convinced that it is possible to make a breakthrough here as well. I think in our particular case, the biggest problem was the record label - we could have been at a certain level if our (old) label had been willing to release all of the albums. The only albums that were available were on import or whatever. I think Century Media picked up 'A Night at the Opera' but other than that...' 
Well, that's going to stop people buying the album. With Nuclear Blast now behind you, giving you support, could this help?
'That is a good boost here, plus the movement from the other releases. I'm rather convinced that it will do it for us.'
Indeed. On the subject of 'making it' in England, one thing that has always set Blind Guardian apart from other power metal bands such as Stratovarius and so on is that they are a more progressive, complex and involved outfit - it's very rarely 'verse-chorus-verse-chorus-widdle-end' with these boys. Compositions are often intricate and challengingly structured. Hansi is asked if he ever feels that this could potentially alienate listeners who come across the band. He is philosophical on the matter.
'I think it demands a little investment and a little open-mindedness from the listener. So far, I think that most people are striving for things - they are willing to give in and take part on the journey. There has never been an obstacle in other countries. However, it is almost impossible to discover the Blind Guardian albums just by the first listen which of course might cause problems in the start for those who seek us out and take a brief listen - then you might be right. They could walk away and never listen to it again but when I was a kid, I liked serious music and I believe that a good amount of metal kids are the same as I was and they try to deal with it. They are kind of tired of getting the same metal again and again so I definitely think that we were proved right in the first wave already - that this is a good thing and is making the band more successful than a lot of other bands playing the same style of music.' 
You think listeners enjoy being challenged?
'I think they have to!' Hansi is warming to his theme now. 'If I want to listen to any kind of music - say a piece of classical music - I want the same feeling, I want the same atmosphere. If I want to listen to metal music - and classical can be an influence on this - I want to have some epic vibe in there and that needs lots of ideas. I mean Maiden have lots of different types of metal in there as well as Helloween, Metallica... they are not simple! And we come along afterwards and we try to somehow bring even more into our stuff.' 
'Fly' was the single released for the album, way back in February. The benefit of repeated spins has revealed this song to be something of a minor classic - hook-laden and dynamic, it is nonetheless an incredibly dense track and one that requires repeated listening to fully grasp. This wasn't lost on us during the listening session and being my first encounter with the track, it did cause eyebrows to be raised given that this was chosen as the single. Another track on the album, the strangely titled 'Another Stranger Me' struck everyone present as being far more suited to being a single - straightforward (by Blind Guardian standards) and obscenely catchy, it has 'single' written all over it. Why choose the more complex 'Fly' over this obvious hit? 
'Well, that's going to be the second single!' chuckles Hansi. He goes on. 'It's surprising really because I think it is very rocky, very straightforward and I think that will be the hard part - a heavy night - for some of our fans because it is completely not like 
typical Blind Guardian. We have made a video even.' 
At the risk of causing uproar, it's very radio-friendly, but radio friendly in a good way - the sort of thing that people will hear and sit up and say 'what the hell is this?' and then head out and buy the album. That's what a single is all about, surely? 
'That's what we all said. We did not release it for the first single because it would have been to long before the album came out. So, we were looking for something to release closer to the album so we could promote the album here. So, both 'Fly' and Another Stranger Me', they are kind of outstanding in ways so that's why we are choosing them as singles because we are trying to make a statement so that people know 'OK, they are still doing something which might surprise us.' When subsequently asked how well the single has sold, Hansi is quick with the statistics. ''Fly' was very well received, we were number 22 in the German charts, number 4 in Hungary, number 1 in Japan. So even that song - and that's kind of the complicated one - has done very well.' 
I ask the duo if they are looking to break into the notoriously tough US market at all. Andre responds. 
'We had a good entry into the States with 'A Night at the Opera' and the tour, it did very well. And the 'Nightfall...' album has now been re-released in the States, but only one year later, so the first release there was 'A Night at the Opera'. So, from the beginning we have a really good fanbase over there so the tour was doing well, we had good numbers and we played good venues and we hope that we can build up on this because now I think they - ' he pauses, then resumes. 'Well, they don't really have that kind of metal in the States. They don't have bands that play anything close to our sound so it could be very interesting for them.' Hansi takes over.
