Band-info:

Quite an unknown band from North-Rhine Westphalia I guess, with an either unknown white vinyl 7" released on Miracle Records 1991. Both of the trax ("Visitor" & "Heat of the night") do fully integrate in the late 80's Melodic Metal movement, using a similar US influenced melodic Hard Rock sound and style like bands such as Javan or Vera Cruz. Pretty much the cherry on the cake ... if you got more info, please get in touch.

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A local Hamburg Hard Rock/Metal band that got initiated by Ritchie Blackmore's son Jürgen during 1987, after he disbanded his former band Straight. The band was also known as J.R. Blackmore's Superstition. Michael Bormann (ex-Bonfire/Jaded Heart) joined the band late 1990, who eventually got renamed to J.R. Blackmore Group and recorded 1990 the album "Still holding on", that was published independently, featuring a very catchy sort of american melodic Hard Rock in the vein of heavier Heart and especially coz of Bormann's voice reminded alot of Bon Jovi (but heavier of corpse). Blackmore fed up with the music business disbanded the band in 1994.

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A band that was most probably originating from the greater Siegen area and played live at least during 1987. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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A Heavy Metal band originating from Erbach in the middle of nowhere between Koblenz and Wiesbaden, who recorded a late mini album for the local Wasteland Music label in 1993. Despite a very few certain modern groovy parts, Jack of Swords mainly performed a sort of Heavy Metal that clearly was leaning on the classic 80's sound, with either a few Accept-ish hints, as well as robust Power Metal influences nevertheless. The minor problems in the vocal department can't seriously disturb the main impression that the band left, whenalso the whole recording offers more like a Demo character, but for some of you that fact might be especially a reason to keep your eyes open. Unfortunately the CD was most probably just spread locally back in the day and nowadays is a bitch to find (and pay). If you got more info, you know where to write to...

Band-info:

From Buchholz, south of Hamburg, the Hard Rock band Jack's Hammer was originating from and provided their area with a metallic Hard Rock sound, that stylistically was surely influenced slightly by the late 80's AC/DC, but sounded more like one of these LA bands, without having their Glam attitude at all. The band's musical range included R'n'R influenced Hard Rock as well as glammy softer Street Metal tunes, that's perfectly made for the Party Metal/Hard Rock faction. After their first Demo "Leather & chrome" 1992 the guys released their debut CD "Private party" right during the next year and eventually disappeared after the "Eat it raw" (1995) and "Last but not least" (1996) albums.

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A Hard Rock band from Norden, north of Emden (Ostfriesland), that was active around 1989/90. Further info required.

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We are aware that usually the band Jackboot due to their early phase of existence doesn't belong into this guide, coz the lads had recorded their only album "Angel" a little bit too early during 1976. BUT seriously to justify leaving out a band like them in a Hard Rock guide would weight much heavier. The band was just shortlived, formed around 1975/76 and probably already split up right after the album release since either guitarist Karl Allaut (Gebrüder Engel) was just hired as session musician. Lothar Meid was previously playing with Motherhood/18 Karat Gold and Amon Düll II, Bertram Passmann was ex-Gebrüder Engel, while Wolfgang Jass came from Love & Tears. Surprisingly their album was released on Germany's Schlagerfuzzy No. 1 Ralf Siegel's label Jupiter Records, which sounds almost surreal since Jackboot's material hits directly into the classic Hard Rock notch. The lads acted in places somewhat heavy, that we think it's our by higher powers ordered duty to introduce Jackboot here. Imagine Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple would share musicians to create an album that merges influences of all of these groups and then you'll get an impression of how Jackboot sounded like. The album was re-released 1977 in the UK on Response Records with different cover (picture # 3 down below). For testing purposes try the incredible heavy and epic sounding Hardrocker "Remember (Walking in the sand)". Bertram Passmann and Karl Allaut later joined Udo Lindenberg's background group, the so called Panikorchester.

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Jackie Wulf from Stuttgart engineered and produced their only album "Metal wings" themselves in 1988. The band should exist since 1986, featuring prominent musicians Ralf Rieth (aka Ralf Spitznagel, ex-Tyran Pace) and Mick Shirley (aka Michael Scheuerle, ex-Sinner/Overkill/Grizzly). Musically quite an acceptable typical late 80's Melodic Metal album with either some pretty catchy compositions, the vocals of Jackie Wulf are marginal and make it a kinda love/hate affair. Not just his voice in places sounds out of tune, either his timing leaves a lot to be desired. Nowadays a seldom seen guest...

