Underestimated German 80's Scene?

[Trigger]

In general I agree that the European scene is subordinate to the US,but there is an explanation for the low number(or even quality) of demos in Germany.This is the fact that everything concerning metal was happening there.Metal in USA was dead from day one,all the fans were there,thus almost every band could sign a record deal.Don't forget the thrash influence,lots of bands started with or turned out playing thrash....the inverse goes for commercial metal,German bands had some quality while US bands......

[Sgt. Kuntz]

I've been playing a very rare piece of Kraut Metal to a friend of mine and he said like "wow, awesome NWOBHM, what's this band called?" and it was COURAGE "Gold & Ivory" on D&S Records! There's one i could play once a day the next 30 years or so, fantastic, rather untypsical German metal. Same with ATTACK, they are not too German sounding either. NINJA also had some great tracks, very ACCEPTish, i like them a lot. INVADER or AIRWOLF and also SUDDEN DEATH comes to mind, they're great bands, but imagine yourself after a lousy day in the office, driving home through endless traffic jams and after the family finally gives you some rest, you want to put something on, that really saves the day, and that wouldn't be the aforementioned bands, but rather, i don't know, something like GRAVEN IMAGE, MEDIEVAL STEEL, the new MAX PLÄNCK LP or SLANDER, if you know what i mean.

This should not be taken as a general affront against the metal scene here, but maybe if your're from Sweden or especially from Japan those bands sound more exotic, more special to your ears, i don't know. Or it's just a matter of taste, as always...

[The Erlking]

It just saddenes me when people lump together mediocre-to-downright-bad acts like FACT, GRAVESTONE, HUNTER, TRACE, THUNDER, BULLET etc with awesome and outstanding bands like INVADER, HEADSTONE, AIRWOLF, METAL SWORD, NINJA, ATTACK

Agreed except for Gravestone. Well maybe they weren't the the AAA league but I still think Victim of Chains is a great record on the whole and Fly Like An Eagle is a perfect Heavy Metal song. Certainly better than anything I've heard from Noisehunter though I might have to give them another chance seeing you compairing them with VETO. But in general you're dead on. There was tons and tons of Subpar Judas Priest/Accept/Helloween clones coming from Germany back in the days so it's not always easy to thrust your teeth into the real meat through all the fat. Most of my favourites wrom deutchland are also bigger names like Accept, Running Wild, Blind Guardian, Mania, Scanner, Heavens Gate, Stormwitch, S.D.I., Mekong Delta, Kreator, Sodom, Living Death, Helloween etc.

[FuneralCircle]

The greatest scene of the 80s was the UK, what are you all on about?

[Keir]

It just saddenes me when people lump together mediocre-to-downright-bad acts like FACT, GRAVESTONE, HUNTER, TRACE, THUNDER, BULLET etc with awesome and outstanding bands like INVADER, HEADSTONE, AIRWOLF, METAL SWORD, NINJA, ATTACK

Agreed except for Gravestone. Well maybe they weren't the the AAA league but I still think Victim of Chains is a great record on the whole and Fly Like An Eagle is a perfect Heavy Metal song.

My thoughts exactly!

[MassOfKthulu]

i really love that ravage miniLP! and a ton of obscure german metal from Castle Well to Mandrake..
different strokes for different folks.
But i know Germans are not so keen on their own scene.maybe it doesnt have the exotic factor for them,thats why perhaps.
But there are endless band with one powerchord for their whole career,that is also true regarding the german scene.

[Avenger]

Just wondering that no one had mentioned FAITHFUL BREATH / RISK before??? Ok, the first FB releases are only good Hard / Seventhies / Progrock but "Gold'n Glory" and "Skol" are real killers. Starting to do one of the best german metal releases under the banner of RISK - grrrrrreat

Although, this thread has more to do with Traditional German Heavy Metal, (Faithful Breath would fall into that category) Risk is one of my favorite bands because I've always had a soft spot for Thrash bands that were more Speed Metal. If that makes any sense...

Damn, how I love "The Daily Horror News".

[Avenger]

The greatest scene of the 80s was the UK, what are you all on about?

Yeah, for about the first 2 years if you aren't including the 70's.

The mid-late 80's for the UK were pretty limp.

[FuneralCircle]

The greatest scene of the 80s was the UK, what are you all on about?

Yeah, for about the first 2 years if you aren't including the 70's.

The mid-late 80's for the UK were pretty limp.

First two years? Fuck that, especially with SATAN's Court in the Act being from 1983, which is better than anything the Germans ever did... And don't forget Desolation Angels and Hell's mid-80s material. It just kills absolutely everything!

[The Erlking]

The greatest scene of the 80s was the UK, what are you all on about?

Yeah, for about the first 2 years if you aren't including the 70's.

The mid-late 80's for the UK were pretty limp.

especially with SATAN's Court in the Act being from 1983, which is better than anything the Germans ever did

Massive disagreement!