'It will be very interesting to see how the album does there. We are touring there in November and December. A big tour - six, seven weeks.' How many UK dates? Just the one? 
'Right now, just the one,' answers Andre. 'But still the bookings are going on, so it could be we are still booking some more shows for - I think - April & May in Europe, so maybe we come back. It depends.' 
Are you doing any festivals? The guitarist replies again. 
'This year, only two festivals in Spain, that is it.' Hansi steps in to elaborate. 
'One is in Gannaga, which is in the north of Spain and there is another deep in the south, close to Sevilla. We have maybe 45000 descending on the one in the north and 25000 for the one in the south.' 
Saxon are playing there also... in fact, we couldn't help but notice that there is a song called 'Lionheart' on the new album. Fully aware that this is the name of Saxon's 2004 album, we confront Hansi with this and suggest that at first, we thought it may have been a cover. Both men laugh heartily - this is probably something they have been expecting at some point during the discussion. 
'We could ask Biff (Byford, legendary Saxon vocalist) I suppose...' remarks Andre, chuckling merrily. Hansi steps in to explain.
'No, no... sometimes I do like freestyle vocals and a word like 'Lionheart' comes out and you couldn't just take it out. You just say 'OK, if it is in there, you keep it!' Andre is still laughing. 
'People are already saying 'Guys, you must call Biff!' The guitarist is clearly enjoying this moment and Hansi can only grin sheepishly.
We are good friends with Saxon. We played with them first in 1996 and since then, we have played with them here and there and they are one of the bands I really admire.' 
 
The New Boy
Talk now turns to what must be one of the most dramatic moments in Blind Guardian's recent history - that of the departure of drummer Thomen Stauch back in 2005. Now, one might ask what the fuss is all about - after all, for a lot of heavy metal bands, members come and go and line-up changes are accepted as an almost inevitable consequence of a long-running career. However, this is Blind Guardian we are talking about, a band whose line up has remained unchanged since their inception back in 1985. So close was the bond between members that upon Hansi relinquishing bass playing duties in the late nineties, their new bassist is still referred to as a 'guest musician'. For one of the founding 'bards' to leave the fold must have been a trying moment for the remaining three founder members (completed by rhythm guitarist Marcus Siepen), yet they seem to have struck gold with new drummer Fredrick Emkhe stepping into the departed Stauch's shoes with satisfying aplomb. The percussion work on 'A Twist in the Myth' is frighteningly potent - powerful, precise and inventive when required, it seems that Emkhe has risen to the challenge. How happy has Hansi been with the newest 'bard'? 
'I mean, he's good - of that there is no doubt - otherwise we would not have taken him! He's on the same level and in many ways, he is even better than Thomen. This doesn't mean that Thomen is a bad drummer - not at all. Fred fits in with us very well because he was - he is - a big fan of Blind Guardian so when he joined us, he knew exactly what he was supposed to do. He somehow started playing drums because of Blind Guardian so he possesses a lot of Thomen's qualities. Then he started studying drums at university so he is a very well-trained musician. And he is also able to bring along some more modern, progressive elements which sound very easy-going so you do not recognise that they are progressive. I think that basically, we have made a very good choice with him and also, as a person, he fits in very well there because he's very laid-back, very calm, he's young, he's very fresh, very into the atmosphere. He's down to earth! And that's good, that has been very important.'
He does indeed sound ideal. How did you find him? Was he playing for another band? Andre answers. 
'He sent a DVD to me where he was playing Blind Guardian songs and we checked him out and we knew immediately 'oh my goodness' - he can play a little bit with the original feeling on the drums and because we didn't want to sound like a different band, we knew it would be very hard to keep the original spirit if you take a drummer who is known already for being in another band. If you go that way, maybe he will bring along part of another style - then it is really hard to bring someone in to change. But if somebody is doing something they live for - for him, it was a new entry into a professional level...' 
He was a fan then? 
