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ASSAULT ATTACK from Wilhelmshaven were formed in early 1984, but at that time still operating as a solid Hard ‘n’ Heavy act. Soon enough they started playing harder and, above all, faster, transforming themselves into a melodic Speed Metal band that received quite good feedback for their Demos back in the day. Until 1987 the band consisted of Michael Siefkes (vocals), Michael Junghans (guitar), Frank Holzenkämpfer (bass), and Detlef Coordes (drums) as a quartet, while Harald Müller (guitar) was assigned the same year the position of second guitarist. Also in that year they recorded their first Demo, “The Innocent”, followed by “Cristal Masquerade” in January 1990. What was striking about both tapes was their musical similarity to the US American band OMEN, both musically and vocally. Melodic Power/Speed in the vein of MAIDEN/OMEN or SAVAGE GRACE would thus aptly describe ASSAULT ATTACK's style. However, the band only existed until 1991.

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Obscure Hard’n’Heavy band from Moers, near Duisburg, who released an 11-song Demo in late 1987, recorded in their rehearsal room. Further info is needed.

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A mainstream Hard Rock band from Duisburg, that formed in autumn '86, who already recorded a highly appreciated Demo tape (4 trax) back in 1987 and participated on an international band contest the same year. According to certain info, Chelsea's sound was equal to well known US commercial Hard Rock bands like BON JOVI, while their vocalist strongly reminds of Dio and Gary Barden. The guys returned 3 years later as trio - Dirk van Offern (vocals), Michael Böing (guitar), Jörg Landsdorfer (keyboard) – and recorded their debut LP during early 1990 with session musicians, announced to be available in summer. The same time 4 of the preproduced album trax was spread as a Demo, that either was highly praised by national magazines, yet the LP never saw the light of day at all. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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Nuremberg's CHAINBREAKER was active already since 1981, but the first 3 track Demo was recorded not before 1985. Their style on the debut was kinda sluggish standard 80's Heavy Metal, but they later fortunately got the curve and released the two other Demos "Kick down" and "Savage days" in 1987/88, that featured speedy 80's Metal with melodic refrains, comparable to bands like STORMWITCH, ACCEPT or STEELER. During 1994 the guys also produced their debut CD "Sex not love" independently. If you got more info, please get in touch.c refrains. During 1994 the guys also produced their debut CD "Sex not love" independently. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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This Witten/Bochum band was previously known as SPLIT BRAIN, but changed their name to MAGIC POWER in 1985, possibly "borrowing" the monicker from ex-FAITHFUL BREATH, now M.P. guitarist Horst Stabenow's old band from the 60's, THE MAGIC POWER. Their supposedly well-produced 1985 Demo was a 4-song affair described as 'melodic Heavy Rock' in an old issue of Rock Hard, but also the 2nd release called "Hymn of victory" received positive critics since all of the band members had lotsa experiences in other bands before joining MAGIC POWER. Some have even suggested this was a vinyl EP, but seeing is believing... That title track did however carry over onto the LP they released 1990, after their 2nd name-change to SYNTRA in 1988. Exactly which other SYNTRA or SPLIT BRAIN members were part of this chapter of the band's history is still unconfirmed from reliable sources though. If you have more info, please get in contact.

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These MERLIN originated from the Frankfurt area and released a Demo in 1988 that according to certain reviews could shine with similarities to DOKKEN, DIO or STEELER, surprising with straight up played melodic Heavy Rock in the US vein.

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This Bremen band started out first as PROPHET in April 1987 and quickly later became PROPHECY, formed by 2 ex-SWEET CHEATER members including former VICTORY/INVADER guitarist Michael Sebastian. In time for their one and (sadly) only Demo release came the name change 1988 to FINAL PPROPHECY due to judicial issues. This release is certainly belonging in the upper part of the tragic "Why the HELL didn't they get signed???" list and stand out as a German underground classic - something most mags and zines at the time wholeheartedly agreed on. Imagine a tight and energic mix of HOLY TERROR, AGENT STEEL and any classic German Power/Speed act of your choice and you get "Beyond Reality". Unfortunately the band broke up about a year later, but Michael continued in bands like PERFECT CRIME in the late 90's and ETERNAL REIGN in the 00's. If you have more info, please get in contact.

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A progressive Techno Speed Metal band as they labeled themselves, orginating from Dortmund and formed during the late 80's (possibly 1987/88), which actively played live during 1989. The band changed name to Rhûn (Rhun) in the following year. If you got further info, please get in touch.

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Another Nonsense band that popped up like flies on a pile of shit during the late 80’s when everyone thought that he was chosen to form a noise band. This philharmonic orchestra came from Bredelar, south of Paderborn and picked the odd name SIEGFANZ. The number of songs on their late 1988 recorded 32 min Demo “Ohrenschmalz” might tell us everything we need to know, to skip on to the next entry right away. It's 31 songs in total that the psychos stylewise labeled as “Mitesser-Thrash”, what ever this means...

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Surely not to be taken too serious should this local underground band from Altötting, east of bavarian Munich. The combo with the silly name RECHTECK (Rectangle) recorded a Demo in late autumn 1988 entitled “Power from beer", featuring 8 moshing Fun T(h)rash trax for all the crazies of this world.

