~ The German Hard RocK and Heavy Metal Guide ~
History forged in Steel 1978-1993
Yeah I hear what you're saying - Even attempting such a vast project as a "complete" German HR/HM Encyclopedia seem about as futile as ...making a US one? Bah! Long-time Metal collector and Corroseum forum member Prowler spits in the face of Impossible and hereby delivers unto the Metal world the first encyclopedia of the Largest-Yet-Least-Collected Metal-country in the world!
The main idea for this database was born a couple of years ago, when I had found out that in most of the cases, the style descriptions of many German underground bands was completely wrong or there wasn't any info available at all, because the items/bands were too obscure, or that noone had ever heard about them before. The first impulse was to print a book, but that idea was quickly abandoned as while adding known bands to this database, even more, completely unknown releases of even more obscure acts were found.
We also wanted to focus on any kind of heavy music/band that had ever been around from 1978-1993, so that's why we stopped adding releases to the discographys that was released after 1993 in case you might wonder. This database tries to cover every kind of Heavy Kraut Rock/AOR/Melodic Rock/Hard Rock/Crossover and Metal bands of all genres, that were active during that mentioned time range, no matter if these bands ever recorded anything. We are also aware that the list isn't nearly complete, meaning we are open for any kind of suggestions, corrections and help by adding more obscure bands. Especially the local acts are of huge interest, so we might have a short survey of that city/area's underground scene. We know that especially in the Kraut Rock scene there are tons of bands/albums that would most probably meet our requirements, but unfortunately most of these albums are so insanely expensive and rare, that it's impossible to buy all of them just to check out if they might include any possible Hard Rock riffs. We are open for your suggestions, don't worry, your name will be mentioned in the article. To get the site started, we first added the bands with vinyl/CD appearances, while the Demo bands will be added piece by piece in the future as well.
Last but surely not least, a BIG THANK YOU to Dan Edman who made all this possible, by granting me space and technical help. Without his heads up I'd most probably still be dreaming of something like this project.
Browse bands by letter:
D.A.B.
Lineup:
Schwanz (vocals)
Christian (guitar)
Mülli Vanilli (bass)
Tüddel (drums)
Band-info:
Actually D.A.B. stands for “Die Aufplatzenden Bockwürste“ and this Crossover troop was founded during 1989 in Salzwedel, on territory of the ex-GDR. This band recorded their first Rehearsal/Demo in November 1989 and one more split cassette with Lethal Retch during 1991, before they vanished again silently. To describe their style, it’s deathy Grindcore in the vein of Necrophiliacs with HC vocals, that unfortunately kinda take out the charm of the whole recordings. Despite the vocals, D.A.B. fell totally into the common primitive scheme of these early Grind/Noisecore acts though. One of the members was called Frank Peisler...Discography:
“Rehearsal Demo” Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
“D.A.B./Lethal Retch” Split Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
“Thrashing East Attack Vol. II" Comp.-MC Tracks 1992 (selfreleased)
D.B.F.
Lineup:
Tom Lunk (vocals)
Hardy Pelka (guitar)
Ulf Kück (bass)
Frank Arent (drums)
Band-info:
A Hardcore band founded 1983 in Bremen, that's just interesting for their 3rd and last album, published on the No Remorse sublabel Toxic Detonation Records 1989. The band at that time frame consisted of Markus Wittpenn (vocals), Hardy Pelka (guitar), Ulf Kück (bass) and Volker Simon (drums) and used to play a form of Metal Punk, though Hardcore influenced, but several Metal hints are spread all over the record, which makes the album "Not bound to rules" interesting for Crossover fans. The 2 previous outputs do sound quite punky, but "So full of lies" indeed was a good fast Hardcore LP, though the vocals are sung just in pure annoying Punk manner. On "Not bound to rules" their new vocalist Markus Wittpenn's voice sounds way more dirty and raw and therefore the featured material occasionally reminds of Bloodfeast A.D.'s LP. D.B.F. stands for "Dis-organized Bunch of Fuckers" btw.Discography:
"Nebenwirkung/Dis-Organized Bunch of Fuckers" Split LP 1985 (Pöbel)
"So full of lies" LP 1986 (Pöbel)
"Not bound to rules" LP 1989 (Toxic Detonation)
D.O.S.E.
Lineup:
Andreas (guitar)
Max (bass)
Rob (drums, vocals)
Band-info:
An early Death Metal trio from Kassel, founded in the late 80's, who recorded their Demo "Die or swear evil" during 1990 with new drummer Rob. The band was also playing live in their local area during that time. If you got further info, please get in touch.Discography:
"Die or swear evil" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
Daargesin
Lineup:
Ingo Nicklas (vocals, guitar)
Martin Rollmann (guitar)
Norbert Zlöbl (bass)
Frank Neubert (drums)
Band-info:
A Thrash band hailing from Erlangen, formed in 1990. In the beginning they performed a raw style of classic Thrash Metal on their first Demos "Demons dance" and "For those who hear this melody ... shall obtain lots of prey", that got compared to Violent Force. Jürgen Müller (ex-Seldom Refuse) replaced Martin Rollmann on guitar in 1991 and Thomas Schunk (bass) came for Norbert Zlöbl the following year. The band later went into a slightly more controlled direction, calling their style themselves "Mystic Thrash Metal" and got signed by D&S Recordings to produce the selftitled debut album in the year 1995, that offered mainly Power/Thrash tunes. Two more album "Dracul" (2002) and "Polarnacht" (2010) was recorded before the band folded in 2015.Discography:
"Demons dance" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"For those who hear this melody ... shall obtain lots of prey" Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
Daart
Lineup:
Tharina Joe (vocals)
Rico Renia
Andy Mc Millan
Robert Wood
Malte C. Horning
Band-info:
Daart was a female fronted AOR band from Dortmund, that got picked up by ex-Thundercraaft drummer Uwe Okunick who produced an album of them for his label Nick Stone Records. The songs on the same titled LP circle between AOR, Melodic Rock and even some Hard Rock tunes that sometines in places could be compared to Loverboy, Survivor and all such bands. A few parts do sound quite professional and was well be worth to get airplay. A well produced album nevertheless, though it might be too soft for most of you, but Melodic Rock fans could buy it blindly.Discography:
"Daart" LP 1988 (Nick Stone)
Daemon's Grail
Lineup:
Jo Prell (vocals)
Andy Junker (guitar)
Kai Hecke (bass)
Karsten Weigel (drums)
Band-info:
Formed in 1983 in the town of Dormagen by ex-Venus-members Andy Junker and Karsten Weigel. Vocalist Jo Prell joined one year later and bassist Kai Hecke shortly after. Their brand of Heavy Metal was said to include influences of both Black Metal as well as classical music. Unfortunately no demos are known, but the band was active till at least 1985/86. If you have more info, please get in contact.Discography:
Dagoberts
Lineup:
Mike Rogge
Band-info:
Dagoberts was a Munich based Noisecore band, initiated by tape trader Mike Rogge during the late 80's. Both their Demos should be from around 1987/88. He also runned similar Nothingcore combos like Dariah and Gehacke, as well as another project called Schmolke, but that one shouldn't be of interest for Thrashers according to his own opinion. Dagoberts didn't exist anymore during early 1989.Discography:
"Fuck Black Metal" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"We are all thrashing" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
Daily Depression
Lineup:
Görg Syjörgl (vocals, bass)
Steve Sesiv (guitar)
Philip Paul Rissettio (drums)
Band-info:
A modern sounding Funk Metal trio from Landshut that won a band contest in 1992 and could record 2 songs for a local Split LP with the other Landshut bands Dazed and Confused, Unchained Scarlett and Pressure in July.Discography:
"Sieger '92" Comp.-LP Tracks 1992 (JUZ Poschinger Villa)
Damage Control
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Crossover trio from the local Bremen scene, that was actively playing live during 1989 and also released a Demo in early 1989, featuring an absurd sound spectrum of influences starting at Van Halen and ending at D.R.I. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Damage Done
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Thrash Band from southern Germany that was active in the late 80's. If you have any further info please get in touch.Discography:
Damien
Lineup:
Tony Clark (guitar)
John Cadden (vocals)
Michael Stopka (bass)
Mark Reed (drums)
Band-info:
Tony Clark (ex-Savage), John Cadden (ex-Demolition), Michael Stopka and Mark Reed in May '83 formed Damien in Frankfurt/Main, but Mark Reed after a few gigs got replaced by Rudi Matthies already in September the same year. They recorded 2 Demos and got offered a record deal by Steamhammer in February '84. John Cadden left to form Vandal and Tony Clark brought his ex-Savage mate Mark Wederell in the band and with him on vocals they recorded another Demo first and then went to the Recordland Studio in Berlin to record their debut 12", that was similar to Ozzy Osbourne both in style and even vocals, with some pretty wild guitars by Tony Clark. But after the 12" everything went down the drain for Damien. Mike Wederell was fired first and british singer Andy Pyke (ex-Obsession/Hurt/Detroit) came. The studio was booked for November 1984 to record their debut album "Cold fingers" (planned for Dec. '84), but Damien already split up before it was time for that. Andy Pyke joined Viva and later back in England would form Marshall Law. John Cadden and Rudi Matthies tried a while with Vandal and Mike Wederell joined austrian Metallers Maniac. Some of the guys also formed a band called Trixx prior to 1985, that also featured later members of Monroe.Discography:
"Damien" 12" EP 1984 (Steamhammer)
Damien Breed
Lineup:
Olaf Schultz (vocals, guitar)
Dirk Grabow (guitar)
Frank Bohnes (bass)
Holger Berndt (drums)
Band-info:
Founded as Excenter back in 1987 in the city of Güstrow in the north of the ex-GDR, the band originally started as a classic Heavy Metal quintet, but moved more and more into the Speed Metal corner during the following years. The band later shrunk to just a trio and either changed name to Damien Breed during 1989, while also stylistically they became rather Thrash inspired in the meanwhile. During the early 90's Damien Breed recorded first the "Fear in the neck" Demo tape, and when Frank Bohnes (bass) joined afterwards, another two tapes during 1991, before they produced their debut concept album "Ave Satani" for Inline Music, that featured very complex, partly doomy influenced Power/Thrash with a few Metallica hints. After the CD release, the guys in 1994 decided to change the band's name to Seelenwinter, because they felt they need a personal and musical change and recorded one more selftitled MCD under that monicker in 1994 and "If soul turns into flesh" during 1996, before they eventually called it quits.Discography:
"Fear in the neck" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
“The fear in the neck” Comp.-MC Track 1991 (Thrashing East Attack Vol. I)
"Permanent paralysed" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"The sign" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Deaf Tape Sampler No. 1" Comp.-Tape Tracks 1991 (Morbid Records)
"Ave Satani" CD 1993 (Battery)
Damn' Nero
Lineup:
Matthias Waldmann (guitar, vocals)
Holger Englert (bass)
Dirk Heimhardt (drums)
Band-info:
Damn' Nero was a Hard Rock trio from Fürth/Bavaria with a heavily AC/DC inspired style. They recorded a 6 song Demo on a 4-track-recorder back in February '91, which was re-released by the band on CD in 2000 once again. Originally Damn' Nero was founded by Dirk Heimhardt, Matthias Waldmann and Holger Englert, who recorded the debut Demo, but Heimhardt left the band 1992 and Uwe Kreß took the position of the drummer, while also Robbi Gößwein joined on vocals and stayed till 1993, when Harry Hildmann took over. Their debut album "SPQR" got relased 1994 on Timelab Records and the two CD's "Starhead" (1998, selfreleased) and "IV" (2003, Twilight Records) followed before Damn' Nero split up in 2005.(Thanx to emosteel for the recommendation)
Discography:
"Six Pack" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Damned Lizard
Lineup:
Markus Bonada (bass)
Heiko Hippler (drums)
Frank Haase (guitars)
Thorsten Windrich (guitars, vocals)
Band-info:
Quite a mystery-band, originating from the town of Hannover. At least 2 demos were recorded and released in 1990 and 1991 respectively ...though one source claims both were recorded in '91 ...or maybe there were 3 demos? In any case, their style has been described as riff-oriented, traditional rockin' German Heavy Metal the good ol' way. Some members (Heiko and Frank) later ended up in Hannover hardrockers Painfreak. If you have more info, please get in contact.Discography:
Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Danger
Lineup:
Andreas Männer (vocals)
Erik Sommer (guitar)
Maik Zühlke (guitar)
Dirk Schubert (bass)
Andreas Glück (drums)
Band-info:
There’s always a bit of confusion when it comes to locate the hometown of the band Danger. Guys from the Stollberg area (near Chemnitz) swear the band was officially located in Stollberg, other info says they’re from Radeberg (near Dresden). Perhaps the location Radeberg might fit for the very first year of the band’s being, since it seems most of the hired musicians originated from the Dresden area, but the main part of Danger’s later history happened in Stollberg. Nevertheless, it’s a fact that Danger was founded in 1989 by Andreas Männer after the end of his former band Frontal (Stollberg/Meerane) and by the end of the same year in November ’89 a steady line was already built by Erik Sommer (guitar), Maik Zühlke (guitar), Dirk Schubert (bass), Andreas Glück (drums) and Männer himself on vocals. The first Demo „Death before Disco“ was quickly recorded during early 1990 and delivered straight forward contemporary Thrash with Power Metal influences. Unfortunately both guitarists and the drummer Andreas Glück then decided to seek their glorious fortune in the ex-GDR Metal legend MCB’s service, so the trio turned their backs on Danger and joined the bigger MCB in August ’90, resulting that also Dirk Schubert disillusioned quit the band. If you now think that Andreas Männer had finally enough, after losing a third time his complete band, you’re bloody wrong. The „tumbler“ of eastgerman Metal did it once again and reformed Danger with his former ex-Frontal mates Thomas Steinz (bass, ex-Rübezahl) and Uwe Eckert (drums), who both arrived from the defunct Charon, plus Dirk Fankhänel on guitar. The result of this new collaboration was another Demo, released in 1992, featuring 3 more thrashy Power Metal delicacies. On their in August/September ‘93 produced cassette album „Nightmare“, the new Danger crew dived into the Power Metal waves even deeper and reminded in the first instance of some of the King Diamond stuff. A CD version later in 1995 was released on OTR Prod. as well, but Uwe Eckert soon would leave Danger. Andreas Männer moved on the position of the vacant drummer, Maik Richter on second guitar was recruited, while 1998 the ex-Villain shouter Lars Sehm joined the guys, who produced the Demo CD „Wonderland“ in 1998, before Männer was asked to leave and the remaining guys continued as Dangerous, incl. the „Wonderland“ re-release under that new monicker too. But it wouldn’t take long and Dangerous split up right within the same year.Discography:
"Death before Disco" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Demo 1992" (selfreleased)
"…and it starts to rain" Comp.-MC Track 1993 (Unseen Para Dies)
Danton
Lineup:
Peter Dirkschneider (vocals)
Thomas Rattunde (guitar)
Guido Jabgui (guitar)
Dirk Distelhorst (bass)
Heiko Hornmann (drums)
Band-info:
Sometimes things couldn't be worse than having a famous big brother, that you not just share your name with, but also both your voices do sound almost identical. That's been the exact case with Danton, the band of Udo Dirkschneider's little brother Peter. Danton was founded around 1986 in Wuppertal, with drummer Heiko Hornmann, bassist Dirk Distelhorst and both guitarists Guido Jabgui and Thomas Rattunde previously being a part of Wuppertal obscurios Atomic On Rush, who’s vocalist Jörg Reuter had just left the band to join Midnight Darkness, so they hired the little Dirkschneider and changed name to Danton instead. Distelhorst shortly after left the band already, while Peter Dirkschneider asked his friend Ralf Seelheim to replace him. Then Guido Jabgui (als refered as Guido Job) soon would run into personal issues with Rattunde and also quit. The band recorded two Demo tapes in 1986 and '87, and either gained a record deal with Mausoleum Records in late 1986. Thomas Rattunde had quit in the meanwhile and Martin Reinert joined on guitar instead, who also recorded all guitars on the first unreleased Danton album at the Skyline Studio with Peter Brick as producer. But after Mausoleum announced the album wrongly as “Produced by Udo Dirkschneider”, the whole thing went down the drain, since Mausoleum didn’t pay the studio, so Brick kept the master tapes and later the label canceled the whole undertaking. Martin Reinert left Danton afterwards in late ’86 to rather join Ninja and Rattunde returned again, before Charly Rinne produced Danton’s known debut album "Way of destiny" 1988, that was published in November on Megavault Records from Gelsenkirchen (a sublabel of No Remorse). Though the Danton guys promised faithfully not to be an Accept copycat and wouldn't either have songs in their repertoire that would sound like Germany's Heavy Metal signboard, my ears do tell me something different. And it's not just Peter's vocals that stigmatize Danton's style with the mighty Accept burnmark. No, the main part of the material just reminds of mid 80's Accept over and over again, apart of two speedrippers, that perhaps could have been the direction that Danton would have needed to get recognized as an independent part of the German Metal movement. Bassist Marcus Bielenberg joined the group after Mordor called it quits around 1987, since Thomas Rattunde wanted to play with 2 guitarists, that’s why Ralf Seelheim switched from bass to guitar. But it only caused tensions in the band and splitted Danton into 2 camps. Shortly after the album the band already collapsed, while Dirkschneider and Bielenberg quickly founded Vanize in 1989. Heiko Hornmann joined Thrashers Amnesty. If you got more info about the band's Demos, please get in touch.(Thanx to Tatjana Menk for additional info)
Dariah
Lineup:
Mike Rogge
Band-info:
Dariah was a Munich based Noisecore band, initiated by tape trader Mike Rogge during the late 80's. A Demo tape was released in 1988. He also runned similar Nothingcore combos like Dagoberts and Gehacke, as well as another project called Schmolke, but that one shouldn't be of interest for Thrashers according to his own opinion.Discography:
"Demo 88" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
Dario
Lineup:
Dirk Radtke (vocals, guitar)
Band-info:
A Metal band (most probably Speed/Thrash) from Gelsenkirchen, that was founded 1990 as Mordor, who in 1991 changed name to Dario. The band featured the former Charan member Dirk Radtke. 3 Demos are known, besides the “Demo '91" and "Psycho" (1992), the guys recorded a last one with the title “'Spell of a blind man” around 1994. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
“Demo '91” (selfreleased)
“Psycho" Demo '92 (selfreleased)
Dark Avenger
Lineup:
Siegfried Kohmann (vocals)
Claus Johannson (guitar)
Uwe Neff (bass)
Andreas Breindl (drums)
Bernd Piontek (guitar)
Band-info:
A band from West Berlin that started in 1982 and to me personally belongs to the hottest unsigned bands of the year 1984. The reason is quite simple, because if you are a part of a Split LP with bands like Helloween, Running Wild and Hellhammer and you manage to play all of them to the wall, then you clearly deserve a record contract. Despite of that fact, their 2 trax, the galopping "Lords of the night" and the speedy "Black fairies", on the "Death Metal" compilation are both of the category "songs to die for" and still until today belong to the most timeless classix that the german Metal scene has ever spit out. Power Metal with in places epic touch, a unique style that stands out in the crowd of all known german bands, bad to the bone sawing guitars and Siegfried Kohmann with his remarkable, yet typically german sounding vocals that pretty much nail the point on the "i" that you still can feel your sweaty hair hitting onto your back. I got no clue what happened after this moment of glory of the German Metal history. The band broke with just both guitarists remaining. Jogi Rautenberg (ex-Dead Marian, bass), ex-Ballantinez drummer Karsten Krause, Andreas Witte (keyboard) and Thomas Conrad (=Tommy Heart, vocals) joined and a Demo was released just one year after their terrific vinyl debut and all the magic was gone. Except of the energetic banger "Rock 'n' Roll tonight" their style had changed towards a more "commercial" style, common Heavy Metal remained and Siegfried Kohmann vocals was so badly missed. Andreas Breindl joined the rude Black Burn and would later play with Melodic Metallers Majesty, while Tommy Heart, Jogy Rautenberg, Karsten Krause and Claus Johannson formed the excellent Heartlyne.
