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Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske (born January 24, 1968) is a German singer and lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween. Kiske has released four solo albums, two albums with the hard rock band Unisonic, has participated on various metal and rock related projects, such as Avantasia, Place Vendome and Kiske/Somerville and has also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist. Biography Early life Prior to joining Helloween, Kiske sang with the German band Ill Prophecy at the age of 17. The band recorded a demo, but it was never released commercially. Personal life Kiske said in an interview 2021 that his father killed himself with alcohol. Michael himself didn't drink alcohol at all for many years, but in 2021 he said he could enjoy a glass of red wine while he was working. He has a younger sister and an older brother. Kiske said in an interview 2013: "I'm very sensitive and I take betrayal very, very heavy. I don't wanna sound stupid, but I think I'm a good friend. If ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avantasia
Avantasia is a German supergroup metal opera project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist of the band Edguy. It has been characterized as a rock opera, as it features the contributions of various vocalists and musicians and it consists of concept albums. Conceived in 1999 as studio-only, two-album project, Avantasia has since released seven other studio albums and has toured the world multiple times. It can be divided into four periods of activity. The first, 1999–2002, saw the release of a self-titled single and the full-length albums ''The Metal Opera'' and ''The Metal Opera Part II''. The second, 2006–2011, consists of the EPs '' Lost in Space Part I & II'' and The Wicked Trilogy, composed of the albums '' The Scarecrow'', ''The Wicked Symphony'' and ''Angel of Babylon''. The third, 2013–2016, includes the albums ''The Mystery of Time'' and ''Ghostlights''. The fourth period, 2019–2022, comprises the albums '' Moonglow'' and ''A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kai Hansen
Kai Michael Hansen (born 17 January 1963) is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of metal band Helloween, which he rejoined in 2016. He is a prominent figure in power metal and has sold millions of albums worldwide. He is regarded as "the godfather of power metal", having founded two seminal bands in the genre. In 2011, he joined the band Unisonic featuring former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske. Hansen and Kiske reunited with Helloween in 2017 for a world tour with all current members, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of release of the albums ''Keeper of the Seven Keys'' Parts I and II. Early life Kai Hansen was born in Hamburg in 1963. At the age of ten, Kai got interested in music and started playing wash-drums. His parents however, didn't like the noise and bought him an acoustic guitar instead. He took a six-months course in classical guitar and following it, formed his first ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pink Cream 69
Pink Cream 69 is a German hard rock/ heavy metal band founded in 1987 in Karlsruhe by Andi Deris, Dennis Ward, Kosta Zafiriou and Alfred Koffler. The band gained their first contract by winning music magazine ''Metal Hammer''s newcomer competition in Ludwigsburg one year after forming. In 1994, Andi Deris left the band to join German power metal band Helloween. He was replaced by British singer David Readman in August 1994. The band, often referred to as ''The Pinkies'', became a five-piece in 2003, when Uwe Reitenauer was hired to support neuropathic guitar player Alfred Koffler. On 5 March 2012 it was announced that drummer Kosta Zafiriou had left the band, due to his various activities as a manager at the company Bottom Row and as the drummer and manager of the new band Unisonic. He was replaced by Chris Schmidt. In 2019 and 2020, respectively, bassist Dennis Ward and guitarist Uwe Reitenauer announced their departure from the band. They were replaced by Roman Beselt (f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chameleon (Helloween Album)
''Chameleon'' is the fifth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1993. It is their most musically adventurous release, but also their least commercially successful, and is their last studio album to feature singer Michael Kiske until 2021's self-titled album, as well as their last with original drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg. It was Schwichtenberg's last album to be recorded during his lifetime. This was also the last album on EMI Records. Background The album contains four singles: "When The Sinner", " I Don't Wanna Cry No More", "Windmill", and " Step Out of Hell". The album was a failure both critically and commercially, and vocalist Michael Kiske and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg were fired after the subsequent promotional tour. Michael Weikath stated that 'Chameleon' could have been better with a different approach but it was the result of what was there at the time and the intentions they had with it. The band were lambasted with debts of the amount o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pink Bubbles Go Ape
''Pink Bubbles Go Ape'' is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1991. It marked the departure of guitarist Kai Hansen, with Roland Grapow replacing him. It was also the first album released on EMI Records. Background The album contains two singles, which are " Kids of the Century" and "Number One". "Kids of the Century" reached #56 in the United Kingdom. The track "Heavy Metal Hamsters" (supposedly written about the band's former record company) was, according to Michael Weikath, never intended to be on the album, but rather on a B-side of a single. Many disputes between the producer, bandmembers, management and the record company ensued. Weikath laid much of the blame at the feet of veteran Brit Metal producer Chris Tsangarides. Weikath said, ''“Straight away, I could tell things were going wrong, The show was being run by Michael and Ingo, and Chris simply didn’t like my songs. He couldn’t understand that certain cleverness they had.â ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roland Grapow