'Yes,' answers Hansi. He continues. 'We did not ever consider finding someone that quickly and especially not finding someone who was unheard of on the scene. It's not just a question of playing the drums, they also have to fit in with our imagery. You know if we - for instance, would have played with Mike Portnoy, it may have been possible but it might not have fitted in. Musically no problem but it would have been regarded...' Like some sort of Dream Theater side project? 'Absolutely, something like that. I suppose it doesn't matter who would have played on there as long as you have a good drummer but he (Fredrick) is so cool and he fits in well - it's like getting a virgin!' 
And you guys broke him in? Well done sirs. 
 
Final Thoughts
Our time with the two bards now drawing to a close, we feel that there are a couple of questions that need to be put to the Blind Guardian mainmen before we finish. Not related to the new album, drummer or forthcoming forays into the UK, they are nonetheless issues that we feel need clearing up by the band. Firstly, given that they are evidently massive fans of the works of Tolkien, they are asked for their thoughts on the recent 'Lord of the Rings' films. Hansi confirms his appreciation for Peter Jackson's cinematic efforts. 
'I think they were done very well, especially considering the time he had to work with - I mean, three hours (per film) is not a lot so... he brought in most of the things I would have loved to see in there and what he left out, I can live with it. The changes he made were understandable.' 
Rumours floated around at the time of the release of 'Fellowship of the Ring' that Blind Guardian were thinking of submitting some music for the soundtrack of the film. The rumours died down almost as swiftly as they started but I had to ask Hansi - is there any truth to this? What is exactly was the story surrounding it? 
'This was kind of a misquotation that... a lot of people think so, but what actually happened was that we were voted by many people to do the soundtrack. The movie wasn't out so we contacted the publisher and told them that we were thinking of writing some music and they said well, basically, that is not a bad idea but we have more or less made our choice already! So they were on a very tight schedule and said 'can you get something done soon? So, for them we kind of needed to fly out and do stuff immediately - I was on a promotional tour with Demons & Wizards at the time, so we perhaps could have got together some music that would have fit in, but I was not around to do the vocals. So, we couldn't provide them with a demo and so we just gave up.' Well, that’s that rumour cleared up anyhow. On the subject of Demons & Wizards (Hansi’s more thrash-orientated side project crafted in collaboration with legendary Iced Earth mainman Jon Schaeffer), what is happening next with this project? Do you feel that you have bought any influences across from D&W to the new Blind Guardian album? 
‘We released the second album and afterwards, due to the 
commitments with Blind Guardian, it would not have made sense to go on tour,’ answers the vocalist. ‘We will have to wait until the next tour with Blind Guardian is complete and then we will play live and then we will focus on the third album. I think that because the last two albums (both D&W and Blind Guardian) were recorded quite close together, there were elements which I maybe used for the first time on the Demons & Wizards album but also had in mind to use on the Blind Guardian album. It was a mutual thing.’ 
Our time is more or less up, however there is one final question I have before we leave. In the past, on their website and in interviews, certain members of the band make no secret of their enthusiasm for PC-based Role-Playing Games. Given the fantasy-orientated nature of the band’s aesthetics in light of these proclamations, I have to ask them what games are currently ‘rocking their world’. Everyone I know is raving about The Elder Scrolls IV – Oblivion. What is your take on this gentlemen? Andre’s eyes light up.
‘Yes, I like it very much. The graphics are awesome but I don’t really like – what do you call it – the handling?’ The interface? ‘Yes, the interface. The interface could be better, I mean what I play more right at this moment is World of Warcraft…’ At this point, Hansi has put his head in his hands and is chuckling grimly. This is clearly not a subject that he approves of. I ask him if he is fan of such pursuits.
‘No! Not at all!’ he replies emphatically, although the smile on his face betrays his amusement. It is obvious to all that he has spent many hours being bored to tears by such discussions, either on the tour bus or in the studio/rehearsal room. Unconcerned at the man’s plight, Andre and I continue to extol the virtues of the medium and, as our somewhat enthusiastic discussion of the subject continues, someone somewhere has the good sense to turn the Dictaphone off.

www.blind-guardian.com