Dark Ceremony
Lineup:
Dirk Tubbesing
Band-info:
Obscure Thrashers from Enger, a bit north of Bielefeld, who released their Demo during late 1989 and according to their own info, was more or less rather Death/Thrash influenced, since the info claims "badass raw Thrash Metal only for the most extreme guys". Any further info would be highly appreciated.Discography:
"Welcome to your funeral" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
Dark Deception
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local band from the Munich area that was actively playing live during 1990. If you got further info, please get in touch.Discography:
Dark Fate
Lineup:
Martin Werner (vocals)
Frank Kobiella (guitar)
Michael Schläger (guitar)
Ulrich Aschoff (bass)
Jens Gutsch (drums)
Band-info:
Power Metallers from Hamm, near Dortmund. Dark Fate was founded in 1991 and recorded their first Demo during October '93, featuring 4 trax in the late 80's vein with a slightly melodic approach and either proggy tendencies, reminding here and there of maybe the classic power/thrashing Meliah Rage stuff. After the Demo Heiner Remmert joined on keyboards and Reinhold Nacke replaced Martin Werner on the micro. One last effort of Dark Fate was their privately produced MCD "After Dark", recorded in September '96.Discography:
”Dark Fate” Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Dark Fusion
Lineup:
Band-info:
A band from the Wuppertal area we guess and according to the bands they've been friends with we assume these guys has been more or less a Thrash Metal act. Further info is needed.Discography:
Dark Haze
Lineup:
Mario (vocals)
Michael (guitar)
Siggi Ruff (guitar)
Bonne (bass)
Chio (drums)
Band-info:
A classic Heavy Metal act from Ofterdingen, south of Stuttgart. The band was active since early 1983, when Siggi (guitar) and Bonne (bass) tried to form a Heavy Metal Band and found Chio on drums. A bit later on Mario was hired accidentally as vocalist. But they soon figured out a second guitarist was badly needed, so Michael was taken into the band. After Mario got trouble with his voice, Michael also took over the vocals duties, till Mario returned in June ’84 again. At around the same time Dark Haze started recordings for their first Demo, that the lads used to introduce themselves for a local band contest, where they eventually made it into the final round, leading into 2 of their live trax tracks ("You better run tonight" and "Dark Haze") was taken to be featured on the local "Wettbewerb für Nachwuchsgruppen '85" sampler, that supported the band contest. A few gigs later vocalist Mario left Dark Haze because he moved to Hamburg. Edgy replaced him. In July '88 the lads recorded 4 songs for their debut EP "Five years" with the line up Edgy (vocals), Clemi (guitar), Siggi Ruff (guitar), Reiner (bass), Chio (drums), that was pressed independently and features a lightweight, not really bad, but kinda "happy" (sounding) Metal, that reminds of a modern version of the Death Warrant EP. Alone the song "The call of Darkstar" could be mentioned one of the first german Rap/Metal songs ever, though during the second part Dark Haze got the curve and made the track end in classic Heavy Metal manner. The troop most probably split up during the beginning of the 90's like so many others.Discography:
"Demo 1984" (selfreleased)
"Wettbewerb für Nachwuchsgruppen '85" Comp.-LP Tracks 1985 (Vollton Musikverlag)
"Five years" 12" EP 1988 (selfreleased)
Dark Heritage
Lineup:
Wüsti Niemeyer (vocals)
Jens Groß (guitar)
Bonzo Gäbert (drums)
Martin Schnitker (bass)
Robin Skwarczynski (guitar)
Band-info:
A Heavy Metal band from Hannover, founded in mid 1983, who released a 6 track Demo in late 1985. Their style was inspired by Judas Priest and Manowar. After the tape was out their vocalist had to quit due to the army service. Guess that was the end of the band as well. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
"The Tape" Demo 1985 (selfreleased)
Dark Horse
Lineup:
Francis Soto (vocals)
Armin Sabol (guitar)
Band-info:
A shortlived project of the producer and ex-Shiva/Peter Schilling guitarist Armin Sabol (later in F.B.I.), that was started during 1990/91. Also Francis Soto (ex-Picasso/Mystery/Silk 'n' Steel/Sanvoisen) was previously active in a number bands and joined the project, that recorded an average sounding Demo in 1991 and already had started to record their debut album, which it seems wasn't released at all. The band is known to participate at the national Newcomer Contest at the Rockfabrik in 1992, and musically felt home in the melodic Hard Rock/Metal genre. Soto recorded a Demo with Ampyre in 1994, so Dark Horse most probably way history in 1993. Further info is needed.Discography:
"Demo '91" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Dark Millennium
Lineup:
Christian Mertens (vocals)
Hilton Theissen (guitar)
Markus Gabriel (bass)
Christoph Hesse (drums)
Band-info:
A formerly Thrash influenced Death Metal band from Bad Fredeburg, that originally formed under the monicker Mortal Freight in 1989 but changed name to Dark Millennium when they released their first Demo in February '91. During their early phase Dark Millennium adopted several influences of the band Death during their most influential late 80's era and used to play a thrashing sort of early Death Metal, while that would change a bit later on the second Demo "Of sceptre their ashes may be", recorded with new members Michael Burmann (guitar), Thorsten Gilsbach (vocals) and Jörg Dinstühler (bass) in March '92. The sound of the band, either occasioned by the more growling Martin van Drunen alike vocals of new singer Thorsten Gilsbach, moved more towards a doomy sort of Death Metal in the vein of Asphyx or My Dying Bride. Massacre Records picked up the band and original vocalist Christian Mertens returned for the recordings of the debut album "Ashore the celestial burden", that was recorded in late summer of the same year. Musically a mix of the two early Demos, the album went out quite varied, holding the balance of the Doom/Death and classic faster Death Metal stuff, while Mertens vocals wasn't sounding much Death Metal alike at all. The vinyls came in green vinyl and in a numbered limited edition (most probably 1000 copies). For the second album "Diana read peace" recorded in 1993, Dark Millennium's style completely changed. The material became much more progressive and calling them still a Death Metal wouldn't probably be the correct term. Avantgarde Metal with modern and Death/Doom influences would fit better, as the structures of the material aren't that easy to understand, while vocalwise Mertens sung most of his parts clean. Klaus Pachura took bassist Jörg Dinstühler's part on the album, but that last rear up didn't last for long. The band split up still in 1993. The vinyl version of "Diana read peace" once again was limited to 1000 numbered copies in red vinyl.Discography:
"The apocryphal wisdom" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Black literature" Comp.-CD Track 1991 (Peace-Eater Vol. I)
"Of sceptre their ashes may be" Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
"Ashore the celestial burden" LP/CD 1992 (Massacre)
"Father Legatus" Comp.-CD Track 1992 (From Heaven to Hell)
"Promo Advancetape '93" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
"Diana read peace" LP/CD 1993 (Massacre)
Dark Reality
Lineup:
Oliver Ramacher (vocals)
Daili (guitar)
Martin Heinzelmann (guitar)
Gert Kopf (drums)
Band-info:
A band from Oberndorf, between Freiburg and Stuttgart, who started still in 1989 and had their main phase in the 90's, performing rough Death/Thrash in the very beginning on their 2 Demos, but later on their selfreleased debut "Umbra Cineris" (1994) went into a much more Folk/Progressive Thrash influenced direction. 1995 the second album "Blossom of mourning" followed and 1997 another album with the title "Oh precious haze pervade the pain" before Dark Reality split up 2 years late in 1999.Discography:
"Rehearsal Tape" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Cruel research" Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
Dark Satan
Lineup:
Rolf Koch (vocals, guitar)
Dirk Eden (guitar)
Uwe Klasen (bass)
Achim Haupt (drums)
Band-info:
What would you expect if you just started a band in late '84 and then right 4 months later you'd record your first Demo tape? The four teenies of Dark Satan from Koblenz did exactly that with their "With beer in hell" Demo. And still in the same year another tape was recorded ”Sodom & Gomorrah“. What's to expect musically then? Rehearsal recordings with terrible sound and vocals sounding like a vomiting cat. At least the songs aren't that bad like f.e. similar bands like Antichrist from Mayence but close. There is indeed Heavy Metal audible here, but again that clumsy, punkish, amateurish sort of Metal that just makes you wanna listen to some super proggy US Metal instead. 1986 the guys split up already and helped us all with that. At least Rolf Koch later could be found in Pyracanda and recorded their debut demo with 'em.Discography:
"With beer in hell" Demo 1985 (selfreleased)
”Sodom & Gomorrah“ Demo 1985 (selfreleased)
Dark Shades
Lineup:
Jürgen Lettau (vocals)
Mirko Sitte (guitar)
Jan Sitte (bass)
Mark (keyboard)
Christian Müller (drums)
Band-info:
Dark Shades was a kinda Dark Metal band, that combined several influences of the Black and Death Metal genres. According to unconfirmed info these guys should have started already during 1989 in the city of Naumburg (ex-GDR), but Demo recordings wouldn’t happen before 1993 at all. Yet it’s a bit unsure if “Baphomet’s throne” is indeed their first release, since if you compare the recordings to the “Necromancy” material, that both was spread on one tape in 1994, the latter differs in the songwriting seen skillwise a lot, since the songwriting appears rather substandard. Dark Shades performed a kinda mix of classic doomy Death Metal and Samael style Black Metal tunes with keyboards, whereas on “Baphomet’s throne” still the same style prevails, but on a much higher level so to say, moving Dark Shades somewhere almost into the Avantgarde/Gothic Metal corner, still Black Metal sounding though, seen in a positive sense. During the late mid 90’s the guys eventually got signed by independent label Silbersack Recordings and firstly recorded the MCD “The forest…” 1997 with Carsten Hinz as additional guitarist, but without their keyboarder Mark and 2 years later with their farewell album „Hymnen an die Dunkelheit“, featuring Gaby Gesell on keyboard and new bassist Ulli Kathe, Dark Shades ended their career, that lasted 1 decade, in 2000. Vocalist Jürgen “Dio” Lettau for a while sung for Nebelheim and afterwards in Deus Diabolus. Mirko Sitte reappeared with Torturized during 2001.Discography:
„Baphomet’s throne” Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Dark Sky
Lineup:
Sugus Mager (vocals)
Lutz Aicher (bass)
Frank Breuninger (guitar)
Mac Graf (guitar)
Rainer Mauthe (keyboard)
Andy Honer (drums)
Band-info:
A commercial Hard Rock band from Rottweil (Stuttgart area), active since 1982, who entered the local stages during August ‘84 and published a 3 track Demo (refered as a stylistical mix of Dio and Def Leppard) in the mid 80's and another one in 1988, entitled "Living in eternity", produced by High Tension drummer Marco Roth. Directly after the first Demo, Dark Sky got signed by the shorttlived label Bregenzer Records, who officially announced Dark Sky's debut LP to be available in September '86, but shortly after the label already went bankrupt. In January '89 the band won the "Sprungbrett" newcomer contest, with first prize being a golden record. Dark Sky was playing a sort of highclass melodic Hard Rock, but eventually needed till the late 90's to get their career started, when the debut album "Believe it" was finally available. Guitarist Mac Graf quit in 1990 and got replaced by Steffen Doll, while in 1992 the band got completely re-arranged when Sugus Mager and Andy Honer quit also, shortly followed by Lutz Aicher in 1993. Frank Breuninger and Steffen Doll compiled a new band starting from 1993 and so far have recorded 6 albums.Discography:
"Demo 1985" (selfreleased)
"Living in eternity" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
Dark Tempest
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Thrash Metal band from the Mönchengladbach/Krefeld region, that was active around 1990/91. For January 1991 studiorecordings was planned, while the guys started playing gigs later in summer the same year. Further info needed.Discography:
Darkhat
Lineup:
Frank Schubert (vocals, guitar)
Ingo Liebe (bass)
Stephan Mosebach (drums)
Band-info:
Frank Schubert, Ingo Liebe and Stephan Mosebach formerly since 1987 already played in a hobby band, covering international songs of known Hard'n'Heavy bands, before they formed Darkhat during summer '88 in Waltershausen, between Erfurt and Eisenach on ex-GDR territory. A bit later on, the second guitarist Bert Gillmeister joined and they started covering heavier stuff, caused by Gillmeister's passion for Metallica. Mosebach then in mid '89 wasn't much fond of the recent direction and left Darkhat. Also Gillmeister was later called to the army during that time in October, when Frank Schuber and Ingo Liebe recorded Darkhat's 2 track Demo at Blitzz's rehearsal room, that featured the trax "Bruno" and "Soldiers of death", with a drum computer. Musically the direction arrived in Thrash fields already, gaining the remaining duo either airplay. A second Demo was planned, but nothing happened anymore. During 1991 the guys disappeared. Interestingly on the Deaf Tape Sampler, that featured "Bruno", the band was refered as Darkhate, not Darkhat, something that would make more sense imo, probably Darkhat was just a typo? Though the radio moderator announced them as Darkhat though...Discography:
"Demo 1989" (selfreleased)
"Bruno" Comp.-Tape Track 1991 (Deaf Tape Sampler No. 1)
Darkland
Lineup:
Andre Menzel (vocals)
Dirk Porstmann (guitar)
Mario Arndt (guitar)
Jörg Ebert (bass)
Marko Thäle (drums)
Band-info:
East Berlin Thrashers much influenced by Protector. Darkland was actually founded in 1987 by Andre Menzel, Dirk Porstmann, Mario "Pinocio" Arndt, Jörg "Gecko" Ebert and Marko Thäle under the name Gomorrah, but the state classification commission had various objections to this name and so the guys decided to change it to Darkland a little later. Towards the end of 1988, however, Marko Thäle had to follow the call of the “Nationale Volksarmee”, whereupon Torsten "Tier" Stahnke (Disaster Area/Blackout) recommended drummer Heiko Wolf from Gardelegen to the band. After bassist Jörg Ebert was unfortunately drafted into the army in the spring of '89, Tilo Voigtländer joined the band, which then consisted of Andre Menzel (vocals), Dirk Porstmann (guitar), Mario Arndt (guitar), Tilo Voigtländer (bass) and Heiko Wolf (drums). Some of the main influences were Protector and Celtic Frost, of which Darkland also had some cover versions in their program. The first untitled demo was recorded shortly afterwards but never released. Jörg Ebert still had recorded most of the bass tracks. It contained all of Darkland's own songs completed at the time. Towards the end of summer '89, the band also recorded the much better known 2nd demo "Violent world" in the DEFA studios in Babelsberg with the same line-up, which was one of the most brutal Thrash tapes from the ex-GDR at the time. The band was often on the road live with Asathor from Magdeburg and also supported Holy Moses and Blitzz in Berlin in early December '89. Jörg Ebert then returned from the army in the fall of 1990 and initially took over his position on bass again before leaving the band for good towards the end of 1991. Marko Thäle went to Postmortem at the end of 1990, where Tilo Voigtländer also found a new job at the beginning of '91. In the end, Dirk Porstmann (guitar/vocals), Mario Arndt (guitar/vocals) and Heiko Wolf (drums) only remained as a trio, which disbanded in 1994. Heiko Wolf remained active with Scream Silence for a long time afterwards.(Thanx to Tilo Voigtländer for band info!)
Discography:
"Demo 1988" (unreleased)
"Violent World" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
Darkness (Essen)
Lineup:
Hartmut Schöner (bass)
Uwe Christoffers (guitar)
Andreas Becker (guitar)
Andreas Lakaw (drums, vocals)
Band-info:
A Thrash legend from Essen, that we seriously don't expect that we have to introduce these guys to anyone. The band just recently is undergoing a huge hype and all their early Demos got re-released and sold in good quantities. Darkness was founded in December '84 by Andreas „Torturer“ Lakaw (Lacky), Hartmut „Agony“ Schöner and Andreas „Skull“ Becker. Uwe „Damager“ Christopfers soon joined them to record the first Demo "The evil curse" and then left again. After the "Titanic war" Demo their vocalist (ex-Crypt) Oliver „Zeutan“ Fernickel (Olli) joined before the band split up a first time. With Lacky, Olli plus new members Pierre Danielscyk (guitar) and bassist Detlef "Bruno" Bartfeld, the "Spawn of the dark one" Demo was recorded in July 1986. Afterwards guitarist Arnd Klink completed the first stable classic Darkness line up. They published two groundbreaking archetypical Teutonic Thrash albums before the classic band got torn and tried a lame comeback with "Conclusion & revival" in 1989. 1991 Darkness was laid to rest. An interesting note, in my possession is a pro tape (without booklet) simply entitled "Demo" that was manufactured by Gama in 1989 and contains 14 songs, while 9 of them would later become the "Conclusion & revival" album. Most probably the Demo was sent to magazines as advance tape for the last album, with a couple of these trax remaining unused.For further info, please check out Darkness' Homepage
Discography:
"The evil curse" Demo 1985 (selfreleased)
"Attack the Mephisto" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
"Titanic war" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
"Spawn of the dark one" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
"Promo Tape" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"Death squad" LP 1987 (Tales of Thrash)
"Cleans Pforzheim" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"Defenders of justice" LP/CD 1988 (Tales of Thrash)
"Demo" Demo 1989 (Gama)
"Conclusion & revival" LP/CD 1989 (Hot Blood)
Darkness (Ludwigshafen)
Lineup:
Steffen Rohr (bass, vocals)
Andreas Keck (drums)
Olaf Essenburger (guitars, vocals)
Band-info:
That's not the well known Thrash band from Essen, but the little brother from Ludwigshafen and both bands don't have anything in common. I don't even know how to label their style, a sort of Heavy Metal with kinda pre-Thrash influences, but everything's got executed so extremely bad and silly, that the band in places sounds closer to Punk than to Metal. They changed name to Blasted in 1988.Discography:
"In the dark" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
"Fear of evil" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
Darkside Hero
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Cologne based Heavy Metal band that was founded in 1983. They after several line up changes later changed name to Power & Passion and released a melodic Hard Rock Demo. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Darling
Lineup:
Carsten Demski (vocals)
Jürgen Becker (guitar)
Ole Hermanns (guitar)
Volker Jäkel (drums)
Band-info:
A band from Recklinghausen whose members was playing in several other bands before they formed in 1986 as Darling. The band was fully into the US style Party/Glam Metal like old Mötley Crüe, Kiss (on "Lick it up" or Snatch) and recorded their Demo in 1987 while the track "It's not love" from the tape was featured on the Break Out sampler. As already stated, Darling's sound fully integrated in the mass of pounding glammy Hard Rock/Metal bands, who was trying to copy the US Glam scene, though "It's not love" isn't a bad song at all, but it's not a remarkable number either. If you got more info, please get in touch.
Darth Vader
Lineup:
Jacqueline Böttger (vocals)
Band-info:
A Heavy Metal band from West Berlin, active in the late mid 80's that was said to probably release an album in 1988. A bit earlier, during early 1987, the guys already recorded their 4 song tape "Victims of steel", stylewise compared to Warlock. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
"Victims of steel" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
Dartmoor
Lineup:
Peter Kulp (vocals)
Bodo Bundschuh (guitar)
Matthias Genschur (guitar)
Thomas Sanazia (keyboard)
Michael Stroh (drums)
Band-info:
A short-lived Hard'n'Heavy-band from Dreieich, south of Frankfurt. The ex-Arrow vocalist Peter Kulp was singing in this band, after he left Arrow right after their first Demo, joining Dartmoor in 1984. Dartmoor itself exists since 1982, but have had to struggle with constant line up problems. After recording an instrumental Demo in 1984, still before Kulp was part of the band, they started negotiations with 2 possible bassplayers, wether Michael Stopka (ex-Damien) or Thomas Weigelt (ex-Rescue) should join the band. Despite of songtitles like "Kill em all" or "Feel the power", Dartmoor's sound was more on the commercial side. They announced their break-up in 1985. If you have more info, please get in contact.Discography:
Darxon
Lineup:
Massimo de Matteis (vocals)
Markus Szart (guitar)
Peter Schmidt (bass)
Dominik Hülshorst (drums)
Band-info:
Markus Szart and Peter Schmidt founded Darxon 1983 in Bochum. With Massimo de Matteis and Dominik Hülshorst they recorded a first Demo tape still within the same year and immediately earned a record deal with the also Bochum based Wishbone Records label. In spring '84 the NWOBHM inspired "Killed in action" debut was recorded and featured a quite Judas Priest influenced classic Heavy Metal style. One year later in spring '85 the excellent "Tokyo" EP would become the last recording of the classic Darxon line up, since the band split up in Winter '85 with just Massimo de Matteis remaining, who subsequently formed a completely new band. Dominik Hülshorst joined Cacumen who would soon change name to Bonfire and later was active in Kymera and EZ Livin also. The new guys in the band was Thomas Smuszynski (bass), Michael Hebestadt (guitar) and the Universe drummer Ingo Plass, while in summer '86 also ex-Snakebite/Stormwind and recent Universe guitarist Wolfgang Böhm came. The first release of the new Darxon was the single "Holding on", published on the label of their manager Willi Wrede, who either piloted the band to the Rockport label, who immediately started a campaign to promote Darxon's coming album that was produced in summer '87 by Accept's Jörg Fischer and was originally planned under the title "Love conquers them all". In the end the album got the title "No thrills" and was available in late 1987 on Rockport's Metal sublabel Energy Records. The album sounded different to the early Darxon material, though the level of quality rose. The band's fresh melodic Heavy Metal knew to attract, though the one and other commercial Hair Metal part entered their sound as well. But the guys had been in good company with bands such as Steeler or Sinner and especially most of the scene internal independent latecomers that published records around 1990. An european tour was planned for March '88, but the guys just played 12 dates with Zed Yago, which resulted in Ingo Plass to quit Darxon. He joined a while later the german Sleaze band Crash n' Burn that was living in London. Michael Hebestadt prefered to form the band Nero in Essen and either Thomas Smuszynski accepted a job offer by Udo Dirkschneider for his band U.D.O. Massimo de Matteis, though having quit Darxon, instead spend time on his solo project, while Wolfgang Böhm hired his ex-Stormwind mate Klaus Lemm (vocals), guitarist Jens Frank plus the ex-Holy Moses members Jochen Fünders (bass) and Herbert Dreger (drums) to start another attempt to record one more album, that wasn't finished at all since he couldn't keep the band together for a longer period anymore. But a rough mix of the planned album should exist. Böhm in the meanwhile was focussing on Universe and joined U.D.O. 1990 as well. When Massimo de Matteis reformed the inactive band 1990 with Frank Dielewski (guitar), Thomas Thanscheidt (guitar), Ingo Geiger (bass) and ex-Avenger/Steeler Jan Yildiral (drums) the reanimated Mausoleum Records got the award to produce Darxon's last album "Shout!", that was eventually finished in October 1991 and provided classic 80's Heavy Metal with either hints of the old Darxon sound of the early days of the band. During 1991 Darxon also participated on the All Star Project "German Rock Project" and provided the song "Waiting for your heart". But once again after the "Shout!" CD was published 1992, the musicians went all their own ways. 2006 Jens Frank tried to revive Darxon with former musicians, but had to firm under the monicker Noxrad due to legal problems.Discography:
"Demo 1983"
"Killed in action" LP 1984 (Wishbone)
"Tokyo" 12" EP 1985 (Wishbone)
"Holding on" 7" EP 1986 (Project)
"No thrills" LP/CD 1987 (Energy)
"Hungry" Comp.-LP/CD Track 1988 (Metal Ballads)
"Don't give up" Comp.-LP/CD Track 1989 (Metal Ballads Vol. 2)
"Shout!" CD 1992 (Mausoleum)
"Waiting for your heart" Comp.-CD Track 1992 (German Rock Project - The Ballad Album)
Das Dr. Sommer Team
Lineup:
S. Rappsilber
Band-info:
A local Crossover band from Bad Lippspringe north of Paderborn. During summer 1989 a 16 song Demo tape was sold by the band, musically offering "Schrott & Fun" in the A.O.K. vein (in their own words). Guess we can expect some more Nothingcore here. For further info, contact us.Discography:
"In action" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
Dawn Hawk
Lineup:
Frank Noak (vocals)
Frank Vandevera (guitar)
K.D. Haak (bass)
Werner Lieder (drums)
Band-info:
A classic Heavy Metal band of the late 80's originating from Essen, that recorded and produced their debut LP independently. Inline Music pressed the vinyls, which nowadays are highly wanted items. The sound on the vinyl more or less comes in Demo quality and therefore in places lacks a bit of power, but nevertheless, maybe that's why the album spreads that special underground charm. Dawn Hawk used to play a kinda german Heavy Metal with NWOBHM and epic tendencies that every now and then reminds me of the very early Whetstone. Without K.D. Haak, shrunken to a trio with vocalist Frank Noak handling the bass too, Dawn Hawk released the "Judas" album themselves in the early 90's, that featured a slightly different style to the debut and was published as a CD only. Afterwards the lads changed name to Rosebud and recorded one more 8 song Demo entitled "Nothing lasts forever", that was also featured on Karthago Records re-release of the "Judas" CD from 2016.
