Running Wild (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Running Wild


Img_capt = Running Wild
Img_size = 250
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Hamburg, Germany
Genre = Heavy metal
Speed metal
Power metal
Years_active = 1976—present
Label = Gun
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.running-wild.net Official website]
Current_members = Rolf "Rock'n'Rolf" Kasparek Peter Jordan Peter Pichl Matthias "Metalmachine" Liebetruth
Past_members = See: Former members

Running Wild are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Hamburg. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Rage, Accept, Sinner, and Grave Digger. The band has carved its niche in the metal world as the first "pirate metal" band, a theme which took off with the release of "Under Jolly Roger" in 1987 (thus abandoning the Satanic imagery of their earlier work). In the texts of the band's biographies and album liner notes, some of the words found are some kind of pirate's dialect, with some songs even being untranslatable.Fact|date=July 2008 The band is still active today.

Members

Current members

*Rolf Kasparek (a.k.a. Rock'N'Rolf) - Vocals, guitars
*Peter Jordan - Guitar
*Peter Pichl - Bass
*Matthias "Metalmachine" Liebetruth - Drums

Former members

Guitar
*Uwe Bendig (1976-84)
*Gerald "Preacher" Warnecke (1984-85)
*Michael "Majk Moti" Kupper (1985-90)
*Axel "Morgan" Kohlmorgen (X-Wild) (1990-93)
*Thilo Hermann (Grave Digger, ex-Holy Moses, ex-Faithful Breath, ex-Risk) (1994-01)
*Bernd Aufermann (Angel Dust) (2002-04)

Bass
*Jörg Schwarz (1976)
*Carsten David (1976-79)
*Matthias Kaufmann (1980-83)
*Stephan Boris (1984-87)
*Jens Becker (Grave Digger, X-Wild) (1987-92)
*Thomas "Bodo" Smuszynski (ex-U.D.O., ex-Darxon) (1992-02)

Drums
*Michael Hoffmann (1976-82)
*Wolfgang "Hasche" Hagemann (1982-87)
*Stefan Schwarzmann (ex-Helloween, Paradox, ex-X-Wild, ex-Accept, ex-U.D.O., ex-Voice) (1987-88, 1992-93)
*Ian Finlay (ex-Justice, ex-Demon Pact) (1988-90)
*Jörg Michael (Stratovarius, ex-Saxon, Unleashed Power, ex-Axel Rudi Pell, ex-Avenger, ex-Rage, ex-Grave Digger, ex-Mekong Delta, ex-Tom Angelripper, ex-Headhunter) (1990, 1994-98)
*Rudiger "A.C." Dreffein (1990-92)
*Christos "Efti" Efthimiadis (1998-00)
*Angelo Sasso (2000-02)

Discography

tudio albums

* "Gates to Purgatory" (1984)
* "Branded and Exiled" (1985)
* "Under Jolly Roger" (1987)
* "Port Royal" (1988)
* "Death or Glory" (1989)
* "Blazon Stone" (1991)
* "Pile of Skulls" (1992)
* "Black Hand Inn" (1994)
* "Masquerade" (1995)
* "The Rivalry" (1998)
* "Victory" (2000)
* "The Brotherhood" (2002)
* "Rogues en Vogue" (2005)

Live albums

* "Ready for Boarding" (1988)
* "Live" (2002)

Compilation albums

* "The First Years of Piracy" (1991)
* "The Story Of Jolly Roger" (1998)
* "20 Years in History" (2003)
* "Best of Adrian" (2006)

ingles and EPs

* "Victim Of States Power" (1984)
* "Bad To The Bone" (1989)
* "Wild Animal" (1990)
* "Little Big Horn" (1991)
* "Lead Or Gold" (1992)
* "The Privateer" (1994)

plit releases

* "Death Metal" (1984)

Tribute albums

* "The Revivalry - A Tribute to Running Wild" (2005)
* "Rough Diamonds - A Tribute to Running Wild" (2005) (available as a free download on the official website)

External links

* [http://www.running-wild.net Official website]
*

References

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:39fexqe5ldhe Running Wild at allmusic.com]