#thomas smuszynski

The Rivalry was the last time Running Wild seemed to operate like an actual band, largely because it was the last time the group used a human drummer in the studio (the very well-traveled Jörg Michael), and not coincidentally, the record was their last truly great album.  From front to back, the record smoked, with even deep cuts like “Agents of Black” ripping and roaring with manic energy and unstoppable hooks, especially during the shout-along chorus.  Rock n’ Rolf Kasparek was seemingly writing indefatigable riffs and catchy melodies in his sleep by this point, since there was no such thing as a bad Running Wild album in the 90s, there were only varying degrees of awesome (Black Hand Inn and Masquerade might’ve been on the lower end, but each had their share of undeniable bangers), and this song and album were the culmination of his hot streak.  “Agents of Black” may or may not have fit into Kasparek’s “good vs. evil trilogy” concept for The Rivalry, but it didn’t really matter.  The song was prime Running Wild, and it ran wild, and that was all that mattered.

Thrash'em All  #5

Were Jörg Michael not on board, one would’ve easily assumed that the precisely charging drums on “Black Soul” came from a drum machine (or “Angelo Sasso”, as Rolf Kasparek would’ve called it).  But Michael had long since burnished his reputation as a top-flight percussionist by the time he joined Running Wild, and this highlight from Masquerade benefited from the man’s expertise.  Of course, Rock n’ Rolf was the true driving force as usual, and “Black Soul” found the guitarist and frontman confident as ever, and perhaps feeling a bit more secure after having finally secured a stable lineup with Michael, Thilo Herrmann and Thomas Smuszynski.  But most of all, the song was a classic Running Wild barnburner with rampaging double-kick drumming, frenetic riffing, and Kasparek’s snarling and howling.  “Black Soul” was a centerpiece of Masquerade, focusing on a conspiracy of evil as opposed to the joys of piracy on the high seas, but its attack was more than worthy of the Running Wild name, and continued Rock n’ Rolf’s streak of delivering consistently kick-ass ragers well into the ‘90s.

1992. Pile of Skulls

Rolf Kasparek     Axel Morgan     Thomas Smuszynski    Stefan Schwarzmann 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smuszynski, Hermann, Kasparek, Michael.

Running Wild - The Rivalry.