Pioneers of power metal, energetic heavy metal, saints of positive vibes and pumpkin heads. They are all that and more and these are some of the descriptions of German heavy metal band, HELLOWEEN, who really don’t need to be introduced.
Thanks to my friends in Nuclear Blast, especially Markus Wosgien, I, Mohsen Fayazi, had a chance to have an interview with HELLOWEEN’s Bass Invader, Markus Grosskopf a few days ago.
Recently, I discovered that the HELLOWEEN members are working on a book, which they will call ‘Hellbook‘, I did lots of searches but unfortunately wasn’t able to find more information. I was very curious about this, so my first question was about this book, which Markus called a ‘surprise’, and I should say that I already surprised him by knowing this information, as he asked “how do you know it?” (laughing).
Obviously, the first things which we always seek about any book are The Name and The Writer(s). Well, we know the name (Hellbook) but who is or are responsible for writing and making up the book? Markus did not mention any names but he said: “We are collecting stuff and pictures, old and new ones, then we can correct it. It will be a kind of history book with lots of pictures, but it is going to be a little surprise.” But when we should expect to have this book in our hands or on our shelves, Markus did not know either, “I don’t really know the time when it comes out but we are working on it and the details.”
HELLOWEEN is a unique band in the heavy metal universe indeed, so I asked Mr. Grosskopf about this, “We are what we are you know, we are not pretending to be or play something else than what we love or that we really are. We are not going out there, pretending to be an angry heavy metal band…” Markus said. But I also asked him what he has learned in these three decades while he has been a member of the band. He answered me humbly: “You cannot really change the world, but you can help a little here and there and get people in a better mood.”
You know, HELLOWEEN ‘s new masterpiece, “My God-Given Right” was released by Nuclear Blast, so I asked him how it is working with them. Markus said: “It is very good, it is very nice, we finally came back home. They treat us very well, we saw them on a festival, we had a few drinks together. It is nice working with them, it is nice working with Markus Wosgien. You know, it’s an old metal company.” Then later, when I asked him what happened with Sony Music, Markus answered me: “The contract was simply over and we were free to go wherever we would like to go. There was no big fight or bad words, it was just like going back home. Nuclear Blast guys were always around all those years, checking us out and asking what you gonna do next. That interest made us think, if they’re always around anyway, why not try it again with them and it is working very good.”
HELLOWEEN fans are unique, just like their favourite band. Being truly die-hard fans is one of their qualities as well as being positive of course. If you are one of them, I am sure you are dying know about the band’s upcoming plans and that’s what I asked Markus. He told me that they will continue playing shows and festivals and partying with their fans, but the most interesting part of his words was when he said: “Let’s hope that there is another decade to play and record for us!” So if you are a pumpkin-head too, you can or cannot calm down and listen to your favourite album, “My God-Given Right“.
I, Mohsen Fayazi, Chief Editor of The Magic Of Metal, Metal Shock Finland, wish all the best and metal to the Helloween members and all of their mighty fans, from Indonesia to Brazil and from Iran to USA… Keep on rockin’ and Stay Crazy!
And please take time and listen to the whole of my interview with Markus on the Audio Player below:
The last year on Metal Shock Finland has flown by faster than ever! As always there have been so many fantastic achievements by our creative Chief Editor Mohsen Fayyazi, who always works his hardest to create and present our vision in his unique way. Here are the Metal Shock Finland staff team messages in celebration of Mohsen‘s birthday!
Andy Sneap who seems always busy and can hardly find time to answer his messages, mentioned Blackmore as one of the major influences. The legendary Wolf Hoffmann told me that he is not afraid to confess that he worships Ritchie and the mighty Pumpkinhead Michael Weikath told me “I could say many things but given his position and history, who am I to say anything?” Simon Johansson went even further as to attribute Ritchie for being “a bit responsible” for his starting to play guitar!”
“I just proofed a coffee table book that I’m doing on Ozzy Osbourne, which is like a timeline with quotes book, like my Iron Maiden coffee table book that just came out. And I’m halfway through a WHITESNAKE book, I’m gonna do a book on a Canadian band called MAX WEBSTER and I just finished up a 400 page book that I’ve got with my layout guy on MEGADETH. So lots going on, and also through another big American publisher I’ve got a coffee table book that’s like an oral history of Hair Metal, so going from about 1980 roughly to about 1991 when NIRVANA came out. Plus working with Banger films, we did the Rush movie Metal Evolution and we did the IRON MAIDEN movie. We got a new series called Rock Icons, it’s half hour episodes on just one person at a time, so I’m in there as a consultant as well, one week on, two weeks off, so I dip that in between everything else.”
“Yes I agree with that, I think DEEP PURPLE’s big contribution is the bringing of a classical element to heavy metal and that’s a combination of Ritchie and Jon Lord. We might have gotten some of that Middle Eastern or Turkish or Morrocan sound too. All of power metal, which is a massive heavy metal genre, owes a lot to bands like DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW, JUDAS PRIEST, and Ritchie is in two of those bands. It got even more power metally when he started RAINBOW, especially with “Rainbow Rising” and “Long Live Rock ‘N Roll.” At that point you have Ronnie James Dio helping him out and they both agree philosophically about subject matter like fantasy, dungeons and dragons, castles and all of that stuff. You’re right, heavy metal would be a very different beast, it might have gone more of that blues or doom route, not this interesting classical route if it wasn’t for Ritchie.”
“That’s an interesting one because Yngwie is almost the guy who picked up where Ritchie left off and just went crazy. RAINBOW was almost like the uber DEEP PURPLE on steroids kind of band, but when you get into Joe Lynn Turner he’s moving into a more American sound. So he went one way and Yngwie is like hmm well if Ritchie kept getting heavier and faster and more crazy and bombastic and more heavy metal and more classical, more and more everything. He’s almost like the guy who did pick up from there. In doing that Yngwie battered us all over the head and came up with a style that’s even more distinct.”
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