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The Kürnach residing Thrashers PARADOX previously operated under different monickers since 1981 with Charly Steinhauer and Axel Blaha being the only constant of all the previous formations like OVERKILL, MANIAC or WARHEAD and since February 1986 eventually as PARADOX, with Markus Spyth and Roland Stahl as additional members. Due to their track "Pray to the godz of wrath" taken from the first Demo 1986, which was featured on the Roadrunner compilation "Teutonic Invasion" and their second Demo "Mystery" 1987, that came with more professional sound than the debut, Roadrunner signed the troop and in May '87 "Product of imagination" was recorded at the Karo studio, to be released in October. 1988 Roland Stahl had to quit due to the army needing his services and Matthias Schmitt replaced him. During the recordings of the second album "Heresy", which was originally planned under the title “The burning” btw., in January '89 Markus Spyth quit as well and Dieter Roth helped out on guitars. Due to an infection of Steinhauer's larynx, the band was forced to hire a new vocalist and therefore the vocal parts was sung by ex-ANGEL DUST Shelko Topalovic but coz he joined SCANNER instead, his vocal trax was deleted and Steinhauer finished the vocal parts himself just months later in summer. When Schmitt left in 1989, Armin Donderer (ex-ARKHAM/MARK TERRY) joined, but Roth quit also when "Heresy" was available in November '90 and got replaced by Kai Pasemann. Due to the neverending problems with getting a stable line up together, the guys disbanded PARADOX in 1991. The sound of PARADOX was often compared with METALLICA, though it's not exactly correct. Indeed their technical Speed'n'Thrash was kinda unique in the german scene, with own identity, but influences of early ANGEL DUST and TESTAMENT as well as certain ANTHRAX influences on the "Heresy" album would describe their style way more real. 1991 Steinhauer and Blaha revived PARADOX again and had a bit more luck since then, released several albums and played live again with different musicians.

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A Sonthofen (southern Bavaria) based Hard Rock band that partly also sung in German. The guys was featured with the tracks "Road 266" and "Ohne Gewähr" on the local sampler “Rock für Afrika” in 1985. Both tracks do offer energetic Rock'n'Roll influenced Hard Rock with primary Southern Rock influences, superiorly reminding of MOLLY HATCHET in the first. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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An obscure Heavy Metal band from Sonthofen in southern Bavaria. They appeared on the local Compilation "Rock für Afrika" and their track is spreading a nice heavy rocking charm though the vocals are a bit amateurish sounding. Nevertheless the band strongly reminds in places of british band COBRA (the one on Ebony). If you got more info please get in touch.

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A melodic Heavy Metal band from Hagen/Wuppertal, formerly known as BRUTUS, featuring ex-STRAIGHT SHOOTER Frank Kobe and Reinhold Brieseck of BIRTH CONTROL, who released a professional 3 song Demo in late 1986 under the name of TANIS, receiving pleased recognition by German Metal mags. The band was already formed by Frank Kobe and Klaus Oltersdorf during 1976 as BRUTUS, but they didn’t get things together back in the day and Kobe either focussed on STRAIGHT SHOOTER career it seems. In 1986 the duo tried to push their luck with TANIS once again and then recorded the aforementioned Demo. Vocalist Joachim Mais afterwards had to leave the ACCEPT and JUDAS PRIEST influenced band and Rainer Hagen got the job, who sung all vocal parts once again while the Demo was remixed right within the same breath as well. Reinhold Brieseck got replaced by Rüdiger Gähner. During late 1986 the band could support BONFIRE on their Germany tour, but it’s been way too stressy for Rainer and drummer Klaus, so they both quit in spring '87. Replacements was announced during late summer that year with Glenn Götz on vox and Lutz Wege behind the drums. With the new line up they produced new Demos then in September ’87. Some band info also mentioned 2 future compilation appearances during spring ’87, planned to become reality withing 1987 on a sponsored underground sampler with Metal bands, but there’s no proof to be found that project got ever finished at all.

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MORDOR from Wuppertal surely has been fans of ACCEPT, but I have to admit that they did that very well, as musically their first incarnation that started 1984 with vocalist Holger “Doc Rock” vom Scheidt, in places could be seen as serious concurrence for the Solingen steelmasters. The MORDOR boys Holger vom Scheidt (vocals), Oliver Schlimmer (guitar), Harald „Harry“ Lingenberg (guitar), Jörg Hermann (bass) and Thomas “Tornado” Bergmann (drums) recorded their first 4 track Demo in December '85, which was spread in the beginning as a Demo cassette indeed, and published it a bit later on during 1986 as the "Metal" 12” independently in a limited edition of 1000 copies. Despite the fact that the EP was originally intended and already announced to appear under the title “5 riders are coming”, the band seemed to withdraw that title in the very last second. Songs like the eerie "Rock warrior" could be ACCEPT's own songs to be honest. But I don' want to degrade their EP here, as it features more than just listenable typically german Heavy Metal nevertheless. Dave T. Richards of Iron Works came to the same conclusion I guess and featured the track "Rock warrior" on one of his countless shapes, but originally that shape (though it's listed separately down below) originally belongs to the Iron Tyrant's III compilation and was just given away with that album. 1986 Holger vom Scheidt left and formed the also sweet NINJA. Either Jörg Hermann and Harald Lingenberg got replaced by Marcus Bielenberg (bass) and Michael Zschipang (guitar) in early ’87. With the new line up Zschipang, Schlimmer, Bielenberg and Bergmann, MORDOR started searching for a suitable melodic singer, whom they eventually found in Belgian shouter Alan Vandendriessche. Michael Stötzner (guitar) would already replace Michael Zschipang on the last Demo, anticipatory "Second birth" entitled, that was released a bit later on in 1987 as well. During May '88 MORDOR announced to soon start recordings for a new Demo, but the chapter MORDOR was finished a while later during 1988 and Marcus Bielenberg reappeared in DANTON respectively.