Dawnfall
Lineup:
B. F. Rischer (guitar, bass, vocals)
Christian Albert (drums)
Band-info:
Dawnfall is a Black Metal band from Munich, that mainly consists of Targod (Christian Albert) and Tork (B. F. Rischer) and just for a short while between summer 1993/94 featured female bassist Birgit. The guys started already 1991, but the name Dawnfall was chosen first in 1992. They recorded 2 Burzum/Hellhammer inspired Demos during early 1993, that delivered a not so common style within the early 90's Black Metal scene, with midpaced rhythms and dominant drums, before Nazgul's Eyrie Productions released the underproduced album "Dominance of darkness" (recorded already in June '93) in summer 1994, offering exactly the same Demo style material. Dawnfall dissolved after the CD (500 handnumbered copies), but reformed at a later point once again and recorded 2 more different sounding albums between 2002 ("Drei Räume") and 2016 ("Arak nas").Discography:
"Mysterial darkness" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
"Rehearsal Tape IV. 1993" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Day Housten
Lineup:
Max Hoefler (bass, vocals)
Thomas Ebert (guitar, vocals)
Peter Ebert (drums)
Band-info:
We just add the band Dåy Høusten for reasons of completion, as despite being a Crossover band in the first, they kinda belong here as well, eventhough they've just been a sort of Grunge Rock act. The band was formed in Fürth, near Nuremberg, back in July 1990 as a trio by Max Hoefler (bass, vocals), Thomas Ebert (guitar, vocals) and Peter Ebert (drums) and later Bertold Brackemeier (guitar, vocals) joined as well. Besides the early albums "Dåy Høusten" (1992) and "Sun øf a new dåy" (1993), these guys also released "Marie's got a friend - Her friend is a tree" in 1995 on We Bite Records and the MCD "Wir sind die Fans vom Ronhof" 1997 on the indie Sticksister Records, before Dåy Høusten dissolved during 1998. Later members, both drummers, was Jürgen Rakus and Erich Bierschock. Dåy Høusten's style as mentioned above was a Grunge inspired Crossover sound with influences of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and also the Rollins Band.Discography:
"Dåy Høusten" LP/CD 1992 (We Bite)
"Sun øf a new dåy" CD 1993 (We Bite)
Daydream
Lineup:
Michael Lauk (vocals)
Alexandre Mabeix (guitar)
Ralf Weber (bass)
Boris Zimmermann (drums)
Band-info:
This was post-Hailstorm from Freiburg, who already formed in 1986, and changed name to Daydream in December 1989. As Daydream they were down to a 4-piece, with Andre Gorzawski out of the band and recorded just a 6 track Demo tape, that contains original, melodic Power Metal with progressive structures and a Helloween touch, before they eventually would split up during the beginning of the 90’s. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
“Daydream” Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
Dayzolate
Lineup:
Andreas Krüger (vocals, guitar)
Andre Feller (guitar)
Swen (bass)
Axel (drums)
Band-info:
A Death Metal band from Glienicke/Brandenburg, in the utterly north of Berlin of the ex-GDR, that released just one Demo in 1992 as fourpiece with Andreas Krüger (vocals, guitar), Andre Feller (guitar), Swen (bass) and Axel (drums). But right after the Demo Andreas Krüger left the band to join Demantor and that’s why guitarist Dirk Olesch (ex-Necrophenistic Nightmare) came from the Death Metal band Enslaved. A guy called Frunse had taken care of the vocals by then, but Sven Gohdes (ex-Postmortem) would soon in 1993 replace Olesch as well. Dayzolate’s sound was influenced by the american style Death Metal with hints of early 90's Carcass. After the Split in 1993 most members mainly focussed on another project of theirs, the Grindcore act Vaginalmassaker.Discography:
"Apostasia" Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
"Buried alive" Comp.-MC Track 1991 (Thrashing East Attack Vol. II)
De Lorean
Lineup:
Marcus Tackenberg (vocals)
Volker Overdrive (guitar)
Kai Lange (bass)
Marian Kirov (keyboard)
Markus Tiedge (drums)
Band-info:
A Hard Rock/Metal band from Osnabrück that was active since the late 80's and debuted 1990 with the 2 track Demo "Two ways to beat it". At this time the band was still playing with a keyboarder, who left the band afterwards. Also Marcus Tackenberg was firming as Marc Dealor on that tape, that offered Melodic Metal, compared by some to Virgin Steele. In June 1991 another Demo followed, whose songs "Cold love" and "Red light city" was used for the local CD sampler "Wizzards From OS" as well. De Lorean was playing an US american style influenced typical glammy Hair Metal like it was usual during the late 80's.Discography:
"Two ways to beat it" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Only for the wild and wicked" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Wizzards From OS" Comp.-CD Tracks 1991 (Gemelo)
Deabanger
Lineup:
Thomas Drechsler (vocals)
Stefan Miesem (guitar)
Dieter Breuer (bass
Tommy Pauls (drums)
Band-info:
A Crossover/Thrash band from Cologne it seems, who published an independently produced album 1990. As hard as it is to find info of this band, musically they offered quite an annoying sort of Thrash Metal with Voivod touch of the Canadians late 80's era. Musically they might sound either bearable, but the knife that's turning inside the open wound are those utterly crappy executed vocals. An absolutely unessential release and band...Discography:
"Deadbanger" LP 1990 (Rose Club)
Dead
Lineup:
Dany Ringer (guitar, vocals)
Uwe Stolze (bass, vocals)
Peter Krügel (drums)
Band-info:
The Death Metal trio Dead was founded in Nuremberg in early 1990 actually as Deadlogik, but shortened name to just Dead later on. The band got quickly picked up after their first Demo by Poserslaughter Records for a sole 7" release (grey vinyl). At this point the guys was playing a kind of Gore/Death Metal with Grind parts, comparable mainly to Pungent Stench early phase. During the following years their "lyrical concept" started to change and the band prefered to adopt Porn/Grind themes. The "Slaves to abysmal perversity" single was released on MMI Records 1993, still continuing the style of the previous 7", before Dead's career really started rolling and innumerable EP's and CD's got published till nowadays.Discography:
"Far beyond your imagination" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Far beyond your imagination" Comp.-CD Track 1991 (Appointment With Fear Vol.1) (1991)
”Defeat remains” 7” EP 1991 (Poserslaughter)
"Defeat remains" Comp.-MC Track 1992 (Apocalyptic Things 4)
"Slaves to abysmal perversity" 7" EP 1993 (MMI)
Dead Anyway
Lineup:
K.P. Texter (vocals)
Andy Fath (guitar)
Fred P. (guitar)
Alex (bass)
Alex (drums)
Band-info:
A Hannover based Crossover band, who in their Demo days 1992 played a sort of Faith No More/Freaky Fuckin' Weirdos influenced groovy Thrash/Hardcore, but soon on their only album "O, what a noble mind is here overthrown" went much more punky and modern, so better don't burn your your fingers here.Discography:
"Dead Anyway" Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
"O, what a noble mind is here overthrown" CD 1993 (Metronome)
Dead Ballerinas
Lineup:
Michael Pozz (vocals)
Tommy Löwe (guitar)
Mike Joseph Sullivan (guitar)
Alf Sczersputowski (bass)
"Astor" Mannheim (drums)
Band-info:
The Dead Ballerinas from Karlsruhe was just a side project that got initiated by the at that time recent Tokyo Blade shouter Michael Pozz, who's been the frontman of the Krautrockers King Ping Meh in the late 70's and already used to play together with Mike Joseph Sullivan in the Glam Rock band Lucy during the mid 80's. Tommy Löwe and Astor Mannheim was previously active in the band Starstruck. Pozz wanted to start a Glam Metal band, and since Tokyo Blade published an album on Hot Blood Records, the Gama produced the Dead Ballerinas album 1988 as well. The guys tried to copy the typical US Glam Metal bands, that especially Cinderella seems to have had a huge input on the band's music. But since Michael Pozz hasn't been even half the charismatic frontman that Tom Keifer has been, the whole project turned out shit, and not even his "erotic vocals, instant vocals, vocals, vocals & more vocals" could change anything at all. And therefore the project was soon afterwards laid to rest.Discography:
"Dead Ballerinas" LP/CD 1989 (Koch International)
Dead Bang
Lineup:
Michael Gröper (vocals)
Christian Hänsel (guitar)
Peter Grützmann (guitar)
Frank Maertin (bass)
Holger Makarowski (drums)
Band-info:
Originally formed as the hobby band EFB (Elektrik Firebirds) back in 1982 by the schoolfriends Sven Zimmermann (bass, vocals), Lutz Dammann (guitar, vocals), Christian Hänsel (guitar), Helfried Wildenhain (keyboard) and Jean-Peter Koberstein (drums), this band from Rostock (ex-GDR) went through a few line up changes till 1984 when they changed name to Rosa Rock. Late '83 Kai Bünger (vocals, keyboard) replaced Helfried Wildenhain and after getting officially graded a "middle class band" in autumn '84, Lutz Dammann left the band and Peter Grützmann (guitar) joined instead. Right in spring '85 Rosa Rock upgraded to an "upper class" band due to Grützmann and went through several national contests, that gained them first moments of fame. The guys insisted to be called a Hard Rock band, being influenced by Bon Jovi, Saxon and Judas Priest, later also by the sound of Europe. First Demo recordings was made in 1986, featuring a solid, and compared to other bands of the GDR, quite international sound with mid 80's Judas Priest hints all along plus a strong edge of the classic melodic US Hard Rock. During early 1987 Michael Gröper (ex-Ceylon) was hired as lead singer and Rosa Rock could produced the song "Nevada", that already appeared on the previous Demo, at the MTS-Studio in Lengenfeld for the national broadcast service. Gröper then after just one year left the band again in spring '88 and the rest of Rosa Rock went on a tour through Poland. Later the same year after summer Kai Bünger quit and Steffen Gräver (keyboard) joined. During a national contest later in 1988 the guys finally reached the Profi status and was invited to record 2 more songs for the national broadcast service early '89, being "Song for Sarah" and "Wir wollen nur Rock'n'Roll". Their drummer Jean-Peter Koberstein couldn't know that later in 1989 the wall would fall and tried to escape the GDR illegally in summer, but got caught and jailed, so Holger Makarowski had to cover his empty spot. During that time Rosa Rock started writing english lyrics, but the political change kinda stopped them too, like many other bands in the country. Due to different views of the bands further direction Sven Zimmermann left during December '89 (he joined Jack Mc Tiger in 1990), which brought back former vocalist Michael Gröper and new bassist Frank Maertin (ex-Crystal). But during early 1991 the band split up and some of the guys tried to play in Berluc, which did not work so well, so in summer '91 Rosa Rock reformed under the new name of Dead Bang and immediately produced a 5 track Demo at the KARO Studios with Kalle Trapp. Their sound got a bigger Rock'n'Roll edge now, but nevertheless remained powerful Hard Rock with once again those Judas Priest "Turbo" influences being still audible. Under the same name of "Dead Bang", just like the debut, another Demo was recorded most probably during 1992/93, featuring the 5 songs of the previous tape, plus 2 extra tracks, also recorded at the KARO studios, just like their debut album "Dancin' on the edge", that ZYX Music released in 1994 on CD and sold quite well in Japan. But problems occured later when Dead Bang was about to release the second album "I.D.C." in 1996 (Enjoy Records). Shortly before the album release the band split up.Discography:
"Dead Bang" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Dead Bang“ Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Dead End Street
Lineup:
Marcus Tomaschewski (vocals, guitar)
Andy Bauers (guitar)
Iwan Bouzid (guitar)
Jürgen Jander (bass)
Jürgen Schantzer (drums)
Band-info:
A local band from Karlsruhe, that was active during the mid/late 80's and contributed with the energetic Metal rocker "Time to rock" on an underground compilation back in 1988, featuring a straight classic Metal style, that reminds slightly of the early US Hair Metal bands or Judas Priest on "Defenders of the faith". Further info is desired.Discography:
"Time to rock" Comp.-LP Track 1988 (Der Sampler 88 - Karlsruher Bands)
Dead Man’s Fun
Lineup:
Aki Block (guitar, vocals)
Rüdiger Gundlack (guitar)
Holger Wisser (bass)
Andreas Haroske (drums)
Band-info:
A Heavy Metal troop from Lübeck (or Lübeck area), that was active since the mid 80's and got signed after a Demo tape 1986 by Hamburg based indie label Z Records, who published their selftitled LP 1987. Though the album didn't seem to have been a top seller at all, it features though very solid, powerful Heavy Metal, that perfectly caught and reflected the charm of a local underground band, that's lacking in the songwriting department. In places Dead Man's Fun stylistically seems Motörhead influenced, but due to the different type of vocals, it's hardly noticable. The album could be compared to mainly the Gama stuff, with maybe a good dose of Invader. Nevertheless, the guys subsequently tried to get another record deal with 2 more Demos in the fall of the 80's, but didn't succeed at all. They most probably split up in the early 90's.Discography:
"Hard 'n Heavy" Demo 1986 (selreleased)
"Dead Man's Fun" LP 1987 (Z)
"Metalfish" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
"Promo - New '90" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
Dead Priests Abbey
Lineup:
Stefan Reitmeier (bass)
Dieter Steffan (drums)
Heiner Heupink (guitars)
Rolf Weichert (keyboards)
Uwe Kiehl (vocals)
Band-info:
A Heavy Metal band from Epe, North Rhine-Westphalia who released 2 demos in the early 90's, presenting a rather varied form of European HM, from sturdy rockers like "I Wanna Rock" to speedy numbers like "Warchild" and "Murder" to Maiden'esque moments like on the great "Lovedriver", all topped off with typically German rhaspy vocals. As for the history/destiny of the band and its members, little is known other than bassist Stefan turning up in Gronau HM act Submission later in the 90's. If you have more info, please get in contact.Discography:
"Through the Barricades" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Deep End" Deemo 1992 (selfreleased)
Dead Silence
Lineup:
Matthias Edelmann (vocals)
Sang Vong (guitar)
Daniel Wetzel (bass)
Stefan Löffler (keyboard)
Stefan Klittich (drums)
Band-info:
An obscure but quality band from Pforzheim, who we're guessing were active in the late 80's to early/mid 90's. Their only known release is the 3-track "Futureland" EP, released both on CD and cassette in 1992. The one track found on the web presents a classy, catchy form of melodic Hard Rock/Metal with a Scandinavian touch. If you have more info, please get in contact.Discography:
"Futureland" CD/MC Ep 1992 (selfreleased)
Dead's-Head
Lineup:
Ralf Chiduch
Jörg Helling
Ulrich Christen
Volker Schuster
Band-info:
Late 70's Hardrockers with an obscure single featuring good Hard Rock, that's closer to the 80's than the 70's with diverse Boogie influences though. Further band info is needed.Discography:
"You and I wer're going back" 7" EP 1978 (QDS)
Deadly Error
Lineup:
Band-info:
Widely unknown underground Thrashers from Weißenfels, near the city of Leipzig (ex-GDR), that had been active at least during 1989, competiting with other locals Hellbound and Exocet. So far yet it doesn’t seem they recorded any Demos at all.Discography:
Deadly Sin
Lineup:
Paul Power (guitar, vocals)
Uwe Reese (guitar)
Frank Hesse (bass)
Michael Felchner (drums)
Band-info:
Deadly Sin from Wuppertal was founded by Paul Power and Uwe Reese in December 1985, who both previously played together in a Punk band. First drummer Michael Felschner joined and last Frank Hesse on bass in summer '86. The guys worked out a 80 min program that would cover all kinds of Metal and started playing live. After a first show the lads already felt able and strong enough to record an own single in November '86. "Screams and thunder" plus "Evil attack" are the titles of the chosen numbers and both couldn't be more different. While the first mentioned one provided an Accept influenced quite typical midpaced Heavy Metal rocker, with the flipside the lads secured themselves an entry in the eternal book of German Metal history. "Evil attack" is storming forward in typical german underground power/thrashing manner with no holds barred. Vectom comes to my mind as comparison, but seriously, they've been not even close to this raging Metal tune. After the single Deadly Sin recorded one more Demo with 4 songs at around 1987/88, but Paul Power had left the band and got replaced by female guitarist Sabine Dahlmann and vocalist Markus Laumer. But then the traces of the band trail away.Discography:
”Screams and thunder/Evil attack” 7” EP 1986 (selfreleased)
"Slave of celebrity" Demo 198? (selfreleased)
Deadwood
Lineup:
Peter Schneider (vocals, bass)
Thomas Hesse (guitar)
Michael Japes (drums)
Band-info:
Deadwood, a trio from Olpe/Sauerland who recorded a 6-song demo in 1991. One of the songs appeared on the local Wildwux Compilation released the same year. The track "Man on the mountain" features a kinda bluesy Hard Rock, that's kinda simple structured, but not bad sounding at all.Discography:
Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
”Man on the mountain” Comp. LP Track 1991 (Wildwux Rock Sampler ‘91)
Dealer
Lineup:
Steve Lose (guitar)
Band-info:
A Hard Rock/Metal band from Cologne active around 1985/86. If you have more info please get in touch.Discography:
Death Estate
Lineup:
Band-info:
Most probably a Thrash Metal band, hailing from Ostfriesland in the upper north, that was active during the later 80's. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Death In Action
Lineup:
Ralf Pflüger (vocals)
Markus Krügener (guitar)
Udo Franke (bass)
Willi Golus (drums)
Band-info:
A Heidenheim based Crossover/Thrash band that published 3 stylistically equal sounding albums in the fall of the 80's and early 90's. Officially Death In Action mentioned in an interview that the band formed in spring '86 and has been more active in the Hardcore scene in those early days. But there are the two trax "Datenschutz" and "Death in Action" to appear on an underground Hardcore compilation entitled "Negative Benehmen" in 1985, so these guys must be active since at least 1985. In February '87 the first Demo "Veins of fear" was recorded and D.I.A. was playing an equal style of Crossover like New York City HC legends Agnostic Front. We Bite took the band under contract and exactly one year after recording the Demo, the lads entered the Masterplan studio to record the debut album "Toxic waste", that basically features most of the Demo trax once again in more polished versions. During the following months till December '89 when the second output "Just for our sake" was recorded at the Marquee studio Reutlingen, the band was undergoing some personal and stylistical changes. Robert Balci joined on drums, Günter Oppold on guitar and Ralf Theilacker on bass, while the last remaining original member guitarist Markus "Glenn" Krügener was responsable for the vocals too. The guy's sound moved into a more technical Thrash direction, but still holding the balance to not drift away into too much technical "Gefrickel", keeping a straight forward thrashing direction like Wicca f.e., somewhere in the middlefield of the recent scene. For "Stuck in time", the third album of the band recorded in June '91, Günter Oppold piloted his brother Marc (ex-Tyrant) into D.I.A. as new drummer, while the now James Hetfield look- and soundalike Markus Krügener only focussed on vocals. The album once again featured a straight forward played technical Thrash Metal like it's precursor, but also marked the last album of Death In Action during that period. 1996 they published the very last album "Scheiterhaufen brennt" independently, before they eventually split up in the late 90's.Discography:
"Negative Benehmen" Comp.-MC Tracks 1985 (AF-Tapes)
"Veins of fear" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"Toxic waste" LP 1988 (We Bite)
"No awakening 'til megatoke?" Comp.-MC Tracks 1989 (Beerbreath)
"Nuclear Death" Comp.-MC Track 1989 (Buttfuck Compilation Tape Vol. 1)
"Just for our sake" LP/CD 1990 (We Bite)
"Just for our sake" Comp.-MC Track 1990 (We Bite Promo Tape 1990)
"Stuck in time" LP/CD 1991 (We Bite)
Death Slayer
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local (most probably Hamburg based) Thrash Metal band that released at least one Demo during 1986. Two of the trax ("Jesus in chains" and "Death Machine") was featured on the Total Massacre Vol. 2 underground compilation tape. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
"Total Massacre Vol. 2" Comp.-MC Tracks 1986 (Death Metal Production)
Death Warrant
Lineup:
Wolfgang Marquardt (vocals)
Dietmar Schmid (guitar)
Wolfgang Kamm (guitar)
Rupert Klein (bass)
Markus Hassold (drums)
Band-info:
Melodic Metallers from the first half of the 80's decade, originating from Rutesheim in southern Germany, who produced an independent EP, that was recorded in August '84 at the Antoni Recording Studio and manufactured by the same. The guys pressed 500 copies, but received a pretty bad review by the Metal Hammer back in day, which I think wasn't really justified. It's true that "Ectasy" features middle league Heavy Metal, but if you compare Death Warrant to the common Gama/Earthshaker stuff, these lads pretty much had created an own sound already. Especially the speedy "Mr. Heroin" knows to attract. Fans of Talon, Mad Max, No Trouble or Restless won't be dissatisfied at all here.
Deathcore
Lineup:
Kater (vocals)
Chuck (guitar)
Corre (bass)
Simon Lederer (drums)
Band-info:
A Deathcore act (What else to call?) from Speyer, that like the local heroes Blood, used to be a pioneering band of the early german Death Metal and Grindcore scene. The band was founded 1986 and recorded their (handnumbered) Demo "Revenge of the unborn" in November '87. Though the guys hardly could handle their instruments, but partly they didn't sound much worse than other bands that would jump on the Death Metal train at around 1989/90 at all. Influences of Blood/Napalm Death/Bolt Thrower might occur, but if that could be seriously called influences I'm not so sure, as these kind of bands just appeared at the same time. Nevertheless, Nuclear Blast signed the foursome and released their in January 1990 recorded "Spontaneous underground" album, that showcased grown up guys, who knew at least what they've been doing there. Deathcore had turned more into a Crossover act, with several Thrash/Speedcore/Grindcore influences, though basically they might have had even attracted certain Hardcore fans with their insanely fast stuff, that reminded occasionally of a more extreme version of Soothsayer. After the selfproduced "Monobrow" CD 1994, Deathcore was disbanded in 1995.Discography:
"Revenge of the unborn" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"Spontaneous underground" LP/CD 1990 (Nuclear Blast)
"Guerilla" Comp.-CD Track 1990 (Death...is just the Beginning)
Deathinfection
Lineup:
Michael Schumann (guitar)
Thomas Kanigs (bass, vocals)
Rudi (drum)
Band-info:
Better known under their later name of Mortal Impact, this Thrash band from Hohenmölsen, south of Leipzig in the ex-GDR, was formed back in the summer of ‘89 by Michael Schumann (guitar) and Rudi (drums), while Thomas Kanigs joined them just a short time later on bass. The guys mainly performed cover versions of their favorite trax of bands like Slayer and Nuclear Assault. But Rudi alreay left the trio after a while and instead Andreas Wünsche had the balls to hire as drummer for the young band, that at a certain point changed name to Mortal Impact probably at around that time during 1990.Discography:
Deathrow
Lineup:
Milo Van Jaksic (bass, vocals)
Thomas Priebe (guitar)
Sven Flugge (guitar)
Markus Hahn (drums)
Band-info:
A Thrash legend from Düsseldorf, that you could often see having announced in the early Metal Hammer magazine, looking for members to join them. When the band formed in October 31st 1984, it was originally called Samhain and used to play a pretty rude chaotic Thrash Metal. Both Sven Flugge and Markus Hahn originally lived in Bremen and just had moved over to Düsseldorf, while Thomas Priebe was pretty unhappy with his recent band that was playing an Accept/Priest style Heavy Metal. When his old band split up, he just joined the other 3 to build the classic Samhain line up. During 1985 and 1986 the Demos "Lord of the dead" and "Eternal death" was recorded, that gained the guys a deal with Noise Records, leading into the production of the first album "Satan's gift" 1986. Since Noise was afraid the album would be indicated for the prude american market (due to the name "Satan" in the title), they decided to rename the album and re-release it under the title "Riders of doom" with either different artwork. Deathrow's type of Teutonic Thrash was different to lets say Sodom's or Kreator's. While the lads was playing with hyperspeed, they kept a special degree of technical superiority. In May '87 one of the highlights of the german Thrash scene was recorded - "Raging steel". The Deathrow guys distanced themselves from the chaotic parts of the debut and created a number of raw, yet technically experienced, but straight forward thrashing jewels. Sadly with Thomas Priebe's quit after "Raging steel" and Uwe Osterlehner took his part. With Osterlehner a more progressive, technically explicit complex Thrash was executed now, but Milo's voice hadn't the right range for that purpose at all. Actually they should have searched for a new vocalist, who was able to sing those new complex structures, but they didn't. Nevertheless, "Deception ignored", recorded December 1988, became Deathrow's best selling album. Due to financial trouble with Noise, the band declined the option to record another album for that label and the name Deathrow disappeared from the scene, till in 1991 they returned with the "Tower in darkness" single. The band's sound had slightly changed, but still the old Deathrow could be recognized, playing a mix of "Raging steel" and "Deception ignored" type of Thrash Metal. West Virginia Records took the guys under contract and one more album ("Life beyond") was produced in 1992, before the band after sliding into judicial trouble with the label, called it a day around 1993/94. The band had to fight with the typical modern influences that other Thrashers got plagued with too on "Life beyond" and therefore it doesn't really justify the first positive impression that "Towers in darkness" left after its release.Discography:
"Satan's gift" LP 1986 (Noise)
"Riders of doom" LP 1986 (Noise)
"Raging steel" LP 1987 (Noise)
"Scattered by the Wind" Comp.-Pic LP Track 1988 (Doomsday News)
"Deception ignored" LP/CD 1989 (Noise)
"Machinery" Comp.-LP/CD Track 1989 (Doomsday News 2)
"Towers in darkness" 7" EP 1991 (Metal Machine Music)
"Life beyond" LP/CD 1992 (West Virginia)
Deathtrap
Lineup:
Steven Mondrzejewski (guitar, vocals)
Olaf Gerold (guitar)
Helko Klemm (bass)
Ralph Richter (drums)
Band-info:
Thrashers Deathtrap was founded in Freiberg (ex-GDR) with survivors of the Thrash bands Misanthropy (Steven Mondrzejewski & Ralph Richter) and Helion (Olaf Gerold & Helko Klemm) in October 1989. In early February ’90 the foursome already recorded their first Demo “Trapped in pain”, that slightly suffered by the raw Demo sound, but the lads tried to deliver a Kreator inspired style, that in the whole reminds kinda of the Moshquito Demos. After diverse gigs, a very limited Reh/Tape (20 copies), plus a live tape from August 1990, a western label showed interest in the band, who agreed to produce the mini album privately at Infernal Row Studio in Wuppertal, while the label would release the vinyl later. But after inspecting the contract accurately, the guys retreated from the offer and decided to release the MLP on their own. But while trying to buy the mastertapes, the label and studio intervened and both parties couldn’t find any solution for that purpose. The Deathtrap guys just had a simple tape in their hands and nothing else, containing their recordings mixed independently by the studio, that naturally caused a bad mood within the band. The recorded material offers raw Thrash in the vein of Kreator/Slayer and Necrodeath. Drummer Ralph Richter subsequently left late in 1990 and joined Musical Massacre, while the ex-Musical Massacre drummer Lutz Götzold joined in during the last phase of Deathtrap in January ‘91. Nevertheless the bad tensions inside the band climaxed in Deathtrap’s split, since Steven Mondrzejewski wanted to move into the Death Metal corner, while Helko Klemm and Olaf Gerold tried to continue with their original style. After playing a last gig as opening act for Cannibal Corpse, Deathtrap was history. Steven and Lutz formed the shortlived Death Metal band Procession, while Lutz then later joined post-Musical Massacre band Purgatory. The compilation “Downfall (1989 – 1991)”, released on German Democratic Recordings, features all the bands recordings from 1990.Discography:
”Trapped in pain” Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Rehearsal 1990" Reh/Demo 1990 (unreleased)
“Live In Conradsdorf” Live MC 1990 (selfreleased)
"Unreleased Mini LP" 1990 (unreleased)
“Downfall” Comp.-MC Track 1991 (Extreme Noise – Volume 2 / The Dead Walk!)
