THE CRYPTS OF HADES / RUNNING WILD DURING THE JÖRG MICHAEL YEARS (1994 - 1998)
It's been a long time since I wanted to write about the tenure that the awesome german drummer, JÖRG MICHAEL (27-03-1963, Dortmund), spent with RUNNING WILD, Hamburg's unrivaled heavy/speed metal (for the most part) merchants, which ars very well known because of their special take on historical and literary subjects, mostly related to piracy. This veteran band may not be going through its best of times, when it comes to popularity and artistic recognition, a trend which I hope its alma matter and perennial leader, ROLF KASPAREK (AKA ROCK & ROLF, who's the sole constant in the band's history and who was born in Hamburg on the first of July, 1961) manages to change. But no matter what, the band's impact on the metal scene is beyond any kind of doubt, and above all, so is a huge and near perfect musical career since the band's inception in 1979 until the end of the previous century (own opinion). It's crystal clear that Running Wild have not fared as well during this century as they had during the previous one, but as far as I am concerned, their streak of albums, beginning with their 1984 debut album, GATES TO PURGATORY, until the last one to be talked about on this entry, which also happened to be the last one released in the XX century (and also the last one with Jörg), THE RIVALRY (1998), is really difficult to match. And it is eleven studio albums we are talking about (including THE FIRST YEARS OF PIRACY, a 1991 album on which ten classic tunes from the band's first three albums were re-recorded with the line up it had at the time), no less, among some other stuff.
If you are into european trad metal, Running Wild are very likely to please you, at least during their golden days. But there's more. The piracy thing in their hands is appealing enough on its own (as in many other subgenres, there have been impersonators and all that,but nothing like the real thing, usually), but as I've said a few times before, they resort effortlessly to one of the things I enjoy the most when listening to music, which is using literature and history as the basis for their lyrics. And they don't only restrict themselves to piracy in this regard.
As mentioned, their music is top notch. Their first album and the second, BRANDED & EXILED (1985), may not show their fully developed sound, although both of them are quite good. But once the piracy came along, with the release of UNDER JOLLY ROGER (1987), and influenced all things Running Wild, they took flight with their brand of speedy heavy metal which would get even more aggressive, as a matter of fact on the albums Jörg Michael took part in, released during very difficult times for this kind of music and which some extreme metal bands of the time, confused by the circumstances, could look at now in hindsight and be ashamed by.
But the thing is that I had left this on the back burner for a while, lacking of ideas and trying to finish more current stuff, when a few weeks ago and unexpectedly, I bumped into the one and only Jörg, as I talked about on the entry about the FULL METAL HOLIDAY 2023 festival, something which really made my day, besides urging me to retake this subject. As I said, this person is a very famous drummer, mostly in Europe, whose resume may dwarf, quantity and quality-wise, that of the most seasoned musician (and many bands' as well). He's worked as a session musician, has toured with some acts and he's also been a full time member of several bands, being quite popular his time with finnish power metallers STRATOVARIUS, with whom he even worked while with Running Wild and whom he was forced to leave, around 2012, when he was diagnosed with a thyroid cancer which he has completed a full recovery from, being able to go back to the music business.
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| Jörg Michael |
I don't want to forget dedicating this article to my friend JESÚS MAIDEN, metal's high priest in my hometown and, most certainly, one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) scholars in the whole of Spain in all things Running Wild. He even runs a website devoted to them and has interviewed and even met some of the many musicians who have been part of this band.
I just hope that, while having a beer in his private booth at Black Hand Inn, he devotes a little while to remove the patch from his eye and read this. And also let me know about hypothetical mistakes, so they can be corrected.
But first, let's turn the clock back a little.
Before Running Wild there was a band called GRANITE HEARTS, founded in 1977, give or take, in which Rolf was already the de facto absolute leader, writing songs, arranging rehearsals and even teaching his peers how to play their instruments. This band did not last, due to some of the guys lack of commitment, leaving Rolf and the other guitar player, UWE BENDIG (who wouldn't last to play on the first record and would inadvertenly start the usual instability within the band, line up-wise) on their own, and with the both of them Running Wild would be born, going from KISS and AC/DC worshippers to writing heavier and faster stuff.
Rolf recalls how difficult it was for metal bands to play in Hamburg during the early eighties, and also how LIMB SCHNOOR, who would later become the manager for fellow hamburgers HELLOWEEN, gave him the advice to record a demo and hand it to as many european fanzines as possible, hoping that a label would set eyes on them. Said and done, because their demo ROCK FROM HELL caught the eye of omnipresent german label NOISE INTERNATIONAL, which was equal to catching the company's CEO eyes, the already mentioned on Helloween's entries, KARL ULRICH WALTERBACH.
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| An early Running Wild line up, during the Branded And Exiled days. From left to right: Majk Moti, Rolf, Stefan Boriss and Wolfgang Hagemann (Hasche) |
Running Wild would take part in the Noise's compilations ROCK FROM HELL - GERMAN METAL ATTACK and DEATH METAL, from 1983 and 1984, respectively, before recording their first album. By the time Branded & Exiled was released they were joined by the recently passed guitarrist MICHAEL KUPPER (MAJK MOTI) and they even landed a job as an opening act for the americans MÖTLEY CRÜE (???) in 1986, in Germany and Switzerland, something that gave them the chance to play in front of really big audiences.
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| Gates To Purgatory, their debut |
Said experience, very good according to Running Wild, did not prepare them for what was in store for them that same year, something that, on the other hand, would be key for the lucky change Running Wild would experience on their third album. They embarked on a miserable tour (PREPARE FOR THE BLITZ TOUR) in the States, supporting their fellow Noise acts VOIVOD and CELTIC FROST, in which they found themselves out of place and outclassed by the other bands more extreme leanings. That, and some other setbacks, made that trip the one and only Running Wild foray in that country (despite having more chances in the future, also discarded due to the usual monetary reasons) and made Rolf realize that only standing their ground in Europe was not going to be enough. Something else was needed, in order to leave the competition behind.