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A Hard Rock/Metal band with explicit US touch from Ostfildern/Stuttgart, that won the local Landesrockfestival Baden-Wuerttemberg in late 1986. The band also had a Demo tape available during early 1987 and got the support slot for the tour with SINNER, which didn’t didn’t gain them a lot of luck at all since after 4 shows their bass player and the singer got fired. The rest of the band still tried to recruit new members to reform the band, but it didn’t seem they succeeded with that desperate attempt. If you have more info please get in touch.

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A female fronted, highly professional sounding Melodic Metal band originating from Mannheim, founded in 1986 by ex-HUNTER guitarist Peter Hartung. After recording just one Demo in early ’87 FEMINE got already offered a record contract by an indie label and therefore the band around Peter Hartung and Susanne Fath started working on material for the debut album right in spring of that year. But since noone ever had heard before of “Finesse Music Productions”, the album release wouldn’t happen at all. At some point during 1988 Susanne Fath got replaced by native US american born female singer Christine Black. Late summer 1988 due to their explosive live performances, the band was invited to record Demos for ZYX Metallic, to decide for a possible future collaboration, which didn't succeed, so their singer Christine Black later would join the band MONSTERS and recorded an album with them, while FEMINE changed name in mid 1989 to SANVOISEN.

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An ultra-primitive joke-Thrash band from Herne, outside Dortmund who've been compared to both SODOM, S.O.D. and THE MENTORS. The line-up featuried ANGEL DUST bassist Frank "Megabanx" Banx, as well as some more anonymous individuals only presented as Schrammel on drums and Chef on vocals and guitars. According to an old bio the latter were previously involved in an even more obscure act called MALICIOUS MARAUDER, and 2 names that have turned up in contact addresses and who may or may not have been the real identities behind those aliases are Thomas Schmukal and Siggi Hahn, but more info is once again needed.

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CHRONICAL DIARRHOEA from Mühlheim/Ruhr was an extreme Crossover act, which was active since the mid 80's and who after releasing a 14-song Demo and indpendent single in 1987, got signed by the former Punk/Hardcore label Nuclear Blast Records, who produced the guys debut album "Salomo says..." the following year. During the first years of their existence CHRONICAL DIARRHOEA was performing an absurdly hyperfast grinding Speedcore, most likely comparable to CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER or LETHAL AGGRESSION, while during their later phase, especially on "The last judgement" album, musically moved into a more Thrash influenced Crossover style, in the vein of D.R.I. on "Crossover". The band disbanded like so many others too in the early 90's.

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More or less unnoticed local Dortmund Metal band, that ANGEL DUST’s Andreas Lohrum joined in 1987 after “Into the dark past” and ANGEL DUST’s reformation with new members. More info is badly needed.

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Dortmund's ANGEL DUST was one of the leading german Speed Metal acts during the mid 80's. Founded by Andreas Lohrum back in 1984, the line up after several early attempts had stabilized with Andreas Lohrum (guitar, vocals), Roman Keymer (guitar), ex-CROWS Frank Bankowski (bass) and ex-MANIAC drummer Dirk Assmuth, who recorded the very first Demo "Marching for revenge" in August 1985, that provided a still early SLAYER style excessive Speed Metal with mad guitar solos. Obviously Disaster Records had no other choice than to offer the guys a record deal, resulting in the Speed Metal milestone "Into the dark past", recorded at the Musiclab Studio Berlin 1986, that just focussed on the very early SLAYER/METALLICA sound, comparable to ATLAIN's "G.O.E." album. For a short while Jörg Weiß seemed to have occupied the vacant micro position, but he already left a bit later on. Romme Keymer left ANGEL DUST in 1987 to join Bankowski's old band CROWS and later went to become an important part in the legendary RISK. Winfried Hirsch and Stefan Nauer, both ex-guitarists of the aforementioned CROWS instead changed over to ANGEL DUST, coz also Andreas Lohrum had called it a day that year and joined the new Dortmund band MAGIC STEEL. Ex-THUNDERBOLT vocalist Shelko Topalovic (aka S.L. Coe) got the vocal job for the following album "To dust you will decay", recorded in spring '88. Of corpse due to the drastical change of personnel "To dust you will decay" sounded a bit different than the debut, whenalso you could clearly notice songs that surely had been still written by the old line up, but progressive, yet melodic Power/Thrash elements undermined the new ANGEL DUST sound. During 1989/90 the end of the band had drawn near, so Bankowksi returned to CROWS. S.L. Coe hired by the band SCANNER and later was found in REACTOR. Alone Dirk Assmuth and Bankowski revived ANGEL DUST 1997, but are playing a more Power Metal inspired style from that day forward.