“Downfall” Comp.-MC Track 1991 (Visions Of Canalization Compilation Tape Volume One)
“Thrashing East Attack Vol. I” Comp.-MC Tracks 1991 (selfreleased)
"Deaf Tape Sampler No. 1” Comp.-MC Tracks 1991 (Morbid)
Decay (Bremen)
Lineup:
Diana Avak (vocals)
Matthias Henke (guitar)
Andreas Riemann (guitar)
Oliver Bensch (bass)
Marc Hilleckes (drums)
Band-info:
Another obscure local Bremen plant, a female fronted Power Metal troop with rather late 80's midpaced US Power/Thrash sound like Metallica or Wanted. So far there's just the 2 compilation appearances "Samain" and "Don't drink and drive" known, but we'd be surprised if these guys wouldn't have had any Demo on the start previously. Further info is welcome.Discography:
"Ride on the Underground - A heavy Compilation" Comp.-CD Tracks 1993 (Tepa)
Decay (Frankfurt)
Lineup:
Marinko Kalfic (vocals)
Jan Biermann (guitar)
Flying Fred (guitar)
Bam Bam (bass)
Uwe Wiese (drums)
Band-info:
These Decay are from Steinbach in the Frankmain/Main area and since 1985 played a bit more Thrash related style than the same called Hildesheim band. Their debut Demo "Skate or decay" featured 2 recordings on one tape, as the B-side included a "Fun tape 88", that was recorded at their rehearsal room. The studio material of "Skate or decay" is way more interesting Thrash Metal with Mosh parts, with hints of Anthrax and Death Angel. Unfortunately the dull vocals slightly spoil the final result. Some of these tapes (most probably those that was sold later) contain the bands 90'er Demo tape too, as like in case of my own one, the lads just recorded it on the B-side (without titles or cover). And that Demo offers almost the same style but with curtailed speed, delivering a more Metallica "and justice for all" era typical sound. Decay dissolved during 1992.Discography:
”Skate or decay/Funtape 88” Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
"Demo '90" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
Decay (Hildesheim)
Lineup:
Sascha Jakat (vocals)
Ralph Plautz (guitar)
Rainer Jaeck (guitar)
Andreas D'Arrissi (bass)
Raffael Pacella (drums)
Band-info:
A Power Metal band from Hildesheim that was founded in 1985 influenced by rude acts such as Venom, Slayer and Celtic Frost to play the typical german speed driven Power Metal. When Ralph Plautz joined them as second guitarist the material got a bit more melodic. After diverse line up changes, live gigs and successful participations on several band contests, Decay recorded their first Demo "Metal creed" (with 8 tracks) at the Masterplan-Studio, produced by Stefan Grujic and Henning Wörner, that more than once could be compared to early Living Death (f.e. "Drive down to hell"), with Sascha Jakat in places when he unpacks the "nasty voice" sounding quite the same mean as Toto. The repertoire of the guys was quite manifold, from midpaced Metal bangers to Power/Speed, they delivered it all. The tape got quite positive feedback by the Metal press, even in Italy and France. But due to disunity about the future musical direction the band quit in 1989. Sascha Jakat died in 1994.(Thanx to Ralph Plautz for info and material)
Discography:
"Metal creed" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
Deceiver
Lineup:
Jochen Krause (vocals)
Andre Hinzmann (guitar)
Armin Prokein (guitar)
Frank Hüsken (bass)
Holger Lemm (drums)
Band-info:
A melodic Power Metal act from Wesel/Voerde, (Dinslaken/Duisburg area) active since 1986. July '89 the guys debuted with a selftitled Demo (500 copies made) that was sold out rather quickly and recorded one more "Nightmare" tape afterwards around 1990. 1991 with Michael Bödecker on guitar for Armin Prokein, their "Tales of time" album was independently produced for Inline Music, but published by D&S in the end on vinyl only. Surprisingly Deceiver's style haven't had much in common with the usual Ruhrpott Metal stuff, but instead was feasting on a more or less early Queensryche influenced US Metal style, that's mainly known from most of the american White Metal bands. The record is a little gem in the melodic Power Metal sector, but doesn't surfaces that often at all. The band most probably disappeared during the very early 90's as well, coz Frank Hüsken joined Metropolis at that time. "Tales of time" was eventually re-released on CD on the Inline Music sublabel Battery 1994.Discography:
"Deceiver" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Nightmare" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Tales of time" LP 1991 (D&S)
Decibel
Lineup:
Thomas Klammt (vocals)
Thomas Rollert (guitar)
Dietmar Woyderski (guitar)
Holger Baumgarten (bass)
Matthias Müller (drums)
Band-info:
A shortlived band from Halle (ex-GDR), that was formed out of the ashes of the school Punk band The Pisser back in 1984 by Thomas Klammt (vocals), Thomas Rollert (guitar), Dietmar Woyderski (guitar), Holger Baumgarten (bass), and Matthias Müller (drums). Musically the guys was performing Hard Rock and Heavy Metal somewhere between Van Halen and Judas Priest, before Carsten Gaudian (vocals) and Mike Kähler (bass) replaced Thomas Klammt and Holger Baumgarten during 1986 and the band eventually changed name to Hercules. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Decomposition
Lineup:
Jörg Weinhold (vocals)
Mario Waldapfel (guitar)
Sören Lenk (guitar, bass)
Mirko Dreier (drums)
Band-info:
Decomposition was a Death Metal band from Großsteinbach/Saxony, which was active since already 1991, but their first Demo "Demon" wasn't released before 1994. The sound of the fourpiece was a sort of doomy, unstraight Black/Death Metal, that according to Jörg Weinhold's Martin Van Drunen alike vocals reminded in places of Asphyx. Shortly after the Demo release the guys renamed the band to Seirim and continued playing a much more Black Metal inspired style.Discography:
Decry
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Metal band from the Speyer area, that was active in the mid/late 80's. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Dee Tail
Lineup:
Paul Neville Larkin (vocals)
Michael Gehlhaar (guitar)
Ulf Templeman (bass)
Marc Walther (keyboard)
Maurice Fuchs (drums)
Band-info:
A band of the local Bremen scene that started at the beginning of the 90's. Their vocalist during 1993 sung in the Power Metal band No Comment as well, but Dee Tail's own music was way more melodic in the Pink Cream 69 style, mixing Melodic Metal with Hard Rock tunes, much reminding of the late 80's style. Their debut CD "Lack of sympathy" was entirely selfproduced at the Tepa Tape Studios in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, as well as their second CD "Eye owe you" from February 1996, that now featured Peter Hummel on keyboards and the ex-No Comment guitarist Jörg Rainer Friede on the bass.Discography:
"Lack of sympathy" CD 1993 (selfreleased)
Deep Throat
Lineup:
Peter Krettner (vocals)
Heinz Scheurke (guitar)
Norbert Pejic (guitar)
E. Manuele (bass)
Michael Harbeke (drums)
Band-info:
An early Heavy Metal formation originating from Nuremberg, who seemed to have been kinda sex addicts or something. The whole sleeve of their sole album "The devil in Miss Jones" features contact address of redlight ladies. Deep Throat's speedy Metal hitted hard, the guy's style was impressed by massive double bass attacks, highly influenced by "Overkill" era Motörhead in the first, and either the midpaced NWOBHM rockers know to convince and could be seen as a nice substitute for the scene leaders Accept and Scorpions. There are two versions available, one with gatefold sleeve and one without. Sadly this band after the promising album didn't get any foot on the ground anymore and disappeared silently. Just 5 years later Heinz Scheurke and Norbert Pejic re-entered the public with the band Between The Sheets.
Defcon
Lineup:
Jens Busch (guitar, bass, vocals, drum programming)
Thomas Schwalowsky (guitar, bass, vocals)
Band-info:
The progressive Thrash band Defcon originally started as Charon, but there isn't much known about this band, but in June '88 Thomas Schwalowsky and Jens Busch (both ex-Charon) from Potsdam in the ex-GDR, formed the studio project Defcon. One of the guys was working in the DEFA Studios in Babelsberg and therefore had the possibilty to use the studio internal recording equipment. In August '88 the track "Future cries" was produced by the duo and got airplay in the "Tendenz Hard bis Heavy" (THE Heavy Metal radio show of the GDR). Due to the positive reactions, Schwalowsky and Busch recorded one more track ("Get out of the scrape"), that also got airplay. Encouraged by the little success, they prepared their debut Demo in 1989 entitled "Made in GDR", featuring the aforementioned "Future cries" and "Get out of the scrape" plus two more songs ("Escape" and "Defense condition"). The tape got positive reactions worldwide, even Wild Rags was interested to produce an album of the band, but due to the political situation that undertaking seemed unfeasible. In January 1990 the guys re-recorded the track "Future cries" plus "Voice of greed" for the national broadcast service with ex-Pharao guitarist Fred "Veit" Ullmann and after Blackout's end Andreas Bahr (bass) and Torsten Stahnke (drums) both joined Defcon too in 1990. Still within 1990 the guys recorded and produced their debut LP "Suicide", that was published in March '91 in a limited edition of 1000 copies. Thorsten Stahnke had left the band again already in the meanwhile, but Defcon nevertheless started rehearsing for future live gigs. Late 1991 Thomas Schwalowsky then quit and the rest of the guys renamed the band Chor Chorea. 1998 a selfmade CD "Voice of greed" was published, that features old, partly unreleased recordings of the band. Defcon's style isn't easy to describe, progressive Thrash might hit the nail on it's head, but to compare their music to other bands is almost impossible. Apart of the early more classic Thrash Metal influenced material, they also added psychedelic parts as heard on the "Suicide" album. The use of a drum computer wasn't much helpful for the whole sound of the guys and in places gave the songs a kinda "plastic" touch.Discography:
"Made in GDR" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Suicide" LP 1991 (selfreleased)
Broadcast recordings:
"Future cries" (Radio version 1990)
"Voice of greed" (Radio version 1990)
Defcon 2
Lineup:
Rassi (vocals)
Andy (guitar)
Dirk Faulstich (guitar)
Holger (bass)
Frank Lindenthal (drums)
Band-info:
A Power/Thrash band of the mid 90's, that was founded 1993 in Fulda after Raving Madness' departure and featured 3 of their members: Rassi, Frank Lindenthal and Dirk Faulstich. There are 2 Demos known, "Tribute to no one" was recorded during October 1993 (but released 1994) and "Fate" recorded within the following year, before the band faded into obscurity again. If you got more info, please get in touch.(Thanx to Andy Süss for the Democover and info)
Discography:
"Tribute to no one" Demo 1994 (selfreleased)
Defcon 5
Lineup:
Thomas Rönnebeck (vocals)
Klaus P. Mathießen
Christian T. Benz
Jan Stephan (bass)
Rehse
Oliver Kruppa
Band-info:
A Heavy Rock band from Kiel that was active during the early 90's, which was influenced by acts like Mr. Big and XYZ. and featured the ex-Keziah Mason musicians Thomas Rönnebeck and Klaus P. Mathießen. After the Demo "One way to win" from 1991, their vocalist Thomas Rönnebeck left the band early '92 to join Moray, while Defcon 5 shortly later split up. Further info is needed.Discography:
"One way to win" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Defender
Lineup:
Andreas Schmitt (guitar, vocals)
Josef Pomponio (guitar)
Daniel Herbert (bass)
Thorsten Kalbhenn (drums)
Band-info:
A Speyer based raw Metal troop, that was founded in the middle of the 80's and published their debut tape "Atomic war" 1987, while already 2 years later they recorded their selffinanced MLP "A symbol of devotion" with Dirk Bender on vox, that also featured one of the songs known from the Demo - "N.Y.C.". Both recordings introduce different bands since the Demo presented a far more rough sounding Thrash act with either rough vocals, while Bender's vox appeared more melodic, reminding of Vendetta's. Though, whenalso "A symbol of devotion" featured a slightly more controlled sounding sort of Speed'n'Thrash in the vein of Wicca or Atrophy, both faces of the different era's of Defender had it's attraction, though I prefer the raw Demo Thrash nevertheless. Like many other late 80's bands that published records around 1990, also Defender split up shortly after the release of the vinyl. Andreas Schmitt joined/founed the Power Metalllers Axon.Please note, Metal Achives lists a "Demo 1986" as well, but since there are serious doubts that these are the same Defender from Speyer, we atm list this other band separately, because that Demo's style or sound had nothing in common with Speyer's Defender.
Defender
Lineup:
Band-info:
These Defender are refered on certain sources in the www as the Speyer Defender who published the "A symbol of devotion" MLP 1989, but none of the 4 songs (Damien/Stormchild/Metal occult/Get the attack) on their Demo dating from 1986 reminds even rudimentary of the Speyer band who used to play Thrash Metal. These lads here performed a breathtaking classic mid 80's Power Metal (with completely different vocalist), somewhere between the early Whetstone and Running Wild, that was headed by the immortal steel hymn "Damien". We need confirmed info in this case, so please get in touch with us if you know something about these guys.Discography:
"Demo 1986" (selfreleased)
Defune
Lineup:
Kai Müsch (drums)
Band-info:
Defune's a shortlived Death/Grind band from Lahnstein/Koblenz, who only released one professionally recorded 5 song Demo tape in 1991, that featured typical slow Death Metal mit Grind parts and deep growled vocals.Discography:
“Cidemania” Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Deja Vu
Lineup:
Werner (vocals)
Sammy (guitar)
Timo (guitar)
Fonse (bass)
Stefan (drums)
Band-info:
The 7" of this bavarian Melodic Metal from Leiblfing was recorded in January '91 and features, I'm about to say, typical bavarian Metal, means well executed, melodic and even though these guys have been a hobby band, you at no second will hear that at all. Both songs are quite rough produced and well written/executed with "Back to the city" having a kinda glammy US touch in the refrain when it turns into a hard rocking pounder. "Sweet cheat" offers creeping hymnic Metal like Dio with good guitar work. A highly recommended piece.Discography:
"Deja Vu" 7"EP 1991 (selfreleased)
Del-Area Allegiance
Lineup:
Sven
Frank
Band-info:
A Speed/Thrash Metal band from the wider Bremen/Hamburg area, that was active during 1989, influenced by early Metallica, Forbidden, Testament and Mordred. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Delicate News
Lineup:
Dietmar Felten (vocals)
Rainer Ressemann (guitar)
Thomas Siegl (bass)
Peter Zupancic (drums)
Band-info:
A modern sounding Thrash Metal act from Erlangen that was originally founded 1988 as Rattlehead and recorded already 2 Demo tapes under that monicker, before they decided to change the name to Delicate News in 1991. One more Demo followed, and then Delicate News prepared their debut album "The mirth in a dead man's yell", that just like the afterwards released single ”4-Track E.P.” features quite strange, progressive and almost unbearable kind of modern Power/Thrash, that possibly in places could be compared to the weird Mortality from Munich. While that still wasn't enough, 1996 the albums "Scoff" and 2002 "Flashback" followed, while this band is active still nowadays. The single should include a free sticker.Discography:
"Occurences beyond the bark" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"The mirth in a dead man's yell" CD 1992 (NET)
”4-Track E.P.” 7” EP 1993 (Tug)
Delusion
Lineup:
Oliver Lenz (guitars)
Markus Winterstein
Band-info:
A Thrash band from Habitzheim outside of Frankfurt. No demos are know but a few rehearsals were handed over to the Totentanz editor in 1990 who apparently found them rather promising. Not much else is known, other than the fact that one Markus Winterstein did end up in a local death metal band called Malaphar one year later. If you have more info, please get in contact.Discography:
Demantor
Lineup:
Rene Golze (vocals)
Thomas Hube (guitar)
Ronald Schulze (guitar)
Andreas Schreiber (bass)
André Reetsch (drums)
Band-info:
A Death Metal band from Großziethen in the Berlin area, that got initiated 1989 still in ex-GDR times, but just became a real band during the following year, eventually consisting of Rene Golze (vocals), Thomas Hube (guitar), Ronald Schulze (guitar), Andreas Schreiber (bass) and drummer André Reetsch. Schreiber got replaced on bass already in 1991 by Rene Golze’s brother Mario, but both left the band one more year later during 1992, making ex-Dayzolate Andreas Krüger to take over vocal duties and Frank on bass. The latter remained in the band only till 1994 (Thomas Riedl jumped in afterwards), long enough to record 2 Demos with the guys. The first one being “Eternal fight” in the first part of 1993 and a sort of advance tape entitled “Vorab Tape!!”, that should be dating from December of the same year as well. After a lethal accident, which caused new bass player Thomas Riedl losing his life, also guitarist Ronald Schulze had enough and left Demantor in July ’95. The remaining trio Andreas Krüger (vocals/guitar), Thomas Hube (guitar) and André Reetsch (drums) refused to bury Demator and continued album recordings, that they had started during 1995, when Riedl and Schulze still had been members of Demantor. “Your only satisfaction”, as the CD was entitled respectively, was released on the independent label Galdre Records during 1996 and delivered a quite down-to-earth style Death Metal always being rooted in the early 90’s sound and sharing stylistical influences with later Benediction, Fleshcrawl or Eternal Dirge. But due to being just a trio, the live activities to promote the album suffered alot. Andreas Krüger left the guys for good in 2001 and for a short while Hanno Mende joined on guitar and Mario Rohde on bass. Nevertheless Demantor called it quits anyway during 2004 without further recordings being done.Discography:
“Eternal fight” Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
“Vorab Tape!!” Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Demoniac
Lineup:
Tino Röder (gitarre)
Andreas Schwach (vocals)
Tino Mothes (bass, drums)
Mirko Schmat (vocals)
Band-info:
Demoniac evolved from the Death Metal band Purulent Obduction when Tino Röder, Tino Mothes and Andreas Schwach decided to change the band name in early '93. They kept on playing their classic Paradise Lost/My Dying Bride influenced Doom/Death Metal till after summer the same year when a second vocalist (Mirko Schmat) joined and they stylistically went into a more Black/Death Metal direction highly influenced by Emperor, Impaled Nazarene or Burzum before the band did split into 2 other bands in early 1994 after releasing the "Jesus never lived" Reh/Demo in January '94. Andreas Schwach and Tino Röder formed Andras while Tino Mothes and Mirko Schmat made another tape called "Demoniac" (February '94) and then changed the band's name to Moonblood. Schwach would later form the band T.H.O.R. and also had a side project called Arkham going till 2019. Tino Mothes formed his own Viking Metal project Nachtfalke in around 1998. The band got revived again in 2013 by 3 of the original members and recorded their debut album in 2015/16, that features some of the old early 90's songs in re-recorded versions plus 4 newly created tracks. At the moment Tino Röder and Mirko Schmat still keep Demoniac alive.Discography:
"Divine grudge" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
"Blaspherion" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
"Black prophets" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Deo Dieter Band
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Prog Rock band with Hard Rock/AOR influences (somehow like Bachmann Turner Overdrive goes Hard Rock or something) that was featured with the 2 german sung trax "Das Beste" and "Gönn dir was" on the local sampler "Osnabrücker Rockbum Nr. 1". If you got more info, please get in touch.