Band-info:

Justness is a bitch! Otherwise I can't explain why Jackpot nowadays don't have the status that bands like Accept got. Just like Accept's "Breaker", "Full house", the only album of Jackpot from Frankfurt/Main, was recorded in November '80 and March '81 and could be seen one of the first german real Heavy Metal albums. Together with bands such as the Hamburg Rampage, Loose Connection or Sin City, these lads knew it was time to set their sails with the wind, forward into the future. And like the aforementioned ones, they've been too early for that sake, as the Heavy Metal fanzine and underground scene was simply not existent in that prehistoric age. Led by the rough, fistshaking, Metal yelling "Drowned man", that was storming forward like an iron steamroller to smash the snobbish society, offering similarities to "Close encounters" of The Next Band or late 70's Priest, "Full house" delivered a heavy sound close to Rampage's debut, with NWOBHM influences all along. On the softer, midpaced pounding trax the phenomenal debut's of Snake or Lake Placid comes to my mind, nevertheless, these guys knew how to rock hard, and to combine Heavy Metal with epic Hard Rock. And unlike Accept, who gained success with their antiquated Hard Rock, all the early real trailblazers of german Heavy Metal disappeared silently. This band from Frankfurt/Harheim was formed early in 1979 by musicians of other local bands with a different singer, till Wolfgang Döll (ex-Straight Ahead) joined on vocals in 1980, who sung on the aforementioned “Full house”. Despite having a deal with Cain Records for a second album, which was recorded 1983 in Cologne, Kiel and Frankfurt, the label went bankrupt and Bellaphon didn’t want to jump in at all. Fritz Frey, who replaced Lothar Winter 1982, recorded the bass on the album, while the keyboarder Heinz-Michael Thauer joined Jackpot 1983 as well. Since the band didn’t move forwards anymore and only played live on stage from time to time, the lads decided to focuss on their job-related careers and disbanded Jackpot in the turn of the year 1985/86.

(Thanx to Wolfgang Döll for band info)

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Not to be confused with the post-TAX band from Duisbug, these guys was originating from Mayence. Kennig, Fuchs and Thorn started the band under the monicker of Avalon early 1984, Meurer and Frey completed the troop shortly later and after a few gigs they changed name to Jaded Heart in May '86. Still the same year the band produced a 4 song Demo that featured softer melodic Heavy Metal/Hard Rock, and earned the guys some interest of german labels to produce an album during 1987, which in the end never happened. June '87 Frank Meurer got replaced by Stefan Waitzel. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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A Hard Rock band from the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen/Heidelberg area (most probably Heidelberg directly). The guys was active since the late 80's already and recorded their first Demo "Pure Rock" (3 trax) end of October '89, featuring just typical US Hard Rock with raw sound and Glam/Sleaze edge, that didn't need to hide behind certain acts of the sunset strip scene at all. These lads knew their craft and produced another tape with the title "...more pure Rock" right in December '90 with 4 similar songs included, this time with stronger Metal edge, yet not leaving the US Glam Metal/Hard Rock path a single cm. A third Demo was still published in 1992 though, but this time featuring just the trax "California" and "We want it louder" of the previous Demos plus the live trax "Jailhouse Rock - Medley" and "Time to say goodbye", that both was recorded during July '92. In a way the title of the last track most probably could be seen as a (bad) omen, as we can't really remember that more of Jail's publications still followed after this 3rd one. Further info is naturally welcome.

Band-info:

A Hannover based Sleaze Metal band, inspired by the classic Blues/Hard Rock of the 70's like Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith, that formed in 1988. The band recorded a 3 song Demo during early '89, featuring amongst others the trax "Don't stop the feeling" and "Gotta live it out", picking up the classic US Sleaze 'n Roll feeling like f.e. Guns 'n Roses with female vocals sounding like a cross of Jutta Weinhold and Doro Pesch, the make the band sounding a bit in the Saraya vein. They've also been invited to play the 4th Oxmox/Metal Star band contest in Hamburg '89. If you got more info, just get in touch.

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Jailbait was a band from Augsburg formed in 1980 by Steve Hatton, who played a 70's inspired Hard Rock with influences from AC/DC, Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple. Hatton and Schiele then subsequently formed the band Veto in 1982, while during 1985 shortly before the recordings for Veto's debut LP, Steve Hatton left Veto and instead reactivated Jailbreak once again with Heinrich Förster (vocals), Steffen Lerm (guitar), Klaus Bader (bass) and Charles Kohlert (keyboard) to keep the band going till 1986. Herbert Kaiser (bass) also at an uncertain time played in Jailbait. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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We don't have further info of this local bavarian band based in the wider Würzburg area, except that they've been active during the very early 90's. If you know the band just get in touch.

