Metal Meltdown - A METAL FORCES interview with Kai Hansen and Ralph Scheepers, back in the March 1990 issue. Kai speaks of his new album Heading For Tomorow, with Ralph adding spice to the interview. Re-typed By Adzam Samat. Read on....
Somethings never change! Just as you could wager an entire future on AC/DC never putting out anything but a heads down, straight forward rock album, FISH ever performing "Grendel" live or even a British Record company doing something right as far as rock goes, you can also bet your bottom dollar that the majority of rock fans are gonna moan their arses off should any of their favourite bands decides a shit in musical direction is in order to future their career, or even if it's simply what they want to do.
Take RUSH, for example. When they shanged from the power rock trio that dished pout such gems as "Xanadu", "The Trees" and "2112" to the technological keyboard based experimental rockers that offered the likes of "Signals", "power Windows" and "Grace Under Pressure", the flow of letters that poured into rock magazines proclaming that the Canadians had sold out, whimped out or whatever seemed un-ending. But look at RUSH now. One of the biggest Hard Rock bands in the world, almost every new album hailed as yet further progession in the Heavy Rock world.
More recently, there's been HELLOWEEN. Originally a Sped Metal band that, bordered on Thrash, as on the bands early output, (the "Judas"12", "Helloween" and "Walls Of Jericho"LP's), the band never really felt comfortable with the "Speed" tagthey'd picked up in the press, clearly feeling that they had more to offer the Metal world than the people immediately thought. The release of their meisterwork, "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part One" saw the band drafting in ex-Prophency vocalist Michael Kiske, and adopting a sound that showed the band stepping otu of the severely limited confines they'd found themselves with the "Speed" tag.
For many people, that shift from "Speed" to more straightforward melodic Metal was a little too much to handle. Thrash fans, like many rockers are noted for their bigotry and reluctance to accept change or any other form of melody for fear of dreaded commercialism. Even Benard Doe, in his review of 'Keepers Part 1', way back in issue 22, whilst acknowledging that HELLOWEEN had to progress, could'nt quite accept their new sound because it would appeal to the mainstream a lot more. He spoke of the possibility of HELLOWEEN selling out, of cringing at STYX-like harmonies, of how the band would loose a lot of fans and of becoming more pedestrian.
Now whilst one cannot criticise anyone for their own opinion, time has shown that HELLOWEEN have sinced progressed to being one of the most successfull new Heavy Metal bands around today, and both 'Keeper' albums stand out as being true classics works. Their progression was both required, and seamingly natural for the Gremanic five - piece, and whilst people have now come to accept them for what they are today, they still had to endure the 'sell-out' criticism that was thrown at them.
But HELLOWEEN understood what they had to do, and that is why they remain successfull the world over. You don't seriously expect the likes of the CRUMBSUCKERS, DEATH, RE-ANIMATOR or DEFIANCEW to make any serious headway in the rock world do you?? Only METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX have had what you would call real success in the whole Speed/Thrash movement, and even METALLICA and MEGADETH have become increasingly mainstream Metal over the years,and they are probably the only ones that are likely to meke it on a really BIG scale. That's why the majority of the bands of that ilk haven't been picked up by major lables, and probably never will. The whole thing is on its way out , a movement that has become as stagnented as some see the mainstream Metal world.
KAI HANSEN is someone who understands that to be successfull, you appreciate that which is also successful, and set your artisticgoals accordingly. It's one reason he felt he had to leave HELLOWEEN. One listen to his latest project GAMMA RAY,who are set to release their debute LP out on Noise International, and you'll hear a wide range of influences, from PINK FLOYD and QUEEN to VAN HALEN and IRON MAIDEN. ALready some of you may have started bemoaning the fact that such bands don't purvey the kind of aural assault you'd get from the likes of KREATOR or DEATHWISH, and that indeed, young Kai has whimped out. "Fraid not. The music on "Heading For Tomorrow" is powerful, driving metal, retaining certain HELLOWEEN trademarks such as pilediving drums and choral harmonies, yet builds its own identity. If not, come with me as we venture into the new world of KAI HANSEN and GAMMA RAY.