Depp Jones
Lineup:
Dirk Felsenheimer (vocals)
Rod Gonzalez (guitar)
Michael Beckmann (bass)
Olaf Kobold (drums)
Band-info:
Depp Jones was a Crossover band from West Berlin, formed by members of the famous german Rock bands Die Ärzte (Dirk "Bela B." Felsenheimer) and Rainbirds (Rod Gonzalez & Michael Beckmann), together with Atze Ludwig in 1989 as S.U.M.P., but changed name to Depp Jones after their first mini album 1990. During the recordings for their debut album "Return to Caramba" Ludwig left the band and the ex-Rubbermind Revenge drummer Olaf Kobold joined. A number of singles followed as well as the live album "Welcome to hell" all released within 1990/91, before Michael Beckmann called it a day and Peter Sonntag joined instead. After the second album "At 2012 A.D." Depp Jones split up late 1992 but since Felsenheimer's ex-Die Ärzte mate Farin Urlaub disbanded his band King Kong too, they reactivated their old band and added Rod Gonzalez to the new line up. Depp Jones' music was a mix of Hard Rock, a bit Punk, Indie Rock and either a few Metal influences popped up here and there.(Thanx to emosteel for the heads up)
Discography:
"¡Return to Caramba!" LP/CD 1990 (Epic)
"Promo" MCD 1990 (Epic)
"Luxury/Mission impossible" 12"/MCD 1990 (Epic)
"Love is a ghost" 7" EP 1990 (Epic)
"Welcome to hell" MLP/MCD 1991 (Cyclon)
"At 2012 A.D." CD 1992 (Dragnet)
Depraved
Lineup:
Peter Rummel (vocals)
Jörg Hetzig (guitar)
Ralf Gehring (bass)
Band-info:
A shortlived attempt to revive the Thrash Metal band Mad Evil from Ludwigshafen after it's collaps 1992. Former members Peter Rummel, Jörg Hetzig and Ralf Gehring started a comeback as Death Metal band in 1993, but Rummel was more focussed on his band Nyctophobic. Further info are welcome.Discography:
Depraved
Lineup:
Chris (vocals)
Berkant (guitars)
Oliver Cal (drums)
Can (bass)
Band-info:
A Frankfurt thrash-band from the late 80's/early 90's who later changed their name to Epydemyc, before releasing their only known demo in 1991. If you have more info, please get in contact.Discography:
Depression
Lineup:
Stefan Heintzelmann
Band-info:
A Heavy Metal band from Worms, that was active during 1986/87. Not to be confused with the Death/Grind band from Lüdenscheid. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Depressive Age
Lineup:
Jan Lubitzki (vocals)
Jochen Klemp (guitar)
Ingo Grigoleit (guitar)
Tim Schallenberg (bass)
Norbert Drescher (drums)
Band-info:
Jan Lubitzki, Jochen Klemp and Tim Schallenberg was previously members of the East Berlin (ex-GDR) Thrash legend Blackout, but when Blackout got disbanded late 1988, most of the guys left the country and found together just in 1990, now firming as Depressive Age. On the Demo tapes that they recorded between 1990 and 1991 you even can hear some classic Blackout Thrash tunes, while the band was already on the way to create something completely different. Though still acting Thrash Metal based, the Depressive Age guys went into a progressive, almost psychedelic direction, that was quite untypical even for the earliest 90's. But nevertheless GUN Records signed the band and Depressive Age recorded the albums "First depression" and "Lying in wait" during 1992/93, that gained 'em a small followership and they once again started something pioneering inside the Thrash genre, like they already did earlier during the mid 80's with Blackout. The band's style surely isn't everyone's cup of tea and seriously if Thrash has to be combined with Pink Floyd-ish elements is the question to be answered. 2 more albums followed till 1996, while Grigoleit left the band already before "Electric scum" was recorded, when the band got renamed to only D-Age and split up mid 1999.Discography:
"Beyond illusions" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"The New Demo" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Depressive Age" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Innocent in detention" MCD 1992 (GUN)
"First depression" LP/CD 1992 (GUN)
"Lying in wait" LP/CD 1993 (GUN)
Desaster Area
Lineup:
Oliver
Jörg
Band-info:
A Heavy Metal band (might well have been a bit proggy) from the Wiesbaden area, that was active during the late 80's. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Desaster Area
Lineup:
Klaus Bolz (vocals)
Mättes Lorenz (guitar)
Frank Funk (guitar)
Reinhold Bogner (bass)
Peter Stein (drums)
Band-info:
Late in 1984 Dortmund's Maniac disbanded. The remaining members Klaus Bolz, Mättes Lorenz and Peter Stein hooked up with Frank Funk (guitar) and Reinhold Bogner (bass) and changed name to Desaster Area. Former Maniac bassman Peter Stein therefore changed from bass to drums. Desaster Area's sound wasn't 100 % Metal, the lads moreover also added certain Punk influences, though songs like "Angel forces" from their early 1985 recorded Demo was considered a classic Speed Metal number. Seems like Desaster Area after the Demo split up, we have evidence at least that Frank Funk left the band still in 1985. Further info is needed.Discography:
Desaster Area (Hannover)
Lineup:
Harro Müller (vocals)
Steve Brown (guitar)
Mario Beck (bass)
Mirko Marten (drums)
Band-info:
A local Wedemark/Hannover based Metal band, that was active since around 1988 and released 2 Demo tapes till 1991. The band already got positive reviews for their "Plutonium Rock" tape recorded in 1989, attesting the band to play on an above average level. Desaster Area unfortunately wasn't able to keep the old line up steady and already the second Demo "Frozen coffee is another ballgame" in 1991 featured a completely different band with Michael Kinzel (vocals), Christian Makowka (guitar), Michael Tarras (guitar), Matthias Aumann (bass) and Alex Schmolling (drums). Their first vocalist Harro Müller later joined Salem's Law to sing on their second album. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
"Plutonium Rock" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Frozen coffee is another ballgame" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Desaster Area (Wilhelmshaven)
Lineup:
Jörg Lanzerdorfer (vocals)
Manuel Neumann (guitar)
Ernst Wagner (guitar)
Heiner Kluin (bass)
Ingo Frerichs (drums)
Band-info:
Desaster Area was a varied Speed/Thrash band from Wilhelmshaven, first calling themselves Invaders. They were active since 1985 and featured Manuel Neumann and Ingo Frerichs, who later would form the Power Metal band Voluntary. Both also appeared on the first Demo "Violence and terror", recorded in September 1986, that contained 4 songs ranging from classic midtempo Metal up to early Helloween-ish Speed tunes and even straight Thrash, but then left in 1987 to start Voluntary. Dirk Leiner did the drums on the "Restricted area" Demo from '87. If you got more info, please get in touch.(Thanx to Rumblefist for material)
Discography:
"Violence and terror" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
"Restricted area" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
Desert Flower
Lineup:
Band-info:
Desert Flower was a local Hard Rock band from Soest in the wider Dortmund area, that was active during the beginning of the 90's. The band was playing live in the early 90's and recorded a 4 track Demo back in 1991 at the Franz. K. Studio in Witten. Musically the lads was heavily influenced by american bands and delivered a mix of commercial sounding sleazy and funky Hard Rock. Further info is welcome.Discography:
"Funkland indians" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Desert Storm
Lineup:
Marco Scharfenort (bass, vocals)
Martin Wöbke (guitar)
Dirk Seifert (drums)
Band-info:
A Thrash Metal act from Hamburg formed by the ex-Minotaur Marco Scharfenort, Martin Wöbke and Dirk Seifert in 1991. The guys sounded even a little bit similar to the late Minotaur, though their type of Thrash Metal was a completely different affair, rather dark, midpaced with also influences of Sodom. The band members changed permanently with only Scharfenort remaining the leader. Right after the "Part II" Demo from January '92, Kai Neuse joined on drums, but already got replaced by Timm Arnold on the "Fade to grey" tape, that also featured the new guitarist Oliver Bandomer. Interestingly "Fade to grey" was planned as an album to be published on Remedy Records who also manufactured the advance tapes for the album and announced that the CD should be available in May '93. But seems those plans got changed and Remedy instead produced a 3-way Split CD with Torment, Minotaur and Desert Storm, that features songs of the unreleased Desert Storm album. Afterwards with once again changing members, Desert Storm published 2 more albums and EP's till they disbanded in the mid 2010's.Discography:
"Locked into life" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Part II" Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
”The dark half” Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
"Dark Half" Comp.-CD Track 1993 (Peace-Eater Vol. III)
"Fade to grey" Adv. Tape 1993 (Remedy)
"Live Tape 1993" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
"Torment/Desert Storm/Minotaur" Split CD 1993 (Remedy)
Desire
Lineup:
Petra Schiemer (vocals)
Jürgen Wentrup (guitar)
Andreas Schmitt (guitar)
Bernd Wilkening (bass)
Björn Gref (drums)
Band-info:
A female fronted Power Metal band from Heidelberg, that both ex-Sheer Greed guys Andreas Schmitt (ex-Defender/Axon) and Bernd Wilkening formed around 1991. There is a 6 song Demo known released in 1992. Further info is needed.Discography:
Desiree
Lineup:
Olaf Grosser (guitar)
Kai Steffen (guitar)
Bauke de Groot (bass)
Heiko Heike (drums)
Band-info:
A Heavy Rock band from Wunstorf/Hannover, that was formed sometime during the early mid 80's and later in 1989 featured Bauke de Groot (ex-Zenith), Heiko Heike (ex-Amazone), Olaf Grosser (ex-Lawdy) and Kai Steffen. The band is known to have performed live on stage in spring '85 at a Rockfabrik Metal festival, so there's at least one Demo available. Steffen, Grosser and de Groot later turned up in Sargant Fury's line up, just like their drummer Heiko Heike, who joined SF a little bit later on as well, which might imply that Desiree was a kinda pre-stage of Sargant Fury. Further info are welcome.Discography:
Despair
Lineup:
Robert Kampf (vocals)
Waldemar Sorychta (guitar)
Marek Grzeszek (guitar)
Klaus Pachura (bass)
Thomas König (drums)
Band-info:
A Thrash band from Dortmund that was founded in 1986 out of the ashes of several local bands.On their "Surviving you always" Demo from 1987 the band performed a style quite similar to certain US Thrash bands like f.e. the early Defiance. With the release of the Demo Despair got several offers from interested labels, but Robert Kampf as an answer founded Century Media and published the debut album "History of hate" himself, while Despair's early style got more and more complex and especially technically ambitious. Influences of Destruction got louder and louder, but still the US Thrash got the upper hand on the album. Markus Freiwald was swinging the drumsticks on that album and for the second effort "Decay of humanity" one more personnel change had to happen, as Kampf's label got bigger and bigger, so he decided to leave the band and got replaced by Andreas Henschel. Despair's Destruction and Holy Moses inspired style got even more complex and slowly reached a point where most classic Thrash fans have to resign as Thrash untypical elements slightly started to enter their sound. The band toured alot during the following months to promote the album, and eventually recorded their last album "Beyond all reason", that once again tried to get back to the early Despair style with incidental US Thrash influences like Vio-lence. 1993 after several opinions about the musical future of Despair, the band got officially disbanded. Klaus Pachura subsequently played with Dark Millennium for a few months, while Sorychta formed the star project Grip Inc. and became a famous producer. He revived Despair late 2017.Discography:
"Surviving you always" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"History of hate" LP 1988 (Century Media)
"Freedom now" Promo 7" EP 1990 (Century Media)
"Decay of humanity" LP/CD 1990 (Century Media)
"Slow death" Promo 7" EP 1991 (Century Media)
"Beyond all reason" LP/CD 1992 (Century Media)
Despair Tears
Lineup:
Horst „Hörni“ Gedecksnis (vocals, guitar)
Jens Clausen (guitar)
Uwe Förster (bass)
Sven Heikens (drums)
Band-info:
Papenburg Deathmetallers formed in 1991. One demo was released in February 1993, before the band's demise one year later. Guitarist Jens joined Oldenburg's olde Death pioneers Obscenity in the late 90's.Discography:
"The Eye Of Truth" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Desperation
Lineup:
Disastrous Nobbe (gocals, guitar)
Schlemmer (bass)
Captain Kirk (drums)
Band-info:
Nuremberg Hardcore/Death Metallers, describing themselves as "Intense Power Core", who claimed influences from Erosion, Cro-Mags or especially old Celtic Frost and recorded a 5 track Demo during '89. The band also had advertisements in leading mags featured during mid 1989, announcing their “Pre-Demo". Further info is needed.Discography:
“Pre-Demo" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Destination meat grinder" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
Destination Zero
Lineup:
Michael Mayer-Poes (vocals)
Bully B. Goode (guitar)
Christian Both (bass)
Peter Siegler (drums)
Band-info:
A Punk Metal/Crossover band from Hamburg that we just wanna introduce quickly, featuring Peter Siegler of the Punk band Razzia. Originally founded as Destination O around 1987/88, the guys debuted on vinyl with the trax "Kicks" and "Time is too short" on a local compilation in 1988 before the Bitzcore label released their debut album (as Destination Zero) still within the same year, followed by 2 more albums on the terrible Ruff & Roll label. The sound of the band was more or less punky (especially the vocals), but got a Metal edge nevertheless. During the faster parts once again Motörhead seemed to have influenced them, though for a Metalhead I hardly can imagine that Destination Zero could be of serious interest. That's why we don't wanna dive in depth into their story here.Discography:
"Hamburg '88" Comp.-LP Tracks 1988 (Bitzcore)
"Suiciety" LP 1988 (Bitzcore)
"Even you" Flexi 7" EP 1989 (Bitzcore)
"Survive" LP/CD 1990 (Ruff & Roll)
"Mr. Evil" LP/CD 1991 (Ruff & Roll)
Destiny
Lineup:
Michael Zschippan
Band-info:
A Speed Metal band influenced by Slayer and Exodus from Bochum/Wuppertal area that was active around 1985/86. If you have more info please get in touch.Discography:
Destiny
Lineup:
Band-info:
A 4-piece Heavy Metal band formed in 1980, in Mutterstadt outside Mannheim. They claimed influences from Accept, Judas Priest and Metallica and even covered the 2 latter on their 11-song Demo, which was recorded at their reh/room and released in 1984, featuring a blend of classic Heavy and Speed Metal. There's most probably a second 1 song Demo available, also recorded within the same year, but the track in the old Steeler/Brainfever vein seems to be more of studio quality, yet the song title is unknown. If you have more info, please get in contact.(Thanx to Rumblefist for additional info)
Discography:
"Demo 1984"
Destiny (Hannover)
Lineup:
Kai Reuter (guitar)
Karl-Heinz Bösel (keyboard)
Marco Krüger (bass)
Jim McGillivray (drums)
Band-info:
Destiny was probably just a short lived project of well known musicians of the Hannover scene, featuring ex-Epitaph/Eloy Jim McGillivray on drums, ex-Viva/Jane and later Joal guitarist Kai Reuter, as well as Kalle Bösel, who's mostly known for his participation on a big number of albums like f.e. for Vice, Fargo, Running Wild, T.N.T., etc.The only Destiny output marks a very unknown piece I have to admit, though the title track features an outstanding pompish AOR/Melodic Rock ballad, that hides an absolutely epic character and well deserves to be heard. The 12" version compared to the 7" features an extra track, but both B-sides cannot keep the standard on the A-sides and either rather slide more into the hardrockish AOR genre. Nevertheless for AOR fans truly a found seizure.
Discography:
"Guardian of my soul" 7"/12" EP 1986 (Rekord)
Destitution
Lineup:
Thomas Reiß (vocals)
Christian (guitar)
Thorsten (bass)
Stefan Feßler (drums)
Band-info:
Destitution was a Crossover band from Wörth am Rhein, whose first Demo still featured besides the founding members Christian (guitar) and Stefan Feßler on drums, Simon on bass and Gicht as vocalist, but the latter two would soon after recording Destitution's first Promotape in 1987, that was only mailed to labels and magazines, be replaced by Thorsten (bass) and singer Thomas Reiß. After another 7 track Demo in 1988, Semantic Records signed the band for a Split LP with french Crossover troop Infected Youth, which was recorded in September '89 and featured a sort of US american style Hardcore/Crossover with several Thrash parts in the vein of f.e. Agnostic Front. Sadly the slightly punky and annoying vocals are the reason that Destitution compared to the other group Infected Youth (cool typical 80's Crossover/Thrash), pretty much qualitative seen played at least one level below.Discography:
"Destitution" Promo Tape 1987 (selfreleased)
"Times have changed" Demo 1988 (Burntout Youth)
”Infected Youth/Destitution” Split LP 1989 (Semantic)
Destroyer
Lineup:
Wolfgang Schwarz (vocals)
Stepan Scheufele (guitar)
Jürgen Müller (guitar)
Markus Maier (bass)
Ralf Markowitz (keyboard)
Thomas Gyimesi (drums)
Band-info:
One more local Destroyer band with an absolutely obscure independent album release from 1983, that seems was never really officially released. The band was formed in Ulm around 1979 by Wolfgang Schwarz and Markus Maier, who knew each other since school days and either played together in a band at that time, that later turned into Destroyer in a way. The local Sparkasse Ulm (a bank) sponsored their scarce “Thunder” LP, that seemed to be made in a tiny edition or probably just a few promo LP’s were even pressed. Destroyer's style was simple structured, just typical early 80's Metal like Sin City, NWOBHM influenced and either reminded of the softer material of early Tyrant. Right in the year the album was out, the band already split up and and both Wolfgang Schwarz and Markus Maier had been founding members of another Ulm legend, Vampyr.(Thanx to Tatjana Menk for additional info)
Discography:
"Thunder" LP 1983 (Heute)
Destroyer
Lineup:
Peter Müller (vocals)
Jörg Pryztarski (guitar)
Andreas Büttner (guitar)
André Chapelier (bass)
Chris Efthimiadis (drums)
Band-info:
A Herne based metallic outfit that started in 1983. While being Steeler’s roadies, these Speed Metal fanatics decided to form an own group named Destroyer, but changed it to Atlain quickly.Discography:
Destroyer (Gross-Zimmern)
Lineup:
Christoph "Stripe" Schinzel (bass)
Marcus Gnap (drums)
Uwe Becker (guitar)
Pete Kulp (vocals)
Band-info:
This edition of the popular Destroyer-monicker was formed in the autumn of 1986, in the small Darmstadt town of Gross-Zimmer. Pete, Stripe and Uwe had previously played in Arrow. After releasing their debut demo in 1987 came a name change to DEZTROYER, from which their saga continued with several more demos and finally a full-length album on D&S Records in 1991.Discography:
"Homicidal World" demo 1987
Destroyer (Landau)
Lineup:
Sandra Schumacher (vocals)
Franz Römer (guitar)
Thomas Heyer (guitar)
Thomas Glaser (bass)
Stefan Humbert (drums)
Band-info:
Destroyer was founded back in autumn '86 in Herxheim by Sandra Schumacher (vocals), Franz Römer (guitar), Thomas Heyer (guitar), Thomas Glaser (bass) and Stefan Humbert (drums). They didn't care much about playing cover versions of famous bands and after just 6 months of rehearsing they already played their first live show. Markus Wawersich replaced Thomas Glaser on bass in 1988. After several live gigs and fans started asking for Demos, Destroyer decided to enter a studio in September '88 in order to produce their first Demo. But since they wasn't much happy with the name Destroyer, they changed it at the same time. In the meanwhile the Demo idea got dropped by the band and they instead pressed the original Demo songs on vinyl. The result would become the very first official release of Wardance, the band's new name. That MLP was called "Crucifixion".Discography:
Destruction
Lineup:
Ulf Kühne (vocals)
Marcel Schirmer (bass)
Michael Sifringer (guitar)
Tommy Sandmann (drums)
Band-info:
Actually Destruction from in Weil am Rhein, close to the Swiss frontier, officially was formed back in 1983, while the band’s origins in a way could be also retraced back to 1981 already, when Michael “Mike” Sifringer was playing with Ralf Schumacher (guitar) and other guys of his neighbourhood in a sort of unofficial band. This bunch of schoolkids, except of Ralf Schumacher, who already was skilled enough on the guitar and taught Mike basic knowledge in playing, wasn’t really able to handle any instrument at that time, and most of them quit shortly later as well. So it was a coming and going and trying of the boys, who could be rated a (Hard) Rock band most likely, while songs of Saxon or Status Quo could be mentioned to be influences of the lads, who either exercised their songs during the rehearsals. Ralf Schumacher came up with the idea to name the band Morrigan, but as mentioned above, according to Mike Sifringer it hasn’t been any official band, they neither had an own band logo at all. That whole phase lasted till around 1982/83, when most guys had already quit, since Mike wanted to play Heavy Metal, while the rest rather prefered the Rock stuff. At one day Tommy Sandmann appeared at one of Morrigans rehearsals, while their drummer has been absent, so Tommy was eager to make some noise himself. According to Mike he didn’t even behave stupidly, so since the original Morrigan drummer wasn’t much willing anymore to continue anyway, Tommy was told to buy a drumkit and he’d be in! Morrigan at that point already fell apart, while Mike wanted to go much heavier, so he and Tommy hooked up and started their own pure Metal thing. Mike had Knight Of Demon as the band’s name in mind, but as he claimed himself, that one was never ever used at all. Tommy’s proposal of Destruction fitted the guys perception way better. Ulf Kühne was found on vocals meanwhile. A short time later Tommy met Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer at a fair and he seemed to look Metal, so he directly recruited him as the band’s bass player. The newly formed quartet now featured Ulf Kühne on vocals, Schmier on bass, Mike on guitar and Tommy on the drums. Kühne got kicked in 1984, shortly before recordings of their famous “Bestial invasion of hell” Demo would happen, due to trouble he ran into with Sifringer. In the end having no more singer, Schmier was forced directly in the studio to sing for the first time ever and the classic trio Schmier, Mike and Tommy was born this way. "Bestial invasion of hell" started it all for Destruction, opened closed doors and made them one of the spearheads of german Thrash Metal. Their selfclaimed “Black - Hardcore - Highspeed – Metal” has had an enormous impact within the growing Speed and Thrash Metal underground scene, that at that time was still dominated by only Slayer. The Corroseum honestly doesn't think that we still need to introduce this legend to anyone of the readers. In case someone doesn't know them yet, please check out the Destruction HomepageDiscography:
"Bestial invasion of hell" Demo 1984 (selfreleased)
"Sentence of death" MLP 1984 (Steamhammer)
"Infernal overkill" LP 1985 (Steamhammer)
"Eternal devastation" LP 1986 (Steamhammer)
"Mad butcher" 12" EP 1986 (Steamhammer)
"Release from agaony" LP/CD 1987 (Steamhammer)
"Live - Without sense" LP/CD 1989 (Steamhammer)
"Cracked brain" LP/CD 1990 (Steamhammer)
"Cracked brain" 7" EP 1990 (Steamhammer)
"Best of" DCD 1990 (Teichiku)
Deterrent
Lineup:
Markus Weckermann (vocals)
Nico Luttenberg (guitar)
Frank (guitar)
Sascha Meinert (drums)
Gocken (bass)
Band-info:
Deterrent was progressive Thrashers from Osnabrück, that existed since '87 and released 2 Demos that both made it easily to the lower league of the Tech Thrash acts from Germany. It's not just the almost unbearable vocalist, who tried to sing but forgot that he absolutely can't and not even had a voice at all for that kind of Metal. But also the song structures appeared somewhat weird, especially on "Got stuck" they really put the crown on the mess they created. The first tape at least had a few straighter passages that showed similarities to some US Thrash bands but it's far from being recommended at all. The same year when the second Demo was out, Deterrent could also place two exclusive tracks on a local compilation CD. They even dared to release a CD in 1994 entitled "Re-Invention"! Nico Luttenberg was also found in Power Metallers Enola Gay.Discography:
"Obey Today '89" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Beyond the wall" Comp.-MC Track 1991 (Extreme Noise - Volume 2 / The Dead Walk!)