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| Promotional poster of the ill-fated tour Prepare For The Blitz
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Their first two albums had not embraced the piracy theme yet (most lyrics were about the usual and trite satanic cliché) and they were pretty much another one of the many metal bands addicted to leather and debtors of JUDAS PRIEST (and who wasn't?) , to whom they even owe their name, taken from one of Priest's songs (RUNNING WILD was in 1979's KILLING MACHINE, AKA HELL BENT FOR LEATHER across the pond). But a song-shaped stroke of luck, called UNDER JOLLY ROGER, and everything related to the recording of their third LP (released in 1987 under the same name) and the preparation of the subsequent tour, led Rolf to think that Running Wild could stick to the piracy thing for good, even when it came to dressing on stage, etc. This opened a whole new gateway for the band to express themselves, and one which had almost never been seen ever before, in Germany or anywhere else. The Running Wild we all knew and loved from that moment on were born, forever tied to a certain subject and appearance. This also brought along tons of criticism, to a band which never was a darling of the media to begin with. Running Wild could not care less, because this change meant they were liked by the fans, who were the ones who had to like them, and not by the press, which only got extra advertising for the band with its criticism.
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| Under Jolly Roger. Here's when the real story truly begins. Adrian is already on the sails |
The third album was a turning point and a game changer for the band (this is also when their famous mascot, ADRIAN, was born), although the difficulties to keep an steady line up were still there. After this record JENS BECKER (bass) and STEFAN SCHWARTZMANN (drums) came along, and they, somehow, stayed longer, but not on a nonstop basis. Oddly enough, the three records to be analysed on this entry, are the only ones (with the exception of those released between 2012 and 2016, but keeping in mind these only had two official members within the band, or so to speak) in the band's storied career on which the line up stays the same.
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| Death Or Glory's Running Wild, still with Moti as the guitar player (first from the right). Ian Finlay and Jens Becker (both from the left) are the remaining two members |
1988 saw the release of the mighty PORT ROYAL, where historical and piracy subjects consolidated, due to Rolf's more intensive reading and resarching, which allowed the band to record belters like CONQUISTADORES or, specially, CALICO JACK. The very well known DEATH OR GLORY hit the shelves the next year (after Noise's deal with EMI's german division, consisting in four albums, as far as Running Wild were concerned) and after it, Running Wild lost Moti, entering AXEL MORGAN as axeman, who would stay until the beginning of the era to be discussed here.
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Port Royal
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Around this time they hired veteran manager BOGGI KOPECK (someone who would end up being paramount for them), who had this ongoing tug of war with Rolf concerning the band's tours and their productions, always related to Rolf's refusal to tour, not only the States, but also potentially favourable markets, such as Japan (as proved during a previous promo tour). And besides, right with the arrival of the dreaded nineties, Running Wild got themselves unintentially involved in Noise's lawsuit with EMI (that Helloween thing) and the resulting Walterbach's shenanigans with SPV in regards to the band's next album, BLAZON STONE (1991). Probably afraid that the cure could prove to be worst than the disease, EMI did not bring this matter to trial (*) and, as far as Running Wild were concerned, said deal consisting in four albums got completed.
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Blazon Stone
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* As a brief (and I hope correct) recap, I have to say that Walterbach (someone who may not have always been fair or corteous in his demeanor, but who took no prisoners and got balls when it came to defend what he felt his own) got angry because of the fact that, after Noise's deal with EMI, they tried to steal Helloween from Noise behind his back, so he decided he was not going to give EMI a second Running Wild album, negotiating on his own another deal with SPV to release a previous version of Blazon Stone (around sixty thousand copies were sent straight to german retailers) and keep the profits, before EMI could take legal action. When they did, that version could not be sold any longer, that goes without saying, but there was no turning back for the copies which had been sent to the stores and, oddly enough, EMI did not push this any further, being afraid (most likely) of the hypothetical damages tied to Walterbach suing them for trying to steal Helloween from Noise. That's why the four Running Wild albums which the deal with EMI consisted in, were not afected by all this.
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| Running Wild, already with Axel Morgan (first from the left), back in the Pile Of Skulls days. Stefan Schwarzmann and Thomas Smuszynski (both from the right) complete the foursome |
With the new decade and the arrival of grunge and alternative music, Running Wild stuck to their guns, enjoying, unlike many of their peers, some relative good years (after all, that trend ruled mostly in USA, so the band, alien as it was to that market, was not that much affected). And, after Blazon Stone, they released the aforementioned The First Years Of Piracy, also in 1991, PILE OF SKULLS in 1992 (which included what is very likely to be their best song ever, as far as I am concerned, which is no other than the amazing TREASURE ISLAND) and BLACK HAND INN (1994), the last album to be included in that deal with EMI and the first one to be reviewed here.
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| Pile Of Skulls |
And this is when things got awry with Noise. The very much influential Kopeck wanted to start (and he did) his own label (GUN records, supported by BMG), counting on Running Wild's signing. At that time, Noise decided to have english metallers SKYCLAD as Running Wild's opening act during the Black Hand Inn tour, but Rolf was not happy with that move. Maybe he really did not like Skyclad or maybe there was the GUN thing, but he and Kopeck ended up negotiating Running Wild's release from Noise, and their signing for GUN. There was only one final album left to be released with Noise (according to their deal with them) and that was MASQUERADE (1995). In fact, the next album (and last one of the era this entry is about), The Rivalry, would be their first with GUN. Despite all this, the band's relationship with Noise was not lost and both parts remember it as positive, always based on a mutual respect which went on afterwards.
Before reviewing the albums, there are some things I'd like to point out. The first one is that all three albums to be discussed here, besides not being released by the same label (as already seen), are not a trilogy either (as a matter of fact, it is stated that Masquerade and The Rivalry are the ones which are part of a trilogy about good versus evil, together with the following VICTORY, released in 2000), and they only feature Jörg Michael as the drummer, in addition to being (at least the first two) the band's heaviest albums. And they also feature the same entire line up, which is really strange when it comes to Running Wild's career.