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Jarg Steap was a Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from Weinberg/Ansbach, west of Nuremberg, which was actively playing live in their area and either released a 4 track Demo during 1988. If you got more info, please get in touch.

Band-info:

A band from Nürnberg, Bavaria, that was founded in 1983 and found the native american born vocalist Joe Ferrand in December 1986, who completed the line up that recorded a professional 6 song Demo in February '87. Jason & Medea's melodic yet commercial Hard Rock sound got compared to bands such as the great Kingdom and according to Metal Hammer info, was of above average quality. If you got more info, please get in touch.

Band-info:

The Hildesheim based band Java is playing with the mentioned line up since November '83 and was feaured with 2 german sung tracks on the local compilation II. Hildesheimer Rocksampler. That was the easy part, to label this band's sound is quite difficult as they mixed AOR/Hard Rock ala Foreigner/Asia with galopping Heavy Metal guitars and even Deutsch Rock influences. The track "Gestern Nacht" is the heavier of both, the other one's being called "Sonne".

Band-info:

A Melodic Metal band from the Düsseldorf area (most probably Langenfeld), that started in a different form already in 1982, when some of the guys had been active as Punk and Deutschrock band, but thankfully later adopted the classic Black Sabbath sound, till the band during the later 80's, just like the ones of Skyscraper, Vamp, Bonfire etc. felt more attracted by the commercial US style Hard Rock and formed a highly professional sound in the vein of mid 80's Europe or Pretty Maids. On their first Demo “On the high-way" still sung by their old vocalist Andreas, who got replaced a bit later on already, Javan adopted a similar Hard Rock style to mid 80’s Deep Purple. To get more detailed, even though “The house of blue light” wasn't even available at that time, Javan’s material was sounding quite the same with either a few hidden, but well listenable post-NWOBHM hints. On the keyboards a friend of the band was playing, Klaus Damschen. The following Demo entitled “4 -Track Studio 4 '87“ then featured Bernd Martin on vocals, as well as special guest T.J. Rath doing all the keyboard passages, who both would eventually complete the classic future Javan line up by the way. The tape also featured re-recorded songs of the previous Demo, but in new, heavier versions. Despite those being the same trax, now the Deep Purple similarities was completely gone and the aforementioned Melodic Metal phase got eventually introduced. After their rather commercially influenced 6 track Demo in 1989, the lads put hands on their selfproduced album "Somewhere in the night", that was published 1991 on their management's own label and features a number of songs that could be considered amongst the best material of the entire german Melodic Metal/Hard Rock scene. Either vocalwise, the lads had been one step ahead of the common bands, Bernd Martin's high pitched screams just rounded their highly recommended album. But sadly one more promising album yet came years too late. We guess they split up during the early 90’s as well.

(Thanx to Rumblefist for the additional info)

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A Punk influenced Hard Rock band from Münster that was founded around 1976. The trio had been schoolfriends who was working for a PA rental company. Influenced by bands of the growing british Punk movement such as The Clash, Sex Pistols and also Thin Lizzy, the guys used to play a few songs for soundcheck purposes at gigs of the company they was working for. There is a weird story connected to this band, that says their boss liked the songs of the band and after they finished school in mid '77 and all went their own ways, leaving the city of Münster, he manufactured a limited single 1978 without permission and knowledge of the guys, that featured two trax that he had recorded during such a soundcheck test. When the ex-drummer of the band came back home to visit his parents, he was told about the single and confronted his ex-boss with it. The latter gave him, after attesting that only 200 copies had been pressed, 25 singles. What speaks against this story is that the backsleeve mentions the contact address of the bass player, who, according to the story above, moved already in 1977 to another city. Nevertheless, musically the lads used to play a slightly Punk inspired Hard Rock with Thin Lizzy hints and either a dose of Southern Rock. Sadly the single nowadays isn't that easy to find anymore, since it was spread just locally back in the day.

Band-info:

A fake band from Ingo Nowotny's blacksmith with an absolutely hilarious Hard Rock album, that's playing old german Schlager and Folklore songs in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal manner. Better be happy you don't understand german, at least most of you. ^^

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A Hard 'n' Heavy band from Dortmund, that started early '87. Since ex-Chronos Uwe Ertelt was on vocals, we guess this band would later become Pride, using the name Starlight for a short while inbetween. If you got more info, please get in touch.

