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Grave Digger
Grave Digger
German heavy metal band
1
Rage
Rage
German heavy metal band
2
Helloween
Helloween
Power metal band
3
Kai Hansen
Kai Hansen
German musician
4
Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske
German singer
5
Metalium
Metalium
power metal band from Hamburg, Germany
6
Powerwolf
Powerwolf
German power metal band
7
Primal Fear
Primal Fear
German power metal and speed metal band
8
Unisonic
Unisonic
German band
9
Crematory
Crematory
German metal band
10
Sodom
Sodom
German thrash metal band
11
Labyrinth
Labyrinth
Italian power metal band
12
Doro
Doro
German singer and frontwoman of Warlock
13
Accept
Accept
German heavy metal band
14
Sacred Reich
Sacred Reich
American band
15
Sonic Syndicate
Sonic Syndicate
metal band from Falkenberg, Sweden
16
Immortal
Immortal
Norwegian black metal band
17
Udo Dirkschneider
Udo Dirkschneider
German heavy metal singer
18
Eluveitie
Eluveitie
Swiss folk metal band
19
Trivium
Trivium
American heavy metal band
20
Wizard
Wizard
German power metal band
21
God Seed
God Seed
Norwegian black metal band
22
Saxon
Saxon
British heavy metal band
23
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth
Norwegian black metal band
24
Tiamat
Tiamat
Swedish metal band
25
U.D.O.
U.D.O.
German heavy metal band
26
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian
German power metal band
27
Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray
German power metal band
28
Suidakra
Suidakra
band
29
Carcass
Carcass
British extreme metal band
30
Hansi Kürsch
Hansi Kürsch
German singer and songwriter
31
Lovebites
Lovebites
Japanese all-female heavy metal band
32
Stormwarrior
Stormwarrior
German band
33
Sepultura
Sepultura
Brazilian Metal Band
34
Exodus
Exodus
American thrash metal band
35
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
American metalcore band
36
Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth
Swedish metal band
37
Girlschool
Girlschool
British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978
38
Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy
American death metal band
39
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
American Death Metal band
40
Van Canto
Van Canto
German a cappella metal band
41
Amorphis
Amorphis
Finnish heavy metal band
42
Solution .45
Solution .45
Swedish band
43
The Rotted
The Rotted
British death metal band
44
Heavens Gate
Heavens Gate
band
45
Behemoth
Behemoth
Polish extreme metal band
46
Battlelore
Battlelore
Finnish heavy metal band
47
Avantasia
Avantasia
German power metal band
48
Suffocation
Suffocation
American death metal band
49
Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow
American heavy metal singer
50
Alestorm
Alestorm
multi-national metal band
51
All That Remains
All That Remains
American heavy metal band
52
Sabaton
Sabaton
Swedish heavy metal band
53
Fates Warning
Fates Warning
American progressive metal band
54
Kamelot
Kamelot
American power metal band
55
Krokus
Krokus
Swiss heavy metal band
56
HammerFall
HammerFall
Swedish heavy metal band
57
Tobias Sammet
Tobias Sammet
German musician
Intro
German heavy metal band
Record Labels
News

Running Wild is a German heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Hamburg, Germany. They were part of the German metal scene to emerge in the early to mid-1980s, and are also considered to be one of the country's so-called "big four" of power metal, along with Grave Digger, Helloween and Rage. Over the course of their career, they have released sixteen studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, and six singles/EPs. Although their earlier releases contained Satanic themes and imagery, from the third album on (Under Jolly Roger), the band's primary subject matter centered around pirates, sailing, and other historical events.

In 1987, the band released the album Under Jolly Roger, which was a switch to pirate-based and historical themes, creating and influencing the later named pirate metal subgenre of heavy metal in the 2000s in the process. While the historical lyrics were very superficial at first, the lyrics for later albums were intensively researched, by Rolf Kasparek in particular.

After this album, from 1988 to 1992 (for the albums Port Royal, Death or Glory, Blazon Stone and Pile of Skulls), Running Wild mainly wrote historically based lyrics. In addition to lyrics about pirates like Calico Jack, Klaus Störtebeker, or the little-known Henry Jennings, the band also addressed subjects like the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Waterloo, or the colonization of the New World by the Conquistadors.

On 17 April 2009 Rolf announced that Running Wild had split up. Their intended last show was at Wacken Open Air on July 30, 2009. It was recorded for CD and DVD release and appeared as The Final Jolly Roger on June 24, 2011. The split would prove temporary as they reunited in 2012. Running Wild played live for the Wacken Open Air festival in July 2015. As of 2016, the band have released 16 studio albums, with their most recent being Rapid Foray. A new album, titled "Blood on Blood," is scheduled to be released on October 29, 2021.