In the beginning (Early '80s), Kai Hansen, Markus Grosskopf, & Ingo Schwichtenberg were playing in a band called Gentry, when one Michael Weikath heard Kai play and asked him to join his band, Powerfool. In the long run, Michael quit Powerfool to join Kai and his band, which Markus then named Helloween. The band started to write songs together and was asked to contribute 2 songs to a Noise Records compilation album called Death Metal. So, they used one song Weiki wrote with Powerfool, Oernst Of Life, and wrote another called Metal Invaders, which then appeared as Helloween's first album exposure. Soon after, Noise released three Helloween albums: a mini-LP simply entitled Helloween, a full-length LP called Walls of Jericho, and the Judas EP. The line-up for all these album were Kai on vocals and guitar (vrrr, grrr), Weiki on guitar (grrr), Markus on bass (brrr), and Ingo on drums.
While touring to promote these releases, Kai found it difficult to play and sing at the same time. So the search began for someone to take his place as the vocalist for the group. So while on tour, they tested Weiki's ability to sing and eventually nabbed the singer for Tyran Pace, Ralf Sheepers. Ralf committed to completing the tour the band, but did not want the full-time position. So, after the tour was over, the race was restarted, and an 18-year-old silver-throated screamer named Micahel Kiske tour the helm in 1986.
As soon the vocals spot had been filled, recording commenced again, and the band wishing to showcase their new melodic sound, wished to record a double album. Byt Noise said no. So in 1987, Helloween released what would become their most popular album, Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt. I. Helloween enjoyed world-wide success., becoming particularily popular in Japan and the America's. Shortly after a tour, the band quickly released 1988's Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt. II and became an MTV's Headbanger's Ball favorite with their video for I Want Out. the release of albums in Japan was picked up by Victor / JVC.
The band was more popular than ever, but rifts began to occur between Kai, Michi, and Weiki. As a result near the end of the Keeper II tour and the 1989 release of their first live album, released under different covers and names (I Want Out - Live in the Americas, Keepers Live in Japan, and Live In The U.K. in Europe) around the globe, Kai left the band to pursue other options. In 1990, this would translate into Kai Hansen's Gamma Ray. This band was then fronted by none other than former Helloween temporary vocalist, Ralf Sheepers. Later, after cementing a stable line-up (including drummer Uli Kusch), the band would simply be called Gamma Ray. To fill Kai's vacant spot, Weiki & Co.turned to former Rampage guitarist Roland Grapow and the new improved Helloween then finished up the tour.
In an effort to gain a wider audience with a greater distribution of their albums, Helloween left Noise Records and turned to EMI. Noise filed suit that Helloween had broken their contract and the band was disallowed to release their material anywhere where Noise was able to, outside the UK. This meant no Helloween in the America's and left the dwindling number of metal fans in the States wondering, "What happened to Helloween?"
Now, 1991, EMI released the first single from the new album, Pink Bubbles Go Ape, with a message from the band explaining where they had been for the last 3 years since Keeper II. Pink Bubbles was the first album not produced by Tommy Hansen, but by Chris Tsangaris. The band, and in particular, Weiki, was not happy with his job, and this album was met with limited success. Tensions began to again form in the band pitting Michi and Ingo against Weiki and Roland with Markus in the middle of it all. But the band continued on.
And in 1992, the first single from an album to take a whole new direction for the band was released. The single was When The Sinner, which featured distorted vocals, keyboards, and a sapprano saxophone outro. Chameleon was released in 1993, and the tensions in the band got worse and worse. To add to the problem, Ingo was getting hooked on drugs and alcohol, which seriously start to affect his playing. During the subsequent tour, he fell very ill and he was replaced by temporary drummer Ritchie Abdel-Nabi. After the tour, Helloween reluctantly asked Ingo to leave the band and clean himself up. Furthermore, Michi also left the band. There are conflicting stories from Michi and Weiki, as to whether Michi quit or was fired, but both agree that they could no longer work together.
Helloween lost no time in trying to find a replacement for Michi. One of Weiki's favorite bands, Pink Cream 69 was also having personel problems, and Weiki recruited Andi Deris to take the vocal spotlight. To fill the vacant hole in the rhythm section, former Gamma Ray drummer, Uli Kusch was picked up. Gamma Ray was also having personel problems, and had lost it's rhythm secion after their 2nd release, and then Ralf after their 3rd. The media was crazy at this point creating rumors that Michi would fill the vacant position, or would take the helm of Iron Maiden after Bruce Dickinson left, but they proved to be rumors only. Kai would reclaim the microphone and head up Gamma Ray, and Blaze Bailey would claim the vocal spot for Iron Maiden. Meanwhile Ralf would try out and be a finalist for the vacant Rob Halford spot in Judas Priest. He was not chosen.
So now, with a new energy and spirit proclaimed in their song, Still We Go, Helloween burst on the scene, reuniting with Tommy Hansen to release Master Of The Rings in 1994. Tragedy struck the band's history as Ingo commit suicide on March 8. (R.I.P. Ingo) Around this time, Michi began work on his solo album, with the help of Kai, and former Iron Maiden axeman, Adrian Smith. And then in March of 1995, Helloween mania returns to the States and worldwide as the band is picked up by Castle Records and Raw Power in Europe. A special bonus disc was released in the US and Canada containing 7 bonus tracks to commemorate the event.
A year later, Helloween returned with an album dedicated in Ingo's memory, The Time Of The Oath. Less than six months later, a double live album and video namely, High Live was released, as the band plans a US tour to the delight of your author and many fans nation-wide.
In Gamma Ray and Kiske news: 1995 marked the most recent album, Land Of The Free, featuring Michi on 2 tracks. Weiki was quoted giving the thumbs up on this album, provin that the tension the media had created between the two bands does not exist anymore. In August of '96, Michi's solo album, Instant Clarity was released. Both albums contained a song written in Ingo's memory.
............courtesy of Chris Skaryd