Paragon (band)
Encyclopedia
Paragon is a speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
/power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
band from Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Biography
Paragon was founded by guitarist Martin Christian (who in many of the band's album booklets is written as Martin Wöbcke when it comes to songwriting-credits). After releasing some demo tapes and a mini-CD, they were able to release an album in 1994, the debut World of SinWorld of Sin
World of Sin is the debut album by German heavy metal band Paragon, released in 1995.-Track listing:# "Intro"# "Needful Things"# "Maelstrom of Decline"# "World of Sin"# "Beyond the Void"# "Thrill of the Kill"# "No Hope for Life"# "Into the Black"...
. Shortly after this, their record company Blue Merle went bankrupt, and Martin decided to put the band on hiatus.
About two years later, Martin found four new members (Andreas, Jan, Markus, & Claudius) and recorded the album The Final Command
The Final Command
The Final Command is the second full-length album from the German heavy metal band Paragon, released in 1998.-Track listing:# "Feel The Knife"# "Under the Gun"# "Eternal Life"# "Ashes"# "Warriors of Ice"# "Fighting For The Earth"...
. In 1999, it was time for the release of Chalice of Steel
Chalice of Steel
Chalice of Steel is a full-length studio album by German metal band Paragon, released in 1999.-Track listing:# "Awakening Of The Beast"# "Dragon's Flight"# "Legions Of Metal"# "Chalice Of Steel"# "Wheels Of Eternity"# "Desecrate"...
. In 2001, Paragon released Steelbound
Steelbound
Steelbound is a full-length studio album by German heavy metal band Paragon, released in 2001.-Track listing:# "Thunderstorm"# "Steelbound"# "Death Squad"# "New Dark Age"# "Don't Wake The Dead"# "Reign Of Fear"# "Burning Bridges"...
, engineered and produced by Piet Sielck of Iron Savior
Iron Savior
Iron Savior is a German power metal band that formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1996. Following a period of several years working behind the scenes in music production, multi-instrumentalist and producer/engineer Piet Sielck joined with former Helloween bandmate Kai Hansen and then-drummer for Blind...
. Piet has worked with the band on every album since then.
After the recording of Forgotten Prophecies in early 2007, the band's longtime bass player Jan Bünning quit the band because of "musical differences." Shortly after the band had found a replacement in Dirk Seifert.
In late 2007 the band changed label and now lies on Massacre Records, a new album is planned to be released in 2008.
In the mid to ending months of 2009, Paragon took a break. During this time they lost two members. Guitarist Günny Kruse who had played on their three studio albums between 2005–2008, and also bassist Dirk Seifert who only played on "Screenslaves". In November 2009, the band stated on their homepage that they are active again and that former bassist Jan Bünning had rejoined the band. Since then they are also searching for a second guitarist who is yet to be announced.
Current members
- Andreas Babuschkin - Lead Vocals (1997–present)
- Martin Christian - Guitar / Backing Vocals (1990–present)
- Jan Bünning - Bass / Backing Vocals (1996–2007, 2009–present)
- Christian Gripp - Drums (2005–present)
Former members
Vocals:Chris Barena (1990–1994)
Kay Carstens (1994–1996)
Guitar:
Frank Hellweg (1990–1991)
Marcus Cremer (and Bass) (1991–1993)
Wolfgang "Woko" Köhler (1993–1994)
Tommy Eichstädt (1995–1996)
Daniel Görner (1995–1996)
Claudius Cremer (1996–2003)
Günny Kruse (2003–2009)
Bass:
Dirk Sturzbecher (1990–1995)
Uwe Wessel (1995–1996)
Dirk Seifert (2007–2009)
Drums:
Kay Neuse (1990–1996)
Markus Corby (1996–2005)
Albums
- World of SinWorld of SinWorld of Sin is the debut album by German heavy metal band Paragon, released in 1995.-Track listing:# "Intro"# "Needful Things"# "Maelstrom of Decline"# "World of Sin"# "Beyond the Void"# "Thrill of the Kill"# "No Hope for Life"# "Into the Black"...
(1995) - The Final CommandThe Final CommandThe Final Command is the second full-length album from the German heavy metal band Paragon, released in 1998.-Track listing:# "Feel The Knife"# "Under the Gun"# "Eternal Life"# "Ashes"# "Warriors of Ice"# "Fighting For The Earth"...
(1998) - Chalice of SteelChalice of SteelChalice of Steel is a full-length studio album by German metal band Paragon, released in 1999.-Track listing:# "Awakening Of The Beast"# "Dragon's Flight"# "Legions Of Metal"# "Chalice Of Steel"# "Wheels Of Eternity"# "Desecrate"...
(1999) - SteelboundSteelboundSteelbound is a full-length studio album by German heavy metal band Paragon, released in 2001.-Track listing:# "Thunderstorm"# "Steelbound"# "Death Squad"# "New Dark Age"# "Don't Wake The Dead"# "Reign Of Fear"# "Burning Bridges"...
(2001) - Law of the BladeLaw of the BladeLaw of the Blade is a full-length studio album by German heavy metal band Paragon, released in 2002.-Track listing:# "Abducted"# "Palace Of Sin"# "Armies Of The Tyrant"# "Law Of The Blade"# "Across The Wastelands"# "Shadow World"# "Allied Forces"...
(2002) - The Dark LegacyThe Dark LegacyThe Dark Legacy is a full-length studio album by German heavy metal band Paragon, released in 2003.-Track listing:# "The Legacy"# "Mirror of Fate"# "Breaking Glass"# "Black Hole"# "Eye of The Storm"# "Maze of Dread"# "The Afterlife"# "Green Hell"...
(2003) - Revenge (2005)
- Forgotten PropheciesForgotten PropheciesForgotten Prophecies is Paragon's 8th studio album, released in mid-2007. Bassist Jan Bünning left the band shortly after recordings of the album were completed...
(2007) - ScreenslavesScreenslavesScreenslaves is the ninth studio album by Paragon. It is their first album released under Massacre Records, and also the first album to feature Dirk Seifert on bass...
(2008)
Other releases
- Into the Black [EP] (1994)
- 2000 Promo CD [Demo] (2000)
- Eye Of The Storm [Single] (2003)
- Larger Than LifeLarger Than Life (Paragon-single)A supportive "teaser" EP for the band's 2008 album Screenslaves. Including a cover of the boyband Backstreet Boys' song "Larger Than Life" and Slayer's "Die By The Sword". Plus some older songs live and the title track for their above mentioned album...
[EP] (2008)