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BLIND GUARDIAN: Update On The Orchestra CD

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 24, 2013
Posted in: Int. News. Tagged: , , . Leave a Comment

Nuclear Blast has issued as follows:

For many years, the members of BLIND GUARDIAN talk about it – finally lead singer Hansi Kürsch gives a certain update about it: the orchestral CD! Hansi published the following news on their homepage:

blind-guardian

Hi there,

…first a late, but still fresh, Happy New Year to everyone. After getting rid of some bonus pounds gained over the last few months due to live abstinence we are now getting ready for a very busy and exciting year of creativity and efficiency. Wishful thinking, you think? Blasphemy, I would reply! As most of you may have recognized, we have been busy all during 2012 with some additional touring activity and some extra missions, such as the completion of „A Traveler´s Guide To Space And Time“, which is a great legacy. It features all of our material from the Virgin era in a new and accurate framework, beautifully designed by Felipe Machado. The whole box offers a great insight about that particular part of our career. Even though it took us more time than expected, we are really pleased with the final result. It’s something we are really proud of and something which you hopefully are going to enjoy as much as we do. I just got my sample yesterday, and am really blown away.

This, of course, has not been the only thing we were doing during the last year. For the sake of fun and leisure we were working on new stuff and progressed far quicker than we would have expected. Not that this means a lot in the generous production time frame of Blind Guardian. But it might secure a late 2014 release for at least one BG album. As you may have read in interviews we are intending to bring a long story to a well deserved and hopefully happy end. As already announced with A Twist in the Myth and also with At the Edge of Time, apart from a regular album there finally will also be the release of the orchestral album. Why am I so sure about not being wrong again this time? I have no idea. Nothing new here, one could say.

The difference might be that throughout the last 18 months we have recorded 7 songs in Prague. There probably is a handful of additional songs to record during this year, but they are also already finalized with regard to composition. In theory we do not need any further songs for this album but ideas simply seem to flow endlessly… The reason why this album is still far from being released is partly based on the regular album, which we definitely would like to release first. At this point in time I am in a very tricky situation. How to continue from here? I think it is probably easiest to simply continue by telling you something about the regular album since this would be next anyway. Keep in mind that “next” is relative!

Well, we have started working on four songs and already were able to finish two songs musically. The working titles are “Encrypted Time” (I think this title is inspired by André’s passion for World of Warcraft or so – I can only guess…) and “The Ocean” (here, André has been inspired by my undefined mumbling in the song). “Encrypted Time” is a modern speed metal song with some tribal aspects and some 70′s inspirations, while “The Ocean” is a very progressive (this time I talk about ELP meets Savatage art rock when I say progressive) orchestra dominated song which will give you a further glimpse of what to expect from the orchestral album. I am clueless about the right story board for “Encrypted Time” but “The Ocean” could be used as a theme opener for the orchestral project. We will see… The other four songs seem to turn out very special and obviously very different. Working titles: “The Irish Hill”, “Prophecies”, “Soundtrack 2″ and “Midtempo Song”. I cannot tell you exactly about how many times we have had a song over the years which was first called “Midtempo Song”. I am pretty sure we are not the only band abusing this spectacular title over and over again. Thank God, the title is not copyright protected, yet. We would be in trouble then. Maybe it is and that’s the reason why it barely ever ended up as a title on the album.

Out of those tracks “Prophecies” is the one which is developed the most. It is almost straight forward, has a very strong pre and main chorus and offers some “Queensrÿchish” prog (this time I do mean Queensrÿche when I say prog) elements in combination with some Blind Guardian fantasy metal. A nice one. I’ll keep it short from here: “Irish Hills” might be a surprise with some Irish melodies, which none would expect in a song with such a name… “Midtempo Song” is a great song of misunderstandings and technical failures, the result so far is a little surprising to everyone involved and has nothing to do at all with a song entitled “Midtempo Song”. I enjoy this one a lot, because I cannot remember us doing something like this. The song is still in a very early phase and André has kept it hidden from me for a while now. “Soundtrack 2″ has been the first song fragment for the new album. We had put that aside for a while, but it contains some very heavy elements, almost thrash metal like. Let’s see how this is going to end up. You see, there is a lot in the pipeline already. But there certainly will be more new stuff during the year. Even though we have already started to record some drums for the album at the end of the last year, the whole thing is going to keep us busy until the spring/summer of 2014 for sure.