"Got Stuck" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Wizzards From OS" Comp.-CD Tracks 1991 (Gemelo)
Deuteronomium
Lineup:
Band-info:
We don't have further info of this local bavarian band based in the wider Würzburg area, except that they've been active during 1990/91. Most probably a Thrash act. If you know the band just get in touch.Discography:
Devastate
Lineup:
Ch. Guinness (vocals)
Tom Wisweh (guitar)
Tommy Fritsch (guitar)
Micha Meuer (bass)
Band-info:
An ambitioned progressive Power/Thrash Metal band originating from Otzberg, east of Darmstadt, that started in 1989 and recorded a number of well respected Demos around 1990, hoping for a record deal, but didn't succeed. Demo numero uno "Escape the dream" from November '89 was still recorded with a drumcomputer, but the guys could later hire Kai Bergerin for the drummer job. Tommy Fritsch was playing in Darmstadt's Power Metal hopefuls Vice prior to Devastate already, together with Ralf Couard (ex-Asmodina/Destroyer) who would later during the 90's replace Devastate's original vocalist and figurehead Ch. Guinness. The 3 important Devastate tapes feature a majestic sounding mix of epic yet melodic Power Metal with diverse Thrash parts, that especially due to Guinness' impressive vocal performance made Devastate sounding like a Thrash version of the godly Chalice ("One final sin"). After the hoped for record deal didn't took form, the band started falling apart and on their last "Demo '94" Misha Meuer played bass, while Guinness' part was taking care of by Ralf Couard, whom Tommy Fritsch still knew from old Vice days. The band split up after the Demo. Bergerin and Fritsch joined Disbelief afterwards.Discography:
"Escape the dream" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Syllogism" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Oct. '90" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Empress in Space" Comp.-CD Track 1993 (Crossing All Over)
Device
Lineup:
Kai Schlünsz (vocals)
Andreas Fahnert (chor vocals)
Ralf Turke (guitar)
Klaus Elvers (bass)
Matthias Elvers (keyboard)
Dirk Hoffmeister (drums)
Band-info:
A melodic Heavy Rock band from Flensburg/Kiel, that just formed in summer '89 with Andreas Fahnert, Dirk Hoffmeister, Klaus Elvers and Ralf Turke coming all from Rockwork. Kai Schlünsz and Matthias Elvers was previously playing in St. Mandrake. The two songs "Fire of insanity" and "Screamin' out" was recorded for the local Hamburg compilation "The Desert's still alive Vol. II - Hard and Heavy" during 1990 and impressively show the guy's talent to compose catchy melodic Hard Rock/AOR that's above the average level. Most probably prior to the recording a Demo tape was already released, since Hamburg's Metal Star magazine initiated the compilation. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
"The Desert's still alive Vol. II - Hard and Heavy" Comp.-CD Tracks 1990 (Baierle Special)
Devil's Soldiers
Lineup:
Thomas Klett (vocals)
Ralf Schultze (guitar)
Olaf Schlünzen (guitar)
Oliver Korn (bass)
Daniel Kownatzky (drums)
Band-info:
One of the earliest Hard Rock/Metal bands from West Berlin, that formed in 1980 and played several live gigs even throughout Germany during the mid 80's. The Devil's Soldiers, a rather NWOBHM influenced band with strong Saxon edge, saw themselves influenced by the good old 70's Hard Rock tradition and in the very beginning wrecked several members like f. e. Alexander Strauch (keyboard), who later turned up in Heartlyne and the poppy She's China. Their main line up consisted of the guys to the left and these lads also recorded the bands official first Demo in 1984, despite there's also a 1 song Demo from 1982 known. Around mid/late 1985 Thomas Hartstock (guitar) replaced the leaving Olaf Schlünzen and recorded with the Devil's Soldiers 1986 the third selftitled Demo, that went a bit heavier, while the band was diving into classic Heavy Metal waves now. After the heavily of Gravestone sounding “Demo 1987” (also refered as the "Roadrunner" tape), the band name was changed to Charisma late within the same year. If you have more info please get in touch.Discography:
"Demo 1982" (selfreleased)
"Devil's Soldiers" Demo 1984 (selfreleased)
"Demo 1985" (selfreleased)
"Demo 1987" (selfreleased)
Devilax
Lineup:
Band-info:
Obscure local Heavy Metal troop from Crailsheim (between Stuttgart and Nuremberg), active in the mid 80's, who performed on stage in spring '85 at a Rockfabrik Metal festival. There's at least one Demo available of these guys. If you have more info please get in touch.Discography:
Devilworshipper
Lineup:
S. Behrenbeck
Band-info:
A satanic Speed Metal band from Langelsheim/Harz, that was active during 1986/87, having an advert in an old Metal Hammer issue to search for additional members. The name S. Behrenbeck most probably refers to Sascha Behrenbeck, a name that's not really unknown to people of the mid 90's german Black Metal scene, as this guy (also known as C.N. Leichenschrei) back in the day claimed to be the mastermind of Lacerated Gods and spread either a fake Demo of that band, that originally was a live cut of a french Death Metal act. He either claimed having initiated the bands Euronymousdestruction and Opferblut, a band in the NSBM orbit of Absurd, that all 3 was just fake bands to develop a cult followership in that special scene. All of the material that was spread in tapetrader circles was just stolen songs of other bands. So it could well be that Devilworshipper was one more of his phantom acts. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Deztroyer
Lineup:
Pete Kulp (vocals)
Uwe Becker (guitar)
Christoph Schinzel (bass)
Markus Gnap (drums)
Band-info:
Deztroyer was basically the same band as Destroyer, that was formed in the autumn of 1986, in the small Darmstadt town of Gross-Zimmer. Pete, Christoph and Uwe had previously played in Arrow. After releasing their "Homicidal world" Demo, in 1987 came a name change to Deztroyer, followed by a number of more Demo tapes throughout the late 80's. "Drink & forget" recorded in January '88 featured a Slayer influenced pure Thrash style with melodic vocals that would slightly change on the following "Big surprize", that though contained classic Thrash as well, but Deztroyer's style occasionally reminded of Demo stage Sieges Even either. After 2 more tapes during 1989 with second guitarist Darin Smith (ex-Asmyraii, later in Kalögena), that also featured rather technical Thrash reminding of an Atrophy/early Sieges Even/Agony mix, the remaining Kulp, Becker and Schinzel hired drummer Jens Gellner 1990 and recorded more material during 1990, that was partly released as a 4 song Promo and later D&S pressed 100 vinyl copies as the "Climate change" album, before the band eventually split up right afterwards. Deztroyer's style compared to the previously recorded Demos hadn't changed a bit. With slightly audible problems in the vocal section, the fourpiece was performing very technical straight forward Thrash in a similar Wicca/early Vendetta style like there's no tomorrow, though their was end has drawn near already. Schinzel then subsequently joined Dreamworks, Kulp and Becker went to Under Siege.Discography:
"Drink & forget" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
"Big surprize" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
"Studio Promo Tape" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"The Forz" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Deztroyer" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Climate change" LP 1991 (D&S)
Dezztroyer
Lineup:
Band-info:
Not a single info could be found on Dezztroyer's privately pressed single from 1981. It seems either that the record was published without a picture sleeve, which makes this an obscurity par excellence as I'm sure all of the copies made, was spread just locally. Both tracks strongly remind me of the similar sounding eastgerman Hardrockers Berluc on their debut album, though Dezztroyer was much more connected with the typical Kraut Rock, whenalso a serious proggy, late 70's Hard Rock sound could be attested nevertheless. If you got more info about these guys, please get in touch.
Diabolic Force
Lineup:
Peter Stoll (vocals)
Markus Frühbauer (guitar)
Martin Baur (guitar)
Jochen Haap (bass)
Frank Stiegelbauer (drums)
Band-info:
Diabolic Force started originally as Swiftwater in Grafenberg, near Tübingen a bit south of Stuttgart, who formed in the late 80’s. The Heavy Metal band only recorded a Demo with the title "Kingdom of the death" in March ’89 and then when Stefan Sailer left the band around 1990, the remaining guys changed name to Diabolic Force. Peter Stoll and Martin Baur found Jochen Haap (ex-Overheat) and Markus Frühbauer (ex-Basta) tried with Frank Stiegelbauer and Salvatore Lia several drummers before Ingo Margot got the job. In 1991 the guys recorded one more Demo tape, now as Diabolic Force, and then disappeared. Further info is needed.Discography:
“Never die” Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Diamond Breaker
Lineup:
Claus Fisher (vocals)
Axel Ellerhorst (bass)
Volker Eiles (drums)
Stefan Ellerhorst (guitar)
Franz Schede (keyboard)
Band-info:
Diamond Breaker basically could be seen as a kinda pre-Crossroads formation, as Axel Ellerhorst, Stefan Ellerhorst & Franz Schede, after Diamond Breaker was no more, formed Crossroads. Vocalist Claus Fisher and other guitarist Gunnar Schröter on the other hand had a history in the early line-up of Sande NWOGHM act Rave. However DB's only Demo might suggest this band could be something pretty heavy, but it's all shine and deceit. The 4 tracks are somewhere between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, midpaced, mainly pounding smashers with a little US american touch here and there. Not bad at all, but nothing above standard either, although I like the guitar work.Discography:
Demo 1985 (selfreleased)
"The light of evil" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
Dice
Lineup:
Thomas Gräfe (vocals)
Jürgen Rademacher (guitar)
Jörg Schöttker (bass)
Matthias Veith (drums)
Band-info:
A local Heavy Rock act from Bremerhaven in northern Germany, who've been active during the late 80's till the later 90's. A first Demo with 6 traditional songs with influences of the late Trance and the Scorpions was recorded in November '89, while their only album "Fuel to the fire" was published as CD on Face Music in 1996. Further info is needed.(Thanx to Rumblefist for the recommendation and info)
Discography:
"Kids wanna rock" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
Dick + Alex
Lineup:
Heinz Ganss (vocals)
Alex Parche (guitar)
Ritchie Reifferscheidt (guitar)
Zwiebel Truhöl (bass)
Andreas Hohmann (drums)
Band-info:
Quite a “wild bunch” with lotsa hairy armpits up there on the picture we guess, that’s Cologne’s Bluesrockers Dick + Alex, the latter better known as Alex Parche from bands such as Zeltinger Band and Breslau. He’s truly one those classic German Hard Rock pioneers of the late 70's, whenalso AC/DC’s music must have played a big role in his musical universe. Both Breslau and his solo project the Alex Parche Band dealt with AC/DC inspired Hard Rock and that’s exactly what he delivered with Dick + Alex years earlier. The first album around “Mr. Kingsize Dick” Heinz Ganss (Should we bother why he used that nick name?), that was recorded with several Cologne musicians like Jan Dix on drums (later member of famous rockers BAP) and Triumvirat Dick Frangenberg on bass, as well as f.e. Ritchie Reifferscheidt (guitar) and Zwiebel Truhöl (bass), who both became a steady part of the later Dick + Alex crew, got released in 1978. For the second and last album "Schweine in weißen Westen", recorded in spring ’79, they could hire ex-Kraftwerk drummer Andreas Hohmann. Now, as mentioned above, the musical core of the album featured a highly AC/DC inspired Blues Rock as well as hard R’n’R and quite a number of classic Hard Rock songs. Why the band split up after the album is uncertain. Alex Parche joined the Zeltinger Band during 1980 as we know and remained member there for one year before he left to form the shortlived Breslau together with Zwiebel Truhöl. Seems like Zwiebel Truhöl accompanied Parche quite a longer time on his musical journey since he also was part of his solo project Alex Parche Band a bit later on.Discography:
"Hey, steig ein" 7" EP 1977 (Harvest)
"Dick + Alex" LP 1978 (Harvest)
"Schweine in weißen Westen" LP 1980 (Rocktopus)
Dick Don’t Preach
Lineup:
Hüthi (vocals)
Kay (guitar)
Micha (bass)
Falo (drums)
Band-info:
A Wolfsburg Hardcore act, quite american sounding with heavy, metallic NYHC edge reminding strongly of the Cro-Mags or early Leeway on their Demo ”The way how to deal with us”. The tape was recorded in January ’91 and included 5 technically quite good songs with Thrash edge. In a way it’s impressive how American a German band can sound btw. For Crossover fans worth to check out!Discography:
”The way how to deal with us” Demo 1991 (Hektik)
die Balls
Lineup:
Band-info:
"die Balls" was an Indie Rock band originating from Hamburg, who independently pressed a single for their "Babylon Tour" in 1985. Though there are occasional slightly Hard Rock influences noticable and either heavier guitar solos, die Balls are absolutely uninteresting for Hard Rock fands and could be compared to f.e. Die Ärzte or similar german Rock bands. So better beware!Discography:
”Fallen angels” 7” EP 1985 (selfreleased)
Die Kanzlers
Lineup:
Thomas Kennel (Gesang)
Dirk Gesell (guitar)
Jörg Götzen (guitar)
Martin Otto /bass)
Frank Otto (drums)
Band-info:
A Heavy Rock band from Duisburg, that started in the very beginning of the 80's decade and used to sing in german. Late October 1989 the band recorded a selfproduced single, that contains the songs "Wenn es die Zeit erfordert" and "Alte Liebe", both featuring a lightweight radio friendly Heavy Rock (without keyboards), stylistically somewhere between the Scorpions and Rockfire. The cover, that's layoutet like a daily newspaper features a hand written number. According to the number on my copy, at least 1000 of these singles was pressed. If you got more info, pleae get in touch.
Die Seuche
Lineup:
Tom Dachrodt (vocals)
Frank Markendorf (guitar)
Jens (bass)
Mark (guitar)
Ludger (drums)
Band-info:
A Punk band from West Berlin that was founded during winter '84/85 by Tom, Frank, Jens, Mark and Ludger and recorded a Demo tape back in 1985 with that line up, before late '86 the band split up and got reformed during 1987 with new line up. After another Demo tape 1987, the band could temporary produce 2 albums in 1990 for the label Aggressive Rockproduktionen, with Klaus Budach (ex-Porno Patrol/No Allegiance) on drums, that featured a Rock'n'Roll inspired sort of Metal Punk, while especially "Pächter des Wahnsinns", could be seen as the most Metal influenced album of Die Seuche. 1991 after another Demo, the band could release another mini album on Vertigo Records before they eventually split up during 1993.Discography:
"Die Seuche" Demo 1985 (selfreleased)
"Schnelle Bedienungsmusik + verzweifelte Liebeslieder" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"Die Seuche" LP/CD 1990 (Aggressive Rockproduktionen)
"Pächter des Wahnsinns" LP/CD 1990 (Aggressive Rockproduktionen)
"Fleisch" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Halsabschneiders Höllenfahrt" Pic 12"/MCD 1992 (Vertigo)
Digger
Lineup:
Chris Boltendahl (vocals)
Uwe Lulis (guitar)
C. F. Brank (bass)
Albert Eckhardt (drums)
Band-info:
Digger was just Grave Digger under a new monicker. When Peter Masson left Grave Digger early '86 after the "War games"album in May, Uwe Lulis became their new guitarist, while they shortened the bandname to just Digger and tried with a different direction, whenalso they couldn't completely get rid off the pure Heavy Metal influences at all. I guess Boltendahl tried to lead Digger's music into the commercial Heavy Rock corner, and f.e. with the title track of the only Digger album that pretty much worked. But here and there a few Heavy Metal rockers still popped up occasionally, which makes the album seen in the whole a quite inconsistent affair, that wether could appeal the Heavy nor the Poser factions. During December '87 a message was spread that Boltendahl had realized his mistake and he added "Grave" to the name Digger again, and only played live material on stage of the first 3 albums with his new crew Uwe Lulis (guitar), Jochen Wiek (bass) and J.J. Börner (drums). When Chris Boltendahl has put Grave Digger on ice isn't 100 % sure, but must have been during 1988, as he started the band Hawaii together with Chris Lulis during that time, but after they both was tired of Hawaii in 1991, Boltendahl and Lulis unexpectedly reformed Grave Digger. C. F. Brank joined the band S.A.D.O.
Dilemma
Lineup:
Lars Bornschein (vocals, keyboard)
Jürgen Lauble (guitar)
Christoph Kugler (guitar)
Mario Arcadi (bass)
Stefan Möckel-Huschenbeth (drums)
Band-info:
Local Hardrockers from Epfendorf, between Stuttgart and Villingen-Schwenningen, that played just a short period during 1983-86, but recorded the german sung 1 track Demo “Alltag in der Großstadt” in 1984, featuring a slightly commercially inspired keyboard driven tune, that nevertheless got it’s heavy edges. After Dilemma’s days was counted, their guitarist Jay Jay (Jürgen Lauble) joined the much heavier Heartattack in 1987.(Thanx to Rumblefist for suggestion and info)
Discography:
“Alltag in der Großstadt“ Demo 1984 (selfreleased)
Dimension Blue
Lineup:
Rolf Koch
Band-info:
A local melodic Heavy Metal band from Koblenz, that was active during the very late 80's. If you have more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Dimple Minds
Lineup:
Lars Löding (vocals)
Olaf Paskarbeit (guitar)
Thomas Schier (guitar)
Marco Liebing (bass)
Martin Peters (drums)
Band-info:
A Party Metal band from Bremen, that was founded in April '86 by 5 schoolfriends. Already with the first Demo recorded early '87 the guys got signed by No Remorse Records, who didn't waste much time to forward these guy's important musical and lyrical alcoholic messages to the headbanging crowd with a first MLP "Blau auf'm Bau" that was recorded still in late 1987. With new drummer Torsten Larisch the first album "Trinker an die Macht" was recorded in October '88 and introduced a quite successful career for the 5 drunkheads, whose albums partly even entered the german charts. The second album "Durstige Männer" was recorded with Michael Hirch on drums in 1990 and published on Steamhammer, while the Dimple Minds would keep on working with that label throughout the whole 90's, publishing albums regulary till 2014.Musically these lads often are refered a Fun Punk band, but seriously, if you take your time to listen to their important albums you'll quickly recognize that the Dimple Minds, though being called a Crossover band indeed, are closer to Heavy Metal, than to Punk. Their songs are very varied, except of the lyrics ofc that are dealing with "alcoholic fairytales", stylistically combining everything from Punk, Hard Rock to Heavy and either Speed Metal.
Discography:
"Blau auf'm Bau" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"Blau auf'm Bau" MLP 1988 (No Remorse)
"Trinker an die Macht" LP 1988 (No Remorse)
"Trinker an die Macht" 7" EP 1988 (No Remorse)
"Der Maurer und der König" Comp.-CD 1988 (No Remorse)
"Durstige Männer" LP/CD 1990 (Steamhammer)
"Durstige Männer/Erkannt, Erwischt, Entmündigt" Promo 7" EP 1990 (Steamhammer)
"Volle Kelle Live" LP/CD 1990 (Steamhammer)
"Helden der Arbeit" LP/CD 1991 (Steamhammer)
"Die Besten trinken aus" CD 1993 (Steamhammer)
Dinas Emrys
Lineup:
Christian Huber (vocals)
Ivan Akar (guitar)
David da Cruz (guitar)
Jürgen Keil (bass)
Simon Lentner (drums)
Band-info:
Dinas Emrys from Wasserburg, near Munich/Rosenheim, was founded by Ivan Akar and Jürgen Keil in 1989, after Keil’s former band Paranonia split up. Next to join the duo was guitarist David da Cruz just 2 months later. By the summer of ’91 drummer Simon Lentner and Christian Huber (vox) joined the guys, who had their first gig October 12th 1991, and used to label their own style “Progressive Noise Core”, but actually it combined influences ranging from Thrash, Doom and Death Metal, quite extraordinary so to speak. Their first tape „Anatomie des Wahnsinns“ was just a rehearsal tape, for the second Demo „Like a dragon in autumnal childhood dreams” (1993) the sound had improved, though the band disappeared after this tape as well.Discography:
„Anatomie des Wahnsinns“ Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
„Like a dragon in autumnal childhood dreams” Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Dioxin
Lineup:
Thomas Kuchenbecker (guitar, vocals)
Christoph Gräper (guitar)
Klaus Hermann Kroner (bass)
Andrea Lehmkuhl (saxophone)
Thomas Rehfeld (drums)
Band-info:
A Hardcore band from Großenkneten in northern Germany, that used to produce an independent MLP 1988, after they already released a Demo 2 years before. The vinyl was limited to 1000 copies and comes with an extraordinary Din A 1 fold out sleeve. Apart of some raging Crossover tunes in the early D.R.I. or Lethal Aggression vein, the album of these guys either featured Thrash/Punk songs with saxophone parts that pretty much are making the record questionable. So do not expect only pure Crossover/Hardcore to be featured on the vinyl.Discography:
"Dioxin" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
"Dioxin" MLP 1988 (selreleased)
Dipsomania
Lineup:
Dirk Karwinski (vocals)
Thomas Haupt (guitar)
Michael Hinz (guitar)
Thomas Lendzian (bass)
Christian Mandera (drums)
Band-info:
A young Thrash band from Dorsten, north of Essen, whose roots are originating from September '88. The guys released a selftitled Demo during mid 1990, that featured a raw type of monotonous Thrash Metal with thin vocals and annoying drums. Guitarist Dirk Köster left Dipsomania already 1989 to join Eternal Dirge. Another early member called Dieter Backs wasn't to hear the debut Demo. Late in 1991 a second, professionally produced tape with the title "Face to face" followed, recorded with new drummer Anselm Tripptrap, coz Christian "Mandi" Mandera left the band in November/December '90 to join the Death Metal band Provocation. The last Demo entitled "Dipsomania III" was released 1994, while afterwards the guys fell into a sort of hibernation and returned with the EP "Total trance effect" just in 2008. Their debut album "Uncompromising" was finally unleashed in 2018.Discography:
"Dipsomania" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Face to face" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Dirt Road
Lineup:
Ralf Kern (keyboard)
Eric Kern (guitar)
Rainer Kern (guitar)
Carlos Davis
Band-info:
A melodic Hard Rock band from Wörth am Main, who's first musical steps originate from 1979 already, before they changed name to Lanzer in 1985. The band was most probably founded by the 3 Kern brothers. The guys recorded the "Changes" 7" EP in 1984, which was released in 1985 under the new band name Lanzer. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Dirt Road Engine
Lineup:
Tommy Köpsel (guitar, vocals)
Frank Amelang (bass)
Jörg Schuster (drums)
Band-info:
From Duisburg's suburbs Homberg/Moers came the commercial Heavy Rockers Dirt Road Engine, who started back around 1981 and played an american style Blues inspired Hard Rock with Guns'n Roses influences. The band's backbone built the duo Köpsel/Amelang since the very beginning, who changed drummers every now and then. Dirt Road Engine was mainly known as live act, but around 1993/94 a CD with the title "Bulk" was released on the indie label Molly Music, featuring Mike Haman behind the drumkit. If you got further info, please get in touch.Discography:
"Bulk" MCD 199? (Molly Music)
Dirty Deeds
Lineup:
Fred Rauch (vocals)
Michael Weisbecker (guitar)
Volker Wessalowski (guitar)
Gerhard Arns (bass)
Ralph Paschtetnik (drums)
Band-info:
A local Hard'n'Heavy group from Bruchsal, north of Karlsruhe, who appeared with 2 trax on the underground compilation "Seven's Up" in 1987. Obviously, by looking at the band name, AC/DC inspired, the pounding "World on fire" shows a few parallels to mid 80's metallic AC/DC indeed, while "Breaking the rock" musically delivers much more of a classic Motörhead sound. Frontman Fred Rauch's voice was somewhere in the regions that also Brian Johnson used to scream in.Discography:
"Seven's Up" Comp.-LP Tracks 1987 (Globe Musikproduktionen)
Dirty Fingers
Lineup:
C. Zoschke
Band-info:
This band from West Berlin released their first Demo early in 1987 and a bit later on within the same year, recorded the two trax "No regrets" and "Mirror, glas, shadow" for the German Metal Fighters 1 compilation, but we’re not sure if the vocalist was actually female or not. He's doing a quite diversified job, definitely not the standard vocal presentation compared to the usual german singers. "Mirror, glas, shadow" is a nice ballad with no real highlight but "No regrets" shows a rather solid riff oriented Heavy Metal with good guitar work. The guys played their first gig in May '87, so we guess they formed in mid/late 1986. If you got more info, please get in touch.
