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 quit 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 includes four-fifths of the Keeper of the Seven Keys: Parts I and II-era (1987–1988) lineup, featuring three additional members, vocalist Andi Deris, guitarist Sascha Gerstner and drummer Daniel Löble.
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 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.
Michael Kiske is a German singer and co-lead vocalist for the power metal band Helloween. Kiske has 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 also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist.
Andreas "Andi" Deris is a German singer, best known as one of the three co-lead vocalists of the power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of the metal band Pink Cream 69.
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.
Pink Cream 69 is a German hard rock/heavy metal band founded in 1987 in Karlsruhe 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 Deris left the band to join German power metal band Helloween. He was replaced by British singer David Readman in August 1994.
One Size Fits All is the second studio album by Pink Cream 69, released in 1991.
Games People Play is the third studio album by Pink Cream 69. It was the final album with Andi Deris on vocals.
Change is the fourth album by German hard rock group Pink Cream 69, released in 1995. It was the first album with current singer David Readman, after Andi Deris left the band to join German power metal band Helloween.
Armand "Mandy" Meyer is a Swiss guitarist best known for being a member of the hard rock band Gotthard, the progressive rock band Asia, and the heavy metal band Krokus. Meyer has also worked with Cobra, Stealin' Horses and Katmandu.
Dennis Ward is an American bass player and music producer. He is known for his various works as a producer for heavy metal and hard rock bands in Europe, as well as for being the bassist and founder of the bands Pink Cream 69 and Unisonic. He also performs lead vocals for the AOR studio project Khymera.
Place Vendome is a German melodic hard rock / AOR project, founded in 2004 at the direction of Frontiers Records president Serafino Perugino.
Place Vendome is the debut album of the hard rock project Place Vendome. The songwriting for this album was provided by Dennis Ward, with further contributions from David Readman and Alfred Koffler.
Ignition is the first EP by the hard rock/power metal band Unisonic. It features 2 future album tracks, a demo song and a live version of the Helloween classic "I Want Out". It was released on January 27, 2012.
Unisonic was a German hard rock/power metal supergroup, founded on 10 November 2009 by Helloween singer Michael Kiske alongside Dennis Ward and Kosta Zafiriou from Pink Cream 69 and Mandy Meyer, formerly in Asia and Gotthard. In 2011 the band was joined by Gamma Ray leader and Helloween co-founder, Kai Hansen.
Ceremonial is the 11th album by Hard rock band Pink Cream 69, released in 2013. It's the band's first album with a new line-up change, this time featuring drummer Chris Schmidt replacing founding member Kosta Zafiriou.
Close to the Sun is the fourth album of the melodic hard rock project Place Vendome. The songwriting for this album was provided by Magnus Karlsson, Jani Liimatainen, Olaf Thörsen, Fabio Lione, Simone Mularoni (DGM), Alessandro Del Vecchio, Aldo Lonobile and Mike Palace (Palace).
Helloween is the sixteenth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released on 18 June 2021. The album is the first released with the "Pumpkins United" line-up, which marked the return of original member Kai Hansen on guitars and vocals and Michael Kiske on vocals in 2016, in addition to the five-member line-up active since 2005.
