Royal Hunt is an extraordinary rock group that electrifies you from the first moment you hear them. The core of the music is a dynamic mix of traditional hard rock, classical themes and arrangements combined with polyphonic and progressive elements creating an extremely melodic and unique combination.
Royal Hunt was "born" in 1989 when André Andersen and Steen Mogensen met in André's Mirand Studio and decided to to create a band which could combine most of their inspirations – classical music, progressive giants like "Yes", "Rush" and the classical favorites "Deep Purple", "Saga" and "Queen". Through endless line-up changes, countless club gigs and demo tapes, the band, consisting of André Andersen (keyboard, guitar), Steen Mogensen (bass), Henrik Brockman (vocals), Kenneth Olsen (drums) and a couple of guest solo guitarists, went to record their first album - Land of Broken Hearts - in 1992.
The album was released in Scandinavia, Japan and the US. An extensive tour followed and the "second album pressure" was put on the band. Clown in the Mirror was recorded very quickly - barely one month - and was literally mixed in between shows during the next US tour with Jacob Kjær as a permanent guitarist.
During that tour the acceleration of the band's activities became a problem for the lead singer - Henrik Brockman. Tired of the neverending process of recording and touring he quit and the band found a replacement, D.C Cooper, a month before their Japan tour. While everybody was working frantically to make the set work with the new frontman, Japan got hit by a major earthquake in the Kobe - Osaka area. Royal Hunt refused to cancel their tour and played an amazing row of shows, including a new song in their set - Far Away - which they dedicated to the victims of the disaster. The song - recorded as a single after the tour – went straight to #1 in "Burrn!" magazine and stayed there for a couple of months.
Moving Target was the first album 'offcially' released in Europe. Royal Hunt went on tour supporting "Gotthard" and gave European fans for the first time the possibility to see for themselves their highly acclaimed live show. In Japan their entire show was captured on video and a monster double CD, "1996". Unfortunately, by the end of the tour, the drummer Kenneth Olsen has to quit due to some personal situations. He was replaced by Allan Sorensen. In 1997 the invasion of Europe continued when the band's first real "concept album" Paradox came out. Reviewers were raving about the album, sales were great and the tour looked endless. It started in Europe with a support slot for Saxon, continuing to Japan on their own (with a full length video and CD - Closing the Chapter – as a result). This was followed by the European tour again - this time on their own, supplied by countless promo and unplugged mini tours all over the world (incl. South America for the first time).
In the beginning of 1998 the band decided to take a break for a few months. During that time D.C Cooper decided to concentrate on his solo career and the band parted company with him. André Andersen, after releasing his solo album - Changing Skin -, went back to the studio with the rest of the band to start recording of the new Royal Hunt album with the new lead singer – John West.
"Fear" is the fifth album of Royal Hunt and while maintaining the typical Royal Hunt sound it is clearly the most mature and powerful opus we have ever seen from the band. Released in October '99 with a following tour, Royal Hunt continued to bring their "own brand" of music to thousands of fans of melodic, progresive songs through the territories they already "conquered" as well as establishing themselves on the new ones - South America and France.
LAND OF BROKEN HEARTS 1992Track list: 1. Running Wild 2. Easy Rider 3. Flight 4. Age Gone Wild 5. Martial Arts 6. One By One 7. Heart Of The City 8. Land Of Broken Hearts 9. Freeway Jam 10. Kingdom Dark, Stranded (Japanese bonus), Day In Day Out (Japanese bonus), Stranded, Day In Day Out, Stranded (Acoustic Version), Land Of Broken Hearts (Acoustic Version), Age Gone Wild (Acoustic Version) Notes: The last 5 tracks listed are on the European reissue Lineup: Henrik Brockmann - vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Steen Mogensen - bass, Kenneth Olsen - drums |
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MAX SINGLE 1993Track list: 1.Clown In The Mirror 2.Stranded (Acoustic Version) 3.Land Of Broken Hearts (Acoustic Version) 4.Age Gone Wild (Acoustic Version) 5.Kingdom Dark (Acoustic Version) Japan only bonustrack: Bad Luck Lineup: Henrik Brockmann - vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Steen Mogensen - bass, Kenneth Olsen - drums |
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CLOWN IN THE MIRROR 1993Track list: 1. Intro/Wasted Time 2. Ten To Life 3. On The Run 4. Clown In The Mirror 5. Third Stage 6. Bodyguard 7. Legion Of The Damned 8. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow 9. Bad Blood 10. Epilogue Extra tracks on the japanese version: Epilogue (Acoustic Version) Bad Luck Kingdom Dark (Acoustic Version) European reissue version has two extra tracks: Bad Luck Kingdom Dark (Acoustic Version) Lineup: Henrik Brockmann - vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Jacob Kjaer - guitar, Steen Mogensen - bass, Kenneth Olsen - drums |