Going to Prague to see how the orchestra songs come alive is a very special and intense moment for us. Thanks to “Sacred Worlds” and “Wheel of Time” I can say that we have learnt a lot about scoring, recording and mixing when it comes to such music. You will notice a great improvement when you listen to the final result of this adventurous trip we have started so long ago. Last week some of us went there again to record “The Ocean” , a pure orchestral song called “Misty Mountain” and some more stuff. We once again had to realize how ambitious this whole project is and how time demanding! Luckily, everyone who is involved has understood, that there will be no compromises. We would never accept “second best” or “we fix it in the mix” here. This means that even though we can see the end of the road here, it still is a long and winding one and will demand our full concentration for the next 12 to 18 months. Charlie (Bauerfiend) and I already did some demo recordings for four of the earlier recorded orchestra songs sometime last year. We all consider this session and its result a very promising experience. Now I am ready to start proper album recordings for this one. I will do my best to finish most of the vocals during the year. This seems a very ambitious goal but is not impossible. I say that in the first days of January… Apart from the music and the concept we will also work on some additional surprises. Keep yourself prepared. One thing is for sure there will be nothing comparable to this on the market. It’s not a typical soundtrack, a typical musical, nor it is a rock opera. It is typical Blind Guardian – more or less without band. At that point, I would say this is going to stay unique until we will release part 2. The good thing: we already have some material for it and another 15-17 years before it has to be released. Chinese Democracy was yesterday. :-)

Cheers,
Hansi

BLIND GUARDIAN: ‘A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time’ Eight-Minute Preview Clip

Posted by aliblackdiamond on January 20, 2013
Posted in: Int. News. Tagged: , . Leave a Comment

Source: Blabbermouth.net 

An eight-minute preview of “A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time”, a strictly limited-edition BLIND GUARDIAN box set with 15 CDs in 13 high-quality digipacks and only 8000 copies worldwide, can be seen below. The set will be released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on February 1 and the rest of the world on February 4.

Looking back over BLIND GUARDIAN‘s career from the here and now in 2013, you see a success story gone global, the likes of which very few other German metal bands have ever experienced. This band from Krefeld has been just about everywhere, conquering the North American market in the same way as they stormed the charts in Asia or packed concert venues in South America and even South Africa. From their (at that point purely) German beginnings with debut album, “Battalions Of Fear” (1988), followed by their first international recognition with the second album, “Follow The Blind” (1989) and the euphoria which went round the world when “Tales From The Twilight World” (1990) and “Somewhere Far Beyond” (1992) came out, right through to their masterpiece of composition in “A Night At The Opera” (2002), the name of the band developed to become an unmistakable world brand. There are lots of reasons for this, but no doubt much of it is down to the extraordinary skill of everyone involved, their virtuoso dexterity and that gift for bringing mystical themes in tune with unusually complex metal directives. Something else which really makes BLIND GUARDIAN stand out is the way they have always kept so close to their fans. Even more proof of their unconditional commitment to the huge fan-base is being released now; “A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time”, a strictly limited edition deluxe box set with a total of 15 CDs in 13 high-quality digipacks, which the musicians and the record company have been working on together for almost a year. A particularly long time to create a compilation you may think, but a glance at just how much this box set encompasses explains why their conscientious and time-consuming preparation took so long.

