German epic metallers BLIND GUARDIAN have announced a replacement for drummer Thomen Stauch, who left the band in April after 20 years.

The new man behind the kit is fellow German Frederik Ehmke, who is said to be "fairly unknown in the world of metal." A photo of the group's new lineup can be found at this location.

The band have released the following statement regarding Ehmke's addition to the group:

"The seemingly endless time of waiting for a new drummer and speculations who could possibly be the new one has finally come to an end. We have found what we have been searching for…

"A few weeks ago an unknown guy who introduced himself as Frederik Ehmke applied for the job as a drummer in a fairly firm manner. His vital, expressive and skillful performances of some BLIND GUARDIAN classics ('Journey Through The Dark', 'Time Stands Still' and 'And Then There Was Silence') blew us away completely. Pretending not to be convinced, we invited him to do a shootout recording session under real production terms to check out if the creative chemistry would also work out fine. After finishing these recordings it was obvious to us: Frederik is going to be our new drummer!

"It was essential for us to find a musician, who on one side would be able to integrate old GUARDIAN trademarks in his playing, but on the other side would also be confident enough to bring in his own vision of the BLIND GUARDIAN drums in a tasteful and, for the music, suitable way. Frederik is a calm and handsome fellow, who's aware of his abilities and who also knows what he wants. For us he is the lucky draw.

"We are convinced you will be as impressed by his drum performance as we are. Now we are looking forward to starting the next album production. There is a good amount of work ahead of us but we are absolutely ready to go. You can expect a very interesting album with strong songs. We will keep you informed."

The production of BLIND GUARDIAN's debut album for Nuclear Blast Records will start soon with the help of producer Charlie Bauerfeind. No album title has been set as of yet, but it looks like the CD will contain a total of ten songs. Working songtitles include "Carry The Blessed Home", "The Edge", "In Search For The Lionheart", "Market Square", "Another Stranger Me", and "Otherland". The release of the first single is planned for February 2006, with the album to follow in April. A European tour will kick off in September 2006.

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