Random Memories From The Metal Circus
by Uli Kusch
Former band drummer Helloween and Masterplan.
stories of a legend
from Heavy Metal
September 13, 2017
Aldaria - Land Of Light
I would like to to present an album that was released recently in March of this year. I played drums on 4 of his tracks, and his recording was done in 2015, in Trondheim, in Norway. The funny thing is that the mixing were made by Roland Grapow without my direct influence, and I think he did a great job!
This is one of the 4 songs I recorded:
The creator of Aldaria, Frode Hovd, asked me to to send a photo of me with the album to be used on Facebook, and I sent this one here:
Her caption is as follows: "Thirty years of Power Metal drumming in one image, with the same old hand. Still raw, as it was, and as can be. 1987 - 2017. Proud greetings to O album Aldaria and Hallelujah, Uli Kusch".
September 06, 2017
With you: "Into The Light"
I found an old demo of mine available on the Internet:
There's a funny story around it. I originally wrote it in 1998 for Helloween's "The Dark Ride" album. I I recorded the drums, which later ended up being used on the first Masterplan album.
Henning Basse is who sings in this demo, and I play all her instruments, minus the bass.
when our manager and label guys visited us during the production of Dark Ride, in Tenerife, we showed the demo for them, the same one with Henne in vocals.
They looked at each other and said, "Wow, how Andi is singing well". Hehehe... Deris was with him that day and didn't much like to hear that.
So with Masterplan we took that song again, and it became "Into The Light". We ended up using the same guitars as original demo also on Masterplan.
In the end, we all need to laugh at all this...
19 of May from 2017
My masterpiece in Metal
The musical inspiration to compose the instrumental foundations of “Spirit Never Die” originally came from a Swedish pop hit from the 90s.
I presented a demo version at the time of the record "The Dark Ride", but it didn't go over well with the other members of Helloween.
Well, then it became the opening song for one of the strongest albums I've ever been on. That was lucky, because the vocal lines and the letter polished the existing music, making it much better.
Here we can check out a version without the original vocalist, and without me on drums, but which is as strong, powerful and well performed as the song deserves. I love her because she has all the ingredients a metal song needs to be successful.
The music speaks for itself...
This is probably my masterpiece in Metal. The arrangement is mine, the rhythm guitars and all the symphonies, all the drums and the tempo of the song. But without Jørn Lande, or shall we say, without his input, the song would never have become what it is: complete, albeit inspired by a pop hit.
It took about 5 years for this song to be ready to be released. Music needs to grow before it becomes big, and then it echoes forever. Roland Grapow understood its potential and Andy Sneap produced it. They couldn't have done anything better!!!
Unfortunately, the original Masterplan lineup was torn apart by disarray...
April 17, 2017
Michael Jackson
i think michael jackson was not just a successful pop star and a great musician, but also an almost forgotten messenger, an icon with a conscience about our planet and our society. On top of that, he used Metal ingredients in his work.
We always need to look at the whole context and support those human beings who act faithful your convictions. But the Extremism is a dangerous thing, both in Metal as in Pop music. Criticizing something extraordinary is not the right thing to do.
Michel Jackson conveyed everything visually and musically, clearly audible and easy to understand.
April 3, 2017
Holy Moses
my first record was "Finished With The Dogs", with the band Holy Moses, in 1987. My friends, looking at the cover, listening to this music, it seems like yesterday...
A true story: I was attacked by a "guard dog" while picking up my drum kit to take it to the Holy Moses rehearsal studio. Bassist Ramon Brüssler was about to kill the dog with their own fists to save me, but I was lucky to leave with just a scratch on my leg, I was very lucky... We were all fine, so like the dog!
March 23, 2017
Last Union
I got a demo tape from Cristiano (guitarist and main songwriter of the band) a few years ago, with about 23 songs. So I was asked to help choose the songs and play the drums.
Well, one day I was driving through a Norwegian mountain range and listening intently to the material, with incredible nature all around me. Somehow, I felt very comfortable with most of the songs, even though it was just a demo. There was a trigger that said, "Uli, this is cool, I feel musically at home, and this needs attention."
Detail that Cristiano was born on the same day as me (March 11th)! Our union and production was very harmonious and exciting. I'm glad I met Mike LePond on an album. And I can't forget to thank you for having James LaBrie as a vocalist on some tracks on the record.
A fantastic life experience!
March 21, 2017
Spirit Never Die
I I evolve with music as therapy, and I try to help people in need, because as Plato said, and as I lived it:
“Music is a moral law. She gives a soul to the Universe, gives wings to thought, and an impulse to imagination, a charm to sadness, gives joy and life to all things. She is the essence of order and lifts us towards all that is good, just and beautiful, of which she is the invisible but surprising, passionate and eternal form.”
In addition to Plato's thought, the The best message I could leave for Rock Mania is Masterplan's song, Spirit Never Die.
Salutations to Metal and the spirit of it all, Uli!
The Spirit Never Dies
There was a place - a small town
Where we used to play and laugh around
We've gone too far - looking for that star
And the light went away from me
But the spirit never dies - the world belongs to me
It was then that I was given time to live and see
I will never give up - I will never give in
I won't stop believing, because I will win
I sing with my soul before I get old
'Cause maybe there's no tomorrow
There are no limits to what can be done
Climbing every mountain with power so strong
Dusty roads - by the way
Leaving the future behind me
I took a fast car - like a rock star
Come and enjoy the ride with me
Jump in the center
See who's there
I will show you where you want to be
And the spirit never dies - let the music take you higher
I know what it means to get burned
That's how I started to learn
Never give up, never give in
Born of fire if you will win
Sing with your soul - soon you'll be old
Fight the demons inside you
There's no limit to what can be done
Climb every mountain with power so strong
Dusty roads on the way - leaving the past behind you
I have seen love in vain
I felt the pain
torn in desire
guided by fire
And while I lived through it all the world became so small
And my colors grew colder
The spirit takes me far above
Never give in - never give up
I won't stop believing because I will win
I sing with my soul before I'm old
What if there is no more tomorrow?
There's no limit to what can be done
Climbing the mountain with power so strong
Dusty road - along the road
Leaving the memories behind me
use the spirit
March 18, 2017
Moshi Moshi - Shiki No Uta
I can tell you a little bit about the fantastic musical experience I had with Roland Grapow and keyboardist Jørn Ellerbrok, on one of our tours in Japan, during soundcheck.
We always played without a backing band in Japan, so we had a lot of time to play the sound, and we used that time to play freely, jamming . It's a shame that virtually none of this was recorded.
In my head, it was great instrumental music with freedom of creation that we produced, improvising on huge stages, in large theaters, without an audience, while technicians adjusted lights and sound.
Well, what came out of it all was “Moshi Moshi - Shiki No Uta” during a live performance, and I'm grateful that at least that was captured for eternity.
“Moshi Moshi” is an expression used in Japan to answer a phone call.
Between 3m15s and 3m28s of the song, you hear a special sequence: this part symbolizes a bow that is done in Japan when people go to a big dinner, they clap their hands three times.
And from 6m04s onwards, one of the favorite songs in Japan comes in: "Shiki No Uta", or translating, "The Song of the Seasons".
Music doesn't need words, but it creates words.