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To fully introduce Sinner from Stuttgart we guess isn't neccessary at all anymore. The band started late in 1980 and already in autumn ’81 made a larger tour through smaller concert halls throughout Germany, while quickly after that tour the band started recordings for the first album "Wild 'n' evil" still within the year 1981, which could be eventually finished in spring’82. The first steady line up was built by Matthias "Matt Sinner" Lasch (vocals, bass) and ex-Stuttgart guitarist Calogero Rappalo, Frank Mittelbach (guitar), Edgar Patrik (drums), who would all found Tyran' Pace a few years later. Support gigs for Accept, Samson, Whitesnake or Wishbone Ash would follow quickly, before the “Fast decision” album was recorded during Dec. ’82 and June ‘83.
On the first 2 albums Sinner's sound was still Hard Rock and primarily NWOBHM inspired, especially on "Fast decision" the Judas Priest influences are undeniable. Tensions in the band caused a completely line up change since the most of the guys wanted to create softer rather AOR inspired material. But Mat Sinner, founder of the band, decided to rearrange the whole line up. Helmo Stoner and Frank Mittelbach had been hired as guitarists and Edgar Patrik on drums (ex-Powerhouse/Supermax/Lee Cooper Group), who was playing with Mat Sinner already in the “David Hanselmann Band”. After "Fast decision" the new Sinner produced a Demo tape and this way achieved a contract with Noise Records. By changing band members over and over again, the band's style changed too and this way on "Danger zone" (with Ralf Schulz on drums, who got replaced shortly afterwards by ex-Fargo/Fandango Bernie van der Graaf) and "Touch of sin", with ex-Accept axeman Hermann Frank, their sound turned quite up to date into typical powerful german Heavy Metal with slightly Accept-ish touch. On "Comin' out fighting" the Sinners (again with new team) started playing the sound they got later known for, Melodic Metal, though there was still Heavy Metal prevailing, but on "Dangerous charm" with Andreas Susemihl (guitar, later in Lazy/U.D.O./Ape), Bernie van der Graaf (drums), new guitarist Armin Mücke (who substituted Mathias Dieth, who joined U.D.O.), the keyboarder Mathias Ulmer and Matt Sinner himself on bass as usual, they developed their new melodic style to the maximum. From 1987 to 1992 a short break happened from Sinner as Mat Sinner was concentrating on his solo career, but then with the "No more alibis" CD subsequently returned 1992 to release countless of albums throughout the following years. Please note, we only list the albums of this band, there was numerous other singles and stuff available.

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Remnants of the “legendary” so called cult band C.M.C. from Dortmund that formed during 1987 and rather would fall under the category unbearable noise, Funcore, Applecore or Nonsenscore we guess. In 1988 the remaining band members decided from now on to create “serious music" and therefore changed concept and name to DEBACLE, to play unbearable noise, Funcore, Applecore and Nonsenscore on their freshly recorded rehearsal tape that featured 12 earcrushing incarnatons of bad foulish taste.

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“Legendary” so called cult band from Dortmund acitive during the later mid 80's, that rather would fall under the category unbearable noise, Funcore, Applecore or Nonsenscore we guess. In 1988 the band members decided from now on to create “serious music" and therefore changed concept and name to DEBACLE.

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A Melodic Metal band from the Münster area, which formed in about 1987 and recorded their debut album in summer '88. Prior to the vinyl, the guys could already collect lotsa positive feedback for their Demo recorded early in 1988. Due to the highly professional performance and songwriting skills of the involved musicians, LEE Z's "Primetime" album clearly has to be mentioned in company with other german Melodic Metal newcomers of the late 80's like WISHES BURN and especially VIOLENT TOUCH, though LEE Z in places acted slightly heavier ("Ten thousand warmachines"), even though the lads' songs was heavily accompanied by keyboards. The guys pretty much had found the balance between the heavy and the melodic side of Metal. Unfortunately they couldn't produce another album still in time, so the second effort "Time will tell" wasn't released until 1994. In the 90's a few more albums was produced also and so far "Shadowland", their last one, in 2005, the band is still active nowadays though.

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Freiburg Crossover maniacs that formed around 1987 and recorded their debut Demo "Last days visions" between March and April 1988. Musically inspired by C.O.C. and D.R.I., the lads apart of the common Hardcore vocals indeed could catch musically a part of the classic D.R.I. sound. Interestingly DROWNED IN SURROUNDINGS, as the band was originally called, did rather fit the wellknown US Thrashcore scheme than any European standards with their uncompromising and rough hacking, you wouldn’t note any difference at all if you wouldn't know the opposite. However, during 1993 a second selftitled Demo was recorded as well, before the guys just vanished forever.

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A local Hard’n'Heavy fivepiece from Oberursel in the northern Frankfurt area, who recorded at least one Demo during late 1987 or early ’88, that’s said to sound rather average, musicially somewhere acting in the RENEGADE/HAMMERSCHMITT vein, but with above average vocal performance. The tape featured 4, in a professional studio recorded tracks. NASH was still around on local stages during 1990, been seen performing live in their area. Further info is needed.

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A female fronted Metal band from Heidelberg, influenced by american Hard Rock/Hair Metal acts like KISS, OZZY and KICK AXE, which was active since November 1985, and found a stable line up during summer ’86 with * (vocals), Dean Wharton (guitar), Boris Purge (guitar), Roger Kayy (bass) and Rob Bender (drums). SHOT didn’t really hide their passion for the american Glam Metal bands and either dressed like them on stage, when most guys in the audience thought they’d be posers. But the band fortunately acted way heavier than their american idols and would sooner or later remove the lipstick, leaving the coloured costumes and listels in the bags. Still inspired by BONFIRE, heavier DOKKEN, early RATT and GREAT WHITE, the band recorded several Demo tapes during the mid 80’s, whereas either an indie label showed interest for a possible album production in the summer ’88. Prior to the "Second strike" Demo, recorded late '87, the guys had already published “Out to rock” in 1986. During 1989 their line up changed, and the band recorded another tape in 1991. If you have more info please get in touch.