Roland Grapow (born 30 August 1959 in Hamburg) is a German professional guitarist and music producer. Grapow is best known for his time in the power metal band Helloween, with which he played for 12 years after replacing founding member Kai Hansen. He subsequently created the power metal band Masterplan in 2001, which is still active today. Life and career Early years Grapow started playing guitar at age 12. His father bought him a guitar and had him take lessons, but Grapow couldn't stand the theory part and his teacher told his father that the boy didn't have any talent for guitar playing. Helloween Prior to joining Helloween, Grapow was a member of the heavy metal band Rampage. He joined the band in roughly 1979, and played on two of their studio albums: ''Victim of Rock'' in 1980 and ''Love Lights Up the Night'' in 1982. He left Rampage around 1983. He was then fairly inactive musically, and made a living as a car mechanic until Michael Weikath called him to offer him a pos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Live In The UK
''Live in the U.K.'' is the first live album released by the band Helloween. It was released in Japan as ''Keepers Live''. In the United States, it was released as ''I Want Out – Live'' without the track "Rise and Fall", and with a shorter edit of the introduction. All tracks recorded in Edinburgh Playhouse, Scotland, by Manor Mobile on 6 November 1988 except "I Want Out" recorded in Manchester Apollo, England, 7 November 1988. This is Helloween's only official live album with Michael Kiske on vocals until the release of ''United Alive in Madrid'' in 2019. This is also the last album made with Kai Hansen until the release of the aforementioned ''United Alive in Madrid''. Album cover For the first time, the "o" in the "Helloween" logo was not represented by a pumpkin. On ''I Want Out - Live'', it was represented by a globe showing portions of Western Europe, Central Europe, and the British Isles. On ''Live in the U.K.'' it is instead drawn as a pumpkin logo on a bass drum. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monsters Of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual hard rock and heavy metal music festival held in Castle Donington, England, from 1980 to 1996, taking place every year except 1989 and 1993. It later branched into other locations such as the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the United States, and the Soviet Union. History In 1980, promoter Paul Loasby, along with Maurice Jones, planned a one-day festival dedicated specifically for bands within the hard rock and heavy metal genre. Loasby was an established and successful promoter working that year on the Rainbow UK tour and penned the festival as the final show of the tour for the band to headline. Jones knew the owner of the Donington Park race track, Tom Wheatcroft, located next to the village of Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England, and the site was chosen to host the event. (A year earlier, promoter Bill Graham’s July 1979 Day on the Green Festival at Oakland Coliseum in Califor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edguy
Edguy is a heavy metal band formed in Fulda, Germany in 1992. History Demos, AFM years (1992–2003) Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, ''Evil Minded'' and ''Children of Steel''. These tapes were sent to many record labels, all of whom rejected the band, believing they would be unsuccessful in the music business. Undeterred, they self-released their "unofficial" debut album, '' Savage Poetry'', in 1995. They signed with AFM Records shortly after, who offered to re-release ''Savage Poetry'' with more widespread distribution. The band rejected this proposal in favour of recording a new album, '' Kingdom of Madness'', which was released in 1997, but drummer Dominik Storch left the band shortly after. 1998 saw the release of their second album, ''Vain Glory Opera'', with friend Frank Linden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HammerFall
HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band from Gothenburg. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak. History Early days (1993–1996) HammerFall was formed when rhythm guitarist Oscar Dronjak quit Ceremonial Oath and invited Jesper Strömblad (from Ceremonial Oath and In Flames) to join him as a drummer in a new musical project he had been contemplating for some time. Dronjak had already composed the song "Steel Meets Steel," which was later included on HammerFall's debut album. Dronjak and Strömblad were later joined by lead guitarist Niklas Sundin, bassist Johan Larsson, and vocalist Mikael Stanne. When Niklas Sundin and Johan Larsson left HammerFall the following year, Glenn Ljungström (then guitarist of In Flames) and Fredrik Larsson (bassist of the former Swedish death metal band Dispatched), replaced them. All five members played in other bands at the time. Dronjak and Larsson played in ''Crystal Age''; Strömblad and Ljungström pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stratovarius
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after founding guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008, there are no founding members of the band that remain. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994. The first incarnation of the band had the name Black Water, founded in August 1984 by singer and drummer Tuomo Lassila, guitarist Staffan Stråhlman, and bassist John Vihervä. After reforming as Stratovarius, line-up changes started to occur, including Timo Tolkki replacing Black Water member Stråhlman and taking over singing duties as well, and the band expanding to a quartet with the arrival of keyboardist Antti Ikonen the following year. Under this line-up, the band released its first album ''Fright Night'' in 1989, with Tolkki as the only songwri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Nine musicians have been a part of the band's line-up in its history, which has consisted of singer , guitarists and |
