Sacred Steel (band)
Encyclopedia
Biography
The band has roots back till in the 80s when almost all of the members were already playing in bands that could gather underground acclaim. But not before the foundation of Sacred Steel, they were able to draw larger attention and success. After opening for bands like BlitzkriegBlitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
they were signed to Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
in April 1997 being the first German band ever to do so.
Their debut album 'Reborn In Steel' was released October 1997 and with great press and fan response, Sacred Steel became one of the top German metal acts in a short time, maybe also due to the renaissance of True metal and successes of bands like Hammerfall
HammerFall
HammerFall is a power metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak.- Early days :...
.
They released two more albums on Metal Blade: 'Wargods Of Metal' in 1998 (produced by Bill Metoyer of Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
and Helstar
Helstar
Helstar is a heavy metal band from Houston, Texas, formed in 1982.-History:Helstar began with a basic metal style in 1983 with 2 demos, followed by their first studio album in 1984 titled Burning Star for Combat Records, making them label mates with Megadeth and Exodus. Struggles within the band...
fame) and 'Bloodlust'. 'Wargods Of Metal' got them a pre-Grammy nomination for 'Best Heavy Metal Performance' and could all in all broaden success and press response of the debut album. Their third album was 'Bloodlust' in 2000, a concept album that saw the band broaden their stylistic horizon but, of course, staying a committed true metal band to the bone.
They played many festivals in Europe, mostly underground ones but also the renowned Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
twice and went on tour with many bands, e.g. Primal Fear
Primal Fear (band)
Primal Fear is a German power metal and speed metal band formed in 1997 by Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner . Sinner & Scheepers formed the band after Ralf was not hired as Rob Halford's replacement in Judas Priest...
and Children Of Bodom
Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho , Roope Latvala , Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppälä , and Jaska Raatikainen...
.
After signing to Massacre Records
Massacre Records
Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany.The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. The label is specialized on bands of the harder varieties of metal...
they released 'Slaughter Prophecy' in 2002 which again saw the band playing around with a wide variety of influences that revealed the decades-long love of the musicians for all kinds of heavy metal. Some of the new songs even bordered on Doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
or Death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
. The last album of the original lineup was 'Iron Blessings' that was released with a big bang in October 2004 - that very release show has been turned into a live CD and DVD under the title 'Live Blessings' (released 2006).
After a year-long hiatus Jörg Michael Knittel and Oliver Großhans, the two original guitarists, left Sacred Steel to pursue their Death-Metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
project My Darkest Hate. Jens Sonnenberg switched from bass guitar to guitar and two new members were quickly brought in: Kai Schindelar on bass guitar, the former guitar tech and roadie Jonas Khalil as additional guitarist.
2006 saw the release of the first album with the new lineup which had been recorded with Sodom
Sodom (band)
Sodom is a German Thrash metal trio from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981.Along with the bands Kreator and Destruction, Sodom is considered one of the "big three" of Teutonic thrash metal...
producer Harris Johns
Harris Johns
Harris Johns is a European music producer, who used to be more active in the 80's in the heavy metal and punk scene, working for a lot of named bands, such as Helloween, Coroner, Tankard, Sodom, Voivod, Kreator, Ratos de Porão, Slime, Daily Terror and many others. Most of his productions were...
. 'Hammer Of Destruction' was a 'back to the roots'-album for the band and had very strong songs that reminded of rather archetypical heavy metal bands like early Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Jag Panzer
Jag Panzer
Jag Panzer were an American power metal band from Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Biography:Jag Panzer came together in late 1981, being inspired by the onslaught of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
or Helstar
Helstar
Helstar is a heavy metal band from Houston, Texas, formed in 1982.-History:Helstar began with a basic metal style in 1983 with 2 demos, followed by their first studio album in 1984 titled Burning Star for Combat Records, making them label mates with Megadeth and Exodus. Struggles within the band...
. It was again a success with fans and media and even spawned a video clip to 'Maniacs Of Speed'
Style & Aesthetic
Sacred Steel can be located somewhere between classic European True metal and heavier Thrash- or Speed-MetalSpeed 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....
, but also draw lots of influences like Fantasy Metal or Doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
. They have albeit managed to create a very genuine style from their first album on which is mostly due to the unique and unusual vocal performance of singer Gerrit P. Mutz.
Their lyrics deal with typical genre topics like battles (especially visible on the concept album 'Bloodlust') or Heavy Metal in general and never fail to offer an honest and dedicated, yet good humoured stance (e.g. the anthems 'Sacred Steel' and 'Sacred Bloody Steel').