The second one is about their unfortunate tour with Celtic Frost and Voivod in 1986, in which they were said to be outclassed by those bands' brute force. I don't think that the differences in that department, although obvious, were that overwhelming, for a start, and even more important than that, to me there is some kind of involuntary revenge in this era of Running Wild for what happened during that tour. And I'll elaborate.
I haven't barely listened to Celtic Frost (and I'd like to, by the way), but by the time this Running Wild era began, the swiss were not active anymore, due to the backlash they got after releasing COLD LAKE in 1988 and the arguable improvement (according to what I've read) of VANITY/NEMESIS (1990). They disbanded and did not regroup until the next century.
As for Voivod, this is a band I love everything I've listened to (pretty much everything but the ERIC FORREST and JASON NEWSTED eras) and which is deserving of my upmost respect, but during those years they were second tier, after the departure of singer SNAKE and bassist BLACKY (Forrest replaced them both during these years) and came from albums (amazing ones, no doubt) like ANGEL RAT (1991) and THE OUTER LIMITS (1993), which by no means could be a match for what Running Wild were doing, heaviness-wise.
Running Wild were not exactly METALLICA at that time (never were, nowhere near close), but they were clearly having the last laugh, No hard feelings towards these two bands, of course and as Far as I know, for they were not to blame for what happened during that ill-fated tour.
BLACK HAND INN
This record meant the beginning of the line up which wasn't going to change for the remainder of this period and which consisted in Kasparek and Michael, plus guitarrist THILO HERMANN (19-09-1964, Mühlhausen) and bassist THOMAS SMUSZYNSKI (26-07-1963, Germany). This stability means acknowledging Running Wild (at least during this years) as a proper band instead of Rolf's own solo project, something that, given the neverending changes, could be hinted at before this album and which left no alternative but to be admitted for good, already in the XXI century, even if it's very likely that this never was Rolf's goal. It was produced by Kasparek himself and composed in its entirety by him as well. It was released on the twenty-fourth of March, 1994, after having been recorded at HORUS SOUND and VOX studios, located in Hanover and Bendestorf, respectively.
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Thilo Hermann
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It is, more or less, a concept album which tells the exploits of a man who, after having been executed for being an alleged Satan worshipper, comes back from the dead and predicts the end of time, everything with piracy as the backdrop. The cover, drawn by the famed ANDREAS MARSCHALL, shows how that man, after resurrection, has founded a tavern (the one the album is named after) and shows his prophecies to his customers, being Rolf one of them.
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| Black Hand Inn |
Sometimes I mention this record as my favourite Running Wild album. At least as many times as I regret it and think I'm not sure at all, given the competition, which is fierce. More on this later, but in any case, few better things than this can be said about an artist's career.
The first track, THE CURSE, serves as an introduction to the plot, because it tells that man's (he's called John Xenir) execution as it was a play (with Rolf playing Xenir, of course, as I think he had done earlier in his career in a very similar section in Calico Jack). An inquisitor reads John's sins aloud and advices him to repent from them, so he can save his soul. John is not impressed and he accuses the inquisitor of lying and warns him that he will be back to show who's the true evil. He is burnt at the stake and only one charred hand is left, which will give the hill where he was executed its name. And so it all begins, as the narrator explains. What's next is the track's second part, which is a proper song already. And what a song. It is an instrumental track, completely in crescendo, which goes from a clean guitar which is joined by the entire band, to an awesome galloping melody which begins at 2'40'' and joins the main one. Talk about a worthy intro!
So you will die by the fire. Light up the stake!
When BLACK HAND INN, the title track, begins, you can tell the band's usual speed metal has not gone anywhere else, but compared to what was listened on Pile Of Skulls it has gotten more aggressive and nimbler (Judas Priest's PAINKILLER sound, and what it meant for them at the beginning of the nineties, comes to mind), thanks to the new addition on drums (again Painkiller) whose feet know no stopping and hardly give any break, something which applies to the whole album. This song, one of the biggest treasures in all Running Wild's career, tells the story of the album's cover (how the tavern got to be, what its name is, who it is run by and what things that person does over there, something which is heard by a priest who shows up to condemn all that, being answered back by John, who calls him a liar and tells him he's evil and so it will be proved) and music-wise is a display of speed which makes it the band's heaviest song to date. Michael's double bass kicks don't rest even when the guitars do, slightly, during the chorus, after which there's an even more violent instrumental section in which Michael's hitting is worthy of mention, followed (after two repetitions) by a thrilling guitar solo played over a different riff. What a start.
Welcome to the tavern in the grove, where ancient spirits live and rove.
MR. DEADHEAD may not be neither as fast nor as great as the previous song (mostly when both choruses are compared, because this' is the least remarkable thing about this song) but gets the job done with a main riff which as simple as is brilliant. Apart from that, this is a steady song which, strangely enough (being both songs two of the earliest ones on the record), is one of the two songs I'm the least drawn to, together with the next one.
I want to believe the person the lyrics are about is the priest who visits John, who accuses him of being a liar and a traitor, among other things, following the already explained plot and showing the band's dislike towards organized religion.
Brainless and narrow minded, a blockhead all the way.
SOULLESS is always paired in my mind with Mr. Deadhead, maybe because of what I've just said, and also because the lyrics and the structure follow a similar path. A rather aggressive riff opens another mid paced steady tune (a tad faster during a very good guitar solo) in which John Xenir condemns, presumably, the same priest once again.
You double-cross and cheat, you never show respect.
The story gains pace in every sense with the mighty THE PRIVATEER, which also gave name to an EP which advanced the album and which will be discussed later on. A short drum intro gives way to a fast song featuring tireless double bass drumming as a hallmark, and a cool and victorious chorus as well. It is also more varied, with more different riffs and some leads outside the proper solo. Sailing comes back to the fore, with John setting sail to go back to the place he had died as a young man (Holy Land is also mentioned, but I don't get this part, because I think this is also about the main character), using his clairvoyance to steer the ship.
His crystal ball's revealing where he has to steer.
