Running Wild

Biography

Running Wild is a German heavy metal band formed in Hamburg in 1976. They were part of the German heavy metal scene to emerge in the early to mid-1980s and are considered part of the scene's "big four" alongside Grave Digger, Helloween and Rage. Over the course of their career, they have released 17 studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, and six singles/EPs.
Although their earlier releases contained Satanic themes and imagery, from the third album on, the band's primary subject matter was pirates, sailing and other historical events. In 1987, the band released the album Under Jolly Roger×Under Jolly Roger1987 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Under Jolly Roger4:432Beggar’s Night5:063Diamonds of the Black Chest3:074War in the Gutter3:195Raise Your Fist5:296Land of Ice4:567Raw Ride4:348Merciless Game3:50, which was a switch to pirate-based and historical themes, creating and influencing the later named pirate metal subgenre of heavy metal in the 2000s in the process. While the historical lyrics were superficial at first, the lyrics for later albums were intensively researched, by frontman Rolf Kasparek in particular.
After Under Jolly Roger, from 1988 to 1992 (for the albums Port Royal×Port Royal16 September 1988 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Intro0:502Port Royal4:123Raging Fire3:284Into the Arena3:595Uaschitschun4:536Final Gates2:597Conquistadores4:508Blown to Kingdom Come3:209Warchild3:0110Mutiny4:2711Calico Jack8:17, Death or Glory×Death or Glory8 November 1989 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Riding the Storm6:272Renegade4:293Evilution4:434Running Blood4:295Highland Glory (The Eternal Fight)4:516Marooned5:127Bad to the Bone4:468Tortuga Bay3:169Death or Glory3:5610Battle of Waterloo7:5011March On4:0812Wild Animal4:1113Chains & Leather5:4614Tear Down the Walls4:1715Störtebeker4:05, Blazon Stone×Blazon Stone4 April 1991 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Blazon Stone6:312Lonewolf4:493Slavery5:154Fire & Ice4:095Little Big Horn4:586Over the Rainbow1:567White Masque4:178Rolling Wheels5:339Bloody Red Rose5:0510Straight to Hell3:5011Heads or Tails4:5812Billy the Kid4:4813Genocide4:4914Dancing on a Minefield5:00 and Pile of Skulls×Pile of Skulls1 January 1992 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Whirlwind4:522Sinister Eyes5:073Black Wings of Death5:184Fistful of Dynamite4:065Roaring Thunder5:576Pile of Skulls4:407Lead or Gold5:078Jennings' Revenge4:189Treasure Island11:14), Running Wild mainly wrote historically based lyrics. In addition to lyrics about pirates, the band also addressed subjects like the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Waterloo, or the colonization of the New World by the Conquistadors.
In April 2009, Kasparek announced that Running Wild had split up. Their intended last show was at Wacken Open Air in July that year. It was recorded for CD and DVD release and appeared as The Final Jolly Roger in 2011. The split proved temporary as they reunited in 2012. Running Wild played live for the Wacken Open Air festival in 2015. As of 2021, the band has released 17 studio albums, with their most recent being Blood on Blood×Blood on Blood27 October 2021 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Blood on Blood4:072Wings of Fire3:573Say Your Prayers5:144Diamonds & Pearls4:445Wild & Free5:286Crossing the Blades6:007One Night, One Day4:598The Shellback6:119Wild, Wild Nights4:3010The Iron Times (1618 - 1648)10:2911Stargazed3:4312Strutter3:0813Ride on the Wildside4:07.