(* = name removed upon request of the artist)

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A Prog/Classic Rock band from Bavaria (Tegernsee area) with clearly audible AOR/Hard Rock edge much influenced by the heavier TOTO stuff it seems. TAROCK appeared with 2 German sung songs on a local and quite obscure sampler made by a local bavarian label called Bogner Records, while "Keine Zeit" indeed knows to attract with its nice riffing. As usual the second number "Tal" sadly comes down as much more R'n'R ladden, still with some hard rockin' guitars though, but not on the same level as the previous song at all.

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A bavarian Prog/Hard Rock band that appeared with 2 songs “Face without a name” + “Ninety nine”) on a local and quite obscure sampler made by a local bavarian label called Bogner Records, that had later specialized in rather bavarian folk music (you know "Jodel-Andy" and the likes). QUOTATION's musical level of skills was by far above common standards and one would wish that Bogner Records would have had produced a fullenght of that great band instead of the Jodel stuff that followed afterwards. Musically seen QUOTATION and XENON (another band on that sampler) are stylewise equally astonishing sounding.

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A progressive Hard Rock "orchestra" from Miesbach, south of Munich, that formed in 1985 and used to sing in their native local slang, which is quite abnormally within the German Hard Rock spectrum, as most of the bands tried to reach an international audience. Nevertheless Xenon's style wasn't uninteresting at all, having a slightly heavier sound than band's like TOTO with huge Prog Rock edge in the beginning. Right one year after forming the band, the guys took part on an obscure local compilation entitled "George White Band, Quotation, Tarock, Xenon, Fitz", featuring XENON’s essential and impressive AOR semi ballad “Der Wächter” and “Du allein”. Their selfproduced debut single with the 2 songs "Der Wächter" and "Die Wölfin" got finally released with huge delay during early 1989. The original recordings was done already in January '88, but a few things had to be added in the following months. When they entered the studio in April '88 again, all the analogue technique got converted to digitally PC controlled which caused more problems than advantages. When they finally had every missing part recorded and the songs was finally finished, the lads wasn't happy with the too sterile sounding result at all and simply re-recorded both tracks once again within 2 nights. November 3rd 1988 XENON's single recordings was finally finished. 1992 the guys once more released a fullenght album on the label Ample Records, featuring much heavier Hard Rock with bavarian slang like on their first single, but this time explicitly more Hard Rock and either Metal guided than before, comparable to the late DEEP PURPLE. After "Fuartfahrn" (means "To drive away") the band in 1996 released one more privately produced CD entitled “Haberfeldtreib'n”, which was published on the Rockwerk indie label, as well as their last MCD “Nix anders”. XENON split up on 2003.

(Thanx to emosteel for the recommendation)

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These melodic Hardrockers from Jork, west of Hamburg, were formed in January '86 by Jörg Leyding and Thomas Fisher. The line-up was completed in June '87 with the addition of Frode Garshol, Andreas Glummert and Jan-Marc Bayer. Their "...Call 6069" Demo was recorded in December '87 (released early 1988), described as Y&T-influenced melodic Hard Rock with even KEEL style up tempo numbers. Their Norwegian Drummer Frode Garshol went on to ALLEY CAT in 1988, causing a big conceptional change inside the band, who immediately got renamed to CHAMPAGNE during late '88 or January '89, with new line up featuring Jörg Leiding (vox), Hucky (guitar), ex-WILD HEART Heiko Schröder (guitar) Olly (bass) and AC on drums. For the end of January '89 a new Demo was either announced. If you have more info, please get in contact.

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A relatively young band from the wider Bocholt area on the Dutch border, whose members all had been still teenagers when MANDRAGORE was seen live on stage at the “Metal Battle” in Isselburg, happening in May 1988 together with local heroes VEBRIFUGE and KARNAGE. The boys couldn’t fully convince the audience at all, comments about a “strange vocal style” came up. No clue what happened with them afterwards, they seemed to have been vanished quickly.

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Bocholt’s own KARNAGE formed sometime during 1987 in the area northwest of Essen, where these guys mainly operated live as well during their too short existence. Guys who’ve seen them live on stage back in the day attested the band a quite professional performance, while their sort of Speed Metal had been rather on a higher level than usual. Unfortunately KARNAGE only recorded a single Demo during the second half of 1988 to prove the good impression they left on stage, but well, the tape then included with 7 songs quite album length.

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The Thrash band BLASTED was previously known as DARKNESS since already 1985, but not the Essen band! These DARKNESS/BLASTED hailed from Ludwigshafen and released 2 rather speedy Power Metal influenced Demos before they changed name to BLASTED in 1988 and added Stefan Webet as second guitarist. On the guys 3rd tape (Demo # 1for BLASTED though), "Contamination by torture", they tried to perform a kinda varied Thrash Metal with several breaks, but the main focus was clearly on the thrashy parts of the songs. During 1989 another tape with similar style was released, entitled "So near and yet too far".

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Another Thrash band with the name HATRED, that as if it wouldn't be enough that the Winterscheid HATRED played Thrash Metal too, was active at exactly the same time and either released their only known Demos during late 1991 and 1992. The band was formed around 1990 in Moosburg, north of Munich, while Uwe Sedlmaier already was the drummer of Landshut Thrashers SORS IMMANIS. After HATRED’s "Live Demo" 1991, their original guitarist Daniel Kuntz passed away and therefore SORS IMMANIS’s Karl “Charly” Schaberl was hired, who appeared on their second tape "Under pressure of lies". HATRED didn't seem to exist much longer afterwards as Irlbauer joined SORS IMMANIS in 1995.

