One of the stoic mainstays of the German Metal scene. RUNNING WILD debuted with the 1984 album 'Gates To Purgatory', a record laden with stereotypical occultism but soon developed a unique, if bizarre, image based around pirates which they have fostered to the present day. Led by Rock n' Rolf (real name Rolf Kasparek) RUNNING WILD has proved to be a mainstay of the German Metal scene with consistently high profile albums and tours.

The band started out in Hamburg billed as GRANITE HEART, formed in 1976, switching to RUNNING WILD in 1979 for their first demo in 1981: this cassette featuring the songs 'Hallow The Hell', 'War Child' and 'King Of The Midnight Fire'. GRANITE HEART's first line-up consisted of Rock n' Rolf, guitarist Uwe Bendig, drummer Michael Hoffmann and bass player Jörg Schwarz. The latter was replaced by Carsten David in 1976. By the time of the 1981 RUNNING WILD sessions, the formation Rock'n'Rolf, Uwe Bendig on guitar, Matthias Kaufmann on bass and Wolfgang 'Hasche' Haggemann on the drums.

By the band's second tape, the suitably titled 'Heavy Metal Like A Hammer Blow', the following year only Rock n' Rolf and Haggemann remained. Fresh blood was provided by guitarist Preacher (a.k.a. Gerald Warnecke) and bassist Stephan Boriss. RUNNING WILD's third demo session secured a deal with Noise Records. The group's first offerings, two tracks 'Iron Heads' and 'Bones To Ashes', would be donated to the four way split album 'Death Metal' of 1984, sharing space with HELLOWEEN, DARK AVENGER and HELLHAMMER. Their debut proper came with the album 'Gates To Purgatory'.

The release of the 'Branded And Exiled' album, with new guitarist Majk Moti, in 1985 saw RUNNING WILD receive an invitation to open for American Glam Rockers MÖTLEY CRÜE's German 'Theatre Of Pain' tour dates. The band returned to Europe on September 14th, performing at the 'Metal Hammer Fest' in Loreley, Germany sharing a diverse billing with NAZARETH, VENOM, HEAVY PETTIN, WISHBONE ASH, SAVAGE GRACE, METALLICA, TYRAN PACE, PRETTY MAIDS and WARLOCK.

One of the first German Thrash bands to tour North America, RUNNING WILD undertook a lengthy club tour with CELTIC FROST and VOIVOD throughout June of 1986. Following the release of the popular 1987 'Under Jolly Roger' album drummer Hasche quit (and subsequently worked for the Rockfabrik club in Ludwigsburg), being substituted by Stefan Schwarzmann. German gigs in April of 1987 had British act SATAN as openers. The band yielded to another blow shortly after when bassist Stephan Boriss departed to join U.D.O. Before long Schwarzmann followed for the same destination. The live 'Ready For Boarding' album saw Winter 1988 shows with guests SATAN once again.

The 'Port Royal' opus was promoted by an extensive run of European dates throughout January and February 1989 with support from ANGEL DUST. The rhythm section was re-established with the recruitment of bassist Jens Becker and English drummer Iain Finlay for the 1990 'Death Or Glory' album. Finlay's position was briefly substituted by Jörg Michael, boasting credits with AVENGER, RAGE, MEKONG DELTA, LAOS, HEADHUNTER, GRAVE DIGGER and AXEL RUDI PELL. A lengthy string of European dates in January and February 1990 found RAGE, S.D.I. and RANDOM supporting. The line-up would remain less than stable as guitarist Majk Moti departed in early 1991 and was replaced by Axel Morgan. The 'Blazon Stone' album marked another run of Euro touring, this time RUNNING WILD taking RAVEN and CROSSROADS as guests throughout April and May of 1991.

The 'Pile Of Skulls' album in 1992 saw the addition of ex-U.D.O. rhythm section bassist Thomas 'Bodo' Smusynski and the return of drummer Stefan Schwarzmann and was recorded in Studio M in Hildesheim. Meantime, Becker deputized for former touring partners CROSSROADS the same year. The 'Pile Of Skulls' tour, with Jörg Michael back on drums, had UNIVERSE as support in early 1993.

RUNNING WILD would effectively split down the middle with Becker, Schwarzmann and Morgan creating X WILD, an outfit that lasted for three albums. Becker was later to join GRAVE DIGGER.