Band-info:

Not to be confused with the Dortmund outfit of the same name, that was active at the same time like this Oldenburg version of Jealousy, these lads formed in 1986 and claimed themselves to play "Pure Rock", while guys who've heard them, specify a very Rainbow/Whitesnake related Hard Rock sound, when these still "sounded heavy". In 1987 and 1988 Jealousy additionally recorded 2 Demo tapes, that we sadly don't have any further info of. If you do, please drop us a line.

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A fun Crossover/Thrash Metal fourpiece from Brackel-Tieshope, who published an underproduced 10 track Demo in 1988, that was making fun of bands like Nuclear Assault by in places ripping off songparts of well known bands. Musically the guys was acting somewhere between S.O.D. and Cryptic Slaughter. If you got more info, please get in touch.

Band-info:

A local Crossover/Thrash band from Backnang, north of Stuttgart, starting already in 1985, who appeared on several underground Crossover compilations during the later 80’s. Therefore we guess it’s most probably the case that Jenzone Pepperone recorded several Demos since at least 1987. On their late debut album “Fast Music - Bäd Englizh”, recorded in Januar/Februar 1993, the guys surprisingly delivered a bunch of hyperfast classic 80’s style Thrashcore numbers, reminding of the beloved M.O.D. or D.R.I. stuff. One more CD entitled “Du dummes Arschloch!” was spread in 1999, but the band disappeared afterwards. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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A Heavy Metal band from southern Germany (most probably Bavaria), that was playing live gigs during 1987. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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Not so unknowns within the Hamburg scene during the late 80's, the late 1987 formed Jesse Hoyah from Brackel-Thieshope (south of Hamburg) was a notorious live act, known especially for their funny stage shows, that was focussed to ape abit the Thrash acts of their time. The guys called their style Hardcore/Thrash Metal and recorded their debut Reh/Demo with the title "Haribobär massacre" (the title says it all) already the same year (September). The band featured former Bleedfort member Maurer and spend most of their time during the last years of the 80's with playing live. Just in early 1991 the "Grey misery" studio Demo was recorded and the guys could sell quite a number of tapes. Either "Mortality of the gods" and "Don't read the lyrics" from that Demo was used for the local Hamburg compilation "Brown bottles go ape" and furthermore was both featured on the underground compilation tape "Schreie der Angst". "Don't read the lyrics" together with "Day by day" also was used for "Just another Sampler" tape compilation. While in their early days Jesse Hoyah acted a bit more chaotic Thrashcore inspired, on "Grey misery" they perfomed a straight forward Thrash Metal style in the vein of fast Metallica, I.N.C. and Soilent Green. As far as it seems the band split up during already 1991, while at least Maurer and Dirk "Dicker" Weiss formed Warpath right afterwards.

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A heavily keyboard-oriented commercial hard rock act from Graben-Neudof, active in the late 80's/early 90's(?) If you have more info, get in contact.

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We're not sure if this band indeed belongs to this database, but these Progressive Rock amateurs were formed in 1984 in Moers. There are 2 songs known from 2 different compilations, but while the "Hart und genau" contribution "Fable of live" clearly is proggy Adult Oriented Rock with Hard Rock edge, the other track of them ("It is") on the "The Beast" 7" (both on CBR Records) is just plain cheesy Rock. The 1987 (or '88?) demo is said to be in the Marillion-vein. Oliver Philipps later joined Everon. If you got info about the band, please get in touch.

Band-info:

Jester's March was founded in Herne sometime in 1988 by former Darkness axeman Pierre Danielzyk, Martin Hirsch, Oliver Schütrumpf and featured the ex-Scanner vocalist Michael Knoblich. On their debut Demo "Audience to the king" the lads still got help on keyboards by ex-Syntra Uli Köllner who later would join the band permanently. But after the Demo in spring '90 singer Knoblich and guitarist Ingo Brusehaber got fired, who got replaced by Michael Bilic (guitar) and Olaf Bilic (vocals). Both would form the band Jack Of Hearts in 1992. After another 3 track Demo recorded in May '90 with the new line up, Jester's March in the meanwhile got signed by Steamhammer and released their debut "Beyond" in 1991, shortly followed by "Acts", that was recorded without Pierre Danielzyk and Uli Köllner, who had left the group earlier in 1992. With only Michael Bilic being responsible for the axework on "Acts", the album went slightly modern ways, with several groovy parts, though basically their well known proggy Power Metal direction in the vein of Queensryche, that Jester's March performed since the beginning got continued. Olaf Bilic either tried to imitate Geoff Tate vocally, which pretty much made the comparison to the US masters possible. When Schütrumpf either quit in spring 1992, Dominik Sapia joined on drums but the new line didn't work so well, so both Bilic brothers and Martin Hirsch disbanded Jester's March and tried to start from zero early '93 with the band House of Spirits instead.