Members
| Era | Lineup | Album(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–2005 |
|
|
| 2005–present |
|
|
1997 - Reborn In Steel
- Metal Reigns Supreme
- Battle Angel
- Trapped In Hell
- True Force Of Iron Glory
- Reborn In Steel
- Purified By Pain
- Sword Of The King
- In The Mouth Of Madness
- Kill The Deceiver
- Sacred Steel
1998 - Wargods Of Metal
- Blessed By The Gods
- Wargods Of Metal
- Tonight The Witches Ride
- Iron Legions
- Carnage Rules The Fields Of Death
- Army Of Metalheads
- Battle Cry
- Dethrone The Tyrant King
- By Steel We Rule
- Crusaders Of The Metal Blade
- Empire Of Steel
- Declaration Of War
- Heavy Metal To The End
2000 - Bloodlust
- Stormhammer
- The Oath Of Blood
- By The Wrath Of The Unborn
- Blood On My Steel
- Metal Is War
- Journey To The City Of The Dreaming Dead [Vinyl Bonus]
- Sacred Warriors Of Steel
- Dark Forces Lead Me To The Brimstone Gate
- Master Of Thy Fate
- Lust For Blood
- Throne Of Metal
2002 - Slaughter Prophecy
- The Immortal Curse
- Slaughter Prophecy (Vengeance For The Dead)
- Sacred Bloody Steel
- The Rites Of Sacrifice
- Raise The Metal Fist
- Pagan Heart
- Faces Of The Antichrist
- Lay Me To My Grave
- Crush The Holy, Save The Damned [Bonus Track]
- Let The Witches Burn
- Invocation Of The Nameless Ones
2004 - Iron Blessings
- Open Wide The Gate
- Your Darkest Saviour
- Screams Of The Tortured
- At The Sabbat Of The Possessed (The Witches Ride Again)
- Beneath The Iron Hand
- Anointed By Bloodshed
- Victory Of Black Steel
- I Am The Conqueror (Come And Worship Me)
- Crucified In Heaven
- The Chains Of The Nazarene
- We Die Fighting
2006 - Live Blessings (Live-2CD+DVD)
- Blessed By The Gods (Intro)
- Open Wide The Gate
- Tonight The Witches Ride
- Battle Angel
- Faces Of The Antichrist
- Victory Of Black Steel
- Carnage Rules The Fields Of Death
- The Rites Of Sacrifice
- Dark Forces Lead Me To The Brimstone Gate
- Sword Of The King
- Stormhammer
- Metal Is War
- Master Of Thy Fate
- True Force Of Iron Glory
- Sacred Bloody Steel
- We Die Fightinhg
- Blood On My Steel
- Heavy Metal To The End
- Slaughter Prophecy
- Battle Cry
- Wargods Of Metal
2006 - Hammer Of Destruction
- Hammer Of Destruction
- Where Demons Dare To Tread
- Maniacs Of Speed
- Blood And Thunder
- Impaled By Metal
- Descent Of A Lost Soul
- Black Church
- Generally Hostile (Jag Panzer Cover)
- Plague Of Terror
- Sword And Axes
- The Torch Of Sin
2006 - Hammer Of Destruction (Bonus CD)
- Pounding Inferno (brand new song)
- Children Of The Spirit (brand new song)
- Hell Insanity (brand new song)
- Unholy Majesty (brand new song)
- A Curse Upon Your Name (B-Side from Open Wide The Gate 7")
- Iron Blessing (from Split 7" with Wizzard)
- Zombie Ritual (Death Coverversion, never officially released)
- All For One (Raven Coverversion, brand new recording)
- Metal Knights (Nasty Savage Coverversion, brand new recording)
- (Empty) Tankard (Tankard Coverversion, brand new recording)
2009 - Carnage Victory
- Charge Into Overkill
- Don’t Break The Oath
- Carnage Victory
- Broken Rites
- Crosses Stained With Blood
- Ceremonial Magician Of The Left Hand Path
- The Skeleton Key
- Shadows Of Reprisal
- Denial Of Judas (Heaven Betrayed)
- Metal Underground
- By Vengeance And Hatred We Ride
The Bonus DVD contains a full concert of Queens Of Metal 2009, a Studio report and one live clip from Summer Breeze 2009
Produced by Sacred Steel.
Recorded and engineered by Christian Schmid at Music Factory Studio Kempten, Germany, August/September 2008
Mixed an mastered by Achim Köhler at Indiscreet Audio Studio 2009
Spoken Prayer on “Broken Rites”, vocals on “Shadows Of Reprisal” and additional lead vocals on “Metal Underground” by R.D. Liapakis.
Cover Artwork by Péter Sallai
Booklet Illustration by Timo Würz
Photos by Bianca Hahn