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Thrashers from Erdingen/Landshut, that originally operated as a Punk band during the early 80’s under the monicker of DIE SCHWULEN PÄPSTE. After the reformation and a name change to FICKINGER, the band carried on as a Hardcore outfit between 1985/86, before another stilistical break would happen. During 1986 new guitarist Karl “Charly” Schaberl joined the guys, who changed connected with further line up changes stylistically into the Thrash camp and therefore a new name had been in bad need as well. SORS IMMANIS got the surcharge, while until March of 1987 it took the guys to completely restructure the new band. Only bassist Mike would remain of the old team. In 1987 SORS IMMANIS would record their first Demo, that could hold certain quality standards of that time, but reviews mentioned the band wouldn’t stand out of the mass of new Thrash bands at all. Late in 1988 the guys decided to throw another tape on the market, being a live Demo this time, recorded in early September of that year. Stylewise it was noticeable that SORS IMMANIS would drift away more and more into the Techno Thrash direction from that point on, although for the rest of the decade the band wouldn’t release any other tape at all. It took them until 1992 when “Hidden truth” was available, now with Uwe Gasz on bass guitar, who also would appear with Albert Nitzl, Karl Schaberl and Uwe Sedlmaier on the 1993 output "The fragility of beauty", all being technical Thrash stuff. For the follow up Demos “The haunted” (1994) and “Instant termination” (1995, released on CDR) the line up had changed again. Ex-HATRED frontman Stephan Irlbauer, whom Charly Schaberl & Uwe Sedlmaier, who both also played in that band, recruited after HATRED’s split eventually joined in, while also Sascha Treffert, another guitarist, would reinforce SORS IMMANIS together with remaining duo Karl Schaberl and Uwe Sedlmaier. Last sign of life so far was the “Beyond the red” Demo CD released in 2000. It seems the band is still active yet though.

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ACID was an old band from Dortmund, whose roots are originating back to 1979 already. Their first release was a private Hard Rock inspired single, recorded in July '83, featuring the cheesy ballad "Livin' in a dream" and the better, NWOBHM influenced rocker "Drifter". During the mid 80's ACID entered the stage again with a 3 song Demo, that also contained "Drifter" again, which was sold at their gigs. At that time the band members saw themselves influenced by bands like RAINBOW, SCORPIONS, STATUS QUO and JUDAS PRIEST. Right for October ’86, as ACID claimed in interviews of that time, a recording session was in the planning phase, featuring 5 songs, predestined for an album, that the manager of the guys should try to sell to any record company afterwards. But nothing in that direction would happen at all till after several years of silence, ACID recorded the album "Acidify" during September '88, which in the end was released under the title of "Don't lose your dreams" the year after. The band was now a trio, consisting of mastermind Sommerhoff (vocals, guitar), Andreas Schulz still on bass and Carsten Bald behind the drums. Also soundwise they added a proper pound of power and occasionally played a very speed driven melodic type of Power Metal, not much unlike Helloween and bands of that caliber. The only disturbing issue are those few commercial Heavyrockers that simply won't fit to the album at all. Otherwise "Don't lose your dreams" was a very sold affair. Not sure, when Acid split up, but for sure during the very early 90's.

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A Heavy Metal band from Laudenbach/Heidelberg that formed in early 1984 and released a Demo tape in 1985 that featured faster melodic Heavy Metal with influences of SAXON, JUDAS PREST and ACCEPT. Afterwards in 1986 a second Demo entitled "Heavy Metal" was recorded with new members Carsten Oesterreicher (bass) replacing Stefan Schiemer and Mike Schmidt (guitar) came to replace Andy Fath. The guys claimedtheir style themselves as “Rock’n'Rage" btw. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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Did you ever ask yourself why these early german bands always looked like the guys from the Blue Oyster Bar? However, Ralf Hollmer was previously active since 1981 with TYRANT before he started VAMPYR in 1984 with Wolfgang Schwarz (vocals), Markus “Conan" Maier (bass), who both had been playing together in another local band previously, and the two Sterzik brothers Roman (drums) and Lubosch on guitar, who as well played together for several years. This might probably explain why both bands are so close in style and sound. For those who enjoy the typically german Power/Speed Metal like TYRANT and early RUNNING WILD the "Cry out for Metal" LP might be the Elysium for every headbanger. Unfortunately they only made this one album before the band split up in 1988 already. Lubosch “Iron Head” Sterzik joined (oh miracle) TYRANT right afterwards.

