Where Are You?

Brian Rich --FOUND!
Vocalist for the European band Jackal

Brian Rich--easily one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

Think the vocal prowess of a Bruce Dickinson mixed with the flowing hard rock elements of Sebastian Bach and the power to capture the listener with one single line. For example, pick up a copy of Jackal's "Vague Visions", no not Jackyl the American band, but Jackal the great hard rock band from Denmark. Put it on and just listen to the very first thing you hear. Brian Rich simply stating "I'm Gonna Tell You Something You Should Know". That one line is said perfectly calm, but with enough authority for you to think to yourself, "yes Master Rich, whatever you say sir".

Follow me here, as I give you some clues to the man's disappearance from the music scene. Brian Rich was the vocalist for the Danish band Jackal. They put out a demo cassette in 1987, then proceeded to release three of the best albums of all time, 1990's "Rise", 1993's "Vague Visions", and 1994's "Safe Look In Mirrors". The man also recorded vocals for the band Narita on their 1992 self titled album.

All four of those full length albums were amazing musical pieces, but vocally they were works of art. Rich's vocals with Jackal and Narita are like Tate's vocals with Queensryche, or Dickinson with Maiden. Do you understand what I am getting at? Brian Rich was a tremendous talent, and his last effort was in 1994. 1994! Where are you Brian Rich? How can a vocalist that good just simply vanish. Its a mystery I've often though about since hearing Jackal for the first time in 1997. I'm completely confused as to how and why that talent is gone. I pray that Brian Rich is alive and well. Can anyone help me locate this incredible singer?

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Jackal - Found!

"Thank you very much for your very nice review on Maximum Metal's homepage. I am deeply honoured by your kind words and I'll do my best in the future to live up to it. JACKAL is still alive with a new line up and we have done a new demo which I will send you." --Brian Rich

About one year ago I posted a "Where Are You" feature on the melodic metal band Jackal. My main focus was the disappearance of vocalist Brian Rich, and the mystery surrounding the band's departure from the active metal scene.

Ex-Jackal drummer Per Fisker sent us a brief email explaining the circumstances regarding the band's break-up, and the current happenings of the Jackal band members.

In 1995, after releasing "A Safe Look In Mirrors", Jackal toured with Mike Tramp's (Ex-White Lion) band Freak Of Nature. The group played one gig of the tour before tragedy struck. The group crashed their tour bus, and frontman Brian Rich received a serious head injury. Rich was hospitalized for five days, and spent more than a year and a half in treatment recovering from the injury.

Rising Sun, the group's label at the time, gave the band some to to recover from the accident, but simply couldn't wait any longer for the group to become active again. They parted ways with the band, and Jackal soon split. Drummer Per Fisker and guitarist Benny Petersen moved on with the band Encore, which released one record in Japan called "Free In Chaos" in 1998.

According to Fisker, Brian Rich has made a full recovery and is still shopping for a label under the name of Jackal.

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Update: 04.12.2013

Word from a fan (Shawn Sander) is that Brian, also known as Brian R.Warncke, had passed away on 04.04.13


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