Master of the Rings
Encyclopedia
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
.
The album is known as a turning point in Helloween's career, as it marks the band's return to their power metal roots after a commercial failure in their previous album, the progressive rock
and pop
-influenced Chameleon.
The album contains four singles, which are "Where The Rain Grows
", "Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)
", "Perfect Gentleman
", and "Sole Survivor", with corresponding videos for the first three. "Mr. Ego" was dedicated to the band's former singer, Michael Kiske
, and was released as an EP in Europe
.
Helloween
and vocalist Michael Kiske
had reached the end of the road during the touring of 1993's "Chameleon". The dismissal shocked the heavy metal community. Michael Kiske's replacement was Andi Deris
, formerly with Pink Cream 69
.
After an alcohol and drug-related incident in Japan, drummer and co-founder of the band Ingo Schwichtenberg
was deputized first by the session-drummer Richie Abdel-Nabi, then on a more permanent basis by former Gamma Ray drummer Uli Kusch
. Although a mostly cheerful and social individual, Schwichtenberg suffered from schizophrenia
that would sometimes leave him sobbing for no apparent reason. Forgetting to take his medication resulted in outbursts, and the drummer was frustrated by the band's musical direction ("He used to refer to song "Windmill" from "Chameleon" as "Shitmill"" laughs Weikath). In March 1995, Shwichtenberg regrettably ended his own life by jumping under a subway train.
After two highly controversial studios projects and a live album, Helloween parted company with EMI records, aligning themselves with the more modestly sized Raw Power (an imprint of Castle Communications). Nevertheless, the effect of Deris and Kusch was to re-energize their collective fortunes. In Japan, "Master Of The Rings" debuted at the top international album chart selling 120.000 copies in two weeks.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
band Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
, released in 1994. It is the first to feature new members Andi Deris
Andi Deris
Andreas "Andi" Deris is the vocalist and the main songwriter for power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of German melodic metal band Pink Cream 69...
and Uli Kusch
Uli Kusch
Ulrich Kusch, born 11 March 1967, is a heavy metal drummer. He is best known for playing with Helloween, Gamma Ray, and Masterplan. He is known for his technical style of playing, fast-paced speed metal-like rhythm and capable songwriting abilities.-Biography:...
.
The album is known as a turning point in Helloween's career, as it marks the band's return to their power metal roots after a commercial failure in their previous album, the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-influenced Chameleon.
The album contains four singles, which are "Where The Rain Grows
Where The Rain Grows
-Personnel:*Andi Deris - vocals*Roland Grapow - lead and rhythm guitars*Michael Weikath - lead and rhythm guitars*Markus Grosskopf - bass guitar*Uli Kusch - drums...
", "Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)
Mr. Ego
"Mr. Ego " is a song by the German power metal band Helloween taken from the album Master of the Rings. It is "dedicated" to former Helloween's singer, Michael Kiske.It was released in some countries as Mr. Ego ...
", "Perfect Gentleman
Perfect Gentleman (song)
"Perfect Gentleman" is a song by the German power metal band Helloween taken from the album Master of the Rings.-Single track listing:-Personnel:*Andi Deris - vocals*Roland Grapow - lead and rhythm guitars*Michael Weikath - lead and rhythm guitars...
", and "Sole Survivor", with corresponding videos for the first three. "Mr. Ego" was dedicated to the band's former singer, Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske is a singer best known as the lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween, from 1986 to 1993. From 1996 up to 2009, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, while he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist...
, and was released as an EP in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
and vocalist Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske is a singer best known as the lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween, from 1986 to 1993. From 1996 up to 2009, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, while he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist...
had reached the end of the road during the touring of 1993's "Chameleon". The dismissal shocked the heavy metal community. Michael Kiske's replacement was Andi Deris
Andi Deris
Andreas "Andi" Deris is the vocalist and the main songwriter for power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of German melodic metal band Pink Cream 69...
, formerly with Pink Cream 69
Pink Cream 69
Pink Cream 69 is a German hard rock band founded in 1987 in Karlsruhe, Germany by Andi Deris, Dennis Ward, Kosta Zafiriou and Alfred Koffler. The band gained their first contract by winning music magazine Metal Hammer 's newcomer competition in Ludwigsburg one year after forming. In 1994, Andi...