“A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time” not only includes all the albums released during the so-called Virgin years (the record company brought out all the bands’ records between 1988 and 2004) but also all their previously unreleased demo recordings, rare bonus tracks and alternative versions of famous pieces from this era, and all of them have been remastered and some even remixed. To be precise; it includes the seven studio albums “Battalions Of Fear”, “Follow The Blind”, “Tales From The Twilight World”, “Somewhere Far Beyond”, “Imaginations From The Other Side”, “Nightfall In Middle-Earth” and “A Night At The Opera”, and on top of all that you get the live albums “Tokyo Tales” and “Live” as well as “The Forgotten Tales” compilation, all of them now with 2012 mastering and some of them with new mixes. Above and beyond that, BLIND GUARDIAN have dug deep into their archives and come up with some real treats: in “Imaginations Through The Looking Glass” for the very first time the phenomenal concert they put on in Coburg, Germany in June 2003 appears in audio format on two CDs. And another first, in a special edition of “Nightfall In Middle-Earth”, the musicians also present the legendary 1998 studio album without any breaks (including a new mix of “Blood Tears”). This precious box is rounded off with “An Extraordinary Tale”, which includes so-far-unreleased demo versions of the pieces “Welcome To Dying”, “Lord Of The Rings”, “The Bard’s Song (In The Forest)”, “The Bard’s Song (The Hobbit)”, “Theatre Of Pain”, “Trial By Fire” and “I’m Alive” and the never-before-released, around-90-seconds-longer version of the song “The Quest For Tanelorn” as well as the comparatively rare number “Harvest Of Sorrow”.

So, there is so much to find, enjoy and rediscover in this outright opulent deluxe box which is accompanied by a 20-page glossy booklet (size: 27cm x 27cm) containing comments from the members of the band and more than 100 rare and mainly unpublished photos belonging to the musicians. A limited-edition and numbered BLIND GUARDIAN art print on special paper (sized 27cm by 27cm) and a guitar plectrum engraved with the band’s logo have also been added to the box.

“With ‘A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time’, we document how much has BLIND GUARDIAN developed between 1988 and 2004 in, as I see it, a particularly impressive and vivid way,” explains singer/bassist Hansi Kürsch who, together with original members André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen, still controls the destiny of this amazing group. Kürsch adds: “The brand new mastering also makes sure that all 15 CDs are on the same level as far as the dynamics are concerned so theoretically you can listen to the whole box at one go, without having to adjust the volume level at all.”

Of course this jam-packed compilation also includes all the compositional climaxes and milestones along BLIND GUARDIAN‘s career path; “Majesty” from their debut album “Battalions Of Fear” was the first time the band presented their unusual song writing combined with the boundless energy which still makes BLIND GUARDIAN stand out so much today. “Traveler In Time” from “Tales From The Twilight World” then puts the band’s epic approach into focus. “The Bard’s Song” has developed into a real classic, creating that perfect symbiosis between band and audience at concert after concert and reinforcing the folklore element within the typical BLIND GUARDIAN sound.

Of course, in this box, BLIND GUARDIAN also present the sublime title track from the album “Imaginations From The Other Side” with its capable mixture of anthemic power metal and progressive directives, as well as the downright cinematic number “Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)” from the album “Nightfall In Middle-Earth”. The experts reckon the fantastic “And Then There Was Silence” from “A Night At The Opera” was the icing on the cake of those Virgin years and you can hear it in all its glory on “A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time”.

With “A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time”, BLIND GUARDIAN stay true to their reputation of not doing anything only halfway. As always with this band you get the full-on thing, on both the composition and technical production sides. This box is also full of rare photos from the musicians’ private collections as well as previously unreleased demo recordings, once again documenting how far this group will go to give their fans the best possible product. And as Hansi Kürsch put it: “We poured our heart and soul into ‘A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time’, making it a well worthwhile box for our fans which fully meets the demands we make of ourselves as well as those of our fans. And that is exactly what we were aiming for.”

For the complete track listing, visit Blind-Guardian.com.

 

BLIND GUARDIAN: ‘A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time’ 15-CD Box-Set Due In February

Posted by aliblackdiamond on December 1, 2012
Posted in: Int. News. Tagged: , . Leave a Comment

Source: Blabbermouth.net 

Save up your Christmas money for February when “A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time”, a strictly limited-edition BLIND GUARDIAN box set with 15 CDs in 13 high-quality digipacks and only 8000 copies worldwide, is released.

