Running Wild - Discography -1984-2012- Flac- Lo... New! Jun 2026

After a brief retirement, Rolf Kasparek resurrected Running Wild. This album was met with mixed reviews due to its heavy reliance on drum machines and a very polished production style. However, it proved the band was back in action.

As the 1990s progressed and traditional heavy metal fell out of mainstream favor, Running Wild doubled down on their signature sound, leaning into high-concept epic power metal. Black Hand Inn (1994)

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After a farewell performance at Wacken Open Air in 2009, Kasparek shocked the metal world by reviving Running Wild in 2011. The comeback album, Shadowmaker (2012), featured a lighter, more hard-rock-oriented sound. While it polarized long-time fans, it marked a vital turning point and a fresh production style for the band's modern era. Running Wild - Discography -1984-2012- FLAC- lo...

But as the nineties rolled in, the seas turned gray. The crew changed. Faces faded into the mist, replaced by new guns and fresh blades. Rolf stayed at the helm, his eyes fixed on the horizon, even when the wind died down. The sound grew more polished, more mechanical, but the spirit of the buccaneer remained.

In 1987, the band shifted their lyrical focus to historical piracy, literature, and maritime lore, creating a brand new subgenre.

Building heavily upon their new identity, Port Royal is widely considered one of the finest power/speed metal albums of the 1980s. With tracks like "Port Royal," "Conquistadores," and the instrumental "Final Gates," the band introduced more complex arrangements and neoclassical guitar harmonies. After a brief retirement, Rolf Kasparek resurrected Running

Widely regarded as the band’s masterpiece. The songwriting matured significantly, incorporating longer, epic compositions and more complex arrangements. Songs about buccaneers, privateers, and naval history were backed by catchy choruses and impeccable guitar harmonies. This album solidified "Pirate Metal" as a legitimate subgenre.

Refined the pirate aesthetic and featured the classic track "Conquistadores."

Rolf's signature "triple-picking" guitar rhythm style requires absolute audio transparency to hear the individual articulation of every single pick strike. As the 1990s progressed and traditional heavy metal

experimented with varied rhythmic structures and more modern production elements.

The 21st century saw Running Wild continue to evolve, releasing (2001), "Majesty" (2004), and "Blackened Redneck" (2007). These albums saw the band refining their sound, incorporating more melodic and epic elements, while maintaining their trademark heavy metal edge. "Resistance" (2009) and "Scoured" (2012) saw the band continuing to explore new themes and sounds, cementing their legacy as one of the most influential metal bands of all time.

The production history of Running Wild is diverse. Early albums were captured on analog tape in classic European studios like Horus Sound in Hannover, resulting in a warm but treble-heavy mix typical of the 80s. The 90s albums featured massive, compressed drum sounds and dense multi-tracked guitar layers designed to sound as large as possible.

Rolf Kasparek and his rotating roster of guitar partners mastered the "running" twin-lead style. Lossless audio separates the left and right audio channels cleanly.

For fans looking to explore Running Wild's extensive discography, a comprehensive collection in high-quality FLAC format is now available: