Hansi Kürsch
Encyclopedia
Hans Jürgen Kürsch, better known as Hansi Kürsch (born 10 August 1966 in Lank-Latum, Germany
) is a German musician, the lead vocalist and lyricist of power metal
band Blind Guardian
. Together with André Olbrich
, he is also the principal songwriter for the band. He was also the bassist in Blind Guardian until the 1998 album Nightfall in Middle-Earth
. He also provides lead vocals for the band Demons and Wizards.
his own voice multiple times in complex, overlapping harmonies on his recordings, creating the atmosphere of a huge choir. The track "Chant" on the first Demons and Wizards album is vocal only, in the style of a traditional Gregorian Chant; Kürsch's is the only voice on the song.
Kürsch's lyrics revolve around various themes prevalent in the power metal genre, including medieval fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, religious/mythological tales, and legends/stories, both his own and from the literary world. Many of his lyrics also exude a dark, cynical, and negative feel, spoken from a first-person perspective. His lyrics in the first Demons and Wizards album tackle even darker themes, telling tales of death, deception, and evil, whereas "Touched by the Crimson King" was based primarily off different fantasy novels.
Kürsch has also recorded two albums for his side project with Jon Schaffer
of Iced Earth
, Demons and Wizards.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) is a German musician, the lead vocalist and lyricist of power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
band Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s 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...
. Together with André Olbrich
André Olbrich
André Olbrich is the lead guitarist of the German power metal band Blind Guardian. He is one of the band's founders together with vocalist Hansi Kürsch, and serves as one of its main songwriters....
, he is also the principal songwriter for the band. He was also the bassist in Blind Guardian until the 1998 album Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Nightfall in Middle-Earth is a concept album by Blind Guardian, released in 1998. It is also Blind Guardian's sixth studio album.The album is based upon J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, a book of tales from the First Age of Middle-earth, recounting the War of the Jewels. The album contains not...
. He also provides lead vocals for the band Demons and Wizards.
History
A signature of Kürsch's songwriting is his practice of overdubbingOverdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
his own voice multiple times in complex, overlapping harmonies on his recordings, creating the atmosphere of a huge choir. The track "Chant" on the first Demons and Wizards album is vocal only, in the style of a traditional Gregorian Chant; Kürsch's is the only voice on the song.
Kürsch's lyrics revolve around various themes prevalent in the power metal genre, including medieval fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, religious/mythological tales, and legends/stories, both his own and from the literary world. Many of his lyrics also exude a dark, cynical, and negative feel, spoken from a first-person perspective. His lyrics in the first Demons and Wizards album tackle even darker themes, telling tales of death, deception, and evil, whereas "Touched by the Crimson King" was based primarily off different fantasy novels.
Kürsch has also recorded two albums for his side project with Jon Schaffer
Jon Schaffer
Jon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
of Iced Earth
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio albums, one live album, three EP's, two compilations and boxsets...
, Demons and Wizards.
- Demons and Wizards - Demons and Wizards (2000)
- Demons and Wizards - Touched by the Crimson KingTouched by the Crimson KingTouched by the Crimson King is the second album of power metal/heavy metal band Demons and Wizards and was released in June 2005. The album contains a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song." It was also released as a limited edition digipak in Europe with an alternate cover and four bonus tracks...
(2005)
Guest appearances
Hansi has done guest vocals on the following albums, in the following songs (listed chronologically):- Gamma RayGamma Ray (band)Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent...
- Land of the FreeLand of the Free (album)Land of the Free is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Gamma Ray, released in 1995. Continuing a trend that would conclude with the band's fifth studio release, the lineup for the album was different from the previous one, as Land of the Free was the first Gamma Ray album to be...
(1995) - Farewell - Grave DiggerGrave Digger (band)Grave Digger are a German heavy metal/power metal band formed in 1980. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s.-Band history:...
- Tunes of WarTunes of WarTunes of War is the seventh studio album by German metal band Grave Digger about the Scottish struggles for independence from England, from the medieval conflicts between its clans in the 11th century through to the Jacobite rebellion of the 18th....
(1996, backing vocals only) - NepalNepal (band)Nepal was an Argentine thrash metal band from Buenos Aires, originally assembled in 1984.-Biography:Nepal was formed in 1985 by Beto Vázquez and Javier Bagala. Later on Claudio "Larry" Zavala joined...
- ManifiestoManifiesto-Track listing:# "La Saga" - 01:45# "Perfil Siniestro" - 03:40# "Besando La Tierra" - 05:41# "Más Allá Del Asfalto" - 04:22# "Children of The Grave " - 05:16# "Lukumi" - 02:42# "Estadio Chico" - 04:12...
(1997) - Besando La Tierra, Estadio Chico - Iron SaviorIron SaviorIron Savior is a German power metal band that formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1996. Following a period of several years working behind the scenes in music production, multi-instrumentalist and producer/engineer Piet Sielck joined with former Helloween bandmate Kai Hansen and then-drummer for Blind...