Germany, Austria and Switzerland have a release date of February 1, 2013 and the rest of the world on February 4, 2013. The box set can now be pre-ordered from your favorite record shop!

Looking back over BLIND GUARDIAN‘s career from the here and now in 2013, you see a success story gone global, the likes of which very few other German metal bands have ever experienced. This band from Krefeld has been just about everywhere, conquering the North American market in the same way as they stormed the charts in Asia or packed concert venues in South America and even South Africa. From their (at that point purely) German beginnings with debut album, “Battalions Of Fear” (1988), followed by their first international recognition with the second album, “Follow The Blind” (1989) and the euphoria which went round the world when “Tales From The Twilight World” (1990) and “Somewhere Far Beyond” (1992) came out, right through to their masterpiece of composition in “A Night At The Opera” (2002), the name of the band developed to become an unmistakable world brand. There are lots of reasons for this, but no doubt much of it is down to the extraordinary skill of everyone involved, their virtuoso dexterity and that gift for bringing mystical themes in tune with unusually complex metal directives. Something else which really makes BLIND GUARDIAN stand out is the way they have always kept so close to their fans. Even more proof of their unconditional commitment to the huge fan-base is being released now; “A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time”, a strictly limited edition deluxe box set with a total of 15 CDs in 13 high-quality digipacks, which the musicians and the record company have been working on together for almost a year. A particularly long time to create a compilation you may think, but a glance at just how much this box set encompasses explains why their conscientious and time-consuming preparation took so long.

“A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time” not only includes all the albums released during the so-called Virgin years (the record company brought out all the bands’ records between 1988 and 2004) but also all their previously unreleased demo recordings, rare bonus tracks and alternative versions of famous pieces from this era, and all of them have been remastered and some even remixed. To be precise; it includes the seven studio albums “Battalions Of Fear”, “Follow The Blind”, “Tales From The Twilight World”, “Somewhere Far Beyond”, “Imaginations From The Other Side”, “Nightfall In Middle-Earth” and “A Night At The Opera”, and on top of all that you get the live albums “Tokyo Tales” and “Live” as well as “The Forgotten Tales” compilation, all of them now with 2012 mastering and some of them with new mixes. Above and beyond that, BLIND GUARDIAN have dug deep into their archives and come up with some real treats: in “Imaginations Through The Looking Glass” for the very first time the phenomenal concert they put on in Coburg, Germany in June 2003 appears in audio format on two CDs. And another first, in a special edition of “Nightfall In Middle-Earth”, the musicians also present the legendary 1998 studio album without any breaks (including a new mix of “Blood Tears”). This precious box is rounded off with “An Extraordinary Tale”, which includes so-far-unreleased demo versions of the pieces “Welcome To Dying”, “Lord Of The Rings”, “The Bard’s Song (In The Forest)”, “The Bard’s Song (The Hobbit)”, “Theatre Of Pain”, “Trial By Fire” and “I’m Alive” and the never-before-released, around-90-seconds-longer version of the song “The Quest For Tanelorn” as well as the comparatively rare number “Harvest Of Sorrow”.

So, there is so much to find, enjoy and rediscover in this outright opulent deluxe box which is accompanied by a 20-page glossy booklet (size: 27cm x 27cm) containing comments from the members of the band and more than 100 rare and mainly unpublished photos belonging to the musicians. A limited-edition and numbered BLIND GUARDIAN art print on special paper (sized 27cm by 27cm) and a guitar plectrum engraved with the band’s logo have also been added to the box.

“With ‘A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time’, we document how much has BLIND GUARDIAN developed between 1988 and 2004 in, as I see it, a particularly impressive and vivid way,” explains singer/bassist Hansi Kürsch who, together with original members André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen, still controls the destiny of this amazing group. Kürsch adds: “The brand new mastering also makes sure that all 15 CDs are on the same level as far as the dynamics are concerned so theoretically you can listen to the whole box at one go, without having to adjust the volume level at all.”