KAI HANSEN and his new vocalist, RALPH SCHEEPERS, the ex-TYRAN PACE man that KAI had worked with prior to leaving HELLOWEEN are seated opposite me as we reside in the Hannover flat below which is situated the studio in which their new work, the awesome "Heading For Tomorrow" was mainlyput down on tape, and where VICTORY man Tommy Newton is putting the finishing touches to the final mix of the title track from the new opus. The pair, both quiet and unassuring, appear unruffled, which come as a surprise considering MF pix boy Nick "Wicksy" Matthews has just the duo through their paces somewhat during one of his at times excruciating photo shoots.
Before we get stuck into the nitty gritty of Gamma Ray, the first thing to get out of the way is just why KAI quit HELLOWEEN after their triamphant appearence at Donnington? Documented in the press elsewhere, this is in fact , the first time Metal Forces has caught up with KAI since his departure. "Basically, it was the whole touring business," replies the little guitarist. "It was getting too much. Being on tour all the time, and I'm not the kind that can wrie in a hotel room. I can't get any inspriation from getting drunk every night in the hotel bar and driving around in buses. It was getting too much."
"And then there was this having less and less control over what was happening in the band. We had so many people involved in the management side. People went making decisions that even the band didn't even know of. All in all, it became too much, so I thought about it when we came back from the States and I told the band that I would be leaving, and I had about half a year to make the final decision."
The split would appear to be perfevtly ammicable, with KAI at pains to point but that despite people wanting there to be a lot of misunderstanding, this time around it was all perfectly natural, with no-one's nose being left out to point.
Moving swiftly on to the current GAMMA RAY project (and if any of you out there are confused as to the actual name of the band, it is GAMMA RAY, but the Record Company want the first album to go out under the title KAI HANSEN's GAMMA RAY, for sales reasons, naturally!), when KAI last spoke to Metal Forces, back in 1988, he spoke of then of working with Ralph,and of having eight songs already written for a solo project. Was this what had eventually evolved into GAMMA RAY? "That's what I first intended, and of course when I spoke to Metal Forces, I'd thought of leaving HELLOWEEN, and what to do afterwards, and I was also thinking about a project that used different singers that used differentsongs, although I didn't actually have any material written," admits KAI. "I'd have the ideas though, but that is what has developed into GAMMA RAY. But it isn't a solo project. It's based on me leaving HELLOWEEN, and doing something new, but it's turned out into a new band, which is basically Ralph and me, and we've got a bass player (Uwe Wessel), but the drummer won't be in the band because he's worse than me for disliking touring and stuff, so we'll have to find a new drummer."
"Ralph was one of the original choices with HELLOWEEN, when we did "walls Of Jericho", and went on tour cause singing and playing guitar was getting too much . But Ralph was involves with TYRAN PACE, and didn't want to leave. I can sing, and I might have and interesting voice, but I'm not a good singer, so I didn't want to sing on this project."
Part of the GAMMARAY material includes a spirited cove of URIAH HEEP's classic 'Look at Yourself" that will only be available to those who purchase the CD version of 'Heading For Tomorrow". To some that may appear a strange choice, yet it would appear that it almost came to fruition with HELLOWEEN," says KAI, "but no-one got up and actually did something about it.
"When I was in TYRAN PACE we toured with URIAH HEEP and I always liked that song," continues Ralph.
That cover version aside, the rest of the material on "Heading For Tomorrow" has all come from the pens of Messieurs, Hansen and Scheepers, mostly the former, and there's no denying much of it hankers after that well known HELLOWEEN sound, some think KAI readily admits. "Oh, for sure. I was a part of HELLOWEEN, and some of this is naturally going to sound like HELLOWEEN."
