Black Hand Inn

Black Hand Inn is the eighth studio album by German heavy metal band Running Wild, released on March 24, 1994 through Noise Records. It is a loose concept album about a resurrected man, against a backdrop of piracy, foreseeing Armageddon.

Black Hand Inn
Studio album by
Running Wild
Released24 March 1994
RecordedLate 1993 - Early 1994
GenreHeavy metal, power metal
Length65:46
LabelNoise
ProducerRolf Kasparek
Running Wild chronology
Pile of Skulls
(1992)		 Black Hand Inn
(1994)		 Masquerade
(1995)
Singles from Black Hand Inn
  1. "The Privateer"
    Released: 10 March 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rock Hard (de)9/10[2]
Sputnikmusic[3]

Content

The album's story starts with "The Curse", in which a man by the name of John Xenir (played by Rolf Kasparek) has been condemned to death for using forbidden powers and is burned at the stake to save his soul. After the fire burns out, all that is left is a blackened and charred hand. In the title track, John is alive and creates his own inn in a grove with the sign of a black hand on the front door. He shows to his patrons his powers by predicting their futures. A priest happens to see his powers and threatens him, calling him a devil. However, John is unfazed and tells the man that long ago he was burned away and that the priest is really the evil one.

The lyrics of the song "Genesis" are based on the book "The 12th Planet" by Zecharia Sitchin

The album has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

Reception

In 2005, Black Hand Inn was ranked number 394 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[4]

Track listing

All songs written by Rolf Kasparek

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."The Curse"3:15
2."Black Hand Inn"4:32
3."Mr. Deadhead"4:02
4."Soulless"4:57
5."The Privateer"4:21
6."Fight the Fire of Hate"6:38
Side B
No.TitleLength
7."The Phantom of Black Hand Hill"6:25
8."Freewind Rider"5:15
9."Powder & Iron"5:18
10."Dragonmen"5:42
11."Genesis (The Making and the Fall of Man)"15:18
Total length:1:05:43
1st Press CD Bonus Track
No.TitleLength
1."Poisoned Blood" (From The Privateer EP)3:42
Total length:1:09:25
Japanese Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Poisoned Blood" (From The Privateer EP)3:42
2."Dancing on a Minefield" (From The Privateer EP)5:00
Total length:1:14:25

Personnel
  • Rolf Kasparek - vocals, guitar
  • Thilo Hermann - guitar
  • Thomas Smuszynsky - bass guitar
  • Jörg Michael - drums
Additional Musicians

Production
  • Rock 'n' Rolf - Producer
  • Marisa Jacobi - Layout, Typography
  • Karl-U. Walterbach - Executive producer
  • Andreas Marschall - Cover art
  • Charlie Bauerfeind - Engineering, Mixing, Mastering
  • Sascha Paeth - Engineering (additional), Programming

Charts
Chart Peak position
German Album Charts[5] 14

References
  1. Black Hand Inn at AllMusic
  2. Dix, Jan Michael. "Rock Hard review". issue 84. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  3. "Running Wild - Black Hand Inn (album review ) - Sputnikmusic".
  4. [...], Rock Hard (Hrsg.). [Red.: Michael Rensen. Mitarb.: Götz Kühnemund] (2005). Best of Rock & Metal die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten. Königswinter: Heel. p. 52. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. "German album charts". Retrieved 23 May 2013.
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