- Iron SaviorIron Savior (album)- Track listing :-Personnel:Iron Savior* Piet Sielck – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, production* Kai Hansen – guitar, vocals, additional production* Thomen Stauch – drums, additional productionAdditional musicians...
(1997) - For The World - EdguyEdguy-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of...
- Vain Glory OperaVain Glory OperaVain Glory Opera, released in 1998, is the third album by German power metal band Edguy. It was produced by Stratovarius' Timo Tolkki, who also played additional lead guitar on "Out Of Control", and featured additional lead and backing vocals by Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian on "Out of Control"...
(1998) - Out of Control, Vain Glory Opera - Grave DiggerGrave Digger (band)Grave Digger are a German heavy metal/power metal band formed in 1980. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s.-Band history:...
- Excalibur (1999, backing vocals only) - TherionTherion (band)Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. The word "therion" comes from the Greek therion , meaning "Beast," i.e., that of the Christian Book of Revelation...
- DeggialDeggialDeggial is the ninth full-length musical album by Swedish Symphonic metal band Therion in 2000. As with many of Therion's other albums, Deggial features a choir and orchestra...
(2000) - Flesh of the Gods - RageRage (band)Rage are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1984. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Running Wild and Blind Guardian.-Background:...
- Unity (2002, backing vocals only) - AngraAngra (band)Angra is a Brazilian metal band from São Paulo, Brazil known for its symphonic interludes, highly technical instrumental playing and Brazilian regional elements.- Biography :...
- Temple of ShadowsTemple of ShadowsTemple of Shadows is a concept album by the power metal band Angra and was released in 2004 by Paradoxx Music in Brazil and SPV label Steamhammer in the rest of the world...
(2004) - Winds of Destination - Ljósálfar - Ljósálfar - Forevermoor
- Nuclear BlastNuclear BlastNuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
All-Stars - Into The LightNuclear Blast All-Stars: Into the LightInto the Light is a compilation album from Nuclear Blast Records to commemorate their 20 years as a record label. Produced by Rage guitarist Victor Smolski, with singers Tobias Sammet , Peter "Peavy" Wagner , Tony Kakko , Mats Levén , Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer , Hansi Kürsch , Andi Deris , Oddleif...
(2007) - Slaves To The Desert - AyreonAyreonAyreon is a project by Dutch composer and musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen.Ayreon's musical style derives mostly from heavy metal and progressive rock, but combines them with genres like folk, classical and electronica...
- 010110010101100101011001 is the seventh studio album by Arjen Anthony Lucassen's long-running Ayreon project. "01011001" is the binary representation of the ASCII value of the letter Y...
(2008) - credited as Celtic CrossCeltic crossA Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
symbol: Age Of Shadows, Beneath The Waves, Newborn Race, The Fifth Extinction, Unnatural Selection, River of Time, The Sixth Extinction - Dreamtone & Iris Mavraki's NeverlandDreamtone & Iris Mavraki's NeverlandDreamtone & Iris Mavraki's Neverland is a music group, a collaboration between Turkish progressive metal band Dreamtone and Greek singer Iris Mavraki...
- Reversing Time (2008) - To Lose The Sun - Van CantoVan CantoVan Canto is an a cappella metal band from Germany, founded in 2006 and composed of five singers and a drummer. Although the group is often classified as an a cappella ensemble, they use real drums in their music, instead of vocal percussion or beatboxing....
- Hero (2008) - Take to the Sky - AneurysmAneurysm (band)Aneurysm are an Italian metal band, formed in 1994 in Verona.Although initially influenced by 1980s thrash metal bands such as Metallica, Pantera and Fear Factory, Aneurysm has elaborated their own sound, combining thrash with progressive metal and characteristic vocals...
- Shades (2008) - Reflection - The ArrowThe Arrow (band)The Arrow are a heavy metal band from Moscow, Russia. The band was founded in 1994 by Pavel Blischenko, the only member who has remained during the frequent line-up changes. The Arrow released a demo and three full-length albums: "Children of Gods", "Keeper of Souls" and "Lady Nite"...
- Lady Nite (2009) - Never Say Never - RageRage (band)Rage are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1984. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Running Wild and Blind Guardian.-Background:...
- Strings to a Web Bonus DVD (Live at Wacken Open Air 2009)Strings To A WebStrings to a Web is the 19th studio album by the German heavy metal band Rage, released in Europe on February 5 2009 through Nuclear Blast Records...
(2010) - Set This World on Fire, All I Want, Invisible Horizons - Solar Fragment - In Our Hands (2011) - Inside the Circle
- Grave DiggerGrave Digger (band)Grave Digger are a German heavy metal/power metal band formed in 1980. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s.-Band history:...
- Ballad of Mary (2011) - Rebellion 2010 - Grave DiggerGrave Digger (band)Grave Digger are a German heavy metal/power metal band formed in 1980. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s.-Band history:...
- Rebellion - The Clans Are Still Marching 2011 Live