Having copped an earful of the whole album in the studio downstairs with two colleagues, we all struck with the diversity of much of the material. Names like PINK FLOYD, DEEP PURPLE, ENO, STYX, QUEEN , VAN HALEN and BLACK SABBATH were being tossed around as influences seemingly crept out of the speakers. Don't get me wrong though, it doesn't sound plagiarstic as such, but rather these would seem to be such an interesting choice of influences from someone who frequently been labeled a Speed Metal artist. "I had to do an album that was spread very wide, to include all the things I wanted. You can get the impression that it's too diverse, but I like it a lot." Offers KAI. "It's up to the people to accept it. I can't imagine anyone only liking a couple of the tracks, and not the others cos it's so different. In the end what holds the songs together is both the construction and energy.
"The power, not necessarily heavy, but power is what I like to hear in music. Even if it's a ballad there has to be power. I think that people will be open to different styles. I know a lot of people like bands to stick one style, so they have a readily definable sound, and maybe we don't have that but maybe our identity is our diversity. The performance of this band is what will impress the people."
KAI is well aware of the fact that rock fans are reluctant to accept change, preferring the sound they're originally got into and is well aware that many people still want him to be playing the hard and fast Speed Metal that was featured on "Judas".
"There's a danger people won't accept what I'm doing because of those reasons but I don't care about people who think like that. For me it is most important that I like what I do, and not that people like it. Of course I'm glad if people like it, and I want people to like it but I don't write songs just for people to like them."
A very brave step to take with your first solo album. "Well either I do it or I destroy my creativity you know. I'm not in this to make other people happy before myself." "If the songs are good then the people will accept us, and our songs are good," points out Ralph.
"I can understand people wanting me to still be a Speed Metal musician, but I'm not. I know people can have very limited musical taste, and that I can accept. What I did with HELLOWEEN before "Keeper…" was different, and if you prefer that then fine, but don't expect me to go back to doing that. I do today what I want, it's something else, and nowadays I like it better."
"Look at QUEEN. You can listen to their albums and find so many different things in there and yet it's only one band. I still like Heavy Metal, there are so many other things too. I look for power in music, as I've said, and you don't only find that in Heavy Metal, there are so many other things. PRINCE does different stuff, but you can still find power in his music, and I like that. That's the basis of music I like and music I like to make."
Power in music is perhaps typified in opera, and HELLOWEEN as well as KAI's latest project have utilized that kind of operatic backing vocals and effects in their music. It's also very Germanic thing to do. "Oh it is, for sure'" agrees KAI. "All these classical musicians like Beethoven, Wagner, Mozart, they were German, o it must be related to us. Something in our blood. Perhaps, or even the weather, I dunno. Germany has no real rock heritage to speak of. We are still trying to find our own way of making rock music, we just copied things like the NWOBHM."
"But I think we're slowly beginning to get our own sound," opines Ralph.
And perhaps KAI HANSEN and GAMMA RAY are part of that sound. Despite the wide range of influences to be heard on "Heading For Tomorrow", the whole thing retains a sense of identity that is most appealing. As an album it stands up well against "Keeper 1", and is one of the best releases to have come from the Noise label. It's still powerful, from the hard and fast "Lust For Life" and "Spaceater" to more commercial outings like "Heaven Can Wait" (possibly the first single) and the QUEEN inspired "Money". Elsewhere there's the ballad "The Silence", a VAN HALEN-ish work entitled "Freetime" and all fourteen minutes and thirty seconds of the epic title track that moves from melodic Heavy Metal to a brilliant PINK FLOYD inspired mid-section and back again with elegant grace.
KAI's guitar playing is as inspired as ever, accommodating speed and more mellow passages with style, whilst Scheepers vocals, at times reminiscent of Michael Kiske, compliments the music well. Due to head out on the road soon after the release in support of the album, it's interesting times ahead for KAI HANSEN, with HELLOWEEN keeping a rather low profile of late (and we've still to find out just how much they'll miss the creative influence of HANSEN), it would seem like perfect timing for the world and GAMMA RAY to be aquatinted. An with GAMMA RAY heading for tomorrow firing on all four cylinders, the future look very bright indeed.
ONE MOMENT, taken from News of The Rays no 1, the official fan mag of the Gamma Ray Schizoid Clan.This interview was in 1994.