[2][3] Nine musicians have been part of the band's lineup throughout its history, which currently includes singer Hansi Kürsch, guitarists André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen, and, since 2005, drummer Frederik Ehmke.

The band was formed in 1984 as Lucifer's Heritage by Kürsch (who also played bass at the time), Olbrich, fellow guitarist Markus Dörk, and drummer Thomas Stauch.

However, in 2005, Stauch left the band, expressing disapproval of Blind Guardian's shift toward a more complex progressive sound with heavy backing vocals, and was replaced by Ehmke.

[6] Lucifer's Heritage released two demos in 1985 and 1986, despite undergoing chaotic lineup changes: Dörk and Stauch were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively.

After Lucifer's Heritage signed a contract with No Remorse Records, the band changed their name to Blind Guardian to avoid any speculation regarding Satanism.

Described by Allmusic's Vincent Jeffries as "complete with anthemic choruses, spoken word storylines, and plenty of bombastic power metal punctuating every dramatic turn," he stated that "Nightfall in Middle-Earth is perhaps Blind Guardian's most triumphant" work.

[11] A concept album based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion,[4] the music on Nightfall demonstrated some folk rock influence while also featuring heavy use of Queen-style layered backing vocals.

This was followed by a live album in 2003 and a DVD, Imaginations Through the Looking Glass, in 2004, which was the last recorded Blind Guardian material featuring Thomen Stauch on drums.

Blind Guardian contributed to the soundtrack for the In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale fantasy film directed by Uwe Boll, which was released in 2008.

[17] On January 27, 2012, Blind Guardian released a compilation album titled Memories of a Time to Come, featuring re-recorded and remixed songs from their entire discography.

[18] Almost exactly one year later, on January 28, 2013, they released a box set titled A Traveler's Guide to Space and Time, which included all of the band’s studio, live, and compilation albums from 1988 to 2004, along with some previously unreleased material.

A long story short: There is no one to blame for this situation... Talking about anticipation, even though 'Violent Shadows' and 'Deliver Us From Evil' are indisputably fantastic tracks, rest assured: We won't let you wait another ten months with only two songs.

[32][33] In a February 2024 interview with Australia's Subculture Entertainment, Kürsch revealed that Blind Guardian will commence "real songwriting" for their thirteenth studio album in 2025.

[34] When asked that same month if there would be "a shorter turnaround time" for the album, following a seven-year gap between Beyond the Red Mirror and The God Machine, Kürsch reiterated that the band will "keep [their] focus on regular songwriting" after their upcoming tour.

Regarding a possible release date, he stated, "I don't know—I would be very surprised to find out that there's no new Blind Guardian album before '27, which is an accomplishment already, but I'm hoping for either late '25 or '26.

Beginning with their third album, Tales from the Twilight World, Blind Guardian gradually started to write more intricate compositions, placing less emphasis on speed.

[39] Blind Guardian's music features the staccato guitars and double bass drumming characteristic of power metal, along with the use of overdubs and numerous backing vocals to create a rich and dense sound.

Another defining feature of Blind Guardian's music is the frequent use of folk tunes and instruments, especially in power ballads such as "Lord of the Rings," "The Bard's Song," "A Past and Future Secret," "Skalds and Shadows," and "Curse My Name," among others.

[40] According to guitarist Marcus Siepen, during the songwriting for Follow the Blind, they also listened to Bay Area thrash metal bands, such as Testament and Forbidden, resulting in a somewhat heavier sound.

[40] Starting with their third album, Tales from the Twilight World, and continuing through Somewhere Far Beyond and Imaginations from the Other Side, Blind Guardian gradually incorporated more influences from progressive and classical music.

[40] Singer Hansi Kürsch expressed the band's attraction to 1970s progressive rock, citing early Genesis, Gentle Giant, and ELP as key influences.