Instant Clarity
Encyclopedia
Instant Clarity is the first solo album of vocalist Michael Kiske
(ex-Helloween
). The album features guest appearances by Kai Hansen
(ex-Helloween, Gamma Ray
) and Adrian Smith
(Iron Maiden
). The album was released in 1996 and reissued in 2006 containing four bonus tracks.
A music video
was produced and filmed in New York City for the song Always, which was dedicated to Ingo Schwichtenberg
; the former Helloween drummer
who committed suicide in 1995.
The album includes only two heavy metal songs, "The Calling" and "New Horizons" both co-written by Adrian Smith
, and the latter co-written by Kai Hansen
.
Tracks 12-15 appear on the 2006 reissue only.
Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske is a singer best known as the lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween, from 1986 to 1993. From 1996 up to 2009, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, while he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist...
(ex-Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
). The album features guest appearances by Kai Hansen
Kai Hansen
Kai Michael Hansen is a power metal guitarist and vocalist.Hansen is the founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray, and the co-founder and former member of German metal band Helloween. He is a prominent figure in power metal, and has sold millions of albums worldwide...
(ex-Helloween, Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray (band)
Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent...
) and Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
(Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
). The album was released in 1996 and reissued in 2006 containing four bonus tracks.
A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was produced and filmed in New York City for the song Always, which was dedicated to Ingo Schwichtenberg
Ingo Schwichtenberg
Ingo Schwichtenberg was one of the founding members of German power metal band Helloween and was famous for his high-energy drumming....
; the former Helloween drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
who committed suicide in 1995.
The album includes only two heavy metal songs, "The Calling" and "New Horizons" both co-written by Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
, and the latter co-written by Kai Hansen
Kai Hansen
Kai Michael Hansen is a power metal guitarist and vocalist.Hansen is the founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray, and the co-founder and former member of German metal band Helloween. He is a prominent figure in power metal, and has sold millions of albums worldwide...
.
Track listing
- "Be True to Yourself" (Kiske)
- "The Calling" (Kiske, Adrian Smith)
- "Somebody Somewhere" (Ciriaco Taraxes, Michael Kiske)
- "Burned Out" (Taraxes)
- "New Horizons" (Smith, Kiske, Kai Hansen)
- "Hunted" (Kiske, Taraxes)
- "Always" (Kiske)
- "Thanx a Lot!" (Kiske)
- "Time's Passing By" (Kay Rudi Wolke, Taraxes)
- "So Sick" (Kiske)
- "Do I Remember a Life?" (Kiske, Taraxes)
- "A Song Is Just a Moment" (Kiske) [bonus track]
- "I Don't Deserve Love" (Kiske) [bonus track]
- "Sacred Grounds" (Kiske) [bonus track]
- "Can't Tell" (Kiske) [bonus track]
Tracks 12-15 appear on the 2006 reissue only.
Band members
- Michael KiskeMichael KiskeMichael Kiske is a singer best known as the lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween, from 1986 to 1993. From 1996 up to 2009, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, while he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, sound effectSound effectFor the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s - Ciriaco TaraxesCiriaco TaraxesCiriaco Taraxes is a classically educated composer, born in Serres, Greece near Thessalonika in 1969. He began to write his first compositions and started playing the piano and guitar at the age of six...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Jens Mencl – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Kay Rudi Wolke – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, guitar ("Time's Passing By")
Guest musicians
- Kai HansenKai HansenKai Michael Hansen is a power metal guitarist and vocalist.Hansen is the founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray, and the co-founder and former member of German metal band Helloween. He is a prominent figure in power metal, and has sold millions of albums worldwide...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Adrian SmithAdrian SmithAdrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Norbert Krietemeyer – fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...