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The Duisburg headbangers METAL SWORD debuted with the track "Ready for love" one year after the band was formed (spring '82) on the obscure compilation album "Die No 1". Early 1983 the quartet already had recorded a first Demo tape, that they wasn't too impressed of, as the sound didn't meet the band's expectations at all. When Steve Thomaszorro joined in early '84 on second guitar, the METAL SWORD lads re-recorded that Demo and sent it to diverse record labels, which gained attention by Wishbone Records, who released their "Harder than steel" MLP, recorded in summer '85. At around the same time the album was released Randy Tomlin (ex-WARRANT) replaced T. A. (Thomas Allkämper) on drums in late 1985 and either T.G. Cunning (bass) joined, so the guys could start working on their second album, planned for 1986 as well,featuring new songs like “Into the fire”, Out of control” and "Heavy Metal". Right in the same breath the band announced in interviews, that they’d rather go more commercial on the new albumm trying to cover a spectrum within IRON MAIDEN and DEEP PURPLE.
But the band split up still within the same year. The interesting fact on "Harder than steel" was, that METAL SWORD sounded less german than other bands of the area, but instead showed similarities to the dutch style, like f.e. DARK WIZARD. The MLP is a highly collectable piece featuring haunting underground hymns like "The exorcist" or the outstanding "Stormriders". Ex-drummer Thomas Alkämper would reappear in AIRWOLF, while Randy Tomlin was playing with MANTICORE throughout 1990. One lesser known fact is that Randy Tomlin, while still being in METAL SWORD during 1986 announced plans for a solo EP entitled "Children of the night”. If you got more info about the 2 METAL SWORD Demos, then please get in touch with us.

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ACRID - An early Black Metal band from Siegen, formed in January 1985 by Savage Bastard (guitar) and Hellish Tormentor (drums). The diabolic duo surprised with a mad speed and made just one mistake, their Demos both was "homerecordings", done by themselves. Despite all those early Black (Death) Metal outfits sounded pretty horrible, it's not really the case with ACRID. With a proper studio recording these guys name would be known to a wider audience most probably, though they've been faves in tapetrader circles, being one of the really few early extreme acts that actually sounded good. Fans of old brazilian pioneers like early SARCOFAGO should give them a try definitely. On the debut "Devil's Metal" from 1985, Savage Bastards did all vocals, while at a later stage Hellish Tormentor jumped in and sung on the second effort "Acrid beasts" (1986). A certain "Vollarsch" was hired for session lead guitar for the recordings of "Devil's Metal" as well, after their original “lead guitarist" got just fired shortly before the rercordings. After another inofficial reh/recording done within the same year, the lads changed name to ETERNAL TRASH in mid '87 and released one more Demo entitled "Procession".

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WALLOP was a conspiracy of Stefans it seems, like in WHIPLASH where there was only Tony's playing, WALLOP's almost whole team consisted of guys called Stefan. Nevertheless this band from Hattersheim/Offenbach recorded 2 Demos since they started as quintet in early 1983 and released an album on Axel Thubeauville's label Bonebreaker Records. The second guitarist already left the band in April '83 again. The 2 early Demos was both sung by the original vocalist Stefan Niebling, but shortly before they recorded the album he left, just to return after a while to keep on singing for them till their split in 1987. Mick Wega did the vocals on "Metallic Alps", but he didn't stay for long due to different views about WALLOP’s future music and weak live performances. On the LP their style got way heavier than on the still more in the classic Heavy Metal rooted tapes. They went into a Power Metal direction with many speedy parts (certainly with RUNNING WILD/NOISEHUNTER similarities) and the band was often seen doing live shows with mainly Speed and Thrash bands back in the mid 80's. So it's not really a miracle that Stefan Arnold, after WALLOP recorded a last Demo in 1986 and split up in the coming year, joined Thrashers GRINDER. Lorz and Fleischer founded the Prog Metal band SCENE X DREAM in 1989.

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Not Fragile belong to Hamburg's oldest Metal formations and their birth goes back till summer 1980 already when Torsten Buczko and Matthias Belter started playing together, till Arnd Stronkowski and Markus Köhn a while later completed the line up. When these lads still started as Hard Rock band, their sound delevoped into NWOBHM influenced Heavy Metal with every year that passed by and after releasing several Demo tapes between 1984 and '85, the whole thing started to fructify, when 2 trax of their "Made in Metal" tape appeared on international compilation albums, while the D&S label also featured Not Fragile on the 1st of their "Break Out" samplers with the trax "Hard to be alive" and "Too fast", that marked the band's advancement to the classic german Power/Speed Metal sound like early Helloween f.e. One weak point though in the whole 80's history, should remain the rather weak vocals of Torsten Buczko. In autumn '87 Raico Ebel (ex-Ill Prophecy) joined Not Fragile for Arnd Stronkowski (later in Bleedfort), who left the band a bit earlier. In February '88 the lads prepared a 4th Demo, when Metalother Records, who already had featured them on their "Metal Warriörs" sampler, contacted the band and offered them to rather produce a vinyl of the recordings instead of a Demo. "Who dares wins", as the MLP was later entitled, featured a grown Speed Metal band, that fully continued there where Helloween stopped after "Walls of Jericho", celebrating the melodic highspeed Metal thing with smoking fingers. Due to Metalother financially ripped them off, Not Fragile in fall of '88, reinforced by Ralf Salpius as second guitarist, recorded 3 new songs for the "Lost in a dream" 12", released by their management Hellion Records in all kinds of possible vinyl colors in a limited edition of 1000 copies. Raico Ebel quit Not Fragile still in 1989 due to internal trouble and started his own project Mad Alien. Torsten Buczko handled the second guitar from this point again and the album "One way to glory" was recorded in summer 1989 at Delta Studio in Wilster, which wasn't released before 1992 in Japan only as "Hard to be alive", including the "Who dares wins" EP as well. In Germany that album was released just 1 year later as the "Lost in a dream" CD, including different bonus trax. Their sound was still following the classic Power/Speed Metal scheme like on the previous releases and this album could have had probably marked Not Fragile's breakthrough on the Metal market, but it just shouldn't be probably. Not Fragile though had called it quits already in 1990, but returned 4 years later and since then recorded lotsa more albums.