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| Bad pirates. From left to right: Smuszynski, Hermann, Kasparek, and Michael |
Along comes one of my favourites, FIGHT THE FIRE OF HATE, with Rolf's opening scream, an awesome riff and the powerful (although more measured) drumming, which lead this tune to another chorus tailor-made for people to sing along during a show. I love the short lead, after the first chorus, which shows up at the 1'56'' mark. After the second there's a longer guitar solo which I don't know whom is played by (maybe by both axemen), and close to the five minute mark a great guitar melody begins (it's also at the end), and it really rises your spirits.
I think this is about nazism and derivatives, and could be framed within the plot as another chapter in John's crusade against evil, keeping in mind he can see the future.
The evil madman has taken his toll, possessing their mind, owning their souls.
A clean guitar welcomes THE PHANTOM OF BLACK HAND HILL, another long song, as the previous one, but quite faster, in the vein of the title track or The Privateer. No holds barred speed metal and another accomplished chorus, followed (after the second repetition) by an instrumental section, more riffs and a guitar solo, all in a really speedy fashion. It tells the story of how the place where John was burnt became somewhere to be avoided and feared by the locals, supposedly before he comes back to life and opens his famaous inn.
The spot of stakes is haunted, predestined when he was burned.
FREEWIND RIDER features another great riff and is another fast number (although not as fast as the mentioned ones) where the guitars fade when the verses begin, isolating the rhythm section for a few seconds. The chorus is one of those triumphant ones and comes after a bridge (call of the wild, soul's running free) which is even better. The story is about freedom and I think this is suggested by John's coming back on the back of a black horse.
The hooves are pounding fast, kicking up the dust.
Unstoppable velocity again in POWDER AND IRON, with Jörg remorselessly punishing his kit. The bridge before the chorus is again better than that chorus itself and is also noteworthy the brief and virulent middle section before the solo. Songs like these are strange (and there are a few on this record), for this one in particular lasts more than five minues but they feel like two, given the song's pace. As suggested by its title, this tune is about a battle in the sea, with the pirates (John's vessel?) being chased by the navy and fighting back.
Lightning strikes, smokescreen bites, a wall of fire is on the horizon.
A flute's sound, played by RALF NOWY, precedes DRAGONMEN's amazing main riff (the best thing about this song), which is another fast number, but a galloping one, with a very good chorus sung over open chords and another instrumental midlle part which features a different riff. This seems to be about one of John's prophecies, maybe about the future planes.
They ride the wind on metallic wings.
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| Promo picture from those days |
And the album ends on a real high, thanks to the enormous GENESIS (THE MAKING AND THE FALL OF MAN), Running Wild's longest song ever (longer than fifteen minutes!) which is pretty much the previous and already mentioned Treasure Island's shorter and less successful answer, and whose lyrics are based on ZECHARIA SITCHIN's 1976 book, THE 12TH PLANET. I guess that, again within the album's plot, this could be another one of Xenir's prophecies. Or maybe not and this has nothing to do with the rest of the record. This is a story about and ancient planet's impending extinction, due to problems in its atmosphere, which begins when the leader of its inhabitant race is overthrown and must flee in order to save himself, reaching the Earth and finding out that gold can help filtering solar radiation and that fact could save his planet. He reveals that to his antagonist and he's allowed to come back. From that moment on, many events which work as a metaphor for human selfishness, etc, ensue. Not in vain, Sitchin advocated for theories according to which, extraterrestrial events could have been significant for humanity's development.
I don't know, too fanciful maybe, and to be honest, the story behind the song is the least remarkable thing about it, because the music is top notch and this is probably the record's best track (although you really have to be in the mood for these kinds of epic and lengthy songs, and this one in particular drags a little bit in excess).
After the spoken intro along comes a guitar line which gives way to the song's most recognizable riff, while the drums join and everything explodes at 2'34''. What a moment. From 2'50'' on another main riff begins, speeding the song up and working as the skeleton the verses are sung over, while taking turns with the previous riff during lyrics-less moments. The first chorus does not show up until almost half the fifth minute, preceded by a great bridge (Hellbound, poisoned souls), and the guitars replicate Rolf's vocal melody with some chords until he stops singing and they do the same but with one of them mimicking the singer's vocal line.
After the second repetition there is a more theatrical section, after the sixth minute, with a new riff which changes depending on whether Rolf is singing or not, and which leads to the first guitar solo, once the song has gone past its eight minute. After this solo, a new and galloping section begins at 8'25'', and Rolf sings again before and after the second solo (my favourite, at 9'30''), until at 10'10'' there is a blast which flows into a triumphant guitar melody hovering over the gallop.
So far so good, no doubt, but once the eleventh minute is almost gone, the song gets a little bit repetitive and I think it could have benefited from some trimming here and there, getting closer to its end, although what it actually does is repeating previous patterns until it reaches the end, to finish up as it started, with a spoken outro. Not so bad anyway.
It is tough to review such a behemoth, though.
The firestorm will rage on the day of the falling, Armaggedon's near, it's the end of the genesis.
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| The Privateer |
And that's a wrap. Subsequent editions would include the two songs featured on the The Privateer EP, which are DANCING ON A MINEFIELD and POISONED BLOOD. Both are good songs but in this case, unlike what happens more often than one would expect, neither of them are deseving of having made it onto the album, always taking the quality of those which made it into account. I prefer the first one, a mid paced stomper which becomes a winner mostly because of a very accomplished chorus. The guitar solo is good too and it's also the only time on the record (although not properly ON the record, mind you) in which I recall the bass being given some spotlight. This song removes itself from the usual themes of the band, to delve into more social issues, complaining about nuclear energy and all the political shenanigans surrounding it.
Atomic power is a dangerous and useless toy.
Poisoned Blood is the shortest song of them all (leaving The Curse aside) and seems to fare better in all the departments the previous one does not (and viceversa). The main riff is better but the chorus grows a tad tedious. Apart from that is not a very fast number which also deals with the same old song an dance about power and corruption, although aids is mentioned, which leaves me puzzled, even if it makes sense, given the song's title.
