"The passing of OZZY was the most terrible feeling since Freddie Mercury’s death.” Hansi Kürsch, Blind Guardian

Canada's The Metal Voice recently spoke to Blind Guardian singer Hansi Kursh about the bands upcoming tour and new music and the passing of Ozzy Osbourne

Watch full interview here

Legendary German power metal band BLIND GUARDIAN has announced its long-awaited return to North America with a headlining tour set for fall 2025. The band will perform across the United States and Canada, bringing their celebrated album "Somewhere Far Beyond" to life on stage. The band decided to re-record Somewhere Far Beyond while preparing for its tour.

The tour will kick off on November 19 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will make stops in major markets, including New York, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles and more, before concluding on December 13 in Los Angeles, CA, at The Wiltern.

Hansi was asked about the passing of Ozzy, he replied," With Ozzy (Osbourne) it was the most terrible feeling ever since Freddie Mercury died, you. I cannot recall any person in the artist genre passing away which had an impact like Ozzy had on me. So that was the the toughest strike for me. It was also expected it was not like it came out all of the sudden. A friend of mine went to the Birmingham shows… and he said it was spectacular and so like few days later he just passed away. I was like okay. So he he kept himself alive for that particular moment. That's dedication.”

Hansi was then asked about the musical influence of Ozzy on Blind Guardian's music he said, "When it comes to Ozzy it’s the melodies, it’s the positive vibe even in the darkest… aspects they have in their music. The way he’s pronouncing, the way he performs vocally, the way he performed on stage… that was more than just a role model. It was really something to look up to. Black Sabbath (with Ozzy) was very important for I would say almost every metal band. I just want to have this momentum, this strength, this depth which Black Sabbath songs have.”

After their North American “Somewhere Far Beyond” concept tour (late 2025), Blind Guardian plans to take a break to focus on songwriting and family life. Hansi told THE METAL VOICE we will spend 2026 composing and aim to release a new album in early 2027, followed by another tour later that year. He continued “The band wants to take their time rather than rush we go for quality. Give us 2026 to compose songs. Give us the beginning of 2027 for maybe finishing the production and releasing the album, and then another tour hopefully at the end of 2027.”

"There won't be a new album coming out after the tour directly because we have to compose the album. We will take that momentum after North America and do the break, which everyone in the band is desperately looking for. We traveled around the world twice, I think, and it is about time now to really keep our focus on songwriting and on family life. We all want that privacy back for a while, not for too long, but I think give us a year, maybe one and a half, and then you'll have your new album As said, I believe it's in the tradition of what Blind Guardian stands for and maybe has a bit of the more melodic, old-fashioned style, but I cannot promise it. It's just a feeling."

When asked about the musical direction of their future album. Hansi explained that after the massive orchestral scope of Legacy of the Dark Lands, they felt they had gone “as big as we can go. ”The next record will likely “strip things down” and focus more on classic, melodic, and old-fashioned Blind Guardian style, more direct and energetic, less orchestral. He called The God Machine (2022) a “hybrid” that bridges their early sound with modern production, and said the new album will probably continue that trajectory, more straightforward, but still epic. “”However, he admitted that once the band gets into the studio, the creative direction often evolves naturally: “We don’t have that much control where the journey finally leads us.”

BLIND GUARDIAN 2025 tour dates with ENSIFERUM and SEVEN KINGDOMS:

Nov. 19 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Revolution Live

Nov. 20 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum

Nov. 21 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade

Nov. 22 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground

Nov. 24 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore

Nov. 25 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

Nov. 26 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium

Nov. 28 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS

Nov. 29 - Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Nov. 30 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Theater

Dec. 02 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre

Dec. 03 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater

Dec. 05 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre

Dec. 07 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot

Dec. 09 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Market

Dec. 10 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater

Dec. 12 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre

Dec. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern

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