Michael Ingo Joachim "Weiki" Weikath (born 7 August 1962) is a German musician, best known as a founding member and one of the guitarists of pioneering
power metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...
.
Biography
Weikath was born in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
and was musical from a very early age. As a four to five-year-old, he would lie in the grass, looking at the sky, and come up with melodies in his head. He began taking a serious interest in music in 1971 and spent much of his time as a child at the tube stereo set of his parents, listening to all the stations available at the time. The first album he owned was ''
1962–1966'' by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
.
In 1974, Weikath started playing the guitar and later on began rehearsing with his friends. He formed his first band, Powerfool, in 1978. Prior to forming Helloween, he worked for a record mail order company. In 1982, he served heavy social duty as an alternative to military service. The main bands that have had an influence on him are
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
,
Scorpions
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
,
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
,
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
, the
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
, and
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular albums included ''Wishbone Ash'' (1970), ''Pilgrimage'' (1971), '' Argus'' (1972), ''Wishbone Four'' (1973), ''There's the Rub'' (1974), and '' ...
. The guitarists that influenced him when he started playing were
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
,
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
,
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English guitarist and songwriter. He was a founding member of Deep Purple in 1968, playing jam-style hard rock music that mixed guitar riffs and organ sounds. He is prolific in creating guitar ...
,
Uli Jon Roth
Uli Jon Roth (born Ulrich Roth; 18 December 1954) is a German guitarist who became famous for his work with the hard rock band Scorpions and is one of the earliest contributors to the neoclassical metal genre. He is also the founder of Sky Aca ...
, and
Eddie Van Halen.
Weikath is one of the founding members of Helloween, along with
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 promine ...
(vocals/guitar),
Markus Grosskopf
Markus Grosskopf (born 21 September 1965) is a German musician who is the bass guitarist, backing vocalist and a founding member of the power metal band Helloween.
Biography
Grosskopf started playing bass at the age of 15 when he became friend ...
(bass), and
Ingo Schwichtenberg
Ingo "Mr. Smile" Schwichtenberg (18 May 1965 – 8 March 1995) was a German drummer and one of the founding members of the power metal band Helloween.
Biography
Helloween guitarist Roland Grapow said about Schwichtenberg in an interview 1999: ...
(drums). He had been one of only two original members still active in the band, the other being Markus Grosskopf, until Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske rejoined in 2016. Weikath integrated the first Helloween line up in 1982. By 1984, the band had signed a deal with
Noise Records
Noise Records is a German heavy metal record label founded in 1983 by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any ...
and recorded two songs for a Noise compilation record called ''
Death Metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
''. On that album, he was responsible for the song "Oernst of Life."
In a 1998 interview with Weikath, ''Chaotic Critiques'' webzine pointed out the occasional spiritual themes and uplifting melodies on songs such as "Hey Lord!" and asked if the band was somewhat spiritual. Weikath replied that all the band, except
Uli Kusch
Ulrich Kusch (born 11 March 1967) is a heavy metal drummer. He is best known for playing with Helloween, Gamma Ray, Masterplan and Holy Moses, among others. He is known for his technical style of playing, fast-paced speed metal-like rhythm, an ...
, were Christian. Weikath stated that he himself is
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. Today, he resides in
Puerto de la Cruz
Puerto de la Cruz is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It was formerly known by its English translation, "Port of the Cross", although now it is known by its Spanish name in all lang ...
,
Tenerife
Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...
, Spain.
Discography
*''
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...
'' (1985)
*''
Walls of Jericho'' (1985)
*''
Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I'' (1987)
*''
Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II'' (1988)
*''
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.
Ba ...
'' (1991)
*''
Chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
'' (1993)
*''
Master of the Rings
''Master of the Rings'' is the sixth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1994. It is the first to feature new members Andi Deris and Uli Kusch.
This album contains four singles, which are " Where The Rain Grows", " Mr ...