Evil suppression, hiding the truth. No compassion, betraying the youth.
I've already said there are many times in which I deem this record as Running Wild's best one, and there are reasons for it. But some other times I prefer some others, not only because of the quality of albums like Port Royal, Under Jolly Roger or Death Or Glory, but also because some small issues I have with Black Hand Inn. The effort (on all fronts) is unquestionable, and the heaviness is there, and then some, but despite being the overall outcome a great one, and Jorg's addition meaning a welcome extra punch which infects the whole band, the sound gets a little bit mechanical sometimes. Could this drummer be as good as to being confused with a robot, despite punishing his kit the way he does? I don't know. It's a good thing that this sensation is gone on the next two albums, whose sound feels more organic. The other minor flaw is that I'd like the bass to be given more chances and time to shine. Unimportant stuff anyway, on an album which, back in the day, was Running Wild's heaviest one.
An honour which would not last.
GENESIS (THE MAKING AND THE FALL OF MEN)
MASQUERADE
This record (which opens the trilogy about good versus evil) was released on the thirtieth of October, 1995, and there are barely any differences with Black Hand Inn when it comes to the technical aspects, because it was recorded in the same place (although Vox studios were not used this time), features the same line up, was also produced and written in its entirety by Rolf, and the front cover was drawn by the same artist. It even featured Ralf Nowy again, in a couple of tracks.
The cover depicts one of the songs, the first one in particular, portraying three beings who would embody the army, the clergy and the law (or so I think), showing their true corrupted side at the same time, after sealing a contract with a demonic character called Redcoat, who is in an altar in the centre of the picture.
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| Masquerade |
And as expected, given what I just said, Masquerade outclassed Black Hand Inn in terms of heaviness, becoming the band's heaviest record ever. In fact, I recall reading its review in KERRANG's spanish edition when the album was released, written by musical journo MARIANO MUNIESA (a guide, back in the day) and titled pura tralla thrash metal (spanish for unalduterated thrash metal fury, more or less). That much? I don't know, but Running Wild gave their everything in that department, that's for sure.
I've read this is the band's least successful album, sales-wise, at least up until that point, when it deserved much better. Another one of the band's finest moments, and not only because of its power.
THE CONTRACT / THE CRYPTS OF HADES opens the hostilities in the same vein as The Curse did on Black Hand Inn, with a theatrical first part in which the situation depicted on the cover unfolds, and which ends while Redcoat laughs out loudc declaring that So it shall be done. Along come some kind of synth (this song features Ralf Nowy again, with his effects) and a background choir and, after a minute and a half, there's still time for some music, which the band uses to mimic the synth's melody. It is short, but it works perfectly again as an introduction to what's next.
Are you willing to deliver your souls onto our hands, to become powerful, famous and rich?
And following the previous album's pattern, the second track is the titular one. MASQUERADE, lyrics-wise, carries on developing what was told in the previous track and it could be considered as Masquerade's heavier answer to the song Black Hand Inn when it comes to the music itself. Running Wild fire on all cylinders as if exacting some kind of revenge, as it is shown when Rolf screams in anger at 10'' or in the seemingly simple refrain. As if all that was not enough, there is Jörg and what he does with his double bass kicks during the verses (just to mention one little detail), leaving behind the impression on being on autopilot in the fastest numbers that he left on Black Hand Inn. The section which leads to the guitar solo after the second refrain is pure fire.
They rule the world by telling lies, dripping poison in your ear.
DEMONIZED slows down a little bit, despite being quite intense and with a rock (if that word fits here) flair to it, compared to the speed/thrash found in the title track. It was one of my favourites back in the day, but nowadays is the other way around. And I don't think that's coincidental, because the rest of the songs (one or two more at most) on the album which follow the same pattern are usually the ones that I like the least. And I insist, I like it, mostly because of the energy, its main riff and above all, the bridge before the refrain, for said refrain is not very remarkable. As time has gone by I've read reviews stating that Rolf's liking for (and some times abuse of) this kind of mid paced song, has been one of the things that have burdened Running Wild in the XXI century, although that is debatable and I don't think the songs people pint at when they mean this are near as good as this is, in any sense.
Given this album starts a trilogy about the eternal struggle between good and evil, Rolf returns denouncing the corruption and selfishness of those who only pursue their own benefit without any kind of consideration. Same as in the two previous tracks, pretty much.
Corrupted whores of deepest dye, they ruin the world but they keep their smile.
Much more interesting, although far from belonging in the best bunch of the record, is BLACK SOUL, a tune not as fast as Masquerade but much more traditional than the previous one (considering what Running Wild usually plays). The main riff remains unchanging at first, while the drums indicates several different paces, but the best thing about this song is, once again, its bridge, aided by a very good chorus this time, in which the guitars replicate Kasparek's singing. It is quite flat, repeating the usual structure (verse, bridge, refrain, twice, instrumental section, guitar solo and back to square one), and despite being more than five minutes long, it feels shorter. Same already mentioned themes concerning the lyrics.
The contract is made and it's written in blood, betraying the world to save what you've got.
And the sound of the sea can be listened to again, together with a melancholic clean guitar, to introduce LIONS OF THE SEA, one of the most beloved songs off the album. Trad speed metal, very Running Wild-like, with a triumphant chorus and more variety than the first tracks. The section before the solo and the guitar solo itself stand out, featuring this solo a final part during which, using your imagination, you can create a picture in your mind of everything Running Wild and what surrounds them are about. As much as the atmosphere and the song's name indicate that this is the usual song about pirats, I deem this is more about fighting against corruption and searching for freedom (and so on, you know the drill), but within a maritime environment.
They save their souls from black, from its evil void.
REBEL AT HEART is the album's second song with a rock structure, although this one is quite heavy as well (no exceptions in that department to be found on this album), and catchy too (maybe a tad repetitive). The ace up its sleeve is a long guitar solo (lasting more than one minute), shared, I guess, by both axemen, with different moods and which, mostly during its first section, is otherwordly. This is the best guitar solo on the record and one of Running Wild's finest. Concerning the lyrics, the title of the song leaves nothing to the imagination.
