Ride the Sky
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Uli Kusch, Bjørn Jansson, Benny Jansson |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Stockholm , Sweden |
| Products | New Protection (album) |
| Parent | Nuclear Blast |
Ride the Sky was a progressive power metal ensemble initiated by former Helloween, Gamma Ray, and Masterplan drummer Uli Kusch, together with Tears of Anger members Bjørn Jansson and Benny Jansson.
History
The inception of Ride the Sky dates back to 2006 when drummer Uli Kusch began exchanging musical concepts with vocalist Bjørn Jansson. After departing from Masterplan that same year, Uli received an invitation from Bjørn and Benny to participate in the upcoming Tears of Anger album. Captivated by their style, he contributed his own compositions, which led to the collaboration evolving into the formation of Ride the Sky. To finalize their roster, they enlisted bassist Mathias Garnås and keyboardist Kaspar Dahlqvist, aspiring to assemble a lineup representing "the highest level of talent." Under the metal label Nuclear Blast, they released a single album titled New Protection. Their music combines elements of progressive, power, and symphonic metal with influences drawn from 1980s hard rock.
On November 17, 2007, Kaspar Dahlqvist departed due to personal circumstances; he was succeeded by Henning "Zet" Ramseth from Ram-Zet, who took over keyboards and rhythm guitar duties for the duration of their tour.
Ride the Sky announced their dissolution on April 22, 2008, via MySpace, attributing the decision to insufficient media exposure and lack of adequate support from their record label, which hindered the possibility of producing a follow-up album.
Final lineup
- Bjørn Jansson – lead vocals (2006–2008)
- Uli Kusch – drums (2006–2008)
- Benny Jansson – guitar, backing vocals (2006–2008)
- Mathias Garnås – bass guitar (2006–2008)
Former
- Kaspar Dahlqvist – keyboards (2006–2007)
Session
- Henning Ramseth – keyboards, rhythm guitar (2007–2008)
Discography
Their only studio release, New Protection, was launched on August 22, 2007 through Nuclear Blast. The recording sessions took place at Zinkens-Studios in Stockholm. The album includes a music video for its title track. Critics at AllMusic commended its refined fusion of metal and hard rock styles.
- Track listing
- The limited edition digipak as well as US releases feature the additional track "Make the Spirit Burn".
- Certain Japanese editions contain both bonus songs: "Make the Spirit Burn" as track 13 and "Trail of Flame" as track 14.
- Credits
- Bjørn Jansson − lead vocals
- Uli Kusch − drums
- Benny Jansson − guitar, backing vocals
- Kaspar Dahlqvist − keyboards
- Mathias Garnås − bass guitar