Dirty Laine
Lineup:
Band-info:
This obscure Melodic Metal band originated supposedly from Bavaria and it seems there has been two different versions made of their scarce 7". So far I've only ever seen two copies for sale yet and both had a different sleeve, while the sleeve of my own copy reveals the title "Special Secret Edition", dating from Nov. 13th 1992. As far as the info source is trustful, this seems to be a kinda testpressing or something, which probably wasn't even meant for sale. The original copies should come with the standard sleeve of Memphis Tonträgerproduktionen and got a logo sticker on front. The two trax are called "In the heat of the night" and "Shake me" and offer a mix of mid 80's AC/DC and Scorpions style melodic Heavy Rock, almost sounding similar to the Minestone 7", produced by the Memphis Tonträgerproduktionen too. No matter what copy of the single you may come across, both are the same single with same labels, but just different sleeves. We definitely need more info of this band and release.Discography:
"In the heat of the night" 7" EP 1991 (Memphis Tonträgerproduktionen)
"Special Secret Edition" 7" EP 1992 (Memphis Tonträgerproduktionen)
Dirty Lane
Lineup:
Michael Rieger (vocals)
Jürgen Mick (guitar)
Helmut Trupp (guitar)
Stefan Scherle (bass)
Thomas Fischer (drums)
Band-info:
A Melodic Rock/AOR band from Meitingen, north of Augsburg, founded 1983, whose repertoire included everything from melodic ballads to Hard Rock material. Recordings aren't known yet. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Dirty Lips
Lineup:
Frank (vocals, guitar)
Roger (drums)
D.D. (bass)
Thomy (guitar)
Band-info:
Dirty Lips was an US Glam inspired outfit founded 1989 in Hamburg by Frank, Roger, D.D. and Thomy and released their first album "Nothing's better than your..." in December 1993 on the local Hamburg label Crossroads Records. The CD contains no less than 15 tracks somewhere in the middle of Heavy Metal and the typical US Glam Metal of the late 80's that they took their main influences from. They also added a Ratt cover "You should know by now" but those who aren't into into Glam Metal shouldn't run away scared now. Due to the for Glam acts untypical (powerfull) production the Metal edge on the album got quite huge, solid stuff. The Dirty Lips released another CD in 2012 with Marco replacing Thomy and it's entitled "From nothing to now".Discography:
"Nothing's better than your..." CD 1993 (Crossroads)
Dirty Money
Lineup:
John Boutkam (aka John Ridge) (vocals)
Michael James Brady (drums)
Alec Stevens (guitar)
Roy Last (guitar)
Steve Clark (keyboards)
Terry Trabant (bass)
Band-info:
A melodic Hard Rock/AOR band from Hamburg featuring John Ridge (One-O-One, E.F. Band, Picture) and Roy Last plus mainly american and english musicians that at least released 1 Demo tape and had almost finished their debut album (working title "Cash on the nose") in summer 1985, searching for a label to release it. The band was also able to place the track "Wanna be with you tonight" (taken from that unreleased album) on a local Hamburg Compilation as John Ridge's Dirty Money and changed name to Hot Property in possibly 1987. If you have more info please get in touch.Discography:
"Wanna be with you tonight" Comp.-LP Track 1986 (Blizz Special January 1986)
Dirty Red
Lineup:
Band-info:
A classic Hard Rock band from the early 90's, most probably originating from the Frankfurt/Mannheim area. Dirty Red's sound was 80's influenced US Hard Rock, just typical for that era, slightly reminding of aussie Hard Rockers Carmen Suite in style. We only know of a rare CD release entitled "Now or never" on the local Woodberry Music label, that was released in a 500 copies edition. Further info is badly needed.Discography:
"Now or never" CD 1993 (Woodberry Music)
Dirty Visions
Lineup:
Thomas Stock (vocals)
Sven Uhlich (guitar)
Tino Gruner (guitar)
Tino Liedloff (bass)
Thomas Rüdiger (drums)
Band-info:
Thrashers from Wittenberg/Seyda (ex-GDR), who only recorded a sole Demo tape in January 1992, that contains moshing, mostly midpaced Thrash Metal with certain Anthrax/Paradox influences and vocals in the vein of Chris Notaro of the Crumbsuckers. The Demo line up consisted of Thomas Stock (vocals), Sven Uhlich (guitar), Tino Gruner (guitar), Tino Liedloff (bass) and Thomas Rüdiger (drums), who just had found together since around mid/late 1991 in this constellation. The guys labelled their style themselves a mix of Speed Metal and Hardcore and could already support international acts like Agathocles or Lord Of Putrefaction during summer ‘91. Despite of having expectations for another Demo tape to be recorded in the near future, they didn’t seem to survive much longer after the first tape at all.Discography:
"Etched haze" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Law down" Comp.-MC Track 1991 (Thrashing East Attack Vol. II)
Disaster
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local Thrash Metal band from the Wolfsburg area, that was actively playing live in 1988. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Disaster
Lineup:
Joachim Mayr (vocals)
K. Lang-Dietrich (guitar)
Lemmy (bass)
Chancy (drums)
Band-info:
Another obscure Disaster troop, hailing from Sonthofen/Bavaria, who seemed to exist since around 1987 and released the scarce single “No escape” on the local Marimba Records label right in the same year. The lads seemed to be musically impressed by the classic Motörhead style, delivering 2 quite british sounding songs with slightly punkish edge, not wondering at all why they used to call their style "Power Metal meets Rock'n'Roll". Especially the title track needs to be mentioned separately here, because during the second part it turns into a furious Speed Metal banger. One of the guys was called Nick Wirth, singer Joachim Mayr prefered to be rather called "Jerry". 1988 the troop also released their “In my blood” Demo and prepared another tape in 1989, entitled "Heavy Metal Pure", though if it was ever finished or officially released is yet not confirmed at all.We need more info of these hairy gentlemen.
(Thanx to Tatjana Menk for additional info!)
Discography:
“No escape” 7" EP 1987 (Marimba)
"In my blood" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
"Heavy Metal Pure" Demo ??
Disaster (Bad Doberan)
Lineup:
Alex Blank (vocals)
Matthias Dankert (guitar)
Ulf Achenbach (guitar)
Axel Hennig (bass)
Alex Stuhr (drums)
Band-info:
A Heavy Metal band from Bad Doberan, west of Rostock on the coast of the Baltic Sea, formed after the political change inside the ex-GDR 1991. The band played several gigs/festivals and either won a compilation appearance on the local sampler "Rock'n MV" (not a single info found of that sampler yet, get in touch please). Prior to the release of their selfproduced album "The flying dutchman" from 1994, 4 of the album tracks already appeared on an obscure compilation with the title "Ride on the Underground - A heavy Compilation" in 1993. Disaster's sound was melodic and Power Metal related with some Iron Maiden and early 90's Metallica influences, and sometimes reminded a bit of the late Hardholz. Further info is needed.Discography:
"Rock'n MV" Comp.-CD Track 1993
"Ride on the Underground (A heavy Compilation)" Comp.-CD Tracks 1993 (Tepa)
Disaster (Bamberg)
Lineup:
Wom (vocals)
Rainer Panzer (guitar)
Schummi (guitar)
Harry (bass)
Andy (drums)
Band-info:
Thrashers from the underground scene around Bamberg/Bavaria, who've been active during the late 80's till the early 90's. There's a Demo tape with the title "Magic forces" known, that should be dating from 1989 or even 1990 (no year mentioned), featuring 6 tracks. Further info would be helpful.(Thanx to Jürgen Grimm for info, pictures and kind help)
Discography:
"Magic forces" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
Disaster Area
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local Thrash Metal band from Fulda that was active from 1990 –1991. There aren't official recordings known to exist. Further info is welcome.(Thanx to Andy Süss for the info)
Discography:
Disaster Area (Berlin)
Lineup:
Peter Habermann (vocals)
Torsten Stahnke (drums)
Martin Windelschmidt (guitar)
Dietmar Liebig (bass)
Band-info:
Disaster Area was a Hardcore Thrash band from East Berlin (ex-GDR) that started sometime in 1986 and was always playing live with Blackout because both bands was living in the same house and was close friends, with Martin Windelschmidt being the brother of Blackout's vocalist Matthias. Peter Habermann wrote the lyrics for Blackout's 2 own trax "Kamikaze" and "Oracle of death" and even sung "Procreation of the wicked" and "Angel of death" during the Blackout shows dressed in a black robe and wearing corpsepaint. Disaster Area only recorded 1 own song "Another beer is what I need" and they kinda tried the Carnivore/Voivod style, mixing Hardcore with raw Thrash. There is also a live cut known in tape trader circles from October '87 in Röderau. After the Blackout guys left the country one by one also Disaster Area one day quit around 1989/90. Peter Habermann tried a while with Depressive Age afterwards and Stahnke joined Thrashers Defcon/Chor Chorea.Discography:
"Another beer is what I need" Demo Track 1987 (selfreleased)
”Live in Röderau/Ger 7/10/1987” (unoffical)
Disaster Area (Pirmasens)
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Speed/Thrash Metal band from Pirmasens, that was founded early 1988 and playing live gigs in the area in the late 80's. Musically the band was influenced by Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Disaster K.F.W.
Lineup:
Seppl (vocals)
Hexer (guitar)
Grunzer Wagner (bass)
Skelleton (drums)
Band-info:
Disaster K.F.W. is a Speed/Thrash band with a long history, that lasts up to today, since the band is still active. Hexer on guitar and Skelleton on drums formed Speed Metal King in Weimar (ex-GDR) during x-mas 1985, but soon would change name in 1986 to Hurricane and later to "Die Schleifers", before the final band name Disaster K.F.W. (stands for Klassischer Friedhof Weimar) ended their desperate endeavor to pick out the right one. In the meanwhile until the fall of 1989 several members came and went on their own paths, till with Seppl on vocals, Hexer (guitar), Grunzer Wagner (bass) and Skelleton (drums) in the long run a classic line up was built up in 1990, that lasted till 1992 at least, when Grunzer left. After a first live gig in June and with a rather Death Metal inspired sound, the guys released their first Demo the following year in November '91. The 4 trax mixed grinding Death Metal with some Thrash Metal influences, while skillwise Disaster K.F.W. still couldn't fully convince at all. The second Demo "Pictures of a ill society" took a while to be released in 1994, and Daniel Täumel (Eumel) had joined the duo on guitar by then, while Mühle played bass. Afterwards the line up changed in 1995. Sören replaced Seppl (vocals), Tobias Steber came for Eumel, who started "Die Apokalyptischen Reiter" together with Skelleton. Dima on bass replaced Mühle. During their first time phase with "Die Apokalyptischen Reiter", Disaster K.F.W. was put on ice for a while, till the guys finally released their debut EP "Därme fressen" in 2001. 3 more CD's ("Death ritual" (2004), "Collateral damage" (2006), "Pieces" (2015)) then followed till 2015.Discography:
"Disaster Klassischer Friedhof Weimar" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Deathwar" Comp.-Tape Track 1992 (Thrashing East Attack Vol.II)
Discredit
Lineup:
Torsten Sadlutzki (guitars)
Band-info:
"Punk/Thrash" that got absolutely butchered in an old Mortal Sin mag review. Other than a contact address in Mildstedt and supposedly releasing a 2nd demo in 1994 and 2 members continuing in a band called Steel Crusher in the 10's, this is all we have to go with as far as Discredit is concerned. To their credit the title of their 1988 demo became my #1 Chuckle Of The Day..Discography:
"Possessed To Use The Guillotine" Demo 1988 (Selfreleased)
Disgrace
Lineup:
Gernot Scharede (vocals)
Andreas Knodel (guitar)
Matthias Riedinger (guitar)
Klaus Rutsatz (bass)
Martin Straka (drums)
Band-info:
A Thrash band from the Pforzheim area, between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, that released 2 Demo tapes in 1987 and '89, but being active in the local live scene already in 1986, playing gigs f. e. with Tankard and Exumer. For the second Demo the line up slightly changed. Matthias Riedinger switched over to the bass and Jochen Bauer joined the band to play guitar. Andreas Knodel, the former guitarist, switched over to the vocals, replacing Gernot Scharede, while Martin Straka was the only one to keep his former drummer position. “Faces of reality”, the second effort recorded in February '89, features some outstanding guitar work, while their whole material got that just typical dirty German Thrash feel, reminding of a raw mix of Assassin and the old Deathrow due to the vocals. The Disgrace lads could score support gigs for Despair, Death, Coroner or Pestilence, but sadly disappeared as well not much later off the screen.Discography:
"Visions" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"Faces of reality" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
Disgrace (Düsseldorf)
Lineup:
Herbert Fischer (vocals)
Thomas Rothes (guitar, vocals)
Theo Weyers (drums)
Band-info:
There’s "Dedicated to all SWEET fans" printed on the cover of this obscure Düsseldorf Heavy Rock outfit's sole vinyl single, released in 1986, but still there's no need to ignore this band. Sure, yet another cover version of Sweet's "Ballroom blitz" you may think, and indeed it’s surely not the best choice if you dedicate your musical legislating to only play coverversions of one band, while hundreds of others already did the same over and over again prior to your own grand idea. Therefore these lads put a Heavy Metal version of “Burn on the flame" on the flipside, a true power track. Sadly no other band info could be tracked down yet.Discography:
“The ballroom blitz” 7" EP 1986 (selfreleased)
Disjecta Membra
Lineup:
Michael Geisthor (guitar)
Fritz Verläger (bass)
Gerd Sprick (keyboard)
Marcus Mutz (drums)
Band-info:
A quite extraordinary band within the german Metal scene of the late 80's was the Gütersloh based Disjecta Membra, who celebrated a completely instrumental musical program on both their Demo tapes, that combined Heavy Metal with elements of mainly Jazz, classical music and psychedelic hints. The Rock Hard magazine described their style as a merge of Deep Purple and Dream Theater, while the purplish organs dominate Disjecta Membra's sound picture. Founded in 1987, during late 1989 the band already had a stage repertoire of 12 of these instrumental numbers. They nevertheless had problems to score a record deal with their kind of musical revelation and split up during mid 1992.Discography:
"Disjecta Membra" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Physikalanismaterikologonismus" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
Dissident Aggressor
Lineup:
Alex Modispacher (bass, vocals)
Hardy Huber (guitar)
Jürgen Mahler (guitar)
Michael Schwab (drums)
Band-info:
A band from Bonndorf, north of Zürich on the border to Switzerland with a progressive style of Thrash Metal, that was active since around 1987 and recorded their first Demo "Sense of humor" 1989. Dissident Aggressor's style featured influences ranging from Celtic Frost, Drifter and late 80's Slayer that merged to a sort of technical Power/Thrash, which didn't sound that uninteresting at all. Unfortunately on the second Demo "Broken glass dream" recorded 1990 and released early January '91, the whole thing already had changed as the guys now fully dived into the progressive Metal seas and neglected the former Thrash influences completely. Michael Schwab also played with the band Proton Pseudos.You can find both Dissident Aggressor Demo's here
(Thanx to rumblefist for the hint)
Discography:
"Sense of humor" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
"Broken glass dream" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Distract Reality
Lineup:
Rotti (guitar, vocals)
Manne (bass, vocals)
Matti (drums)
Band-info:
Distract Reality was a classic Crossover troop with massive Hardcore and Thrashcore impact hailing from bavarian Alerheim (Augsburg/Nuremberg area). The band formed during the late 80’s, most probably in 1988 and played several gigs in their own area at that time. There’s just a split Demo known with the Noisecore mongers Shrettled Illusions, where the guys remind in places of Lethal Aggression or in general the classic NYHC sound, but also came up with several hyperspeed Thrashparts. Further infos would be welcome.Discography:
“This is the real enemy!" Split Demo 1989 (with Distract Reality, selfreleased)
Distress
Lineup:
Harry (guitar, vocals)
Uwe (guitar)
Henning Demmer (bass, vocals)
Dan Crosser (drums)
Band-info:
A quite unknown Thrash/Crossover band from Alzey, between Mayence and Mannheim, whose LP is either unknown to well informed Thrash Metal fans. Distress seems to have been just a shortlived act, that already disbanded during the earliest 90's, but "Shimmary Shummary" contains, amoungst other influences, quite good US style Thrash Metal inspired by bands like Gothic Slam, Bitter End and especially Death Angel. Though the halfspoken vocals in places might appear a bit odd, the "main problem" of the album (and I guess you already saw Bitter End mentioned) was, that these lads merged also Funk, Hardcore and Rap influences (just like Bitter End did) with Thrash, which sadly doesn't makes the LP interesting for every Thrasher. There is also a Demo available from around 1989, that in early 1990 was sold already in it's 3rd edition.Discography:
"Shimmary Shummary" LP 1990 (Katou)
"That's me, the lonely garden dwarf, Live" 7" EP 1991 (Katou)
Divine Victim
Lineup:
Barni (vocals)
Andreas Pfau (guitar)
Bibi (bass)
Holger Rothbauer (keyboard)
Frank Hebe (drums)
Band-info:
A Metal band from Stuttgart that's known for their trax on the "M.I.R. Stuttgart - Heavy Metal Sampler" Split LP together with other german bands Beast of Prey, Overkill, Thunder and Vengeance. Besides the slightly annoying clean vocal parts, both their songs got a special flair and a special dose of NWOBHM. It's sad there aren't more recordings known. Divine Victim was active during the early 80's and disbanded already in 1984, while Andreas Pfau would later join Overkill/Monroe still shortly afterwards early in 1984.
