Michael Wagener (born 25 April 1949) is a German former music producer, mixer, and engineer from

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, best known for his work with many top

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...

and heavy metal bands in the late 1980s. He is particularly renowned for his multi-amping and

re-amping Re-amping is a process often used in multitrack recording in which a recorded signal is routed back out of the editing environment and run through external processing using effects units and then into a guitar amplifier and a guitar speaker cabin ...

techniques. Wagener's works have sold over 90 million albums worldwide.

History and career

Wagener was the original guitarist for the German band

Accept Accept may refer to: * Acceptance, a person's assent to the reality of a situation etc. * Accept (band), a German heavy metal band ** ''Accept'' (Accept album), their debut album from 1979 * ''Accept'' (Chicken Shack album), 1970 * ACCEPT (or ...

. When he turned 18, he was drafted into the German army and was stationed 350 miles away from home. This made it difficult for him to practice with the rest of the band and hence he quit the band. After completing his military service, Wagener began working as an audio engineer in Hamburg in 1972. Through a friendship with singer

Don Dokken Donald Maynard Dokken (born June 29, 1953) is an American singer and musician. He's best known for being the lead singer, occasional guitarist, and founder of the glam metal band Dokken. He is known for his vibrato-laden, melodic vocal style whi ...

, Wagener moved to Los Angeles. In 1981 he produced the first

Dokken Dokken is an American glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. It split up in 1989 and reformed four years later. The band had several hit singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, such as " Alone Again", " In My Dreams", and " Burn ...

album, and would go on to produce such seminal albums as

Skid Row A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...

's self-titled debut, which sold five million copies in the US alone. Wagener also mixed

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

's 1986 classic ''

Master of Puppets ''Master of Puppets'' is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986, by Elektra Records. Recorded in Denmark at Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen, it was the band's last album ...

''. He also engineered the single version of

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

's "

Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...

", his only pop collaboration. Wagener has produced or mixed platinum selling albums by

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...

, W.A.S.P., Overkill,

, Great White,

Stryper Stryper is an American Christian metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass guitar), and Robert Sweet (drums). Formed in 1983 as Roxx ...

Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

Keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

Lordi Lordi () is a Finnish hard rock/ heavy metal band, formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker, Mr Lordi (Tomi Petteri Putaansuu). In addition to their melodic metal music, Lordi are also known for wearing monster ma ...

, Extreme,

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

White Lion The white lion is a rare color mutation of the lion, specifically the Southern African lion. White lions in the area of Timbavati are thought to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest ...

and

. Wagener believes that "psychology is a big part of getting great results out of musicians." He also argues that the work of a real producer is sometimes undermined or ignored by some bands who feel they can produce their albums on their own once they work with a producer. Comments Wagener:

''Some andsare very open minded and you can make suggestions about musical changes or ideas and they will pick it up and make it their own. Others don't want a lot of outside influences, because they are scared it would take away from their creativity or credit. In those cases, if you want to achieve a certain result, you have to plant a "creative seed" which, in a few days will turn into the result you are looking for, but it still seems like it was all the idea of the musician him/herself. The downside, of course is, that the musician looks at it as if he did ALL the work and the producer "didn't really do anything". The logical next step for those kind of musicians is to produce their next album themselves, their ego telling them they don't need a producer and, like in the above mentioned case, they might fall flat on their face, and come up with an album that doesn't sell anywhere near what the previous one did.''

Wagener announced his retirement on his 72nd birthday, on 25 April 2021.

Select discography

- ''

Breaker Breaker may refer to: Objects * A breaking wave on water, or a "breaker", a shallow over which waves break * Circuit breaker, an electrical overload switch * Breaker (hydraulic), a percussion hammer attached to an excavator People * Breaker Mo ...

'' (engineer) *

- ''

Restless and Wild ''Restless and Wild'' is the fourth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept, released in 1982 in Continental Europe and in 1983 in the US and UK. It was the first Accept album not to be recorded at Delta-Studio, since the band had moved t ...

'' (engineer, mixer) *

- ''

Balls to the Wall ''Balls to the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept. European label Lark Records released the album in December 1983, but its United States release was delayed until a month later in January 1984 as to not compete ...

'' (mixer) *

- '' Russian Roulette'' (engineer) *

- '' Constrictor'' (engineer, mixer) *

- ''

Raise Your Fist and Yell ''Raise Your Fist and Yell'' is the tenth solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released on September 5, 1987, by MCA Records. It features the track “Prince of Darkness”, which is featured very briefly in the John Carpen ...

'' (engineer, mixer) *

Bonfire A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Etymology The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...

- ''

Fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

'' (producer) *

- ''

Point Blank Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...

'' (producer, song writing) * Dark Avenger - ''Tales of Avalon: The Lament'' (mixer) *

- '' Breaking the Chains'' (producer) *

- '' Tooth and Nail'' (mixer) *

- ''

Under Lock and Key ''Under Lock and Key'' is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Dokken, released on November 22, 1985, through Elektra Records. The album reached No. 32 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and remained on that chart for 67 weeks. "Do ...

'' (producer) * Extreme - ''

Pornograffitti ''Extreme II: Pornograffitti'' (also known as simply ''Pornograffiti'') is the second studio album by the heavy metal band Extreme, released on August 7, 1990 through A&M Records. The album title is a portmanteau of pornography and graffiti. ...