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A band from Reilingen in the Heidelberg area, active since March '92. Jezebel's Tower's musical spectrum included Melodic Metal, Power Metal and mainly Progressive/Symphonic Metal sounds. After winning the local "Rockförderpreis Rhein-Neckar-Kreis" in June '93, their debut album "Like every mother's son" was recorded and released wether late 1993 or in very early 1994. The 2 album songs "Don't cry" and "Always on my mind" already appeared during 1993 on the local "1. Bruchsaler Sampler". Rüdiger Rudolph later was replaced by Andreas Wurm (keyboard) and also guitarist Michael Wiesner left the band during the mid 90's and got substituted by first Rainer Schönfelder, then Ralf Jung came in 1998 and finally Mathias Wurm filled out the guitar position till the band's decline. Besides a few singles released during the mid 90's, the band published a "Live" CD (1996) and the second studio album "Selling the wind" in 1998 independently and eventually split up in 2003.

Band-info:

Crossover Thrashers from Boksee in the wider Kiel area, active between the late 80's and early 90's, that started back in December 1989 and recorded their debut Demo "Demosaurus" in July '90, offering a slightly Hardcore influenced Thrash Metal sound with diverse Mosh parts, in the first reminding rather of american bands like f.e. Slayer and M.O.D. The second Demo was recorded live in Kiel on June 6th 1991 and Swen Schulz had joined Jid Saw on lead guitar in February ‘91. After a third tape “Peaceful violence” released right in 1992, the band dissolved during the mid 90's and Dräger joined Erosion. Dirk Abraham went to play with King Vulture during 1994.

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Jingo De Lunch was a female fronted Hardcore band, fronted by canadian born Yvonne Ducksworth (ex-Combat Not Conform), that was formed in Berlin Kreuzberg April '87 by ex-Manson Youth members. Josef Ehrensberger was previously already playing in Vorkriegsjugend and together with Tom Schwoll also in Zerstörte Jugend during the early 80's. The guys recorded a Demo tape in 1987 and immediately had their debut LP "Perpetuum Mobile" available on We Bite Records just a few months later. The band then constantly published albums on different labels till with "Axe to the grind" they had their big breakthrough and signed a major deal with the Phonogram, to release some more albums on that label, till they eventually disbanded during 1996. Jingo De Lunch are known for their melodic Crossover style with Motörhead influences and speed, that influenced many bands of the genre, sounding similar to german acts like Destination Zero.

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A Blues Rock band originating from Essen, that was active since 1972. In summer 1984 the lads with help of Bernd Rosemeier on guitar produced their sole album "Cheers to Rock'n Roll" at Dieter Dirks Studios. Musically the material offered a wide range inside the Rock genre, from Blues Rock and R'n'R to either old AC/DC alike Hard Rock influences all along. Nevertheless, the album isn't much of interest for classic Hard Rock fans and by any means you should listen first, as the R'n'R edge is huge. Summer '89 there was a Demo tape available, featuring 3 studio and 2 live tracks with a similar ZZ Top/Status Quo influenced sound. If you know the title of the Demo, please get in touch.

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Jinx was a Power Metal trio from Oldenburg, that produced a CD at the D&S studio in 1992. Musically acting somewhere in the Running Wild/early 90's Judas Priest corner, their material was oscillating between fast and midpaced stuff, and either experimenting with untypical elements like on "Speed computer controlled". On "Midnight roamer" even parts of modern sounding Accept are gleaming, but sadly the whole mix appears kinda thin, whenalso the lads had been quite experienced on their instruments. There is also a Demo tape floating around, whose title I cannot recall anymore, but as far as I remember it was dating from 1993. If you got more info, please get in touch.

Band-info:

Annette Stangenberg, or better known as Joal, was a female vocalist from Hannover, who was doing background vocals for a number of bands like Sargant Fury, Letter X, Gamma Ray, Victory or Eloy and got the chance to produce 2 own albums, where she got prominent help by other Hannover musicians like Charlie Huhn, Tommy Newton, Tommy Hansen, Rudi Kaeding etc. There isn't a line up listed of this band, as the guys playing instruments have only been session musicians. The sound of the Joal albums was like expected very american style positioned melodic Hard Rock/AOR, like either Victory performed. In places the production might appear too much polished, that grants the material a slightly poppy touch. Positively to be mentioned has her pretty neat vocal performance, that either made the albums drifting into the Robin Beck corner, with just a heavier edge. After releasing the selftitled debut album, Joal was searching for songwriters late in 1990, so she called Bobby Altvater of Munich Hard Rock band Affair. Together with him she recorded 3 quite neat Demo trax in February ’91, that was rejected by her label, so the second Joal album took a whole while longer to be released than expected.

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Just for reasons of completion I tend to add the band Jod S-11 from Paderborn (or surrounding area) here as well, because their quite unknown single from the mid 80's (I think) features a mix of AOR/Melodic Rock/Hard Rock and Power Pop. It's not so easy to categorize their sound, as pretty much pieces of everything melt together here. The band was female fronted with (good) vocals sung in german, and the guys pretty much scooped the whole spectrum of the above mentioned styles. Both trax for what they did, are quite nice, the semiballad "Endlos" and either the brisky "Karneval" that somehow reminds of the "heavier" early Nena stuff. But Melodic Rock fans won't make any mistake here. If you got more info, please get in touch.

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A cover band from Lohmar in the the Cologne/Bonn area, that was active around 1990/91 and was formed by professional musicians to celebrate old (Hard) Rock classics live on stage, like f.e. songs of Gary Moore, Jimi Hendrix, Manfred Mann, Cream etc. Their Demo recorded around 1990 features 7 cover versions.

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Jojo (or also JoJo) was an AOR band from Frankfurt/Main, that was founded 1985 by austrian musician Robert Musenbichler after the band Tokyo that he played earlier with, got disbanded. Also former Tokyo keyboarder Lothar Krell was steady member of the band and furthermore many ex-Tokyo musicians helped Musenbichler to record his songs, like Fritz Matzka (drums) and Ken Taylor (bass). Jojo produced 2 early singles during 1985/86 with hit producer Frank Farian (the guy who made Boney M. and Milli Vanilli - urgh!), that simply do not belong into this site's musical content at all, because "Shadows in the night" and "Take a little time" both just featured terrible Dance/Disco Pop. The more interesting debut album "Jojo" was released during 1988 and contained just typical 80's AOR/Melodic Rock with poppy edge, very similar to acts like She's China, Dominoe or Surprises. Curst Dress recorded the drum parts and Ken Taylor played additional bass lines, while Musenbichler, Liszt and Kohlmeyer shared the vocal parts. But after their last single "We scandalize" the band already split up during 1989.

Band-info:

A shortlived Hard Rock band from Düsseldorf, initiated in 1988 by ex-Warlock guitarist Rudi Graf after he finished his short intermezzo in Rage. He started composing own songs and gathered some musicians of the local scene there including in the beginning drummer Jan Yldiral (ex-Steeler/Darxon/Avenger) and later Holy Moses' Uli Kusch (drums), who though left after the first Demo and got replaced by Rainer Schmitz. The recent Monroxe and later Holy Moses bassist Thomas Bremke (aka Tommy Finke) joined the band late '88, who recorded their first Demo early 1989 still with Beate Degen and Xaver Drexler (ex-Capital Rose/Forced Entry/STS 8 Mission) sharing vocal parts. The ex-Midnight Darkness/Bornchild shouter Jörg Reuter took their part on the second Demo from late '89, but soon the band folded due to line up problems late 1990. Rainer Schmitz later joined first Living Death and afterwards STS 8 Mission. We found info, that at least the second Demo was not for sale at all and featured 8 Heavy Rock trax in typical american manner. Beate Degen there just sung the track "Fool for your love". More info is badly required.
(Picture by Jörg Schnebele)

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Jolly Roger from Olpe/Sauerland are only known to be featured on the local Wildwux Compilation released in 1991. "No easy target" offers fresh Heavy Rock with in places even a few Metal parts. A quite well structured song. If you have more info please get in touch.

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Though I'm not sure if this "band" Warlock (later called Jon Symon's Warlock) was indeed a real band or just a project, we have to add it to the database neverthless because it clearly belongs to the Hard Rock spectrum. Jon Symon was a natural born britishman who came to Germany within the 60's and stayed here in Hannover. In the early 70's he was on stage as a one-man-show and either released several singles (which are not of interest here). 1978 he started working on the album "Warlock - Memories of a white magician" with Klaus Peter Matziol (bass), Eloy member Detlev Schmidtchen (keyboard), Epitaph drummer Jim McGillivray and Hajo Hoffmann (violin). In the early 80's Symon and the director of the Hannover ballet ensemble met each other and started working on two Rock ballets which for two albums was produced either. On the first one "Warlock" from 1983, Symon got supported by Charly Maucher (bass), ex-Mountain Ash Detlef Klamann (guitar), ex-Jane Werner Nadolny (synthesizer) and Peter Panka (drums). For "Lady Macbeth" ex-Mountain Ash Eckhard Wahlmann (keyboard) replaced Werner Nadolny and Bernd Klamann (drums) joined for Peter Panka. Due to both albums are more or less Rock ballet soundtracks, the musical width is different, but songs like "Eye of the witch", "Forever and a day" or "Banquet" will catch every epic Hard and Prog Rock fan's heart, as these are prime examples of how medieval pompish Hard Rock must sound like. For openminded guys worth a try...

