Sascha Gerstner (born 2 April 1977) is a German musician who has been one of the guitarists and backing vocalists of
power metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael W ...
since 2002. He is also a former member of
Freedom Call.
Biography
Gerstner grew up in
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
. He started playing keyboards at the age of six and switched to playing guitar when he was thirteen. His main musical influences were the
Michael Schenker Group,
Toto
Toto may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Pets
* Toto (Oz), Toto (''Oz''), a dog in the novel and film ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''
* Toto, in Japanese ''The Cat Returns#Plot, The Cat Returns''
Characters of agency
* a ...
,
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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and
Journey. At the age of seventeen, he started working as a studio guitarist in Nuremberg.
In 1996, Gerstner joined the cover band scene in South Germany, where he met his former bandmates from Freedom Call. He joined Freedom Call in 1998, with whom he recorded two albums and did three big tours in Europe before leaving in 2001.
After leaving Freedom Call, Gerstner co-founded a recording studio and worked as a producer and songwriter for other young artists until Helloween producer
Charlie Bauerfeind contacted him and introduced him to guitarist
Michael Weikath. In 2002, Gerstner joined Helloween.
Gerstner is endorsed b
Dean Guitarsan
Blackstar Amplifiers
Discography

Freedom Call
* ''Stairway to Fairyland'' (1999)
* ''Taragon – EP'' (1999)
* ''
Crystal Empire'' (2001)
Helloween
*''
Rabbit Don't Come Easy'' (2003)
*''
Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy'' (2005)
*''
Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006''
*''
Gambling with the Devil
''Gambling with the Devil'' is the twelfth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in Japan on 24 October 2007, and in Europe on 26 October. The single " As Long as I Fall" is download-only and was released in late September.
...
'' (2007)
*''
Unarmed – Best of 25th Anniversary
''Unarmed – Best of 25th Anniversary'' is the sixth compilation album by German power metal band Helloween. It is a compilation in celebration of the band's 25th anniversary, which contains re-recorded versions of Helloween songs in an acousti ...
'' (2009)
*''
7 Sinners'' (2010)
*''
Straight Out of Hell'' (2013)
*''
My God-Given Right'' (2015)
*''
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael W ...
'' (2021)
Palast
*''Hush – EP'' (2016)
*''Palast (album)'' (2017)
References
External links
Official Facebook page
German heavy metal guitarists
German male guitarists
Helloween members
Living people
Rhythm guitarists
1977 births
Musicians from Stuttgart
Musicians from Nuremberg
Freedom Call members
21st-century guitarists
21st-century German male musicians
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