Early years and first albums

The band formed in 1976 under the name Granite Heart, but they changed their name in 1979 to Running Wild after the Judas Priest song of the same name. The band recorded their first demo in 1981 and featured the songs "Hallow the Hell", "War Child" and "King of the Midnight Fire". The first two of these tracks appeared on the compilation album "Debüt №1" on the Raubbau Label. In June 1984, the band started work on their debut album, Gates to Purgatory×Gates to Purgatory1984 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Victim of States Power3:40A2Black Demon4:29A3Preacher4:26A4Soldiers of Hell3:30B1Diabolic Force5:05B2Adrian S.O.S.2:55B3Genghis Khan4:14B4Prisoner of Our Time5:27, which was released by Noise Records, featuring satanic lyrics. The album was a success, and the band quickly gained a cult following. Guitarist Gerald "Preacher" Warnecke left the band soon after the album's release. (Warnecke was studying theology at the time and is now a pastor in Cologne.) The band soon recruited Majk Moti to take his place, and soon recorded their follow-up Branded and Exiled in 1985. This album was the final release of the band with satanic imagery in their music.

Rise in popularity, success and later albums

For the following release, the band shifted their sound and image and adopted a pirate theme. The band released Under Jolly Roger in 1987. This would prove a significant change because the band would be more known as a "pirate metal" band, with lyrics dealing with pirates and historical events. With this album, the band found their identity, and the pirate theme would be prominent on their future releases. Their 1988 follow-up release Port Royal featured a more mature style of songwriting and expanded on the pirate theme explored on their previous album. The album featured one of the band's first epics, "Calico Jack". In 1989, the band's fifth studio recording, Death or Glory, was the band's most successful album to date. The tour was also a success and a concert during the tour was filmed and was released as Death or Glory Tour. This album and tour were the last to feature guitarist Majk Moti and drummer Ian Finlay.
Upon the departure of Moti and Finlay, Kasparek recruited guitarist Axel Morgan and drummer Rudiger Dreffein (better known as "AC") to record the band's first album in two years, Blazon Stone×Blazon Stone4 April 1991 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Blazon Stone6:312Lonewolf4:493Slavery5:154Fire & Ice4:095Little Big Horn4:586Over the Rainbow1:567White Masque4:178Rolling Wheels5:339Bloody Red Rose5:0510Straight to Hell3:5011Heads or Tails4:5812Billy the Kid4:4813Genocide4:4914Dancing on a Minefield5:00, released in 1991. The album continued the band's trend of writing about historical themes, and according to band leader Rolf Kasparek, it was the band's best-selling album of the 1990s. With this album, the band brought a more speed-metal approach to their songs, which would be prevalent throughout their releases during the decade. In 1992, the band began work on Pile of Skulls, which many regarded as one of the band's strongest efforts. Around this time, Kasparek started becoming more interested in conspiracy theories, becoming the basis of the next album, 1994's Black Hand Inn×Black Hand Inn24 March 1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1The Curse3:132Black Hand Inn4:313Mr. Deadhead4:044Soulless4:575The Privateer4:226Fight the Fire of Hate6:407The Phantom of Black Hand Hill6:238Freewind Rider5:189Powder & Iron5:1810Dragonmen5:4211Genesis (The Making and the Fall of Man)15:19.
1995's Masquerade was the first in a trilogy of albums dealing with a specific theme. The album was one of Running Wild's worst-selling albums up to that point. The second installment was the 1998 album The Rivalry×The Rivalry9 February 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1March of the Final Battle (The End of All Evil)2:012The Rivalry5:363Kiss of Death3:394Firebreather4:045Return of the Dragon6:486Resurrection4:487Ballad of William Kidd8:468Agents of Black3:599Fire & Thunder7:3510The Poison4:4111Adventure Galley4:2112Man on the Moon4:5113War & Peace7:46 under their new label GUN Records, with the conclusion of the trilogy being 2000's Victory. It would be the final album featuring drummer Jörg Michael. With so many line-up changes, Running Wild was considered a solo project due to the fact that guitarist and main songwriter Rolf Kasparek remained the sole constant member of the band. The album The Brotherhood×The Brotherhood25 February 2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Welcome to Hell4:352Soulstrippers4:483The Brotherhood6:494Crossfire4:275Siberian Winter6:286Detonator3:517Pirate Song3:168Unation5:489Dr. Horror4:5310The Ghost10:20 was released in 2002. It was another three years before Running Wild released another album, Rogues en Vogue×Rogues en Vogue21 February 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Draw the Line4:122Angel of Mercy4:473Skeleton Dance4:274Skull & Bones6:255Born Bad, Dying Worse4:176Black Gold4:187Soul Vampires3:568Rogues En Vogue4:499Winged & Feathered5:1610Dead Man's Road3:3611The War10:4312Prowling Werewolf4:1113Apocalyptic Horsemen4:40 in 2005. Two tribute albums, The Revivalry and Rough Diamonds, were also released in 2005. Rough Diamonds was a free download on the band's official website. A third tribute album, ReUnation, was released in 2009.