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Judias Strike was a local Power Metal band of the late 80's that was originating from the Darmstadt area, to be exact Riedstadt. They only released a 4 track Demo with the title "In the beginning" during 1989 and then disappeared again. Further info is needed.

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Neunkirchen Hardrockers founded originally as Scrap Manufactory in 1972, consisting of Bernd Ferone (guitar), Jörg Schaufert (bass), Volker Herschbach (keyboard), Rick de Soto (drums, vocals) back then, who’ve been known for dressing notoriously in leather already during the late 70’s, these lads drew quite a huge fan crowd to each one of their well visited gigs and quickly established their prominent status in their local area around Neunkirchen/Saarbrücken. After a few changes, the band eventually produced two songs with Ricky King, with the final line up featuring Bernd Ferone (guitar), Albert Jochum (vocals), Volker Herschbach (keyboard) and Jörg Schaufert (bass), for their first single “Little Jane” in 1979, and subsequently would change their name to Lancelot for the single release. A new drummer was found in Joachim Hammerschmidt (ex-Fun), who must have joined after the recordings for the single at around 1980/81 and was firstly introduced on the 81er compilation trax „Danger in sky“ and „You’re so young“, both featured on the "Musik Szene Saar II" LP. After the single “Stop man" on Leico (1982), that delivered a song which also appeared on their '83er debut, the guys got picked up by the Rock untypical label WPL Records and eventually recorded their first album "But I just can't stay behind" with new bassist Frank Rummler, which furthermore led into a deal with Ariola for another single ("Far away") and the 12” “Blinded” in 1984, eventually succeeding into Lancelot getting the spot to open for the Rock titans Queen at their Germany tour in 1984. The LP features quite listenable melodic Heavy Rock, that just missed to adopt a real Heavy Metal sound. But basically the lads knew how to handle their instruments and tried to compose catchy material. On the "Far away" and "Blinded" EP's Lancelot unfortunately dived too much into the Melodic Rock/AOR seas and therefore it's fully ok to only own the "But I just can't stay behind" LP, coz it contains the band's heaviest songs. Joachim „Hammer“ Hammerschmidt then after the „Blinded“ EP left Lancelot and shortly played with local Heavyrockers Natchez, before he ultimately left the music business. The rest of the band with Wolfgang Schulz on drums now, during the mid 80’s relocated to Hollywood, where talent scout Steve Verocca had a big career for the guys in mind. They produced about 40 songs in several studios of Los Angeles, recorded between 1987 and 1988, whereof the best of the bunch should be used for another Lancelot album to push their financial breakthrough. On the other hand the band was forced to once again change their name to a much more girls friendly sounding Juicy Lucy, to serve the growing Glam/Sleave wave optically and audible. As expected, the big labels didn’t see the potential of the guys, so the planned album moved into far future and some of the recorded material eventually saw the light of day in 1995, when the band was already dead and buried, on Juicy Lucy’s selftitled CD, with ex-McAuley Schenker Group Bodo Schopf behind the drums. Frank Rummler in 1992 formed Shortino together with Alexander Beyrodt (ex-Wild Axes/Princess/Sinner).

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A female fronted commercial Hard Rock/Metal band from Neunkirchen, that formed during early 1986. Juliet participated on an international band contest back in 1987, but already had published the "America/Lying" single on BEE Records just one year earlier. Most probably a Demo from that time (1986/87) exists as well. The single just recently surfaced accidentally, but features with "America" a pounding melodic top notch Hardrocker in classic US Pop Metal tradition. Susanne Schätzle shortly after the single release got enticed by female rockers Rosy Vista and therefore left the band. During 1987 the guys either won the local newcomer band contest hosted by the Live Magazin Saar. After several rather silent years, the band resurfaced in the early 90’s, when Axel Thubeauville 1993 produced a fullenght of Juliet for his own Shark Records label, but the band now featured completely different musicians, besides the returned Susanne Schätzle once again on vocals, also Steven Keusch (guitar), Ralf Dietze (bass), Chester Erdmann (drums) and ex-Bad Intention Pete Sorrentino on guitar. The same titled CD was released in September '93 and still contains oldfashioned catchy melodic 80's Hard Rock, reminding occasionally of bands like Saraya.

