~ 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:
X Ray
Lineup:
Band-info:
A Hard 'n' Heavy band from the Stuttgart region, that was active around 1990/91. Further info is needed.Discography:
X-Ing
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local band from the Munich area, that was actively playing live around 1990. Further info is welcome.Discography:
X-Ray Examination
Lineup:
Mario Noll (bass, vocals)
Holger Richter (guitar)
Manuell Noll (drums)
Band-info:
A local band from Zeitz (ex-GDR), that was originally founded as Regenbogen (not to be confused with the band from Berlin), but changed name to X-Ray Examination on August 24th 1990 and played their first show in September. Sometime during the early 90's this Megadeth, Voivod and Bathory influenced band recorded at least one 6 track Demo. If you got more info, please get in touch.Discography:
X-Tro
Lineup:
Band-info:
A local Heavy Metal/Hard Rock band originating from Fulda, that actively played live during the early till the mid 80's. The band never recorded anything officially. Further info is welcome.(Thanx to Andy Süss for the info)
Discography:
Xaja
Lineup:
Ralf Ehrbar (vocals)
Boris Gründel (guitar)
Mitch Kijewski (guitar)
Thomas Kuzaj (bass)
Holger Middelberg (drums)
Band-info:
A band from Georgsmarienhütte (Osnabrück area) that formed in 1990 and could participate with the two songs "Living in the shadows" and "Drugstore" on the local CD sampler "Wizzards From OS". Both songs was taken from a Demo tape recorded in February '91 and feature a quite modern glammy Hard Rock/Metal with ugly funky touch. Another Demo with the title "Lost generation" from 1993 exists too. 1995 they released the tape album "Tracks" independently and finally 2003 their first CD "Xaja" saw the light of day, once again privately published.(Thanx to Rumblefist for additional info)
Discography:
"Drugstore" Demo 1991 (selfreleased)
"Wizzards From OS" Comp.-CD Tracks 1991 (Gemelo)
"Lost generation" Demo 1993 (selfreleased)
Xandril
Lineup:
Daffy (vocals)
Stephan Philipp (guitar)
Jörg Schrör (guitar)
André Philipp (bass)
Christian Choleva (drums)
Band-info:
Xandril was a Speed Metal band from Hamburg active since late 1982, but at this time still being called Alien. 2 Demo's was recorded in early 1983 under that monicker with Daffy on vocals and Christian Choleva behind the drums who later got replaced by Marlon Erdman (drums) and Mathias Lemcke (vox) on the Reh/Demo '85. They changed name to Xandril in April '83 and recorded 2 more Demos in June and December '83, that both originally was planned to be released as singles back in the day, but the idea was dropped, till High Roller Records finally realized the project in 2018. On these first early recordings the band adopted a style that was very close to the NWOBHM, particular to Iron Maiden with Paul Di'Anno on the debut. 2 years passed by till they released the next tape and the style changed in a way into a more speedy yet melodic direction. On the "Rotting paradise" Demo 1986. the in April '86 joined Bettina Paschen first time was to hear in full action and refined their melodic Speed Metal style, while Paschen finally gave the band an own identity. They could place the track "Terminal breath" on the Teutonic Invasion compilation and right in the same year released another Speed Metal Demo "The vision". Their final effort "Perfect darkness" released one year later presented Xandril a bit more thrashy, yet still rooted in the Speed Metal. It's bee their best Demo tape so far, offering a riff inferno par excellence, with Bettina Paschen sounding similar to Nicole Lee of Znöwhite. But their best demonstration also remained their last one. The band split up in 1989 with members joining other acts like Megace, Torment and Medusa. All official Demos got re-released by HMH Records in 2018 as DLP and CD entitled as "The Vision of Rotting Darkness: The Demos 1985-1988".Discography:
"Demo I '83" 7" EP 2018 (HMH)
"Demo II '83" 7" EP 2018 (HMH)
"Rehearsal '85" Demo 1985 (selfreleased)
"Rotting paradise" Demo 1986 (selfreleased)
"Total Massacre Vol. 1" Comp.-MC Tracks 1986 (Death Metal Production)
"Terminal breath" Comp.-LP Track 1987 (Teutonic Invasion Part One)
"The vision" Demo 1987 (selfreleased)
"Perfect darkness" Demo 1988 (selfreleased)
Xenon
Lineup:
Stefan Buchner (guitar)
Reinhard Schmidt (guitar)
Klaus Kronen (bass)
Wolfgang Mucha (keyboard)
Gerhard Eichner (keyboard)
Hans Förg (saxophone)
Andy Hiermeyer (drums)
Band-info:
A progressive Hard Rock "orchestra" from Miesbach, south of Munich, that used to sing in their native local slang, which is quite abnormally within the german Hard Rock spectrum, as most of the bands tried to reach an international audience. Nevertheless Xenon's style wasn't uninteresting at all, having a slightly heavier sound than band's like Toto with huge Prog Rock edge. Their selfproduced debut single with the 2 songs "Der Wächter" and "Die Wölfin" got finally released with huge delay during early 1989. The original recordings was done already in January '88, but a few things had to be added in the following months. When they entered the studio in April '88 again, all the analogue technique got converted to digitally PC controlled which caused more problems than advantages. When they finally had every missing part recorded and the songs was finally finished, the lads wasn't happy with the too sterile sounding result at all and simply re-recorded both tracks once again within 2 nights. November 3rd 1988 Xenon's single recordings was finally finished. 1992 the guys once more released a fullenght album on the label Ample Records, featuring almost the same proggy Hard Rock with bavarian slang like on their first single, but this time explicitly more Hard Rock guided. After "Fuartfahrn" (means "To drive away") the band didn't release further stuff anymore it seems.(Thanx to emosteel for the recommendation)
Discography:
"Der Wächter/Die Wölfin" 7" EP 1989 (Press Stress)
"Fuatfahrn" LP 1992 (Ample)
Xxaron
Lineup:
Andreas Kwiatkowski (vocals)
Ralf Hansmeyer (guitar)
Detlev Bruns (guitar)
Peter Damm (bass)
Markus Greiner (drums)
Band-info:
Xxaron from Cologne, who originally formed as Blizzard during 1983, was another one of these short lived bands that popped up in the early 80's and disappearing as quick as they came. Their first drummer was mentioned to now (1985) play with Avenger, so we guess that guy must be noone less than Jörg Michael. Since August '84 Xxaron's drummer was Markus Greiner, while the band signed a contract with Earthshaker. Although their in March '85 recorded album features some quite good songs, eventhough it's just mainly midpaced and typical standard stuff. But in places the early Running Wild influences are undeniable and "The legacy" got a quite raw as fuck production too. For those into the pure typical mid 80's German Metal it's definitely an easy to digest food. After 3 years they disbanded already in 1986 and Peter Damm later would appear in the line up of the Power Metallers Surgeon. Ralf Hansmeyer had a short intermezzo in Laos in 1990. There is also a Promo Tape from 1985 available, wether it's spread officially we can't tell, but it featured several album advance trax.
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:
