Henjo Richter | |
|---|---|
 Henjo Richter performing live in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Henjo Oliver Richter |
| Born | 24 November 1963 Hamburg, West Germany |
| Genres | Power metal, speed metal, heavy metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, keyboard, vocals |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Henjo Oliver Richter, (born 24 November 1963 in Hamburg, West Germany) is a guitarist and keyboardist in Gamma Ray, the German power metal band formed by Kai Hansen.
Henjo is a self-taught musician and started playing at the age of 13. He is a veteran of the German heavy metal scene, but Gamma Ray is his first major band. He joined them as a replacement for guitarist Dirk Schlächter (who had switched instrument to bass) on Somewhere Out in Space (1997). However, in the mid-1980s, Henjo was a member of the heavy metal band Rampage, replacing Roland Grapow. Coincidentally, Michael Weikath considered Richter to join Helloween. [1] Had this happened, he would have replaced Grapow just like he did in Rampage.
In 2001, Henjo was hired by Tobias Sammet to be the guitarist of his metal opera project Avantasia .
In 2017, it was announced on Gamma Ray's website that the debut album of 'The Unity', which Richter founded together with Michael Ehré, was to be released in spring 2017.
In 2005, Henjo was forced to miss part of Gamma Ray's tour for their album Majestic after injuring himself falling down a set of stairs on the ferry going between Sweden and Finland.
Kasperi Heikkinen replaced Henjo Richter for shows scheduled in Germany and Czech Republic in March 2010 because Henjo was hospitalized on 16 March 2010 due to retinal detachment. [2]
In 2011, he had a biking accident and broke three ribs and his collarbone.
In 2024, he was ran over [3]
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. It is said that the band is one of the most influential European heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weikath and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg. By the time Hansen left Helloween in 1989 to form Gamma Ray, the band had evolved into a five-piece, with Michael Kiske taking over as lead vocalist. Schwichtenberg and Kiske both parted ways with Helloween in 1993; Schwichtenberg died two years later as the result of suicide. Between then and 2016, there had been numerous line-up changes, leaving Grosskopf and Weikath as the only remaining original members. As a septet, their current lineup features all of the surviving members of the Keeper of the Seven Keys lineup, in addition to the remaining members from the Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy-era.
Avantasia is a German supergroup metal opera project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist of the band Edguy. It has been characterized as a rock opera, as it features the contributions of various vocalists and musicians and it consists of concept albums. The name is a blend of the words Avalon and fantasia ('fantasy') and describes "a world beyond human imagination".
Kai Michael Hansen is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of another power metal band Helloween, which he was a part of from 1983 to 1989 and rejoined in 2016. He is a prominent figure in power metal and has sold millions of albums worldwide. He is regarded as "the godfather of power metal", having founded two seminal bands in the genre. In 2011, he joined the band Unisonic featuring former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske. Hansen and Kiske reunited with Helloween in 2017 for a world tour with all current members, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of release of the albums Keeper of the Seven Keys Parts I and II.
Gamma Ray is a German power metal band from Hamburg, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from power metal band Helloween, in 1989. He is the band's lead vocalist, guitarist and chief songwriter. Between 1990 and 2014, Gamma Ray recorded eleven studio albums.
Ulrich Kusch is a German heavy metal drummer. He is best known for playing with Helloween, Gamma Ray, Masterplan and Holy Moses, among others. He is known for his technical style of playing, fast-paced speed metal-like rhythm, and capable songwriting abilities.
Michael Kiske is a German singer who is the co-lead vocalist for the power metal band Helloween. Kiske has also released four solo albums, two albums with the hard rock band Unisonic, has participated on various metal and rock related projects such as Avantasia, Place Vendome and Kiske/Somerville, and has performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist.
Ingo "Mr. Smile" Schwichtenberg was a German drummer and one of the founding members of the power metal band Helloween.
Chameleon is the fifth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1993. It is their most musically adventurous release, but also their least commercially successful, and is their last studio album to feature singer Michael Kiske until 2021's self-titled album, as well as their last with original drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg. It was Schwichtenberg's last album to be recorded during his lifetime. This was also the last album on EMI Records.
Skeletons in the Closet is a live album from the German power metal band Gamma Ray, released in 2003. It mostly featured songs that the band had never played live before. The setlist was voted by fans on the band's official website.
Majestic is the eighth full-length studio album from the German power metal band Gamma Ray, released in 2005. The band also released an LP version through their website to complement the supporting tour, limited to 1500 copies worldwide.
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.
Markus Grosskopf is a German musician best known as the bass guitarist, backing vocalist and a founding member of the power metal band Helloween.
Roland Grapow is a German guitarist and music producer. He is best known for his time in the power metal band Helloween, with which he played for twelve years, after replacing founding member Kai Hansen. He subsequently created the power metal band Masterplan in 2001, which is still active today.
Land of the Free is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Gamma Ray, released in 1995. It is considered a concept album, telling a story of rebellion of Good against Evil. Continuing a trend that would conclude with the band's fifth studio release, the lineup for the album was different from the previous one, as Land of the Free was the first Gamma Ray album to be released since the departure of Ralf Scheepers, leaving guitarist and founder Kai Hansen to take up lead vocals. While not his first stint as a vocalist, it would be the first time he had performed lead vocals exclusively in 8 years.
Daniel Hans Erwin Zimmermann is a retired German heavy metal drummer. He is best known as having been the drummer of German power metal bands Gamma Ray and Freedom Call. He was a founding member of Freedom Call, from which he departed in 2010. Two years later he also left Gamma Ray, announcing a retirement from the music business in 2012.
Dirk Schlächter is the bassist of the power metal band Gamma Ray.
Avantasia is the debut single by German supergroup rock opera project Avantasia. It's a re-recorded version of Avantasia's original demo EP.
Hell Yeah!!! The Awesome Foursome ) is a live album from the German power metal band Gamma Ray, released in 2008.
Kasperi Heikkinen is a Finnish guitarist who is best known as a member of symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn. He played in the band from early 2007 until late 2012. He is also the guitarist for Finnish metal bands Merging Flare and Guardians of Mankind, which is a Gamma Ray tribute band. Heikkinen performed with German metal band U.D.O. from 2013 until 2017. He currently resides in Helsinki.
Skeletons & Majesties Live is the fourth live album of the metal band Gamma Ray. The album was recorded during Gamma Ray's 2011 concert in Pratteln (Switzerland) and contains acoustic renditions of the songs Rebellion in Dreamland and Send Me a Sign as well as the guest appearance of then ex-Helloween and Unisonic vocalist Michael Kiske on 3 tracks.
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