.
After an alcohol and drug-related incident in Japan, drummer and co-founder of the band Ingo Schwichtenberg
Ingo Schwichtenberg
Ingo Schwichtenberg was one of the founding members of German power metal band Helloween and was famous for his high-energy drumming....
was deputized first by the session-drummer Richie Abdel-Nabi, then on a more permanent basis by former Gamma Ray drummer Uli Kusch
Uli Kusch
Ulrich Kusch, born 11 March 1967, is a heavy metal drummer. He is best known for playing with Helloween, Gamma Ray, and Masterplan. He is known for his technical style of playing, fast-paced speed metal-like rhythm and capable songwriting abilities.-Biography:...
. Although a mostly cheerful and social individual, Schwichtenberg suffered from schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
that would sometimes leave him sobbing for no apparent reason. Forgetting to take his medication resulted in outbursts, and the drummer was frustrated by the band's musical direction ("He used to refer to song "Windmill" from "Chameleon" as "Shitmill"" laughs Weikath). In March 1995, Shwichtenberg regrettably ended his own life by jumping under a subway train.
After two highly controversial studios projects and a live album, Helloween parted company with EMI records, aligning themselves with the more modestly sized Raw Power (an imprint of Castle Communications). Nevertheless, the effect of Deris and Kusch was to re-energize their collective fortunes. In Japan, "Master Of The Rings" debuted at the top international album chart selling 120.000 copies in two weeks.
Track listing
Expanded Edition (disc 2) Track listing
- M - 1,2 also appears on the Mr. EgoMr. Ego"Mr. Ego " is a song by the German power metal band Helloween taken from the album Master of the Rings. It is "dedicated" to former Helloween's singer, Michael Kiske.It was released in some countries as Mr. Ego ...
& Where The Rain GrowsWhere The Rain Grows-Personnel:*Andi Deris - vocals*Roland Grapow - lead and rhythm guitars*Michael Weikath - lead and rhythm guitars*Markus Grosskopf - bass guitar*Uli Kusch - drums...
singles. - M - 3,4,5 also appears on the Perfect GentlemanPerfect Gentleman (song)"Perfect Gentleman" is a song by the German power metal band Helloween taken from the album Master of the Rings.-Single track listing:-Personnel:*Andi Deris - vocals*Roland Grapow - lead and rhythm guitars*Michael Weikath - lead and rhythm guitars...
single. - M - 6,7 also appears on the Sole Survivor single.
Personnel
- Andi DerisAndi DerisAndreas "Andi" Deris is the vocalist and the main songwriter for power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of German melodic metal band Pink Cream 69...
- VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Michael WeikathMichael WeikathMichael Ingo Joachim Weikath is the guitarist of the German Power metal band Helloween."Weiki" was born in Hamburg, Germany. He is one of the Helloween founding members, along with the musicians Kai Hansen , Markus Grosskopf and Ingo Schwichtenberg . Along with Grosskopf he is the only other...
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Roland GrapowRoland GrapowRoland Grapow, born 30 August 1959 in Hamburg, Germany is a professional guitarist and music producer. Roland is best known for his time in the power metal band Helloween, who he played with for 12 years after replacing founding member Kai Hansen...
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
/ Lead vocals on "Closer to Home" - Markus GrosskopfMarkus GrosskopfMarkus Großkopf, born 21 September 1965 in Hamburg, Germany, is the bass guitarist, and one of only two remaining original members of the German power metal band Helloween...
- BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Uli KuschUli KuschUlrich Kusch, born 11 March 1967, is a heavy metal drummer. He is best known for playing with Helloween, Gamma Ray, and Masterplan. He is known for his technical style of playing, fast-paced speed metal-like rhythm and capable songwriting abilities.-Biography:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- George Chin - Photography
- Ian Cooper - Mastering
- Jorn Ellerbrock - Programming
- Tommy Hansen - Producer, Mixing, Programmer
- Michael Tibes - Sound Engineer