Doctor Rock
Lineup:
Gunther Brendel (vocals, bass)
Rüdiger Freund (guitar, vocals)
Günter Weber (drums, vocals)
Band-info:
A Speed Metal band from Dresden (ex-GDR) active in the late 80's, apparently inspired by Motörhead by the choice of name. Doctor Rock was formed by the trio Gunter Brendel, Rüdiger Freud and Günter Weber in February '83, while Brendel and Freund has already been bandmates in Zenit since the 70's. During June '86 the band was featured on a live radio broadcast, including a live cut of Doctor Rock's songs "Mathilde", "Schulrock" and "Frei von dir", now with Jens-Uwe Berg on guitar, replacing Rüdiger Freund since 1985. 1987 Thomas Lorenz till 1988 played drums, before Norbert Fiedler took over. He remained in the band till 1990, just shortly interrupted during 1989 by Ralf Matthäß, who didn't stay long in the band at all. In 1987 the guys recorded the 2 Demo cuts "Metal Man" and "Das kleine Licht", before the national youth radion stations showed interest. February '88 two more live tracks got airplay ("In der Falle des Teufels", "Das kleine Licht") and once again in June the same year "Metal Man", "In der Falle des Teufels" and "Der harte Weg". According to the rising popularity of Doctor Rock, they could eventually produce the song "Metal man" for the national broadcast in December '88, that made it on the Rockbilanz '89 Compilation. Kay Rühmer (ex-St. Metal) was on the second guitar till between 1987/89 and then guitarists came and go all within 1989. Thomas Bachmann (ex-St. Metal), Heiko Serchen, Thomas Walther (ex-Frontal/Charon) tried to replace Jens Berg (who in mid 1989 joined MCB to replace Sebastian Baur), while Rühmer quit too that year. Heiko Serchen left again early/mid '89, when he joined Charon from Chemnitz. Next to handle the guitar was Thomas Lindner, shortly followed by Heiko Winter (we're still in 1989), who remained in the band till at least 1990 to get replaced by Matthias Kerger, who on the other hand brought his brother Steffen on bass into Doctor Rock as well. Previously Mario Prause and Carsten Michel (both in 1989) tried to complete the band on bass. With all these musicians coming and going within shortest time you can imagine that the sound of Doctor Rock changed as well. On their last Demo production from 1990 (at least 3 trax are known) the Speed Metal of the previous phase of the band had progressed into a more pure Thrash sound. 1990 was also the year when Doctor Rock called it a day. If you got more info please get in touch.Discography:
"Metal man" Comp.-LP Track 1989 (Rockbilanz '89)
Demo Recordings:
"Metal Man" (1987)
"Das kleine Licht" (1987)
"Night in forest" (1990)
"Fight with the monsters" (1990)
"Crusader" (1990)
Broadcast Recordings:
"Mathilde/Schulrock/Frei von Dir" Live Radio Broadcast (1986)
"Falle des Teufels/Das kleine Licht" Live Radio Broadcast (1988)
"Metal Man/In der Falle des Teufels/Der harte Weg" Live Radio Broadcast (1988)
Dog Sly Smile
Lineup:
Conni (vocals)
Stefan (guitar)
Hardy (guitar, vocals)
Robert (bass)
Frank (drums)
Band-info:
Dog Sly Smile was a local Aschaffenburg Hard Rock band, female fronted, that's known to have recorded a Demo tape during December '91, featuring 6 R'n'R ladden trax, in the vein of AC/DC and Guns 'n Roses, mainly influenced by the LA Sleaze scene. Further info is needed.Discography:
"Dog Sly Smile" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
Domain
Lineup:
Cliff Jackson (guitar)
Bernie Kolbe (vocals, bass)
Axel Ritt (guitar)
Volker Sassenberg (keyboard)
Freddy Diedrichs (drums)
Band-info:
Domain originated from Hannover and featured the ex-Red Roosters/Epitaph veterans Bernie Kolbe and Cliff Jackson as well as the ex-Wise Man guitarist Axel Ritt, who founded the band Kingdom in 1985 and after Demo recordings debuted with the "Lost in the city" album on Frontrow Records. Still being an highly ignored Melodic Metal gem, "Lost in the city" pretty much assures from the start to the end, without having any fillers. The lads in a way sounded like Europe on a Heavy Metal trip, similar to bands like Karo and Mydra, but still focussed on the Heavy Metal influences, though melodic Hard Rock and Metal merges here perfectly. Still in 1988 the band name got changed to Domain and the "Lost in the city" album got re-released under Domain's monicker, entitled now "Our kingdom". The second album "Before the storm", recorded with new drummer Thorsten Preker, also fully integrates in their typical US american like bombast Heavy Rock scheme, though the guys abandoned a bit the former Metal influences and focussed on the US market, with Bon Jovi like refrains. The so far last album "Crack in the wall" from 1991 again featured with Markus Schmitz a new drummer and keyboarder Volker Sassenberg was missing either, which naturally had an impact on Domain's music, that went back more to it's Hard Rock roots again with a less bombastic sound seen in the whole, but still eyes straightened to the american market. After "Crack in the wall" the band split up, but returned with the album "One million lightyears from home" in 2001 and published a number of other CD's either in the following years.Discography:
"Our kingdom" LP/CD 1988 (Frontrow)
"Before the storm" LP/CD 1989 (Frontrow)
"I don't wanna die" 7"/12" EP 1989 (Frontrow)
"Hearts of stone" 7"/12"/MCD 1989 (Frontrow)
"Edge of the knife" 7"/MCD 1990 (Frontrow)
"Crack in the wall" LP/CD 1991 (Flametrader)
"Collection 86-92" CD 1992 (Flametrader)
"East of Eden" Comp.-CD 1992 (German Rock Project - The Ballad Album)
Dominoe
Lineup:
Jörg Sieber (vocals)
Angie Buchzuk (vocals, keyboard)
Robert Papst (guitar)
Fred Neudert (bass)
Johnny Rohde (keyboard)
Rick Shulz (drums)
Band-info:
An AOR band that started with an international superhit, when Renault used their song "Here I am" for one of their TV commercials early 1988. The band was founded 1987 by Jörg Sieber and Robert Pabst in the Munich area, while certain musicians had been active as "Flick of the Wrist" and "Radius", before Sieber joined and Dominoe was born. The album "Keep in touch" was released in 1988 as well, featuring more of the band's classic, quite listenable AOR/Melodic Rock sound in the early Bon Jovi vein. Robert Pabst left Dominoe 1989 and prefered to work as producer, while Markus Schiegl took the guitar. Also Angie Buchzuk left the band to start a solo career as Angie Layne. The remaining musicans produced one more album entitled "The key" with their former guitarist Robert Pabst and Harold Faltermeyer, that ended up a bit heavier than the debut, but featured more topnotch AOR/Melodic Hard Rock numbers, though the album sales stood far behind their expectations so Dominoe got disbanded already 1991 after a last tour. 2002 Robert Pabst and Jörg Sieber revived Dominoe and recorded the "No silence ... no lambs" album, that was followed by more album during the following years. Rick Shulz recorded an album 1991 with Mark Storace and Vic Vergat's band Blue, that also featured former Dominoe members Angie Buchzuk and Robert Pabst.Discography:
"Here I am" 7"/12" EP 1987 (RCA)
"Keep in touch" LP 1988 (RCA)
"Let's talk about life" 7"/12" EP 1988 (RCA)
"Family man" 7"/12" EP 1988 (RCA)
"The key" LP/CD 1990 (Virgin)
"Keep the fire burnin'" 7"/12"/MCD 1990 (Virgin)
"Angel don't cry" 7"/12"/MCD 1990 (Virgin)
Donson
Lineup:
Jürgen Klein
Band-info:
Neunkirchen (Saarbrücken) locals from the early 90's, who won the qualification round for the HM Newcomer Festival in 1992 and qualified for the Yamaha Band-Explosion '92 contest. There is also a Demo tape available of this classic Heavy Metal band, dating from around 1991/92. Further info is needed.Discography:
Doomsday
Lineup:
Björn Detjen (guitar, vocals)
Till Lienhoop (bass)
Jacek Becker (keyboard)
Michael Kruse (drums)
Band-info:
A Progressive Metal band from Verden, that should be active since 1986 and released a selfproduced 7" in late 1989. Apart from the slightly problems in the vocal department, their style wasn't exactly uninteresting. Doomsday mixed Power Metal with acoustic parts and mystic keyboards, but often drifted away into not comprehensible breaks, though the track "Forgotten" was quite a house number. Basically on their "Vanitas" Demo, that the lads recorded in January '91, they kept that style, but the dreamy, clean parts got more dominant. Olaf Konrad was playing bass on the tape and Woitek Krys swinging the drumsticks. The keyboard's part now moved more into the foreground, so at 60 % Doomsday was about to turn into a Prog Rock band, a line, which would either draw through their further albums "Doomsday" (1993) and "The daily Junkfood" (1994). Justus Ettemeyer was playing drums on Doomsday's last albums.Discography:
"Steve/Forgotten" 7" EP 1989 (R&K)
"Vanitas" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Doomsday" CD 1993 (D&S)
Doro
Lineup:
Doro Pesch (vocals)
Jon Devin (guitar)
Tommy Henriksen (bass)
Bobby Rondinelli (drums)
Band-info:
We guess it's not needed to introduce the band Doro to anyone here, as we are sure all of you are aware that it's just Doro's continuation of Warlock. After Warlock split up during 1988, Doro Pesch tried to form a new band, but got prohibited to use the name Warlock. Therefore she called the band just Doro, moved to the USA and hired good looking US musicians to build her background band. While "Force Majeure" could be seen as another Warlock album, that later changed when she started a co-operation with Gene Simmons who tried to push Doro into that melodic Glam/Hard Rock thing, that was still huge over the ocean. But things didn't work out as expected and she later returned to Germany.Discography:
"Force Majeure" LP/CD 1989 (Vertigo)
"Doro" LP/CD 1990 (Vertigo)
"True at heart" LP/CD 1991 (Vertigo)
"Even angels cry" Comp.-CD 1992 (German Rock Project - The Ballad Album)
"Angels never die" LP/CD 1993 (Vertigo)
"Doro Live" CD 1993 (Vertigo)
Double Action
Lineup:
Ronald Pilgrim (vocals)
Michael Schirmer (guitar)
Jörg Trabalski (guitar)
Bodo Hildebrand (bass)
Andreas Korte (drums)
Band-info:
A Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from East Berlin, founded originally as Mephisto, that belongs to the very first acts of the ex-GDR, that went heavier ways, and that most musicians of the Berlin scene have played in. The band formed during January '79, but adopted the Heavy Metal influenced style first during 1982, by covering bands such as Judas Priest, Saxon, Ted Nugent, Scorpions or Accept. Already during 1983 was in negotiations with the national broadcast service to record their song "Frieden der Welt". Since the band tried to sing in english, they often had to struggle with stage bans. Guys that played in Mephisto was amongst others Frank Eichhorn (ex-Vantom/Cobra/Love Gunn/Rocket), Mario Schneider (ex-Dynastie/Merlin), Rocco Stellmacher (Merlin), Frank Lebe (Merlin), Marcell Thiele (Merlin), Roland Tschech (Metall), Reinhard Repke (Rockhaus), Ralf Dohanetz (Regenbogen/Berluc/V2) or Ronald Pilgrim (Regenbogen/Berluc). During 1984 the Mephisto members Jens Schuwerk, Michael Sündermann (later in Formel 1/Pharao) and Reinhard Repke founded Vantom, so the band was forced to reform with other musicians and this game continued throughout the years. During 1986 and '87 Mephisto also produced 4 songs (titles are unknown) for the national broadcast service, while their early Heavy Rock got much heavier as songs like the Queensryche influenced "Höllenengel" proves. Then after the fall of the wall in 1990 the band recorded a Demo tape (released 1992) that led to one of the highlights in Mephisto's career, which undoubtly was their support gig for Dio and Metallica May 1990 in Hannover, that the band positively could use to spread their name, while the Krefeld Mephisto immediately judicial prohibited the band to use the name Mephisto any longer. 1991 eventually they had to change the name to Double Action and finally officially released the 1990 Demo recordings as "Demo 1992". 1998 their independently produced debut album "Fireproof" was released, that gained the band a deal with Udo Dirkschneider's Breaker Records for the follow up album "Sokaris" 2001. If you got more detailed info, please get in touch.Discography:
"Demo 1992" (selfreleased)
Douglaz A.M.
Lineup:
Peter Koobs (guitar, vocals)
Michael Otto (guitar)
Michael Kamin (bass)
Dirk Müller (drums)
Band-info:
A Hard Rock band from Sande/Wilhelmshaven that was formed around 1989/90 by ex-Fact guitarist Michael Otto and other local talent. They started directly in 1990 with a privately recorded Demo in CD format, featuring 5 songs with modern edge and either slightly funky touch. A 2 track Demo recorded in November 1992 and one more Promo tape (incl. a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover version) followed in 1993, before the guys recorded their debut album during autumn '93 and spread it as the "October Tapes" advance Demo for the second CD entitled "Soma", which was released in April/May '94 on J.A.M. Concept Music. Douglaz A.M. afterwards disappeared.(Thanx to emosteel for the recommendation)
Discography:
"Demo CD '90" CD 1990 (selfreleased)
"Lights, cameras, action!" Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
"Unplugged" Promo 1993 (selfreleased)
"October Tapes" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Dracon
Lineup:
Andreas Kühn
Band-info:
A Hard Rock quintet from Eisleben/Bad Salzungen (ex-GDR). If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Dragon
Lineup:
Andi Deris (vocals)
Bruno Di Blasio (guitar)
Oscar Di Blasio (guitar)
Bernd Lüddemann (bass)
Stefan Lüddemann (drums)
Band-info:
Dragon was a melodic Heavy Metal band from Karlsruhe, founded in 1984 by brothers Oscar and Bruno Di Blasio plus both ex-Hot Legs members Bernd and Stefan Lüddemann. Andi Deris was found as vocalist and some first recording was done, before Daniel De Niro (bass) and drummer Ralf Maurer replaced both Lüddemanns and the band name got changed to Kymera in 1986. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Dragon
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local Heavy Metal band that was originating from the Frankfurt in the eastgerman part (ex-GDR), that's known to have attended for the national classification of the band status early in 1988. The lads played 10 cover versions, but also had 2 own compositions, while one of both was called "Die stolze Flamme". Further info is welcome.Discography:
Dragon Flight
Lineup:
Ralf Sprindt (vocals)
Werner Morabito (guitar)
Torsten Joch (guitar)
Michael Sprindt (bass)
Klaus Bauer (drums)
Band-info:
Duisburg locals who released an obscure Split 7" with another german band called Carpe Diem that features the 2 trax "Spilling blood" and "Edge of the fall". Dragon Flight, despite the cover claims in big letters to be a Hard Rock Split EP, are more or less a Power Metal outfit, whenalso the vocals lack abit of power. But on "Edge of the fall" they even deliver the typical german Speed. Here they in places even go into the Blind Guardian direction (without reaching their level ofc!). If you are searching for modern influences due to the late year, you'll be searching forever. The band was around from 1988 till 1992 and reformed again in 2008. Most probably a Demo tape from 1990 exists as well, as the lads do have 3 studio trax dating from that year featured on their youtube channel.Discography:
"Böses aus dem Bunker" Split 7"EP 1992 (Impact)
Dragonfly
Lineup:
Martin Brendler (vocals)
Bernd Schiemmer (guitar)
Frank Höppner (guitar)
Thomas Beierle (bass)
Ralf Sommler (drums)
Band-info:
Dragonfly from Grevenbroich, between Cologne and Mönchengladbach, who called their style themselves "Steamrock", was founded as Rock band by Frank Höppner, Thomas Beierle and Ralf Sommler (Drums) back in 1986. After some years of practising Bernd Schiemer and and vocalist Martin Brendler completed the line up. A Demo tape is known to be released in autumn '91, while the guys had went into the Heavy Metal direction. After several live gigs in their area and either participating on a local sampler with one of their songs (Info needed), the guys recorded their debut CD "Unchained" independently in 1993, while musically the CD was based on tracks of the former Demo. 2 more albums followed in 1995 ("Bullets and bones") and 1998 ("Fish dishes") before they eventually disappeared during the early 2000's. (Further info is needed.)Discography:
"Unchained" CD 1993 (selfreleased)
Dream Police
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local Metal band from most probably Hessen, that was active during the early 90's. Further info is needed.Discography:
Dreamer
Lineup:
Hilberg
Lohaus
Heuser
Band-info:
No info at all to find of this female fronted progressive AOR band. The song "Dreamer" is a dreamy keyboard dominated ballad while the title track is rather on the Hard Rock side. Unfortunately the production appears quite poppy, you can hear distorted guitars but they got a strange synthetic sound and after all the whole song is too easy structured. Better beware...Discography:
"Walk to heaven" 7"EP 1984 (Ice)
Driving Force
Lineup:
Roman Breisch (vocals, keyboard)
Karl Krollmann (guitar)
Roger Bredel (guitar)
Clemens Freisinger (bass)
Stefan Prinke (drums)
Band-info:
A band from Gersthofen in the Augsburg area, that was formed in 1978 by Roman Breisch, who abraded quite a bunch of local musicians namely Herbert Dressl (bass), Norbert Müller (bass), Christoph Bergmann (guitar), Heinz Behrmann (guitar) and Robert Ruddigkeit (drums), till a steady line up finally had crystallized. At around 1980 an info sheet described Driving Force to act between the Scorpions and Black Sabbath, weil Breisch himself didn't stop at all trying to lead the musical development of the group always further. Driving Force split up during 1983 and Stefan Prinke, Karl Krollmann, Heinz Behrmann (guitar, ex-Greyhound) and Norbert Müller (bass) of the last Driving Force line up formed Kick Down, while Roman Breisch recorded a single with the Funk Rock band No Limit.Discography:
Drop Out
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Heavy Metal band that was actively playing live during 1989 and participated at the festival "1. Bergisches Rockkonzert" in April '89. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
Drowned
Lineup:
Tilmann Benninghaus (guitar)
Gothica Vermilion (drums)
Band-info:
Drowned are active since 1992, formed in Berlin by Tilmann Benninghaus and Gothica Vermilion was playing drums on their selftitled Demo, recorded in March '93, though the position of the vocalist is yet unclear. The handnumbered tape features a very dark and blackened sort of Death Metal with many doomy parts in the Asphyx/Delirium vein and excellent riffing. For 1994 there was a Split 7" EP planned as well and though recordings already was finished and advance tapes spread within the scene, this one never saw the light of day at all. Instead Drowned returned with a new Demo and team early 1995, introducing their new sound, featuring Lunan Aquarius a former vocalist of a Gothic Rock band, who indeed sung in that style. Also with S. a bassist was part of Drowned's line up now, which didn't last for a longer time and the band needed till 1998 to produce one more Promo/Demo ("A foretaste of Ærth"), including the related "Ærth" tilted 7". Some more releases followed afterwards including the band's so far only album "Idola Specus" 2014 on Sepulchral Voice Records.Discography:
”Drowned” Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
"Underneath…" Comp.-MC Track 1993 (Unseen Para Dies)
Drowning In Real
Lineup:
Jan Lucassen (vocals)
Sven Johannsen (guitar)
Christian Wulff (guitar)
Lothar Krüger (bass)
Axel Garbers (drums)
Band-info:
A local Hamburg progressive Power Metal band with occassional Queenryche influences, that formed in 1988 and debuted with two similar, professional sounding Demos between 1989 and 1990. Christian Wulff left Drowning In Real already after "Maze of distress" and joined Megace in 1990. Hubi Dallmann took his place instead. The track "Pictures of a dying day" from the second Demo "Inspiration" also appeared on the second part of the Peace-Eater underground compilations. Though the band's sound was somehow above average, they nevertheless needed till 1994 to release their album "Mind gallery" on the local Hamburg label Crossroads Records. Just Sven Johannsen and Jan Lucassen remained of the original line up now, while Waldmar Nowak (bass), Piotr Jazwinski (drums) and Andreas Hellriegel (guitar, keyboard) built the spine of the new Drowning In Real, though they didn't seem to keep the band going much longer after the album.Discography:
"Maze of distress" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
”Inspiration” Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Pictures of a dying day" CD Compilation Track 1991 (Peace-Eater Vol. II)
Drunken Devils
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local band of the early 90's Fulda scene, that was active there since around 1993. We need further info of them, please get in touch if you know more about his band.(Thanx to Andy Süss for the info)
Discography:
Drunken Testicles
Lineup:
Marc (vocals)
Martin Landmann (guitar)
Marvin (bass)
Nick (drums)
Band-info:
Amateurs from Mannheim, formed at new year's eve 1988. "Thrash", "Doom" and "rough" has been descriptive terms of their only (?) demo tape from 1989. If you have more info, please get in touch.Discography:
"Welcome To Dröhnland" Demo 1989 (selfreleased)
Dry
Lineup:
Peter Hader (vocals)
Peter Masson (guitar)
Chris F. Brank (bass)
Matti Kaebs (drums)
Band-info:
After leaving S.A.D.O. Chris Brank (ex-Grave Digger) formed the band Dry together with his ex-Grave Digger mate Peter Masson, ex-Talon shouter Peter Hader and the ex-S.A.D.O. drummer Matti Kaebs early 1988 in West Berlin. While the band announced to already work on an album to be released in summer '88, in the end it was just a 7 track Demo tape, featuring classic and raw, speedy Heavy Metal. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
"Rest in pieces" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
Dry Rot
Lineup:
Christian Knecht (vocals)
Michael Gertlauer (guitar)
Roland Schuch (guitar)
Patrick (bass)
Fabian Knecht (drums)
Band-info:
Erlangen locals who formed early 1990 and was active till 2011, featuring a number a musicians of the Nuremberg Metal scene at a later point. The band on the very first tape "Phötus" still acted more classic Heavy Metal influenced, but soon on ”Beyond good and evil” (Roland Schuch jumped on the bass, since Patrick had left the band.) went a bit power/thrashier and also rather progressive by adding lotsa Thrash untypical elements like Funk tunes. Fabian Knecht after the 2nd Demo also quit his job and Thomas would take care of the drum parts on the following Demos "Unfathomable trepidation" (1992) and "Fatal glance" (1993). The latter was also sung by ex-Seldom Refuse/Blackness shouter Volker Schmidt. Between 1995 ("Brave new world") and 1997 ("Critical condition") 2 more Demos was recorded till the guys modified their name to Dryrot and released the selftitled debut CD.Discography:
"Phötus" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
”Beyond good and evil” Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Unfathomable trepidation" Demo 1992 (selfreleased)
"Fatal glance" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Dschinn Fizz
Lineup:
Gerald Bernhard (guitar, vocals)
Steve Nixon (guitar)
Hans-Jürgen Ley (bass, vocals)
Stefan Kaiser (drums)
Band-info:
An obscure Hard Rock band from most probably Heppenheim who only recorded one album at the beginning of the 80's it seems. Dschinn Fizz's style featured a very guitar driven epic, progressive yet raw Hard Rock with lotsa twin leads and complex songwriting. Not sure why this band didn't reach a wider audience, as judging by their skills and material they truly would have had deserved some more attention. They completely vanished afterwards without a trace. Certain sources say that 2000 copies once was made of the album.Discography:
"There is a playne difference" LP 1981 (Aircraft)
Dulcey Crown
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local band from the wider Dortmund area (Werl?), that was actively playing live during the beginning of the 90's. Further info is welcome.Discography:
Dune, The
Lineup:
Michael Böhler (vocals)
Jörg Wegener (guitar)
Volker Krawczak (bass)
Kai Raglewski (keyboard)
Roger Goede (drums)
Band-info:
A band project from Bochum, formed during 1990 by several musicians of Axel Rudi Pell's band, like Michael Böhler, Kai Raglewski and Volker Krawczak (ex-Steeler/Twilight). After receiving good responses live on stage, the lads recorded a professional 3 song Demo late 1990, that featured a pompish sort of melodic Hard Rock in the vein of Magnum with influences of the late 80's Black Sabbath sound. The Dune could participate at the local band contest "Ruhr Rock Finale" in December '91 at the famous Zeche Bochum and became one of the winners, who got rewarded with 2 of their songs ("Desert song" & "Change of times") being featured on the CD compilation "Ruhr Rock Finale Dez. 91". "Change of time" appeared on another compilation the following year. Despite that little local highlight, their side trip wasn't crowned by success in form of an album deal at all, so most of them kept up playing with Axel Rudi Pell. Roger Goede joined Faithealer. Further info is welcome.Discography:
"The Dune" Demo 1990 (selfreleased)
"Ruhr Rock Finale Dez. 91" Comp.-CD Tracks 1991 (Olgo)
"Change of time" Comp.-CD 1992 (German Rock Project - The Ballad Album)
Dunwich
Lineup:
Coco Laross (vocals)
Jack N. Teichmann (guitar)
Thommy Malbranc (guitar)
Dany Rosberg (bass)
Ossi Fox (drums)
Band-info:
A female fronted Melodic Metal band from Ottersweier, that started 1987 as Dunwich first with a male singer, but then Coco Laross joined and the band recorded a 4 track Demo the next year. After the Demo, later in 1988, they changed name to Caress and recorded a private MLP in September '89, entitled "The return of the beast". Dunwich's Demo pretty much sounded exactly like the later Caress material, but I have to admit, the raw Demo production fitted the whole sound of the band better than the more polished studio material of the album. The last (moaned) part of the track "Sadistic lover" could be well used as background music for any porn production.Discography:
”The lightning" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
Dusty Crone
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local Hard Rock/Metal band from Soest, that was active around 1989/90 and actively played live. Please note, in a old newspaper article the band was called Dulsty Crone, so wether it was just a typo or it's indeed the band's actual name. Further info is welcome.Discography:
Dylirium
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local Wuppertal (we guess) band, that we actually could only find a few unconfirmed facts of. They seemed to be active around 1990/91 and according to the bands they've been friends with we strongly guess Dylirium was a Thrash Metal troop. Futher info is badly needed.Discography:
Dynastie
Lineup:
Mario Schneider (vocals)
Marcel Thiele (drums)
Band-info:
A Hard Rock band from East Berlin that was active during the early 80's in the ex-GDR. Both Merlin musicians Mario Schneider and Marcel Thiele has been in Dynastie during 1982, before the latter went to join Hardrockers Tequila in 1987. Further info is welcome.Discography:
Dynasty
Lineup:
Mario Gansen (vocals)
Horst Petermichl (guitar)
Jörg Deisinger (bass)
Wolfgang Lang (keyboard)
Daniel Zimmermann (drums)
Band-info:
An AOR/Hard Rock act from Neumarkt/Oberpfalz (Nuremberg area) who found together in 1984, acting somewhere in the vein of Saga and Asia with Wolfgang Lang (ex-Maggie’s Madness). They released a well respected Demo in 1985 with ex-Talon Thomas Dörr on drums and either supported big names like Motörhead and Judas Priest on their Germany tours. If you have more info please get in touch.Discography:
Dynasty (Celle)
Lineup:
Dirk Lutterberg (vocals)
Gerry Garm (bass)
Ralph Laskowski (guitar)
Michael Luck (drums)
Band-info:
Both Dynasty trax "Trust in love" and "To be with you", that was featured on the second part of the Celler Rockmusik Initiative compilation was recorded already in October '88 and surprisingly Gerry Garm, who surprised us with his other band Hemlock on the first part, was playing bass in this band. "Trust in love" offers just Melodic Metal with either Hard Rock hints, somehow reminding me of Accept in places, but the big surprise was "To be with you", that delivers a branchless Power Metal sound with almost a sort of pre-Thrash riffing ala Megadeth's "Hook in mouth". If you got more info, please get in touch.
Dysentery
Lineup:
Robby Zschille (guitar, vocals)
Mark Habicht (bass, vocals)
Rico Bail (drums)
Band-info:
Dysentery from Altenburg (ex-GDR), was founded during the disturbances of the political change in 1990 and recorded a Demo tape plus a limited single (500 copies) in 1991 for Poserslaughter Records. Afterwards not much happened anymore, which according to the common Death/Grind these lads used to play wasn't much surprising at all. 1993 the dutch Lowland Records gave these guys another chance and published Dysentery's "...brings me no tears" CD, that for sure showcased a more experienced sort of once again grinding Gore/Death Metal, but not of the kind to set any course within that scene. 1995 they tried with the "Pro Patria" Demo and 1998 with another tape called "The distance", but no label showed interest anymore. In the 2000's they recorded 2 albums plus one more Demo before they at last called it a day in 2006.Discography:
"Abnormal faecal" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Pathological waste" 7" EP 1991 (Poserslaughter)
"...brings me no tears" CD 1993 (Lowland)
No Corroseum-feature would be complete without some proper sampler CDRs!
Straight from Prowler's personal archive we present thee...
download ~Volume West~
download ~Volume East~
(For more obscure German goodies, check out "Teutonic Evasion", the German edition of the Veterans Of The Various-Wars samplers...)
Straight from Prowler's personal archive we present thee...
download ~Volume West~
download ~Volume East~
(For more obscure German goodies, check out "Teutonic Evasion", the German edition of the Veterans Of The Various-Wars samplers...)
Keep exploring the olde German Metal scene on these other sections of The Corroseum:
