HELLOWEEN's KAI HANSEN Announces New Solo Album 'Born With A Hammer'

Kai Hansen is one of the defining figures in heavy metal. As co-founder of HELLOWEEN and founder of GAMMA RAY, he shaped power metal into a global force and created a sound that continues to drive the genre today.

Now, Hansen returns with "Born With A Hammer", his first solo album since HANSEN & FRIENDS' "XXX - Three Decades In Metal", is set for release on September 18 on earMUSIC.

Raw, energetic, rebellious and unmistakably personal, "Born With A Hammer" brings together every side of Hansen's musical identity. Across 10 songs, the album moves between powerful heavy metal, punk attitude, hard rock drive, melodic hooks, and pure guitar-driven energy, carried by the songwriting instincts, guitar work, and unmistakable voice that have made Kai Hansen one of metal's most distinctive artists. Written without compromise and fueled by pure passion for heavy music, "Born With A Hammer" captures Hansen at full creative force: Direct, alive and unmistakably metal.

The album was produced by Eike Freese and recorded with a band that brings both firepower and history to the project. Alongside Freese on guitar, the lineup features Alexander Dietz (HEAVEN SHALL BURN) on guitar and Dan Wilding (CARCASS) on drums, who already stood alongside Hansen on "XXX - Three Decades In Metal", plus Tim Hansen (INDUCTION) on guitar.

Released today alongside the album announcement, "Feeding The Beast" is the first single and opening track from "Born With A Hammer", accompanied by an official music video. Driven by razor-sharp riffs, anthemic melodies, and relentless energy, the song delivers a direct and powerful first taste of the album.

Following the global success of HELLOWEEN's recent reunion era and world tours, "Born With A Hammer" opens a new chapter for Kai Hansen as a solo artist, bringing that energy into a record that stands firmly on its own.

"Feeding The Beast" track listing:

01. Feeding The Beast
02. Welcome To Life
03. Don't Care
04. Wait And See
05. Born With A Hammer
06. I.D.G.A.F.
07. End Of The Road
08. Triple Trouble
09. Invaders
10. Wonderland

Born in Hamburg, West Germany, in 1963, Hansen gained early recognition as a founding member of power metal titans HELLOWEEN. His musical path began in 1978 when he joined forces with future IRON SAVIOUR co-founder and producer Piet Sielck in the band GENTRY. Hansen co-established HELLOWEEN in 1983 alongside guitarist Michael Weikath, remaining until 1989 and contributing to one EP plus three studio albums, among them the influential "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" parts 1 and 2. Upon departing HELLOWEEN he launched the power metal outfit GAMMA RAY, which quickly rose to become one of the German metal scene's most enduring and active ensembles. Over the years he has recorded and performed alongside numerous kindred spirits, among them BLIND GUARDIAN, ANGRA, HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske, HAMMERFALL, STORM WARRIOR and UNISONIC. After rejoining HELLOWEEN in 2016, he returned to the biggest stages around the globe, while "Born With A Hammer" reveals another side of his creative drive.

Photo credit: Mathias Bothor