Germany is one of the biggest Metal markets in Europe. The second source of origin of Heavy Metal in the seventies, just a couple of years after the first wave of bands in the UK.
But opposite to the British market, that has stagnated in terms of innovation during some periods, the German market has kept a vivid rhythm in the appearance of new bands and new sounds.
Being the country of origin of many of my favourite bands, it was very hard for me to choose which bands to show. The best that I managed to do was restrict this to a four part chronicle.
Yes, I know it's long, but please bear with me, I promise it will be worth it!
Starting with the veterans of German Metal, we begin in 1971 when the band Accept was formed by a group of teenagers. They lasted 25 years until they split in 1996, but since then have occasionally reunited. They rejoined the band in 2009, with a new singer, and recorded a new album that hit the streets last August. Here is one of the songs of the album.
We move forward until 1976 when Rolf "Rock N'Rolf" Kasparek at the age of 15 founds Running Wild. They play pure Heavy Metal with historical war-like and piracy themes. The band had several line-up changes throughout the years, and ended up disbanding in 2009. Here's one of my favourites, from the album The Rivalry of 1998, Ballad of William Kid.
In 1978 two teenagers with 15 years, that would become two of power metal legends, Kai Hansen and Piet Sielck, founded a band called Gentry. Then they met Ingo Schwichtenberg and Marcus Grosskopf and founded Second Hell, later changed to Iron Fist. The band split because they had no place to rehearse.
After Kai met Michael Weikath, in 1984, he decided to re-found Iron Fist, again with Ingo and Marcus, but without Piet. Soon enough Iron Fist would become... Helloween.
With this line-up, and 2 years later with Michael Kiske in the vocals, to allow Kai Hansen to focus on the guitars, they release three full length albums that changed the world of Heavy Metal.
In 1988 Kai Hansen left Helloween and the band wanders for some years, trying to find its path without its founder and main composer. After two poor albums, a new change of line-up bring a new singer and a new drummer, and slowly the band returns to a path of good music and solid releases, that is still going on today.
Founded in 1980, Grave Digger have now 30 years and 15 full-lengths always remaining faithful to their Heavy Metal roots, and always being distinctive through the voice of their all time front man Chris Boltendahl.
Their best releases were in the second half of the nineties, from where I selected one of my favourites, the title track of the album Excalibur.
Next: Germany (part 2/4) - Always reinventing Power Metal.
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