Welcome to another installment of The Bad Penny Passport, in which we check in with musicians around the world to get their take on the best bands (typically of the heavy variety) that their homeland has to offer. If you’re familiar with this series, you might be wondering why we’re running a third edition focused on Germany. Well, for one thing, it’s the most populous country in the European Union; for another, the lists submitted by black-metal band Der Weg einer Freiheit and death-metal group Fleshcrawl had very little overlap.
The same goes for Stormhammer, a power-metal band founded 33 years ago and based in Munich. After a seven-year break between studio albums, the group – which consists of vocalist M.Nox, guitarist/backing vocalist Phil Meyer, guitarist Christos Efstathiou, drummer Ashley Guest and bassist/backing vocalist Horst Tessmann – roared back with a new LP, Wrath of the Hammer (ROAR) in mid-July.
Tessmann assembled this list of what he considers to be Germany’s best metal output – and given his extensive career, he should be one to know.
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Primal Fear
I can always listen to [vocalist] Ralf [Scheepers]’s unique voice paired with the brutal drive of the guitars and drums, no matter what mood I’m in.
Blind Guardian
Absolutely epic; my favorite record of theirs is Imaginations From the Other Side. And they never get tired of trying out new creative ideas. Gigantic works with a progressive touch.
Helloween and Gamma Ray (the latter of which Kai Hansen founded after leaving the former -ed)
The classics – metal with brilliant melodies that are always a blast and really light a fire under your ass.
Scorpions
For me, the Scorpions are the quintessential German rock band—great songs, incredible guitars and an international career that is second to none.
Grave Digger
A unique voice and still a constant in German power metal.
Rage
Several different-sounding albums, but always worth hearing.
Tankard
Tankard bring a wonderfully gritty and carefree side of thrash metal to the table, showing that metal can certainly be fun.
Heaven Shall Burn stand for uncompromising modern metal that is simultaneously brutal, emotional and – from a musical standpoint – incredibly precise.
Kreator
Kreator are an institution in German thrash metal and have made metal history with their energy and heaviness.
Avantasia
They started as a project but are now an incredible success.
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Go to Reigning Phoenix’s website to pick up a copy of Stormhamer’s Wrath of the Hammer.
For more authoritative lists of the best bands from non-U.S. countries, as picked by bands that hail from those places, check out:
• Top 10 Best Norwegian Metal Bands, According to Homegrown Heathens Horrifier
• Top 10 Best Massachusetts Heavy Bands, According to Hometown Heroes Caspian
• Top 6 Best Lithuanian Metal Bands, According to Native Sons Erdve
• Top 10 Best Chinese Metal Bands, According to Homegrown Heathens Dehumanizing Itatrian Worship
• Top 10 Best Russian Bands, According to Native Son Ovfrost of Malist and Crimson Crown
• Top 10 Best Chilean Metal Bands, According to Native Black-Metal Act Ad Finem Omnia
• The 10 Best Canadian Metal Bands, According to Montreal Thrashers Ombra (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best German Heavy Bands, According to Native Black-Metal Sons Der Weg einer Freiheit (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Bay Area Bands, According to Death-Thrash Hometown Heroes Absolute Darkness (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Swiss Bands, According to Native Dark-Jazz-Grind-Doom Experimentalists Convulsif (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Irish Bands, According to Alt-Pop-Addicted Electronic Producer Phenom Vaticanjail (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Chilean Bands, According to Guitarist for Santiago-Based Noisy Punk-Rock Squad Niño Nuclear (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Venezuelan Heavy Bands, According to the Country’s Most Badass Garage-Rock Guitarist, Diego Ramirez
• The 10 Best Italian Metal Bands, According to the Country’s New Post-Metal Phenoms Orbita (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Belgian Metal Bands of All Time, According to Gnarly Native Sons 30,000 Monkies (Exclusive)
• Edge of Sanity Frontman Dan Swanö Reveals 10 Swedish Bands That Made Their Way Into His Musical DNA
• The 10 Best Swedish Heavy Bands Ever, According to Native Sons Prime Creation
• The 10 Best Portuguese Heavy Bands Ever, According to Portugal’s Own Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell
• Germany’s Top 10 Best Metal Bands Ever, Per the Country’s Native Death-Metal Sons Fleshcrawl
• The 10 Best Finnish Bands Ever, According to Natives the Feral Kids
