Assassin (band)

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Assassin
Assassin logo.jpg
General information
origin Dusseldorf , Germany
Genre (s) Thrash metal , hardcore punk , crossover
founding 1982 as Satanica, 2002
resolution 1989
Website www.assassin-band.de
Founding members
Robert Gonnella
Michael "Micha" Hoffmann
Electric guitar
 Jürgen "Scholli" Scholz
Markus "Lulle" Ludwig
Jason Kubke
Current occupation
singing
 Ingo "Crowzac" Bajonczak
Electric guitar
 Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik
Electric guitar
 Jürgen "Scholli" Scholz
Electric bass
 Joachim Kremer
Drums
 Björn "Burn" Sondermann
former members
Electric guitar
 Dinko Vekic
Electric guitar
 Olaf
Electric bass
 Joachim Hopf
Electric bass
 UFO Walter
Electric bass
 Michael Hambloch
Drums
 Atomic stiff
Drums
 Psycho aka Danger
Electric guitar
 Mettmann
Electric bass (live)
 Ziutek
singing
 Robert Gonnella
Electric guitar
 Michael "Micha" Hoffmann
Drums
 Frank Nellen

Assassin is a German thrash metal band from Düsseldorf , which was founded in 1982 under the name Satanica , dissolved in 1989 and reunited in 2002.

history

The band was founded in 1982 under the name Satanica and consisted of the singer Robert Gonnella, the guitarists Dinko Vekić and Michael Hoffmann, the drummer Jason Kubke and the bassist Markus "Lulle" Ludwig. Hoffmann had to do his military service a short time later ; he was replaced by Mettmann. Since April 1985 the band has been known as Assassin. The group now consisted of the singer Robert Gonnella, the guitarists Dinko Vekić and Jürgen “Scholli” Scholz, the bassist Markus “Lulle” Ludwig and the drummer Danger, who would later be renamed Psycho. In May 1985 the band recorded their first demo with Holy Terror . About 500 of the demo were sold in the following 11 to 12 months. The following year followed with The Saga of Nemesis , whereby the group consisted of the singer Robert Gonnella, the guitarists Dinko Vekić and Jürgen Scholz, the bassist Markus Ludwig and the drummer Danger (later he called himself Psycho). The demo was produced by former Warlock guitarist Rudy Graf. About 600 to 700 copies of the demo settled.

In the summer of 1986 played members of Assassin also with Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth and Jørn "Necrobutcher" Stubberud by the Norwegian band Mayhem under the name of Checker Patrol a demo recording one in the song Metalion in the Park had Jon "Metalion" Kristiansen , who together had traveled to Germany with the Mayhem members as a background singer. By The Saga of Nemesis , the band has a contract with Steamhammer Records gain. In early 1987, the debut album The Upcoming Terror followed through this label . Various concerts followed the release, with the band also playing together with Crimson Glory and Celtic Frost in Düsseldorf. She also opened for Kreator and Warlock. Shortly after the album was released, guitarist Jürgen Scholz left the band. According to the volume, the literature makes the wrong statement that Scholli has committed himself to the Bundeswehr for 10 years . Scholz was replaced by Michael Hoffmann (ex- sadist ), who was returning to the band . In addition, a new drummer was added with Frank Nellen.

In 1988 the second album Interstellar Experience followed. The phonogram was recorded under the direction of Harris Johns . On the album, the band consisted of Gonnella and Vekić, guitarist Michael Hoffmann, bassist Markus Ludwig and drummer Frank Nellen. The release was followed by appearances in Germany together with Testament and Death Angel . Assassin also played in Düsseldorf together with Running Wild and Sabbat . The band also went on a European tour together with Death Angel and Rumble Militia and also played in Dortmund . While working on a third album, guitarist Vekić left the band. Only a third demo was recorded in February and March 1989, after which Olaf could be heard as the second guitarist. Since there was no permanent second guitarist and the band's rehearsal room was broken into and the band was in poor financial shape, the band was about to end in April 1989.

After the dissolution, Hoffmann joined Sodom and later moved to Brazil . Gonnella first moved to Japan , then to China . Scholz first joined the band Susperia before playing in Secret Discovery.

Over the years, the band tried several reunions, but only succeeded in 2002. In addition to Gonnella, Scholz and Vekić, the new line-up consisted of bassist Joachim Hopf and drummer Atomic Steif ( Holy Moses , Ex- Living Death ). In 2003 the band played at the Wacken Open Air . In 2005, the next album, The Club , was self-released, after which Vekić had been replaced by Michael Hoffmann, who returned to the band again. In 2006 the band played on the Keep It True . In 2009, bassist Joachim Kremer and drummer Björn Sondermann joined the band before the group performed in China and Japan. In the same year the band also appeared in Hagen together with Destruction , Darth and Adligate. The Harris Johns-produced album Breaking the Silence was released in February 2011 via SPV. In the same year, the first two albums were re-released under the title Chronicles of Resistance as a compilation with unreleased bonus tracks , including a cover version of the piece Low Intensity Warfare by the Japanese thrash metal band Casbah , which was recorded with the participation of both bands. In 2012, the DVD Chaos and Live Shots was released , which shows the band at a live performance in March 2010 in Osaka .

style

The group is one of the oldest German thrash metal bands. On the debut album The Upcoming Terror , the band played aggressive Thrash Metal with socially critical and anti-war lyrics. Musically the band is reminiscent of groups like Deathrow . According to Uwe Lerch from Metal Hammer, the album resembles the works of Exumer , Angel Dust and Tankard . According to Uwe Schnädelbach, you can't compare the band to Thrash Metal artists like Kreator and Destruction, because you hear a strong influence from Hardcore Punk and this is particularly evident in Gonnella's meaningful lyrics. In the faster passages, he noticed aural parallels to DRI . According to Martin Popoff , the music on the album is so chaotic and wild that it can be compared to the works of the early Destruction and Voivod . At Interstellar Experience , the band also addressed political issues, such as UN resolution 588 , which calls on the leaders of Iran and Iraq to end the Gulf War . Occasionally, fun songs can also be heard, such as Junk Food , which is about sweets of all kinds. According to Andrea Nieradzik from Metal Hammer , the band played a fast mixture of Hardcore Punk and Thrash Metal, you can see a tonal parallels to DRI. Compared to its predecessor, the band has increased in terms of speed, says Popoff. On Breaking the Silence , according to Marc Halupczok from Metal Hammer , the band played classic Thrash Metal again, whereas the predecessor was still heavily mixed with Hardcore Punk. The songs would mostly move in the upper speed range.