The Final Jolly Roger, hiatus and reunion

On 17 April 2009, Rolf Kasparek announced the disbandment of Running Wild. The band performed their final show at Wacken Open Air on 30 July 2009, which would be recorded for a future DVD release. The resulting effort, The Final Jolly Roger, was released on 24 June 2011 on CD and DVD format. In May 2011, Kasparek explained that he did not want the band to return due to other desires of his own. A biography, titled Death and Glory: The Story of a Heavy Metal Legend, was announced in June 2011 that was tentatively scheduled for release in 2013 or 2014, but no more information was given since then. In October 2011, Running Wild reformed and announced that they would record a new album, titled Shadowmaker×Shadowmaker20 April 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Piece of the Action4:252Riding on the Tide4:183I Am Who I Am4:514Black Shadow5:135Locomotive4:356Me & The Boys5:007Shadowmaker4:258Sailing Fire4:149Into the Black4:5710Dracula7:29Disc 21Making of “Shadowmaker”2Track by Track Commentary by Rock ’n’ Rolf, which was released on 20 April 2012 via SPV/Steamhammer. In November 2012, Kasparek and guitarist Peter Jordan formed a side project called Giant X, releasing an album titled I in January 2013.
The next album, Resilient×Resilient4 October 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Soldiers of Fortune4:232Resilient4:413Adventure Highway4:184The Drift4:465Desert Rose5:136Fireheart4:417Run Riot4:338Down to the Wire4:049Crystal Gold4:2810Bloody Island9:5511Payola & Shenanigans4:4112Premonition4:17, was released on 4 October 2013. The band made their return appearance at the 2015 edition of Wacken and included a new song from an upcoming album.
The sixteenth album, Rapid Foray×Rapid Foray26 August 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Black Skies, Red Flag4:442Warmongers4:293Stick to Your Guns5:084Rapid Foray4:475By the Blood in Your Heart5:276The Depth of the Sea (Nautilus)3:537Black Bart5:068Hellectrified4:229Blood Moon Rising4:2010Into the West4:3411Last of the Mohicans11:11, was released on 26 August 2016.
On 6 December 2019, an EP titled Crossing the Blades×Crossing the Blades25 October 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Crossing the Blades5:26 was released as an early hint for a new album.
Running Wild's seventeenth album, Blood on Blood×Blood on Blood27 October 2021 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Blood on Blood4:072Wings of Fire3:573Say Your Prayers5:144Diamonds & Pearls4:445Wild & Free5:286Crossing the Blades6:007One Night, One Day4:598The Shellback6:119Wild, Wild Nights4:3010The Iron Times (1618 - 1648)10:2911Stargazed3:4312Strutter3:0813Ride on the Wildside4:07, was released on 29 October 2021. Their song "Diamonds and Pearls" was elected by Loudwire as the 31st best metal song of 2021.
On 16 February 2023, former guitarist Michael "Majk Moti" Kupper died at the age of 65.
Running Wild is set to play their final show at Wacken Open Air in 2026 with a final album to be released prior.

Band members

Current

Rolf "Rock 'n' Rolf" Kasparek — lead vocals, guitar (1976–1982, 1982–2009, 2011–present)
Peter J. Jordan — guitar, backing vocals (2005–2009, 2011–present)
Ole Hempelmann — bass, backing vocals (2015–present)
Michael Wolpers — drums (2015–present)