Proud you'll be, for all the world to see. So shed off your fear if you wanna be free.
WHEEL OF DOOM's turn now, a personal favourite and most likely Running Wild's heaviest song ever. The main riff is quite good, but is the drummimg storm unleashed by Jörg Michael what makes this song to stand head and shoulders above the others, providing it with an intensity very difficult to match (and the bar was really high up until this point), which only gives a small truce during the refrain. Relentless speed, headbanging and limitless power which threatens with careening out of control at every turn. Brutal. And also remarkable the middle section which starts at 2'05''. Everything, to be honest. Sparks flying all around. The lyrics deal with the usual stuff, focusing on religion this time, or so I believe.
It's you, keeping the hand on the wheel. It's you, ruling the fate.
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| Rebels at heart |
METALHEAD is the third (and last) song which hits the brakes and removes itself from speed metal, although that means no hindrance to show this album's usual heaviness. I like it, no doubt, but it could be the album's most easily forgettable moment, and at his point, the same lyrics with different sentences get a little bit tiring. I don't know whether this is about metal music (given the name) and its rebellious spirit or not, but be that as it may, it's been many times now that words like evil, cheat or lie have been used. However, this is the only song in which I recall Thomas' bass being given some kind of spotlight, having like ten seconds of lonely performance, after hitting the two minutes mark, paired only with the drums.
Fear and pain, Hades' name. Sin and pride, their evil guide.
But anyway, Running Wild leave almost the best for last, with a treble of ragers which begins with the speedy SOLEIL ROYAL, which not only is your typical Running Wild song, but also retakes historical and sailing themes. It's about the enormous french ship the song is named after, admiral TOURVILLE fleet's flagship, and its journey in battle against the LEAGUE OF AUGSBURG (also known as GRAND ALLIANCE, after England joined it) from 1690 to 1692 (during the NINE YEAR'S WAR), when it went from leading the french victory against the english in BEACHY HEAD battle, to getting really damaged a couple of years later during the BARFLEUR one, and to being eventually destroyed a few days later in CHERBOURG. After it was repaired, it fought back until it was hit by a fireship (a usually damaged or useless ship, filled with explosives or already in flames, whose only aim was colliding with wooden ships only for the saking of causing the greatest possible damage) and its powder rooms caught fire. The tragic ending is easy to guess.
Brief history lesson aside, the band hits hard and unrelentlessly with a riff more potent than complicated, which is replaced, during the bridge and the refrain, by the guitars following Rolf's vocal parts. After the usual middle section there is a cool guitar solo and back again.
Cannons speak the fatal words, the language of death.
MEN IN BLACK is the least impressive or fast of the three, but very good too, armed with a main riff (which also shows up in the chorus) and a chord progression during the verses which is catchy from the get go. This song does not deviate from this formula and it doesn't even feature the usual middle section which precedes the guitar solo. It's, again, one of those numbers that goes by in a moment despite being, more or less, five minutes long, and that's a good sign. After the interesting subject presented in the previous track, this one tackles the usual recipe, with a slight detour from the same lyrics, focused on some kind of religion. Who knows?
So pale and blackdressed men are knocking at your door.
It all comes to an end with one of my favourites, the dark and somehow forgotten UNDERWORLD, a track which features Nowy again and seems to be linked thematically to the previous song (or all of them, given what's been listened to) and maybe to the first one, because I have the feeling that the sinister voice which is heard at the beginning and at the end, belongs to Redcoat. Music-wise, I just love the melancholic (if that word applies here) guitar line which hovers over the initial riff (and some other times), before another speed metal riff that gives the song its backbone. Rolf proves he's a capable singer (something which usually goes unnoticed, same as his work as a rhythm guitar player, because the captain may be the leader, soul and ideologist of the band, but he's much more than that) during a very cool refrain, and be ready for the band hitting the brakes at 2'30'', during the epic middle part. A belter, and most likely one of the best songs on the album, together with Wheel Of Doom, Soleil Royal and Masquerade.
Religion's made to obscure the mind, living on its lies.
Concerning the bonus, nothing to write home about. Some editions included two really old songs, IRON HEADS and BONES TO ASHES, which had been included on the band's fourth demo and also on the aforementioned Noise compilation called Death Metal. They are also, and more properly so, given the chronology, on resissues of the first album, Gates To Purgatory. They are demos and have almost no resemblance to the music which is listened to on Masquerade, so I won't talk about them.
The latest reissues use to include two partially reworked versions of Black Soul and Lions Of The Sea, already found on 2003's compilation called 20 YEARS IN HISTORY, and they are not really worthy of being discussed here.
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| Iron Heads |
This is all that there is to it. This album may be difficult to place among the band's best five, given the fierce competition, but it stands out because of its hard hitting nature, and I think it is deserving of a higher spot within the Running Wild's body of work, in contrast with the apparent oblivion it has fallen into and the lack of commercial success it had back in the day.
I can't help comparing it to Black Hand Inn and in this regard, I think this a better sounding album, less mechanical, but it fallas behind when it comes to talk about standing out songs. It also lacks a grand finale lengthy song (it doesn't need to be the last one, mind you, but it usually is) to compete with previous glorious closers such as Genesis, Calico Jack, Treasure Island or BATTLE OF WATERLOO, although this is not too important, because some other albums lack it too and that fact does not prevent them from being awesome.
Like on its bigger brother, I miss the bass guitar, which used to be so alive on previous classic records of the band, and I don't even need to resort to instrumental pieces focused on that instrument, like FINAL GATES, HIGHLAND (THE ETERNAL FIGHT) or OVER THE RAINBOW, because on those albums has more muscle and does not go so unnoticed.
It does not help the repetitive subject the album deals with either, if we discuss the lyrics, and some songs, albeit good, are a tad forgettable, something that cannot apply to Black Hand Inn. In fact, there are people who think Masquerade marks the moment when the band (Rolf) became stale and conformist, songwriting-wise. They are just opinions, but if we take a closer look to what Running Wild's career has become after the next album, The Rivalry, there are reasons to share them.
