BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kürsch has checked in with the following update:

"Busy seasons are usually harbingers of great things to come. Festivals, regular studio work and, above all, the orchestral album are making this a very exciting summer for us. Let's keep the focus on the orchestral album one more time. We have spectacular news!

Every orchestral project needs a concept and such a concept demands a great story. To get a story that fits together perfectly with our majestic music, we are joining forces with Germany's best fantasy author Markus Heitz; check out his Die Zwerge (The Dwarves) series. Markus is one of my favorite writers of 'high fantasy.' I have been really amazed by several of his books over the last years but was finally and completely convinced about him being the perfect choice for our project by Gerechter Zorn (Righteous Wrath) — the first part of his newest trilogy, Die Legenden der Albae (Legends Of The Albae). The way he weaves in different aspects to his splendid universe immediately told me that the quest for the one to come up with the right story for our music was over. Although the final completion of this quite unusual cooperation most probably will keep us busy until 2013, things nonetheless become clearer the more we exchange ideas. The creation of a great new storyboard and the involvement of such a suitable concept are the perfect frame for this soundtrack/musical-like anthems we have come up with over the years. It is absolutely great that Markus is willing to follow us on such an ambitious voyage.

One very interesting aspect certainly is the definite intention to combine the identity of our music (in a quite different shape) with one of Markus' most famous, but not completely discovered, worlds and its heroes. I have no doubt that we will design great new images and come up with nothing but pure magic. Luckily, Markus was very familiar with our band and music. Since he is part of the fantasy scene almost as long as we are, he grew up with our music when he was a die-hard fantasy role-playing gamer in the '80s and '90s. This, of course, makes my life far easier in exchanging ideas and in explaining what we need to complete a perfect conceptual album. There is so much interaction: at one point it is the music dictating the story at other points it is the story having an ultimate impact on the album's completion. Pure creativity! In addition, Markus is a very nice and down-to-earth person who has a very special view on things. Last but not least, he has been very pleased with the pieces of music we provided him with.

By now I can feel a certain jealousy coming up within you. We will keep you updated. The journey has just begun."