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VICIOUS CIRCLE from Willebadessen was around since July 1979 and it wouldn’t be entirely wrong to call them a pre-stage of the band GHANDI, as Gerd Klik and Arnold Sprenger (both later in GHANDI) had been active in VICIOUS CIRCLE. Since around 1982 the band could eventually stabilize a steady line up featuring Pieter Vermeul (vocals), Thomas Sünnemann (guitar), Arnold Sprenger (guitar), Donald Vermeul (bass) and Dieter Kratochwill (drums). The lads even had been not so far away from the later GHANDI style, already delivering a nice dose of speedy Heavy Metal with "Down the highway" on their debut 12" on Noise. Previously they already released the "Nightmare" Demo in 1981 and got featured on an underground compilation with the MOTÖRHEAD inspired live track "Hard days of my life" after participating on a newcomer festival in 1982, while VICIOUS CIRCLE already got several support slots for bigger Rock bands at that time as well. Pieter Vermeul (later sometimes also refered as “Peter”) though would decide to leave the band during summer ’83 and rather joined the heavier acting Breaker from Paderborn as drummer instead. With the Demo that the reformed band recorded in 1984, Noise International picked them up. The line at that time consisted of Gerd Klik (guitar), Joachim Wittmann (guitar, vocals), Arnold Sprenger (guitar, vocals), Georg Knaub (bass) and Dieter Kratochwill (drums). Still in contrary to later GHANDI, they performed a bit more Scorpions influenced beside the already mentioned speed number. But that would later change with GHANDI that Sprenger and Klik would form after VICIOUS CIRCLE's split in 1986.

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A female fronted act from somewhere in the southern Frankfurt/Offenbach area, that’s still dwelling in the shades of nothingness, despite a selfproduced single, made sometime during 1984/85. The lads notorically saved on important info on the sleeve, but due to the name of the studio, the 2 songs were recorded in, we’d been able to draw a circle around that secret area. Nevertheless, THE BREEZE’s sound adopted R’n’R influences in a major way, merging Metal and Hard Rock on a rather average level. There’s some tiny hints of ACCEPT audible on the title track, even though due to the female vocals the song’s drifting off to completely different shores. Moreover it seems that “We need parties” remained THE BREEZE’s only output so far we can tell by now.

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Another no name ensemble from the sheer seeming endlessly German Hard Rock jungle. There isn't’ much to tell about this band's history at all, since zero info could be found nowadays. Only remnant of their musical legislating is a totally obscure 7" that features the 2 trax “Killing my head” and “Famous". Due to the name of the record label "Wall-City-Records", there might be a tiny possibility that LIPSTICK perhaps originated from West Berlin, but who knows. Judging by the music of this group there wasn't much German influences audible so far. We should rather move over to the British island instead, as LIPSTICK's sound reminds rather of the typical Hard Rock acts of the NWOBHM movement like early TOBRUK, DARK STAR and similar calibers.

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A local Heavy Rock band originating from Offenbach in the greater Frankfiurt area, whose firstly recorded live activities are reaching back to at least 1988, so we guess the band formed around 1986/87 most possibly. But despite acting rather in the background of their locally limited live performances as it seems, STATION C even recorded a more or less unknown single during the fall of the 80’s, that was released on the local Berlin based label J&P in 1990. Musically the guys totally fit into the sign of the times during those days, delivering 2 highly melodic sounding Hard Rock tunes with commercial edge, but at no time appearing boring at all. It's quite a miracle where all those great musicians would crawl out of the dirty backstreets of the big German cities in the late 80's, but yeah they did so indeed, just to vanish again soon, as quick as they once turned up. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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FRYSBEE will only be mentioned briefly here, as this band does not really belong to the Heavy Metal spectrum at all. Their first single, “Deadend Street Man,” from 1984, therefore does not offer much of interest apart from mediocre, shallow rock. The second single, “Harley Davidson,” on the other hand at least surprised listeners with a genuine biker Hard Rock number. The title track also appeared on one of those countless obscure samplers from C.B.R. Records, which the studio had produced in the mid 80’s, but which, with a few exceptions, contained only average material. On the “Querschnitt” sampler, which was also produced by C.B.R., FRYSBEE was able to include another of their tracks (“Rendezvous am Strandcafe”), but again, it did not stand out particularly positively.

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Another Berlin band that also formed during the ex-GDR era around 1990. However, this group is relatively unknown, despite the fact that their Demo “Interlude” received rave reviews in the Metal press in the early 90s (for whatever reason) and was sometimes compared to a mixture of MEGADETH and ANNIHILATOR. For the major part, the guys played a much more progressive, strongly psychedelic-influenced sort of Power/Thrash, which, to make matters worse, also featured quite a few DEPRESSIVE AGE-style parts that made the whole thing even more difficult to digest. Why the majority of writers at the time suffered from such extreme lapses in taste remains to be clarified. Although SOLAR FLARES initially started with Bosa Hennig on vocals, the two guitarists Andreas Wolf and Sven Jorkuweit, and Jörn Darkow on drums, the line-up had already been completely revamped by the time the Demo was recorded. Maik Oberpichler was now behind the mic, while the guitar line-up remained unchanged with Andreas Wolf and Sven Jorkuweit. Mario Prause by then played bass, while Bosa Hennig now took on the role of drummer. Most likely the band already split up by 1994/95. Bassist Mario Prause then launched a broadside with his new band PUNISHABLE ACT.