He hehe , please consider that Nightfall in Middle-Earth is the only album ive heard
Yeah, we got that
At first I didn't, so I was gonna say that BG isn't just a tolkienesque band, but rather an all-around SF&F band (although I haven't read Otherland, glimpsing at it I got the impression of science fiction rather than full frontal fantasy). Tolkien is a big influence, of course, but not all of their songs that mention orcs are about LotR - hell, a lot of fantasy settings feature orcs. Apart from LotR, Hansi is also a big Dark Tower fan, which is evident not only in their 1992 album Somewhere Far Beyond (the title song is directly related with The Gunslinger, the first of the DT books) but also in Hansi's side project with Jon Schaffer, Demons & Wizards, namely their second album which is mostly about the Dark Tower (and a beautiful album at that, stunningly on target in its interpretation of the series).
Blind Guardian is a fantasy freak's wet dream come true, really. Well, if that freak's a metalhead as well or at least likes to hear a good guitar now and then and doesn't mind the faster pace. Even if he does, BG has some beautiful ballads (need I mention The Bard's Song?).
The funny thing is, you don't fully appreciate Blind Guardian and their music until you start reading the books that inspire them.
And the Tower is closer...