[Avenger]

The greatest scene of the 80s was the UK, what are you all on about?

Yeah, for about the first 2 years if you aren't including the 70's.

The mid-late 80's for the UK were pretty limp.

First two years? Fuck that, especially with SATAN's Court in the Act being from 1983, which is better than anything the Germans ever did... And don't forget Desolation Angels and Hell's mid-80s material. It just kills absolutely everything!

I'm talking as a WHOLE.

I like all those bands but Running Wild alone crushes all three of them.

And I'm not even going to mention the US in this conversaton...

[Trigger]

This is supposed to unearth unknown German metal bands with good albums released,so I don't think any comparison among the scenes is appropriate.I mean when you say UK scene is better than the German one and the other way around,it doesn't mean that you don't like one scene or the other.Needless to compare anything I guess,no one said the best scene is the German,but we all have to admit that some bands here had a huge influence and defined/directed the subsequent releases all around metal music,no matter how mainstream they are or became,Running wild and Helloween being the first ones that that popped in my mind.

[The Erlking]

This is supposed to unearth unknown German metal bands with good albums released,so I don't think any comparison among the scenes is appropriate.I mean when you say UK scene is better than the German one and the other way around,it doesn't mean that you don't like one scene or the other.Needless to compare anything I guess,no one said the best scene is the German,but we all have to admit that some bands here had a huge influence and defined/directed the subsequent releases all around metal music,no matter how mainstream they are or became,Running wild and Helloween being the first ones that that popped in my mind.

Also Accept I think. They took Judas Priest influences and turned them to something of their own.

[hload]

I was listening to RAVAGE "Swords and Heroes" today, here are my thoughts of the day:

Another record that goes down to the "not bad, some good moments"-category, nothing really wrong with the songs or the production, but still, i think this record will heavily collect dust in the shelf with many others of that kind, who have a good chance to be nevery played again from me. They (RAVAGE) have a typical German singer, who could sound like your average postman or the plumber in your neighborhood, not like someone who is seriously predestinated to sing in a glorious metal band, you know? All the riffs are generic, nothing you haven't heard before and this is not the worst from here.

If you don't know RAVAGE, replace it with NOISEHUNTER, OUTSIDE, RAVE, TYRAN' PACE, METAL SWORD, TOX, SINNER, RESTLESS, RENEGADE, JACKIE WULF, you get the idea.

And even the better ones are not that special for me, that i feel a vital urge to go home and play them to death, CUTTY SARK, ADRIAN, AIRWOLF, LAZZER, CREATURE, HEADSTONE, CARESS, i like them, really, but i hardly ever play them.

So what do i want to say? Well, it's getin' frustrating, after years of rummaging through the underground, the only 80s metal bands from G. that i still listen to a lot are still the old favorits RUNNING WILD and STORMWITCH and maybe also ATTACK and MANIA. And "Child of Hell" from BLACK FATE (only that song, the rest...)

Does that sound familiar? If not so, blurt out the one band who could change that! Thanks.

imagine what will happen when you'll listen to the reaper 12"...

[Sgt. Kuntz]

I was listening to RAVAGE "Swords and Heroes" today, here are my thoughts of the day:

Another record that goes down to the "not bad, some good moments"-category, nothing really wrong with the songs or the production, but still, i think this record will heavily collect dust in the shelf with many others of that kind, who have a good chance to be nevery played again from me. They (RAVAGE) have a typical German singer, who could sound like your average postman or the plumber in your neighborhood, not like someone who is seriously predestinated to sing in a glorious metal band, you know? All the riffs are generic, nothing you haven't heard before and this is not the worst from here.

If you don't know RAVAGE, replace it with NOISEHUNTER, OUTSIDE, RAVE, TYRAN' PACE, METAL SWORD, TOX, SINNER, RESTLESS, RENEGADE, JACKIE WULF, you get the idea.

And even the better ones are not that special for me, that i feel a vital urge to go home and play them to death, CUTTY SARK, ADRIAN, AIRWOLF, LAZZER, CREATURE, HEADSTONE, CARESS, i like them, really, but i hardly ever play them.

So what do i want to say? Well, it's getin' frustrating, after years of rummaging through the underground, the only 80s metal bands from G. that i still listen to a lot are still the old favorits RUNNING WILD and STORMWITCH and maybe also ATTACK and MANIA. And "Child of Hell" from BLACK FATE (only that song, the rest...)

Does that sound familiar? If not so, blurt out the one band who could change that! Thanks.

imagine what will happen when you'll listen to the reaper 12"...

Better not...
Actually a rare case, where the band improved a lot from the first effort. The "Beyond All Time" album from 1990 turned out to be surprisingly good. And yeah, better not ask why i bought "Fairies Return" anyway, would be too damn hard to come up with a good reason, haha!