The band itself describes their music as " Progressive Thrash Metal". With the addition of drummer Frank Nellen, the band became even faster and more technically demanding, according to Metalion . Nellen only used a bass drum . Nellen was heavily influenced by jazz . The members were influenced in their early days by groups like Venom , Metallica, and Slayer .

Discography

Studio albums

  • 1987: The Upcoming Terror
  • 1988: Interstellar Experience
  • 2005: The Club
  • 2011: Breaking the Silence
  • 2016: Combat Cathedral
  • 2020: Bestia Immundis

Other publications

  • 2011: Chronicles of Resistance (compilation)
  • 2012: Chaos and Live Shots (DVD)

Demos

  • 1985: Holy Terror
  • 1986: The Saga of Nemesis
  • 1987: Live '87
  • 1989: demo
  • 2008: Breaking the Silence

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c early phase of the band, founding time, first testable formation ( memento from March 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on August 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ a b Assassin (6) , accessed on August 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ a b c d Assassin , accessed August 18, 2013.
  4. ↑ Holger Stratmann: Rock Hard Encyclopedia . ROCK HARD GmbH, 1998, ISBN 3-9805171-0-1 , p. 28 .
  5. ^ A b c Eduardo Rivadavia: Assassin , accessed August 18, 2013.
  6. ↑ Uwe Lerch: Assassin . In: Metal Hammer . March 1987, p. 30 .
  7. ^ The first demos & Live-Gigs / Holy Terro 1985 ( Memento of March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on August 18, 2013.
  8. ^ Saga of Nemesis 1986 (Demo II), first appearances ( Memento from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on August 18, 2013.
  9. ^ Jon Kristiansen : Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries . Bazillion Points Books, Brooklyn, NY 2011, pp. 52 f .
  10. ↑ Garry Sharpe-Young : AZ of Thrash Metal . Cherry Red Books, London 2002, ISBN 1-901447-09-X , pp. 49 .
  11. ^ Assassin band EPK. Retrieved October 11, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Assassin Biography. (PDF) Accessed on October 11, 2018 : “Scholli also continued his university studies. He did not go to the army as Robert made a joke in an interview, because he knew that Scholli was against army, weapons and violence. "
  13. ↑ Andrea Nieradzik: Assassin . Assassin under a new flag. In: Metal Hammer . June 1988, p. 42 .
  14. ↑ a b c d Matthias Herr: Matthias Herr's Heavy Metal Lexicon Vol. 2 . Verlag Matthias Herr, 1990, p. 34 f .
  15. ↑ Götz Kühnemund : Running Wild, Sabbat, Assassin . Düsseldorf, Gate 3 May 19, 1988. In: Metal Hammer . July 1988, p. 125 .
  16. ↑ Jane Wallace: Death Angel Assassin Rumble Militia . Dortmund, Live Station June 4, 1988. In: Metal Hammer . September 1988, p. 120 .
  17. ↑ Another change in the line-up of the quintet, Assassin-Demo III ( memento from September 23, 2015 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on August 18, 2013.
  18. ^ Preliminary end of the volume (1989) ( Memento from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on August 18, 2013.
  19. ↑ Wacken Open Air ... Rock N Rolf and Assassin confirmed ( memento from April 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on August 18, 2013.
  20. ↑ ASSASSIN To Co-Headline KEEP IT TRUE VI Warm-Up Show , accessed on August 18, 2013.
  21. ^ Christof Leim: Destruction + Assassin + Darth + Adigate . Hagen: Kultopia . In: Metal Hammer , December 2009, p. 132.
  22. ↑ xFiruath: Assassin To Re-Release Two Albums As "Chronicles Of Resistance" , accessed on August 18, 2013.
  23. ^ Assassin Chaos And Live Shots , accessed August 18, 2013.
  24. ^ Matthias Mineur: Assassin . Chaos and Live Shots . In: Metal Hammer , February 2013.
  25. ↑ Uwe Lerch: Assassin . The Upcoming Terror. In: Metal Hammer . March 1987, p. 65 .
  26. ↑ Uwe Schnädelbach: Assassin . The Upcoming Terror. In: Metal Hammer . February 1987, p. 46 .
  27. ↑ a b Martin Popoff : The Collector's Guide of Heavy Metal Volume 3: The Nineties . Collectors Guide Ltd, Burlington, Ontario, Canada 2007, ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9 , pp. 28 .
  28. ↑ Andrea Nieradzik: Assassin . Interstellar Experience. In: Metal Hammer . May 1988, p. 54 .
  29. ^ Marc Halupczok : Assassin . Breaking the Silence. In: Metal Hammer . March 2011, p. 93 .
  30. ^ Jon Kristiansen: Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries . Bazillion Points Books, Brooklyn, NY 2011, pp. 109 .
  31. ^ Jon Kristiansen: Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries . Bazillion Points Books, Brooklyn, NY 2011, pp. 135 .