Two years later the group released their eighth album, 'Black Hand Inn', the record featuring the fifteen minute epic 'Genesis', RUNNING WILD's alternative view on the theory of evolution. Concert dates in Germany witnessed a Summer 1994 co-headline alliance with GRAVE DIGGER. 1995 yielded 'Masquerade' - recorded with Gerhard 'Anyway' Wölfe at Horus Sound in Hannover. The group immediately played the 'Summer Metal Meetings' with the likes of RAGE, GLENMORE, ICED EARTH and GRAVE DIGGER.

With the band inoperative for a period, new guitarist Thilo Hermann, previously with HOLY MOSES and RISK, joined GLENMORE for live work but would return to RUNNING WILD the following year. The band opened up 1996 with another German tour, this time with Brits CHINA BEACH providing the opening honours. Schwarzmann continued his musical chairs by emerging once again as the man behind the kit for U.D.O. in 1997. The same year Herrmann put together the side project HȪLLENHUNDE for the 'Alptraum' album with GLENMORE drummer Dany Löble. Herrmann. When HȪLLENHUNDE dissolved the same year as the album release Herrmann resumed activies with RUNNING WILD.

For the 1997 release, 'The Rivalry', which saw RUNNING WILD switching to the G.U.N. label, Rock n' Rolf was joined by Smuszynski, Hermann and drummer Jörg Michael. Touring to promote the record had RUNNING WILD, with erstwhile RAGE drummer Chris Efthimiadis now installed as Michael had committed himself fully to STRATOVARIUS, pairing with PRIMAL FEAR in April 1998.

1998 found the band returning with a brand new studio affair. The 'Victory' album had Rolf, Herrmann and Smuszynski joined by Angelo Sasso. The latter being a pseudonym for a non 'Metal' drummer not wishing to be associated with the genre.

The band, now including new bass player Peter Pichl of the JUTTA WEINHOLD BAND, Thomas Smuszynski having joined covers band BOURBON, would spend the latter half of 2001 recording new album 'The Brotherhood'. In 2002 the group inducted ANGEL DUST guitarist Bernd Aufermann. Rock n' Rolf put in a cameo appearance in the video for famous German spoof act the DONUTS cover version of TWISTED SISTER's 'We're Not Gonna Take It' in September of 2002.

RUNNING WILD guitarist Bernd Aufermann collaborated with Zak Stevens in early 2004 on songs destined for the second CIRCLE II CIRCLE album. Another collaboration saw bassist Peter Pichl uniting with THE RUGGED's Jóse Juan Gallego and Juan Antonio Soria on a song entitled 'The Reason Around'. Pichl was also announced as joining YARGOS, a Progressive Metal collaboration between well known figures on the European Metal scene involving guitarist Wieland Hofmeister, second guitarist Andreas Kienitz of HYDROTOXIN and HUMAN FORTRESS, THRESHOLD singer Andrew McDermott and MOONDOG drummer Ossy Pfieffer. Additional vocals came courtesy of Anca Graterol.

RUNNING WILD set 'Rogues En Vogue' as the preliminary title for a 2005 record. Limited editions of the album added two exclusive tracks, 'Cannonball Tongue' and 'Libertalia'.

In August 2005 Remedy Records released a double disc tribute album 'The Revivalry - A Tribute To Running Wild' featuring STORMWARRIOR, TORMENT, PARAGON, DARK AGE, TWISTED TOWER DIRE, BURDEN OF GRIEF, PREDATOR, LIGEIA, CHILDREN OF WRATH, AIRBORN, REVIVER, ICARUS WITCH, PERZONAL WAR, MAVERICK, NOT FRAGILE, KNEIPENTERRORISTEN, THE RUGGED, LOGAR'S DIARY, SARDONIC, CRYSTAL SHARK, CROSSFIRE, KATAGORY 5, POSTHUMOUS, THE CLAYMORE, TRAGEDIAN, ASARU, WARVENGER and AGENTS OF ROCK. G.U.N. Records issued a further compilation offering, 'The Best Of Adrian', in November.

In 2008 Finnish Metal band BURNING POINT featured guitarist Majk Moti on the RUNNING WILD cover version 'Gods Of Iron' featured on their album 'Empyre'. 

A second tribute album emerged in 2009 entitled 'ReUnation - A Tribute To Running Wild'. This set involved Poland's CRYSTAL VIPER with 'Libertalia', MAGICA 'Victory', ORDEN OGAN 'Skull & Bones', SATANOCHIO 'Siberian Winter', Argentina's SKILTRON 'Ballad Of William Kidd', THUNDERSTORM 'Welcome To Hell', 5TH SONIC BRIGADE 'Angel Of Mercy', SUIDAKRA, WARHEAD 'Faceless', WILD KNIGHT' and  'Tsar', MOTORJESUS with 'The Rivalry'.