But Running Wild still had a lot to say, although they had to change their record label and we had to wait three long years to listen to it.
THE CONTRACT / THE CRYPTS OF HADES
THE RIVALRY
Jörg Michael's last record aboard the Running Wild vessel, also became the band's first for GUN Records and their longest work ever, even longer than Black Hand Inn (it even lasts twice, or almost, the time any of their three first records lasts) although having more songs than that one (I think it is their album with the most songs). The day was February the ninth, 1998, and concerning the technical side of the whole affair I usually talk about, same old, same old, apart from the fact that Vox Klangstudio was again used (and I think this leaves the technical aspects identical as they were on Black Hand Inn), Ralf Nowy is missing this time and Thilo Hermann cowrites one of the songs.
The front cover (correct, Marschall's once again), is not on par with the previous ones, featuring Adrian dressed in some kind of naval uniform and flanked by two flags and two canes which I guess refers to that duality between good and evil. And that is the songs' recurring subject too, although there is more room here for literature and piracy. And while I said that Masquerade did not include any long or epic song, on this one there are as many as three to be found, not as long as Genesis, but quite long anyway.
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| The Rivalry |
This record may not be as heavy as the previous two, although it makes its stand in this department and, on the other hand, feels more varied than those two, also aided by the fact it has so many songs.
On with the action.
MARCH OF THE FINAL BATTLE (THE END OF ALL EVIL) is the intro you all were expecting, instrumental this time and shorter than the other two. A guitar melody, very much in the band's tradition, is joined by a background choir and percussion, which gives the song a very epic and military flair.
Like in the intro, another isolated guitar line introduces the title track, THE RIVALRY, although the whole band joins here after just one repetition of said line. That same melody comes again to the fore during some parts where Rolf stops singing and seems to lead this fast song, with unstoppable double bass drumming and with a somehow death-metallish riff on the bridge before the refrain. It's not as heavy or remarkable as the other two tirular tracks, but I like it a lot, standing out in every aspect but the verses, which feel lijke something you have already listened to before.
The lyrics? Well, take a wild guess. Do good and evil ring any bells?
Silent wings of black, shadowed all the good at heart.
KISS OF DEATH features a proper riff, unlike the previous song, and this is one of those songs which slow down a little but at the same time packs quite a punch when it comes to the drums. I like when Rolf avoids repeating the chorus for the second time and along comes a guitar solo instead. Leaving the intro aside, this is the album's shortest track and it works just fine that way. The men in black come back, although in singular this time. Religion again? No clue.
No deal can save your soul, we know your evil name.
As the name itself hints at, FIREBREATHER is another speed metal rager which breathes smoke and which gets its duration (short) right. No complains, a belter from start to end and perfect to boost anybody's mood, this song includes a brief guitar solo that listens like another riff, followed by few second of open chords which fit the song perfectly. A fantasy-tinged man in black is named again.
He rides the wing on silent wings, laserbeams ripping steel.
RETURN OF THE DRAGON is the album's first lenghty song, although it doesn't even belong to the three ones I mentioned before, and begins with a story which supports the lyrics and tell about the return of a lineage of dragons which will defeat evil and all that. How many angles you can behold the same subject from? But music-wise is quite different, being a victorious mid-paced number with constant pauses during the sung sections. The double bass dictates a very controlled pace and after three minutes begins a very long (two minutes and a half!) instrumental section with three well distinguishable guitar solos, being the middle one just the mere repetition of a very cool melody. Great song.
The kiss of the Serpent brings darkness and torment.
RESURRECTION repeats the Kiss Of Death pattern, but without succeeding that much. The refrain (with both guitars and vocal in unison) is quite boring and this one is very likely to be the most expendable track here. At least it features a section, before the guitar solo, in which the drums, apart from a start-and-stop riff, is on its own for a few seconds and the outcome is nice. The story is the same, give or take, told with different words.
They try to daze your senses, cause the evil's never true.
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| Dressed to kill |
Halfway through the album we can find BALLAD OF WILLIAM KIDD, its longest song and the one I deem Return Of The Dragon's close relative, when it comes to the music, although longer and fitted with much more appealing lyrics, about WILLIAM KIDD, scottish privateer from the XVII century who ended up being accused of piracy and executed because of it, and whose life has been romanticized after his death. Rolf introduces this story, according to the usual dichotomy, as a betrayal of the sailor perpetrated by those who truly had reasons to be afraid of an end like Kidd was dealt with.
It starts with some kind of acoustic mellow guitar which is joined by an electric one, both playing the same melody and supported by some solemn backing choir, until the main riff begins and the whole band joins. It's also one of those mood-heightening songs, because, despite the subject, it does have an optimistic flair to it, and the verse, played only with some simple but effective open chords, play an important role to achieve that kind of spirit. It all speeds up before the refrain, and also after it, during the section which leads to the first guitar solo (the unequalled Treasure Island comes to mind), and as in Return Of The Dragon, the next solo is just the repetition of a guitar line with no virtuosity whatsoever. Back to square one from the sixth minute on, although there's still one burst of speed left with Michael's double bass, right before the song starts to fade with another clean guitar, isolated this time. Very good song.
The lords testified, their unholy lies, to save their own heads from the gallows.
Back to no holds barred speed metal with AGENTS OF BLACK, another one of the best moments on the record, combining the speed found in songs like Firebreather or the title track with a very cool chorus and a great guitar solo. Short and intense, and you know what they say, if good and brief, twice as good. What else is needed? I don't know whether the lyrics are about those men in black found in other songs or not, but who cares at this point? Black-souled evil people longing for power, etc.
The fallen gods, infinite pride, they serve the dark, they fear the light.