(Thanx to emosteel for additional info)

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Jumpin' Jesus was a Cologne based Death Metal band that featured ex-Forced Entry guitarist Mike Gage and Oliver Ulrich of Pounding Demise. The guys formed in 1988 and released 2 Demo tapes in 1989 and 1990, before Sabina Classen signed the troop for her Death Metal label Morbid Music, to produce their debut "The art of crucifying" in 1991. Jumpin' Jesus played a quite professional style of american influenced Death Metal on high technical level with some formidable guitar work. Here and there a few Techno Thrash hints are shining thru either, but basically the lads did orientate themselves on bands like early 90's Morbid Angel. The chapter Jumpin' Jesus has been put ad acta already in 1991.

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Just Delay from Donauwörth in the Augsburg area, started in 1985 and gained bigger attention at the "Band of the Year" contest in 1988 with their commercial yet melodic Hard Rock sounds. A Demo tape was recorded already the year prior to the contest in 1987. If you got further info, please get in touch.

Band-info:

Bremen's Just Say No played a melodic sort of progressive Power Metal with vocals somehow slightly reminding of James Hetfield. The band formed sometime in 1990 and recorded 2 Demos between 1991/92, when they joined the obscure underground sampler project "Ride on the Underground - A heavy Compilation" during 1993, that featured 4 non Demo trax with dreamy and symphonic touch (Power Metal though!). After that appearance the band seemed to haven taken a short recording break, but returned in the mid 90's once again with "The Magic of Nature and Life" & "The Magic of Nature and Life II" before their trace got definitely lost during the late 90's.

Band-info:

A melodic Thrash band from Bavaria that's acting somewhere between Paradox and Blind Guardian with a quite solid musicianship. Especially the guitar solos are top notch and worth to be heard. Both songs ("Black rain" and Stop the drugs") are of the same caliber, thrashing fast forward. The only weak point, if there is any, might be the vocals. Still an over all recommended piece of vinyl for all speed freaks. Matthias Höfling was later found in Shadows of Iga and Kirchgessner joined progressive Power Metallers Transcendence.

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These Justice from Bavaria too (Dürrbrunn) you shouldn't confuse with the "Black rain" Justice (also from Bavaria) and they've been around since 1988 too, both at same time. Hannes Holzmann (ex-Fair Warning) joined them but left again to fully concentrate on his project J.B.O. They released their first MCD in 1993 simply called "Justice" (also known as "Name the never") that contains melodic Power/Thrash with some Metallica influences and even the sound comes close to "...and justice for all" ("Summer snow"). When they raise the speed they do sound quite like late 80's again, but there are also lotsa melodic and rocking parts where their vocalist wants to sing, with many midpaced passages. They released 5 more albums till 2010, so just check out the Justice Homepage for further info.

Band-info:

A Speed/Thrash Metal band from Düsseldorf, formed by Pedro Nicolas there in 1990 with 2 Germans Alex Schmidt and Artur Wlossek. Obviously the band was influenced by Metallica and indeed performed that classic 80's Bay Area style Speed/Thrash Metal throughout the whole 90's. A Demo with the title "Innocent victims" was recorded 1994, but only sent to magazines for promotional purposes. Pedro Nicolas later moved to Spain and gathered new musicians David Segado (bass, vocals) and Oliver Torres (drums) around himself to keep Justicia going. Result was the album "Alone against all", released 1998 on Locomotive Records. Justicia nowadays are still active in Spain, but without further releases.

Band-info:

Originally the Hegerfeldt brothers started playing their instruments already in 1983, though they didn't start rehearsing properly until July '86, when Burkhard Hegerfeldt and Michael Voss officially founded the Heavy Metal troop Justness in the city of Neuss. Im autumn 1986 Joachim Lanzendorf joined the band on the second guitar and also handled the bass. A first Demo entitled “Sense of life" was eventually recorded and found it’s way to certain undereground magazines. Until January '87 Justness had written 14 own songs and soon released an 8 song Reh/Demo called "Never surrender". Lanzendorf already quit in spring '87, while Oliver Weiser (bass) and vocalist Volker Riedel joined. With this new line up a second 7 track Demo was recorded still in October '87. While Justness received an offer for an album production, Burkhard Hegerfeldt instead also decided to leave the band in January '88, which threw the other lads back to start as they couldn't find replacement for him anymore and after a last gig in February that year the band Justness was history. Musically they've been caught in midtempo fields, yet slightly limited by their own limited instrumental skills.
You can listen to Justness here: here

(Thanx to Rumblefist for the link)