Of course this jam-packed compilation also includes all the compositional climaxes and milestones along BLIND GUARDIAN‘s career path; “Majesty” from their debut album “Battalions Of Fear” was the first time the band presented their unusual song writing combined with the boundless energy which still makes BLIND GUARDIAN stand out so much today. “Traveler In Time” from “Tales From The Twilight World” then puts the band’s epic approach into focus. “The Bard’s Song” has developed into a real classic, creating that perfect symbiosis between band and audience at concert after concert and reinforcing the folklore element within the typical BLIND GUARDIAN sound.

Of course, in this box, BLIND GUARDIAN also present the sublime title track from the album “Imaginations From The Other Side” with its capable mixture of anthemic power metal and progressive directives, as well as the downright cinematic number “Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)” from the album “Nightfall In Middle-Earth”. The experts reckon the fantastic “And Then There Was Silence” from “A Night At The Opera” was the icing on the cake of those Virgin years and you can hear it in all its glory on “A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time”.

With “A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time”, BLIND GUARDIAN stay true to their reputation of not doing anything only halfway. As always with this band you get the full-on thing, on both the composition and technical production sides. This box is also full of rare photos from the musicians’ private collections as well as previously unreleased demo recordings, once again documenting how far this group will go to give their fans the best possible product. And as Hansi Kürsch put it: “We poured our heart and soul into ‘A Traveler’s Guide To Space And Time’, making it a well worthwhile box for our fans which fully meets the demands we make of ourselves as well as those of our fans. And that is exactly what we were aiming for.”

For the complete track listing, visit Blind-Guardian.com.

BLIND GUARDIAN: Orchestral Album Due In 2014

Posted by aliblackdiamond on September 2, 2012
Posted in: Int. News. Tagged: , . Leave a Comment
Patrick Prince of Powerline recently conducted an interview with vocalist Hansi Kürsch of German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Powerline: Your musical style has been called power metal, speed metal, thrash, progressive … even bard metal … Doesn’t it get tiring to hear all these labels?

Kürsch: As long as people talk, everything is fine. One of the best things which can happen to a band is that it is categorized by its own trademark, so I am very fine with bard or fantasy metal. Luckily, it seems to be difficult to categorize us. Sometimes I am getting more confused by the bands we are compared with.

Powerline: BLIND GUARDIAN‘s first two albums, “Battalions Of Fear” and “Follow The Blind”, were more in the style of speed metal than their following works.

Kürsch: ?Depending on the point of view. They certainly are easier to categorize. Speed, in terms of music, is so much a matter of understanding and one’s musical point of view. I, personally, think we have accomplished many faster songs afterwards. Some fans may disagree about that. It really is a matter of perspectives. Both albums were strongly related to the spirit and the musical understanding of the late ’80s.

Powerline: And then there’s the term “German metal.” Germany has represented heavy metal very well for decades with bands like SCORPIONS, ACCEPT, HELLOWEEN … Is there a certain German sound to you — even subtle? Were you influenced by these bands and did you ever get a chance to form a camaraderie with them?

Kürsch: Yes and no. The SCORPIONS and ACCEPT have not been our number one bands, but are always very well respected by us, while HELLOWEEN can be seen as a strong inspiration for BLIND GUARDIAN. There were other bands, of course, but when we listened to the HELLOWEEN outputs in the mid-’80s, we knew our mission. We have a very good relationship with Kai [Hansen] and HELLOWEEN. They belong to the nicest people you can imagine.

Powerline: Do you feel that you have captured the American market well enough?

Kürsch: No, not at all. It took almost 12 years to get a foot in the door and another 13 years to introduce ourselves. That’s all what has happened so far. I believe, that the Northern American market, especially the U.S. market, is about to become aware of the band in a more mainstream-ish manner. Quality music will be rediscovered by the people.