'' (1994)
*''
The Time of the Oath
''The Time of the Oath'' is the seventh studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1996. This is the first album following the death of the original drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, who was fired from the band after ''Chameleon' ...
'' (1996)
*''
Better Than Raw
''Better Than Raw'' is the eighth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1998. The album spawned the singles "I Can" and "Hey Lord!".
The album was recorded at Chateau du Pape and Crazy Cat Studios in Hamburg and at Mi Su ...
'' (1998)
*''
Metal Jukebox
''Metal Jukebox'' is a cover album by German power metal band Helloween. The song "Lay All Your Love on Me" was released as a single in Japan. Each member of the band recorded their instruments independently (and in different countries and studio ...
'' (1999)
*''
The Dark Ride
''The Dark Ride'' is the ninth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 2000. The album's style was quite different from ''Better Than Raw'' as it had a much darker sound, drop-tuned guitars, and gruffer vocals. The album ...
'' (2000)
*''
Rabbit Don't Come Easy
''Rabbit Don't Come Easy'' is the tenth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 2003. It is the first Helloween album to feature Sascha Gerstner on guitars, who replaced Roland Grapow. No drummer is listed in the band line ...
'' (2003)
*''
Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy'' (2005)
*''
Gambling with the Devil'' (2007)
*''
Unarmed – Best of 25th Anniversary'' (2009)
*''
7 Sinners
''7 Sinners'' is the thirteenth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 2010. A video clip for " Are You Metal?" was released 11 October 2010. The whole album could be heard on Myspace a week before the physical release. ...
'' (2010)
*''
Straight Out of Hell
''Straight Out of Hell'' is the 14th studio album by German power metal band Helloween. It was released in 2013 and produced by Charlie Bauerfeind.
Overview
Regarding the songs, guitarist and founding member Michael Weikath stated:
Three mon ...
'' (2013)
*''
My God-Given Right
''My God-Given Right'' is the 15th studio album by German power metal band Helloween. It was released on 29 May 2015.
It is their seventh consecutive album produced by Charlie Bauerfeind, and their first album released under the label Nuclear Bl ...
'' (2015)
*''
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...
'' (2021)
Equipment
*Div and 1973
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
amplifier (50-watt)
*Div and 1982
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
amplifier (100-watt)
*Div ENGL amplifiers
*
DigiTech GSP1101 Guitar Multi Effects Processor
*
Vox AC30
The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox. It was introduced in 1958 to meet the growing demand for louder amplifiers. Characterised by its "jangly" high-end sound it has become widely recognized by British musicians and others, su ...
Orange Overdrive amplifier
*1990
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...
black
*1990
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...
white
*1990
Gibson Flying V
The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed ...
white
*2012
Gibson Flying V
The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed ...
custom
*2015
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...
Standard trans blue
*2016
Gibson Flying V
The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed ...
T soaring rock tones
*2018 Epiphone Limited Edition Flying V Custom
*
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar model by Gibson guitars, released in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which ...
custom black/white
*1976
Gibson L6-S
The Gibson L6-S is a solid body electric guitar. It was the descendant of the L5S jazz solid-body electric guitar. It was the same shape, very much like a wide Gibson Les Paul, but with a 24-fret two-octave neck, the first Gibson guitar to hav ...
*1974/75/79
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...
s
*
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...
Goldtop
Like fellow Helloween guitarist
Sascha Gerstner
Sascha Gerstner (born 2 April 1977) is a German musician who has been one of the guitarists and backing vocalists of power metal band Helloween since 2002. He is also a former member of Freedom Call.
Biography
Gerstner grew up in Nuremberg, ...
, Weikath is using a ''
DigiTech GSP1101'' preamp with a ''
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
JVM410H'' amplifier for live performances.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weikath, Michael
1962 births
Living people
German Christians
German heavy metal guitarists
German male guitarists
Lead guitarists
Helloween members
Musicians from Hamburg
German expatriates in Spain
People educated at the Sankt-Ansgar-Schule