In the world of heavy metal, Germany is known for its powerful and energetic sound. The German metal scene has been influenced by many different styles of music from all over the world, but it’s hard to deny that their own unique style of heavy metal is one of the most popular types of music in Europe today.
Here are 10 of the best German heavy metal bands:
10 Best German Heavy Metal Bands
Scorpions
Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band’s inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal. The lineup has been the same for much of the band’s existence, featuring lead vocalist Klaus Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker as the only constant members.
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The band’s early music was influenced by hard rock and heavy metal acts such as Cream, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Later, Scorpions experimented with progressive rock, which included complex song structures and elaborate orchestral arrangements. In the late 1970s, they also had significant commercial success with ballads such as “Still Loving You”, “Wind of Change” and “Send Me an Angel”.
Scorpions have sold over 100 million records in total and have released 25 studio albums; six live albums; 28 compilation albums; one box set; three extended plays; 49 singles; 10 video albums; five EPs; four cover albums; three live DVDs; and five remix albums.
Helloween
Helloween is a German heavy metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg, Northern Germany. The band is a pioneering force in the power metal genre, and their second and third studio albums Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Part II are considered masterpieces of the genre. To date, Helloween has released sixteen studio albums, three live recordings, one box set compilation, four video releases, and thirty-eight music videos.
Helloween was formed by guitarist Kai Hansen (ex-Grave Digger) and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg (ex-Grave Digger) in 1984. The duo then recruited vocalist/bassist Michael Weikath (ex-Dark Ages), guitarist Markus Grosskopf (ex-Grave Digger), and keyboardist Richard “Gus” Petersson to complete the lineup. They were soon discovered by Noise Records head Lothar Kosse who signed them to his label and released their debut album Walls of Jericho in 1985.
Rammstein
German metal band Rammstein is one of the most popular and successful bands in the world. The band has sold more than 27 million records worldwide, including 5.5 million in Germany alone. The band’s first album, Herzeleid (Heartache), was released in 1995, followed by Sehnsucht (Longing) in 1997. Their third album, Mutter (Mother), came out in 2001 and included their most popular song “Du Hast” (You Hate). With over 15 million copies sold worldwide, Mutter is one of the best-selling German albums of all time. Rammstein also had big success outside Germany with songs like “Engel” (Angel) and “Mein Herz Brennt” (My Heart Burns).
Accept
Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Formed in 1976, Accept released their debut album, Accept, in 1979. The band became popular in Europe in the wake of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and they also became known for their neo-classical metal sound beginning with their third album Breaker in 1981.
Accept has been credited as a major influence on thrash metal bands such as Metallica and Slayer. To date they have released fifteen studio albums (not counting four live albums), two compilations, and two live DVDs. They are one of Germany’s most successful heavy metal bands with more than 20 million records sold worldwide.
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen. Formed in 1982, the group was founded by vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza and bassist Rob Fioretti, and has continued to perform for more than 35 years, releasing eighteen studio albums and six live albums. The band has sold over 2 million records worldwide, including their latest release Phantom Antichrist (2011).
Kreator was formed in 1982 as Tormentor, but due to another band having rights to the name they were forced to change it. They first changed their name to Triturator then later to Kreator, which is derived from the Latin word “creatio”, meaning “to create”. Their debut album Endless Pain was released in 1985 on Steamhammer Records and was produced by Harris Johns. The album was released outside of Germany by Roadrunner Records in 1986. It became one of the top-selling speed metal albums in Europe with approximately 500,000 copies sold worldwide.
Destruction
Destruction is a German thrash metal band, formed in 1982. The band has gone through various line-up changes and briefly split up in 1999, but reunited in 2003. They are often credited as one of the “big four” of the German thrash metal scene, along with Kreator, Sodom and Tankard.
Destruction’s debut album, Infernal Overkill (1985) was an important release for the European thrash metal scene. After signing with Noise Records in 1987, they released Eternal Devastation, which featured a greater use of keyboards than their previous albums. The following albums, Release from Agony (1988) and Cracked Brain (1990), were also successful; however, the band changed their musical direction after The Least Successful Human Cannonball (1993). They have continued to record and tour since then with varying results.
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. With their second album Battalions of Fear (1988), they established themselves as a major force within the European heavy metal scene.
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They are also often credited as one of the most important bands that have kept symphonic metal alive, by incorporating progressive elements into their music – especially by using classical instruments such as flute, violin, and cello. In addition, they have been pioneers in implementing orchestral elements into their music with synthesizers from the early 1990s onwards.
The band’s lyrics are often based on topics like fantasy literature, medieval history, or mythology – for example, The Lord of the Rings or Nordic sagas such as Ragnarok, which also inspired their name (Ragnarök).
Grave Digger
Grave Digger – Grave Digger’s songs have been featured in movies like Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and Mortal Kombat: Rebirth. They’ve also been nominated for several awards including the ECHO Award for Best Live Act and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Metal Band. Their albums include The Clans Will Rise Again (1991), Excalibur (1993), Knights of the Cross (1995), The Grave Digger (1997), Tunes Of War (2001), The Last Supper (2003), The Clans Will Rise Again (2006), Excalibur II: Rising From The Sea (2007) and Ballads Of A Hangman (2010).
Sodom
Sodom is a German thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981. They have gone through many line-up changes, leaving bassist/vocalist Tom Angelripper as the only constant member.
Sodom’s earliest releases contained relatively little music of their own and mostly consisted of covers of 1970s hard rock bands such as Black Sabbath and Budgie. Their first two albums, In the Sign of Evil (1986) and Obsessed by Cruelty (1987), featured a raw sound influenced by hardcore punk and speed metal. Their following albums would be more properly described as death metal.
The band’s lyrics are based on warfare, anti-religion, and blasphemy, with the usual array of references to violence and sexual perversity. Sodom was one of the first bands to be labeled “black metal”, although they had little in common musically with their Norwegian counterparts aside from an extremely fast tempo.
Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Germany. The band was formed in 1985 as Gamma Ray, then changed its name to Land of the Free in 1991, before changing it back to Gamma Ray in 1992. In addition to power metal, they also play speed metal and melodic heavy metal.
Gamma Ray was formed in 1985 under the name Powerfool by Kai Hansen and drummer Dirk Schlächter (who would later form Pink Cream 69), releasing their first EP “Gamma Ray” that year. In 1987, guitarist Michael Weikath joined the band, with whom Kai Hansen had previously played in Helloween from 1985–1987. After releasing two more EPs, In Your Room and Hands-on Heaven (which featured future Helloween member Markus Grosskopf), the band changed their name to Land of Freedom due to pressure from a punk band already using the name Powerfool. They released their debut album Visions of Europe in 1988 under this name before changing their name again to Gamma Ray in 1989 after further legal pressure led them to change their name once more
What is German metal music called?
German metal music is a form of heavy metal that is performed by German bands. It is often referred to as Teutonic metal or Teutonic rock. The term was coined in the early 1980s when a number of new bands began to use German lyrics and sang in German. The style has been developed since the early 1990s, largely due to the influence of bands like Accept and Warlock.
The most famous band from Germany that uses this style is Rammstein, who have sold over 35 million albums worldwide and are one of the best-selling artists ever in the world, with their first six albums going platinum or multi-platinum. They are also one of the few European bands whose music has charted on US charts, with their single “Du Hast” reaching number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1999 and their song “Sonne” reaching number 12 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in 2004.
FAQ
What is the most popular German metal band?
- Scorpions.
- Rammstein.
- Helloweena.
Is heavy metal popular in Germany?
Germany has a long and strong history with heavy metal. It is considered by many to be one of Europe’s heaviest contributors to the scene