Powerline: In America, the term “power ballad” comes with some negative connotations of it being a wimpy song from a hair band. However, BLIND GUARDIAN‘s European style of power ballads, if you will, are a lot more riveting and mature. Songs such as “Lord Of The Rings” and “The Bard’s Song”, for instance. Is it harder to write a power ballad than a regular metal song?

Kürsch: Depending on the composer. To Marcus [Siepen, guitar] or me, a power ballad usually comes more natural, while for André [Olbrich, lead guitar], it most probably would be a straight-forward song such as “Another Stranger Me”, which might come more natural. The regular heavy stuff such as “Tanelorn” or “Imaginations” require a lot of detailed work and serious thoughts, because they are not written on a nice and sunny afternoon, but over months. So they are definitely harder to compose.

Powerline: What’s the update on an orchestral project for BLIND GUARDIAN? Is it still slated for 2013?

Kürsch: 2013 sounds a little ambitious at the moment. I am hoping for 2014. This could be a great year. Ever since “A Night At The Opera”, my goal is to release the orchestral album the same year we are going to release the studio album. In vain, so far. But I will never give up hope.

Read the entire interview from Powerline.

 

Source: Blabbermouth.net

BLIND GUARDIAN Frontman: No More Shows Before Late 2014

Posted by aliblackdiamond on July 11, 2012
Posted in: Int. News. Tagged: , . Leave a Comment

 

Vocalist Hansi Kürsch of German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN has issued the following update:

“A long (far longer than expected) journey has more or less come to an end.

“After having had great fun with our Greek and German friends some weeks ago, we are now preparing ourselves for the final show here in Germany.

“Even though being on the road is always a very enjoyable experience for everyone in the band, it, on the other hand, demands a lot of time and makes it almost impossible for us to really keep our focus on songwriting. It therefore became more and more obvious to us that there had to be a stop to our touring activities to maintain a proper songwriting cycle.

“It will be a challenging but also a very exciting period for us.

“Having an album like ‘At the Edge Of Time’ in our rearview mirror is a curse and blessing at the same time. No matter if we try to finalize the orchestra project or start the songwriting for the next new ‘regular’ BLIND GUARDIAN album, it will demand our full attention during the next 24 months or perhaps even more. So, the final chance to see us live will be the Rockharz festival in Ballenstedt, Germany on Friday, July 13th. I am absolutely sure that there will not be any BLIND GUARDIAN shows before autumn 2014. So, do not miss this one!

“Last but not least, some information for those of you that are curious about the collector’s box that we’ve mentioned in some interviews. This box will contain remixed versions of the complete studio album works (based on the original releases) we have done for Virgin. During the next weeks we will provide you with the exact content once it is completely confirmed. There will be tons of material…

“I’ve found it extremely pleasant to revisit the old albums one more time, but mostly I enjoyed ‘Nightfall In Middle-Earth’, which, for me, remains the strongest BLIND GUARDIAN release to date. Mostly I was impressed by some of the songs, which we have not played live so far, ‘Noldor’ and ‘The Curse Of Feanor’ in particular. I immediately decided that we have to play one or the other in 2014. So, it truly is something to look forward to. Sounds like a (false) promise, I already made some time ago, doesn’t it? History repeats itself, some mean people would say, and that life is a constant ‘Battlefield’ — which reminds me of another great song of ours…”

“Memories Of A Time To Come”, the ultimate collection of BLIND GUARDIAN music from 1987 to 2011, was released on January 20 via Virgin/EMI.

“Memories Of A Time To Come” is available as a double CD, three-CD deluxe limited edition, including the band’s demo recordings when they were called LUCIFER’S HERITAGE, and as download.

“At The Edge Of Time”, the tenth studio album from BLIND GUARDIAN, sold around 4,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 108 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

BLIND GUARDIAN‘s previous CD, “A Twist In The Myth”, opened with 3,000 units back in September 2006.

“At The Edge Of Time” entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 2 — the band’s strongest chart showing ever in its home country.

