MICHAEL KISKE: No Chance Of A Reunion With HELLOWEEN

Ex-HELLOWEEN and current SUPARED frontman Michael Kiske has once again dismissed the possibility of a future collaboration with his former bandmates, saying that a new HELLOWEEN album with his vocals "wouldn't have a real soul."

"If I would get back to HELLOWEEN we would NEVER be able to do a really GOOD record because we are no friends anymore," Kiske wrote on the official SUPARED web site. "And friendship is the only spirit for real music in a band. The metal press would surely love [a] new HELLOWEEN record [with my vocals]. The usual useless mind games would even bring some good sales for the first one, but it would slowly die out, because it wouldn't have a real soul! After the 'Keeper…' records, the press already complained about our releases. So why do they think that TODAY we would get together again and make great records? Those ideas are totally unrealistic, and morally wrong. And we would fully betray ourselves if I would rejoin this band of people who really hated me, and did not even hesitate to spread stupid lies about myself over the years just to convince old fans that my departure was a good thing. If you do have some self-respect and some [pride], you don't deal with people anymore who have decided to be you enemies. Don't get me wrong here! I am a grown up boy! I don't hate them! I am not even angry anymore! I DO forgive them! But I NEVER forget. And in REAL life it's SOOOOOO much more interesting to do new things, and start from scratch again. I must tell you that I am so very happy that I don't have to sell an old ship anymore as a brand new hit. That certainly was a [relief] ten years ago. I know that a lot of people would disagree on that one, and I don't say that they are wrong, but that's at least how I felt then and still do."

Kiske, who released two "solo" albums (1996's "Instant Clarity" and 1999's "Readiness To Sacrifice") prior to launching SUPARED, was rumored to be under consideration as a replacement for Bruce Dickinson in IRON MAIDEN shortly after Bruce left the band in 1993 to pursue a solo career. However, according to Kiske, "Those were only rumors. I wouldn't fit [in IRON MAIDEN] as a person I think. Only my voice, maybe, for range reasons. But I can't imagine anyone else in MAIDEN than Bruce Dickinson anyway. When a band has a very unique singer, a change there is most of the time the death of that band. It was funny that even the English press (that usually is very anti Germany) had those rumors going on, and even liked the idea. That was a big compliment during that time, because I started in metal as a MAIDEN fan. But my world is different now."

SUPARED's self-titled debut, which came out in January through Noise/Sanctuary Records, has thus far been met with a significant amount of criticism from fans who continue to have a hard time accepting Kiske's evolution as a songwriter and a recording artist, a factor that Michael says may have a negative impact on SUPARED's ability to carry on as a group.

"I will try to keep on making records of course, but it all depends on how much damage certain destructive pseudo-critics will cause for a future of SUPARED, and IF I manage to reach new areas and audiences with my music," Kiske said. "I know they exist! But if I never reach them, what can I do? I'll never stop making music, that's for sure, but seeing some sense in releasing records is depending on the market, and in finding people who can really help me to reach the right audiences. Too many idiots write about new record releases and work very hard on destroying everything outside of their own limited mental world. Hard to get some brain into certain heads! I am leading a big fight against those idiots because they are the biggest life-threat for the kind of music I personally enjoy! In my situation the biggest problem really is my past. If nobody would know me, I would get heard the right way much more often. We have a fast-food-music-industry! Prejudice and stupidity rules the scenes big time, destroying A LOT of cool bands and artist. I don't really want to think about HOW MANY GREAT BANDS OR MUSICIANS WE'LL NEVER HEAR because of those jerks! A lot of musicians unfortunately don't have a very long breath. They give up much too soon. I really love ANY kind of honest music! But it gets more and more impossible today. I love the 'Under Rug Swept' CD and the 'Feast On Scraps' DVD from Alanis Morissette right now. I really love that girl! She's only getting better and better, and she is very inspiring FOR ME. But because she has grown up as a person a lot over the past years after 'Jagged Little Pill', and is not that angry pissed lady so much anymore, and has found new ways of expressing herself vocally and in terms of songwriting, even SHE gets bad reviews about her truly perfect last record! And that pisses me of just as much as certain statements about my own stuff does. She has only become more beautiful! She allowed herself to change, and that's the biggest crime in our industry. Dead people want musicians to make dead music that is fully predictable, then they're happy, but how wrong is that? Alanis rocks artistically, independent from record sales. And I really love her for the beautiful energy she's spreading. She really understands her job."

Kiske, who says that the next SUPARED album will contain more "acoustic" material, is said to have laid down his vocals on two cuts for the for the forthcoming debut from AINA, the new project spearheaded by acclaimed German producer Sascha Paeth (KAMELOT, ANGRA, RHAPSODY). Michael was originally supposed to appear on three of the album's cuts, but ended up singing only two — "Silver Maiden" and "Serendipity" — after he came down with a vicious cold that left him unable to perform during the remainder of the album's recording sessions.

'[These] songs are the best and coolest songs I've ever recorded for someone else," Kiske said. "I LOVE IT! It hits my nerve! But that will be the last time that I do things like that for a while. I think it's enough now. I will only do projects from now on that I really am part of and I absolutely love."

The AINA debut, which is said to have "nothing to do with heavy metal," is expected to surface in late 2003 through an as-yet-undisclosed label.