'Instant Clarity' marked the beginnings of a solo career by the former HELLOWEEN frontman Michael Kiske, the vocalist using his already signed up services to Japanese label JVC to finance a 1996 solo album. During the lull between this release and his departure from HELLOWEEN, Kiske was strongly rumoured to be in contention for the then vacant vocalist's position in IRON MAIDEN. Guest appearances on 'Instant Clarity' include those from GAMMA RAY and original HELLOWEEN guitarist Kai Hansen and IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith.

In 1998 Kiske emerged with a new talent for writing issuing his first novel 'Kunst und Materialismus'. November of 2001 would find Kiske seemingly back in the Metal camp, announcing a union with guitarist ROLAND GRAPOW and drummer Uli Kusch, both having just exited from HELLOWEEN, in a strangely titled venture MR. TORTURE. This mooted alliance would not gel though, the two ex-HELLOWEEN colleagues rebilling their endeavour MASTERPLAN and Kiske establishing his own band project. The vocalist had settled on the band name INCENSE although this was retracted when it was learned the title had previously been registered. By October Kiske, working in collaboration with guitarists Sandro Giampietro and Circio Taraxes, had decided upon SUPARED.

Kiske sessioned on Sascha Paeth's debut AINA album, laying down vocals on two cuts 'Silver Maiden' and 'Serendipity'. However, dismissing rumours in December of 2003 that he was in line to join STRATOVARIUS in the wake of Timo Kotipelto's departure the singer issued an official statement vowing "I will only make pop music in the future!"

SUPARED would fold sometime in early 2004 with Kiske voicing what many had known all along with an official statement "I officially announce my departure from the hard rock music scene now. I simply don't fit." Despite this statement the singer would guest on the all star EXECUTION project album assembled by Renato Tribuzy, vocalist of Brazilian act THOTEN, performing the part of a celestial creature on the ten minute epic duet 'Absolution'. In early 2005 Kiske contributed lead vocals to the PLACE VENDOME AOR project, mentored by Frontiers Records owner Serafino Perugino.

Michael Kiske announced in October 2006 that he intended to rearrange and re-record all of the songs that he wrote with his former band HELLOWEEN for an album to be released through Frontiers Records. Kiske also recorded a duet with INDIGO DYING singer Gisa Vatcky for the song 'Breathe In Water'.

It was learned in August 2009n that Michael Kiske was collaborating with American singer Amanda Somerville, of EPICA repute, on a new melodic Hard Rock project for Frontiers Records also involving singwriting contributions from Mat Sinner, of PRIMAL FEAR and SINNER, plus Magnus Karlsson, of PLACE VENDOME and PRIMAL FEAR.

Michael Kiske recorded a guest appearance on two songs, 'Hello Moon' and 'Tears Against Your Smile', on the December 2009 album 'Tin Soldiers' from Italian band TRICK OR TREAT.