 

Source: Blabbermouth.net

“There Are Riot Police On The Grounds!” BLIND GUARDIAN, GRAVE DIGGER And Others Cancel Brazil’s Metal Open Air Due To “Massive Technical And Administrative Problems”

Posted by Mohsen Fayyazi on April 21, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: , , . Leave a Comment

According to BraveWords.com sources and validated by the band statements below, what was billed as “the biggest heavy metal festival ever organized in Brazil” – the Metal Open Air, taking place in São Luís, Brazil this weekend (April 20th to 22nd) – has experienced a number of set-backs.

BraveWords.com reporter Justin Sorochman has provided a brief update on the situation: “There is little food, bathrooms and the camping area smells like horse shit because it is in a horse stable. Bands are cancelling and it is a huge ball of shit that is about to explode. The festival looks like it may be cancelled. There are riot police on the grounds!”

The event was being headlined by MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, VENOM alongside many other prolific names. The ROCK N ROLL ALLSTARS – featuring members of KISS, DEF LEPPARD, VELVET REVOLVER, ALICE IN CHAINS – were one of many cancellations today (April 21st) according to Brazil’s Globo Comunicação.

Band statements from BLIND GUARDIAN and GRAVE DIGGER can be read below:

Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kursch: “In 25 years of our career we have managed to fix all problems to make sure our performance is going to take place. No matter what the circumstances were, we intended to play. We have been extremely successful in the avoidance of canceled shows, so far. This unfortunately comes to a very sad end here in Sao Luis. Due to massive technical and administrative problems we were forced to cancel tonight’s show. As far as we understand it seems to be the local management who has not been able to secure a proper festival environment, anymore. Things are pretty out of hand there. We feel very sorry about this totally unsatisfying situation, but the mistakes made by the local promoter makes an even improvised show impossible. I know, that we have the most dedicated fans and I count on your understanding. In the future we will be more careful in confirming such festivals.”

Grave Digger’s Chris Boltendahl: “The Metal Open Air festival is canceled. Problems between the promoter, the P.A. and light company and many others forced us to cancel our participation at the MOA festival. It`s a sad day. We travelled so far to be part of this festival and we are so sorry for all the fans which attend to this festival. It is out of our hands.”

Source: Brvewords

 

MARDUK Confirmed For Sweden Rock Cruise 2012

Posted by Mohsen Fayyazi on January 27, 2012
Posted in: Int. News. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Swedish black metallers  MARDUK are confirmed for the Sweden Rock Cruise 2012 which BLIND GUARDIAN  will headline the show

And also these band have been confirmed for Sweden Rock Cruise 2012: SODOM, NOCTURNAL RITES and KRUX.

The ship Tallink Silja Galaxy departs from Stockholm, Sweden on March 29th and makes a round trip to Turku, Finland to return to Stockholm 23 hours later (March 30th). Tickets are on sale now.

For more details :

 

 

ICED EARTH Guitarist Jon Schaffer And BLIND GUARDIAN’s Hansi Kürsch Discuss Future Of DEMONS & WIZARDS In New Dystopia Webisode

Posted by Mohsen Fayyazi on December 15, 2011
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

ICED EARTH have uploaded their Dystopia webisode #5 featuring BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch and discussion on the future of DEMONS & WIZARDS. Check it out below:

As previously reported, on December 3rd Iced Earth performed at Amager Bio in Copenhagen, Denmark and were joined on stage by VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen during ‘Watching Over Me’. In Iced Earth’s latest video update from their European tour, guitarist John Schaffer and Poulsen offer up the following message to the fans:

Footage from Poulsen’s guest appearance is available below:

Iced Earth’s new album, Dystopia, debuted at #67 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. This is the highest debut of any Iced Earth album to date. The album features the following tracklisting:

‘Dystopia’
‘Anthem’
‘Days Of Rage’
‘Soylent Green’
‘V’
‘Boiling Point’
‘Anguish Of Youth’
‘Iron Will’
‘Dark City’
‘End Of Innocence’
‘Equilibrium’
‘Tragedy And Triumph’

Source: Bravewords.com