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MOVING TARGET 1995Track list: 1. Last Goodbye 2. 1348 3. Making' A Mess 4. Far Away 5. Step By Step 6. Autograph 7. Stay Down 8. Give It Up 9. Time European bonustrack: Far Away (Acoustic Version). US bonustracks: Far Away (Acoustic Version), Restless. European reissue contains five bonus tracks: Far Away (Acoustic Version), Double Conversion Intro/Wasted Time - live, Flight - live, Stranded - live, Epilogue - live Lineup: DC Cooper- vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Jacob Kjaer - guitar, Steen Mogensen - bass, Kenneth Olsen - drums |
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FAR AWAY EP 1995Track list: 1.Far Away 2.Double Conversion 3.Intro/Wasted Time - live 4.Flight - live 5.Stranded - live 6.Epilogue - live Notes: Japanese only release Lineup: DC Cooper- vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Jacob Kjaer - guitar, Steen Mogensen - bass, Kenneth Olsen - drums |
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LIVE 1996 1996Track list-Disc 1: 1. Flight 2. 1348 3. Wasted Time 4. Stay Down 5. On The Run 6. Stranded 7. Keyboard Solo 8. Martial Arts 9. Far Away 10. Last Goodbye 11. Land Of Broken Hearts 12. Makin' A Mess. Disc 2: 1. Clown In The Mirror 2. Guitar Solo 3. Step By Step 4. Drums and Bass Solo 5. Running Wild 6. Epilogue 7. Age Gone Wild 8. Ten To Life 9. Legion Of The Damned 10. Kingdom Dark 11. Time. Japanese bonustrack: Restless (studio version) Notes: Also a video companion to the CD was released and contained three extra songs not on the CD. 1.Triumph 2.Stay Down 3.Last Goodbye Lineup: DC Cooper- vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Jacob Kjaer - guitar, Steen Mogensen - bass, Kenneth Olsen - drums |
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PARADOX 1997Track list: 1. The Awaking 2. River Of Pain 3. Tearing Down The World 4. Message To God 5. Long Way Home 6. Time Will Tell 7. Silent Scream 8. It's Over. European version has six bonus tracks: Tearing Down The World (Radio Edit), Message To God (Radio Edit), Time Will Tell (Radio Edit), Silent Scream (Radio Edit), Martial Arts, Restless. US version has two bonus tracks: Martial Arts, The Final Lullaby Lineup: DC Cooper- vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Jacob Kjaer - guitar, Steen Mogensen - bass, Kenneth Olsen - drums |
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MESSAGE TO GOD 1997Track list: 1.Message to God (Radio Edit) 2.The Final Lullaby. Japanese bonus track: Far Away (Acoustic Version) Lineup: DC Cooper- vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Jacob Kjaer - guitar, Steen Mogensen - bass. Additional musicians: Allan Sørensen - drums, Maria McTurk - backing vocals, Lise Hansen - backing vocals, Kenny Lübcke - backing vocals |
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CLOSING THE CHAPTER 1998Track list: 1. Ava
Maria Guarani 2. The Awakening 3. River Of Pain Notes: Closing the Chapter" is a complete live version of the "Paradox" album, recorded live at Akasaka Blitz, Tokyo, Japan on October 6, 1997. The intro tape, "Ava Maria Guarani", is a song from Ennio Morricone. There was a companion video released with this album. Lineup: DC Cooper- vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Jacob Kjaer - guitar, Steen Mogensen - bass. Additional musicians: Allan Sørensen - drums, Maria McTurk - backing vocals, Lise Hansen - backing vocals |
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THE BEST release date unknownTrack list: 1. Land Of Broken Hearts 2. Kingdom Dark 3. Martial Arts (Instrumental) 4. Age Gone Wild (Acoustic) 5. Wasted Time 6. Clown In The Mirror 7. Epilogue 8. Last Goodbye 9. Far away 10. Stay Down 11. Time 12. River Of Pain 13. Message To God 14. It's Over Notes: Japanese only release |
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THE BEST LIVE release date unknownTrack list: 1. Wasted
Time 2. Flight 3. Stranded 4. On The Run 5. Far Away 6.
Last Goodbye 7. Land Of Broken Hearts 8. Step By Step Notes: Japanese only release |
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LIVE IN JAPAN release date unknownTrack list Disc 1: 1. Flight 2. 1348 3. Wasted Time 4. Stay Down 5. On the Run 6. Running Wild 7. Epilogue 8. Age Gone Wild 9. Kingdon Dark. Disc 2: 1. Ava Maria Guarani 2. The Awakening 3. River Of Pain 4. Tearing Down The World 5. Message To God 6. Long Way Home 7. Time Will Tell 8. Silent Scream 9. It's Over Notes: Japanese only release. No new live material. Disc 1 is a compilation of the Live 1996 album and Disc 2 is the same as Closing the Chapter |
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FEAR 1999Track list: 1. Fear 2. Faces of War 3. Cold City Lights 4. Lies 5. Follow me 6. Voices 7. Sea of Time Line-up: John West - vocals, André Andersen - keyboards/ guitars, Jacob Kjaer - guitars, Steen Mogensen - bass, Allan Sørensen - drums Notes: Album features new singer John West also of the band Artension. |
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