Iron Angel Biography
Iron Angel participated in the first wave of Teutonic thrash metal bands -- a bustling musical community that also gave rise to such famed outfits as Kreator, Destruction, Sodom, Helloween, Running Wild, and many more, and arguably represented the largest concentration of bands exploiting this new genre outside the much vaunted San Francisco Bay Area. Born in 1983 from the ashes of an earlier Hamburg-based band named Metal Gods, Iron Angel consisted of vocalist Dirk Schroder, guitarists Peter Wittke and Sven Struven, bassist Thorsten Lohmann, and drummer Mike Mattes, and recorded a trio of demos before signing with homegrown label Steamhammer. Their full-length debut, Hellish Crossfire, emerged in 1985 and contained an explosive mix of speed and thrash metal that generally avoided the uncompromising black metal-tinged direction preferred by Kreator, Sodom, and their ilk, to embrace the melodic power metal-leaning style also championed by Helloween. In fact, Iron Angel seemed to be threatening to abandon thrash altogether with their far more accessible sophomore effort, Winds of War, in 1986 (where Jürgen Blackmore, son of Deep Purple icon Ritchie, guested on guitar), and it was not that surprising when increasing musical differences resulted in their breakup one year later. More than a decade passed in which Iron Angel's small contribution to the '80s thrash metal movement grew more obscure, but not forgotten, and the group was actually preparing to record a reunion album in the year 2000 when, sadly, guitarist Peter Wittke was killed in a car crash, putting an end to those plans. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Negura bunget Biography: Following in the footsteps of Sweden's Bathory, who were among the first European groups to utilize their own national legends as inspiration for their songwriting themes (Norse and Viking tradition,...
Amenta Biography: The Amenta was formed in the year 2000, in Sydney, Australia, from the remnants of various defunct death and black metal bands. Seeking to, in their own words, "embody a new age of extremism," the...
Opera ix Biography: One of the most unique and successful Italian heavy metal bands of the 1990s, Opera IX was founded in 1988 by guitarist Ossian, who worked with various musicians leading up the recording of first...
Cosmic gate Biography: German duo Cosmic Gate emerged in 1999 when DJ/remixer Claus Terhoeven (born 1972; aka Nic Chagall) and Stefan Bossems (born 1967; aka Bossi) decided to assemble a new project in the electronic music...
African head charge Biography: Led by percussionist Bonjo I, African Head Charge formed in the early '80s and has released seven albums with a shifting lineup that also includes Prisoner, Crocodile, Junior Moses and Sunny Akpan....
Reamonn Biography: Following the turn of the millennium's fondness for singer/songwriter traditions, Reamonn worked the crossroads of likable acoustic rock and familiar European orchestration. Named for Irish-born...
Dj jazzy jeff Biography: DJ Jazzy Jeff's accomplishments extend well beyond his status as one-half of a multi-platinum rap duo. Regarded as a pioneering turntable tactician for his well-honed skills and for...
Rwake Biography: Locking horns somewhere betwixt the worlds of Southern sludge and art metal (well, Arkansas-style anyway), the band known as Rwake formed in Little Rock around 1997, recording their first demo the...