'' (producer) *

Flotsam and Jetsam In maritime law, flotsam'','' jetsam'','' lagan'','' and derelict are specific kinds of shipwreck. The words have specific nautical meanings, with legal consequences in the law of admiralty and marine salvage. A shipwreck is defined as the r ...

- ''

No Place for Disgrace ''No Place for Disgrace'' is the second album by American thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, released in 1988. This marked the band's first album release through a major label, Elektra Records, and was also their first album with the bass gu ...

'' (mixer) * Great White - ''

Out of the Night ''Out of the Night'' is the first release by American hard rock band Great White in 1983. It was independently released and sold more than 8,000 copies in less than three months, with the band supporting Dokken in their 1983 US tour. This led ...

'' EP (producer, engineer, mixer) * Great White - '' Great White'' (producer) *

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 ...

- ''

Renegade Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design *Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design *Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *'' Comman ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixer) *

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 ...

- ''

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 ...

'' (mixer) *

Wolf Hoffmann Wolf Hoffmann (born 10 December 1959) is a German musician, primarily known as the guitarist and last remaining original member of heavy metal band Accept since 1976. His work in Accept influenced the development of speed metal genre. He is als ...

- '' Classical'' (producer) *

- "

" (Single Version) (engineer) *

Kane Roberts Kane Roberts (born Robert William Athas; January 16, 1962) is an American heavy metal guitarist best known for his work with Alice Cooper. Additionally, he has performed as a solo act, and his cover of the unreleased Bon Jovi song "Does Anybody ...

- '' Saints and Sinners'' (mixer) *

- ''

'' (producer) *

King's X King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...

- ''

Ogre Tones ''Ogre Tones'' is the eleventh full-length studio album by American rock band King's X. Released in 2005, it is their first record on the Inside Out Music label. Reception Greg Prato of AllMusic gave the album 3.5 stars of 5, saying that "While t ...

'' (producer) *

- '' XV'' (producer) *

- ''

Babez for Breakfast ''Babez for Breakfast'' is the fifth studio album by Finnish hard rock band Lordi, released on 10 September 2010. As is traditional for the band, their costumes were renewed for the release of this album. The album was produced by Michael Wagen ...

'' (producer, mixer) *

- ''

To Beast or Not to Beast ''To Beast or Not to Beast'' is the sixth studio album of Finnish hard rock band Lordi, released on 1 March 2013. As is traditional for the band, their costumes were renewed again for the release of this album. The album was produced and mixed by ...

'' (producer, mixer) * Malice - ''In the Beginning'' (producer, mixer) *

- '' So Far, So Good...So What!'' (mixer) *

- ''

'' (mixer) *

- ''

Too Fast for Love ''Too Fast for Love'' is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. The first edition of 900 copies was released on November 10, 1981, on the band's original label Leathür Records. Elektra Records signed the band the fol ...

'' (mixer) *

Outrage Outrage may refer to: * Outrage (emotion), an emotion * Tort of outrage, in law, an alternative term for ''intentional infliction of emotional distress'' Books * ''Outrage'', a novel by Henry Denker 1982 * ''Outrage'', a play by Itamar Moses 2 ...

- ''Life Until Deaf'' (producer) *

- ''Who We Are'' (producer) * Overkill - '' Under the Influence'' (mixer) *

- ''

No More Tears ''No More Tears'' is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Released on 17 September 1991, the album charted at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and number seven on the US ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. ''No Mo ...

'' (mixer) *

Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...

- '' All for One'' (producer) *

Saigon Kick Saigon Kick is an American hard rock band from Miami, Florida, that formed in 1988. When they recorded their debut album and second album the band consisted of lead vocalist Matt Kramer, lead guitarist Jason Bieler, bassist Tom Defile, and drum ...

- ''

'' (producer, mixer) * Sergeant Steel - ''Men On a Mission'' (mixer) *

- ''

'' (producer, engineer, mixer) *

- ''

Slave to the Grind ''Slave to the Grind'' is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Skid Row, released on June 11, 1991, by Atlantic Records. The album displayed a harsher sound than its predecessor and lyrics that avoided hard rock cliches. ''Sla ...

'' (producer, mixer) *

- ''

Revolutions per Minute Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' (producer) * Smashed Gladys - '' Social Intercourse'' (mixer) * Street Fighter - ''Shoot You Down'' (producer, engineer, mixer) *

- ''

Soldiers Under Command ''Soldiers Under Command'' is the second release, and first full-length studio album from Christian metal band Stryper, released on August 23, 1985. It was the first Christian metal album to achieve Gold record status, selling more than half a m ...

'' (producer, engineer) * Testament - '' Low'' (mixer) *

The Rasmus The Rasmus is a Finnish rock band that formed in 1994 in Helsinki while the band members were in upper comprehensive school.Main source of the band's history: The original band members were Lauri Ylönen (lead singer-songwriter), Eero Heinonen ...

- '' Black Roses'' (mixer) * TKillya - ''Intensity'' (producer, engineer, mixer) * Warrant - '' Dog Eat Dog'' (producer) * W.A.S.P. - ''

Inside the Electric Circus ''Inside the Electric Circus'' is the third studio album by heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released in October 1986 through Capitol Records; a remastered edition featuring two bonus tracks was reissued in 1997 through Snapper Music.

'' (mixer) *

- ''

Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

'' (producer) *

- '' Big Game'' (producer) * X - '' Ain't Love Grand!'' (producer)

References

External links

Michael Wagener's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wagener, Michael German record producers German audio engineers 1949 births Living people Musicians from Hamburg Accept (band) members Engineers from Hamburg