Ross The Boss Band Story

A Metallic Twist of Fate

Ross the Boss had been eager to put a new metal band together and had solicited demos from around the world. Despite hearing from a cross-section of talent eager to join him, Ross could not find the right fit. Then, after joining Manowar on stage at the 2005 Earthshaker Festival—his first live appearance with the band in 17 years—Ross The Boss received a fateful call from Oliver Weinsheimer and Majesty/Metalforce singer Tarek “MS” Maghary, promoters of Wurzburg, Germany’s Keep It True Festival.

“They complimented my performance, but said I didn’t play enough songs,” Ross remembers. “They wanted me to play at their festival. I said, ‘Thanks, but I don’t have a band’.”
Oliver laughed. He had just the right guys: singer Patrick Fuchs and bassist Carsten Kettering from in Ivory Night and drummer Matze Mayer, formerly of Divinus.

After Ross agreed, Oliver called Patrick and said, “I have another gig for you guys to play. It’s with this guitar player and I think you are going to want to do it.” Patrick asked who the guitarist was and when Oliver said, “Ross The Boss,” Patrick freaked out.

After the group met for pints, the grouped rehearsed for the first time. After a few minutes, it was obvious: Ross had found his band. After a few shows performing Ross’ classics, the next step was obvious: begin work on an album.

The resulting New Metal Leader would take the metal world by storm; it was a warrior’s war cry that Ross had returned to battlefield to continue where he’d left off. And this time, he was not alone.
Although many considered the album a solo record, they were mistaken. It was a band project, with each member contributing.
With each show they performed, they grew strong. Even Ross, whose ring-rust had faded from the second he first stepped on stage with his new bandmates, was playing better than he had in decades.

The recording of Hailstorm would go even smoother, because Ross no longer had a new band; Ross The Boss were a band; four strong, each playing an equal part in the new album’s creation and each equally anxious to share what they had created with the world.

Get ready. Hailstorm is about to blow your head off.