Another of the longest ones is FIRE & THUNDER, which is good but could have worked much better. It drags itself a little (mostly during the overlong ending), keeping its slow pace (given the band's own standards) and its duration in mind. During the first verse, which repeats twice, there is a nice lead guitar thrown in and it works as a relative novelty, and the bridge is cool too (Darkest night, pride and hate), but neither the main riff nor the refrain stand out in the slightest. And, this far onto the last two records, one wonders how Rolf managed to find all the vocabulary needed, in a language which is not his own, to get to say the same in so many songs but with different words. He did not completely succeed, to be honest, because you eventually get the sensation that words such as soul, evil, black, hate or war are all around you.
The souls melt in the fire distress.
THE POISON does not fare much better. The other way around, to tell you the truth. I won't say anything about the subject, and music-wise is a quite forgettable number at a tad faster pace than that of the previous song, but not very much. Good guitar solo, but not much else.
He spites his wicked lies, the poison.
Fortunately, ADVENTURE GALLEY brings the previous slump to an end, being another speedy number led by the double bass which does not drag itself on more than needed. In the same vein of the fastest songs on the record, but not completely on par with them though. The bridge and the guitar solo stand out the most, and also the lyrics, for a change, which go back to historical themes, because the name of the song referes to the most famous ship commanded by William Kidd during his pirate chasing days.
Addicted to the stormy sea, the sound of crashing waves.
MAN ON THE MOON slows the pace down a little, but not the quality, with another lively and triumphant tune with no complaints against it. Everything fits and the song flies by. And also, and withing the abused topic, there is a little variation, because this is about the space race and all we are or we are not told concerning what is discovered or not.
So, what's the point in sending out their spaceships, to look for something you should never find.
Running Wild save the best for last once again, for WAR & PEACE, third and last of the album's longest songs, is a serious contender for the best song here. Because it has it all and in spades, in the lyrics department too, being War & Peace, as expected, about the immortal namesake novel written by russian novelist LEO TOLSTOY. And there's also its epic and moving nature, without being extravagant or pompous.
The song's main melody begins to sound, backed by a background choir, as the calm before the storm, until the drums verify that storm has finally arrived and said melody becomes the song's compass. Nothing to complain about here, but I specifically like the riff during the verse, while Rolf stops singing, the bridge (again that background choir) and the refrain, making good use of more open chords. I know this has nothing to do with the song itself, but these kinds of songs are second to none, at least as far as I am concerned, when it comes to practising a sport. It all speeds up, double bass included, in a middle section which goes before an amazing guitar solo after which, an unprecedented section ensues and everything goes back to the beginning, close to the fifth minute mark. There's another burst of speed when the seventh minute begins and this song ends as it began. Glorious.
They fall one by one, their blood is shed without sense.
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| Running Wild in 1998 |
And this is it. No extra songs are known concerning this album because no singles were released, to begin with, and even though there is an EP with the same name and from the same year, its four songs are already on the LP. Overall, this is a record which is not as accomplished as its two immediate older siblings are, and a somehow forgotten one too. This is one of the reasons why it goes a tad unnoticed and it ends up being a very pleasant listening, because this album is not the usual one you resort to. And this, taking this record as it is, because had it been trimmed from its least successful tunes (Resurrection, Fire & Thunder and The Poison, and maybe even the intro) it would have ranked much higher, for there would be hardly a single complaint. There's the bass guitar thing again, which is not very proiminent, and above all the subject of most of the lyrics, which is really tiring, but that's all.
And the story ends. After The Rivalry, Jörg Michael decided to be a full time member of Stratovarius and he left Running Wild, although their next album, Victory, still had Hermann and Smuszynski, together with Rolf, in the ranks.
I'm no scholar of the remainder of the band's career, and there might be a few albums I have not listened to any songs from yet, because the seemingly endless supply of music to listen to and being aware of the fact that the most current albums (or almost since The Rivalry) have not been favoured by critics and fans alike (some of them even quite the opposite), make my interest in XXI century Running Wild pale when compared to that of the previous century. There is good stuff anyway, no doubt, and they seem to have gotten better with their last two records, RAPID FORAY (2016) and BLOOD ON BLOOD (2021). And I also listened a lot, some years ago, to the two records that were released right after The Rivalry, Victory and THE BROTHERHOOD, from 2000 and 2002 respectively, and the latter, above all, has very decent songs, such as the title track, PIRATE SONG or the enormous instrumental track SIBERIAN WINTER. But there is this issue with the drumming on both of them and the ANGELO SASSO gossip, an alleged german drummer who played on them both and presumably passed away in 2007, but whom is suspected to be a drum machine called that way, to hide that fact. Understandably enough, Kasparek has always denied that. But somehow this issue prevents me from being completely devoted to those records and it has even become a SPINAL TAP kind of tall tale which is well known within the business. I'm pretty sure though, that if I ask my buddy Jesús Maiden, who got mentioned before, he'll know the whole truth about it.
And little more. Running Wild (or more accurate, Rolf, as the person in charge) called it a day in 2009, playing their last show at Wacken, in July, something that was released as live album called THE FINAL JOLLY ROGER (2011). But by the end of that same year 2011, the pirates (well, the pirate, you know) from Hamburg announced they were back at it, even though they have not toured ever since, playing just a few festivals here and there, mostly in their native Germany. But they do have released some albums, getting better, slowly but firmly, with each of them.
In any case, Running Wild do not need to prove anything anymore, and since a long time. Their legendary records are living proof of it.
Before I go I'd like to thank, on yet another entry, the DAMN THE MACHINE book (which so paramount was when I wrote about Helloween) about Noise International's story, and its author, DAVID E. GEHLKE, for allowing me to sum Running Wild's career up until the moment Black Hand Inn saw the light of day. Thanks a million.
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| Damn The Machine |
And thanks to you too, if you've made it this far, and see you soon!
*As an afterthought, I'd like to thank Jesús Maiden once again, for allowing me to use some of the pics he has on his wonderful web, and also for confirming me something I did not know and about which I have learnt very recently after seeing by chance one suspicious picture. I am talking about Jörg Michael helping out Running Wild before 1994, when he sat behind the drumkit for certain shows here and there, due to temporary contingencies of the band, back in those days. Here's the pic.
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| Here you can see a very young Michael, together with Moti and Jens Becker, if I'm correct |
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