Axxis
Power Metal, Melodic Metal, Electronic Rock (elements)
Axxis is a German hard rock band, which became known in the late 1980s. As a distinguishing feature of the band include, but is distinctive and high pitched voice of singer Bernhard Weiss. The band recorded over time elements of power metal and electronic dance music into their repertoire.
Band History
Axxis were founded before 1988. The band consisted of vocalist Bernard White in 1988, guitarist Walter Pietsch, bassist Werner Kleinhans and drummer Richard Michalski. After a made only from one song demo tape called Tears of the Trees, the four signed their first record deal with EMI and became known as virtually overnight.
The debut album Kingdom of the Night was released in February 1989 and made it into the German album charts. The band plays, among other concerts as opening act for Black Sabbath, the album was also sold in Europe, Australia, Japan, Canada and the United States, reaching sales of 100,000 units. At the end of the band for the best-selling debut album by a German rock band of all time was excellent.
For the second album the band keyboardist Harry Oellers took on the line-up. The sophomore Axxis II appeared in August 1990, accompanied by the first headlining tour through Europe. The live album Access All Areas will appear in May 1991 and solidified the status of the band. 1993 managed Axxis an entry in the Guinness Book of Records: About 100 minutes after their live performance at the EMI pressing plant in Cologne three of the songs were already pressed on vinyl. This Maxi was the last record, which is produced by her former record company EMI Electrola.
In the same year were back with Axxis The Big Thrill, recorded her first album in the U.S.. Following the publication of Axxis played for the first time in Japan. A best-of album called profiles - The Best of Axxis and an acoustic tour established the band in the land of the rising sun. In Europe they were with the Russian band Gorky Park in the opening act on the road. Following this tour bassist Werner Kleinhans left the band and was replaced by Markus Gfeller.
For the next album Matters of Survival ( February 1995), the group worked in Los Angeles with producer Keith Olsen ( and Others Whitesnake and Foreigner ) together. Highlight of the year was her re- appearance at the Rock am Ring festival in the local debut in 1993.
The published in February 1997 album Voodoo Vibes took the group along with producer Thomas Kemper in just 18 days in the studios of Dieter Dierks on. The album is noticeably influenced by grunge, which was very fashionable in the rock genre during the 90s. The experiment, however, did not please many fans. In an interview with Bernhard Weiss in 2004 was the Metal Hammer confessed this to have to be very influenced by that time trends.
After the release of this album was followed by a tour with UDO as a co -headliner, before guitarist Walter Pietsch in January 1998 left the band. He was replaced by Guido Wehmeyer. Bassist Markus Gfeller also increased from; for him came Kuno Niemeyer.
The following year, a rarities album, Pure & Rough, the band made for the Internet platform MP3.com available for download, which was sold after the sinking of the platform via the website of the band. In the same year the band appeared on the new line at the Wacken Open Air.
In March 2000, Axxis were with a new album back. The album Back to the Kingdom mediated reboot the style similar to the debut title. A tour with Pink Cream 69 followed such as an appearance on Rockmachina Festival in Spain.
In September 2001, the next studio album, Eyes of Darkness, which contains, among other things, a cover version of Aphrodite 's Child song The Four Horsemen appeared. On a European tour, the band went from January 2002 Kamelot, Axxis which acted as a headliner in Germany, but the rest of the tour held the position of the opening act.
For the 2003 released album Time Machine, the band the Pink Cream 69 - drummer Kosta Zafiriou brought into the studio, as Richard Michalski had been missing for over a year and a police search of the musicians was unsuccessful. The album was compared to previous albums surprisingly hard from. As a new drummer came after the publication of André Hilgers Silent Force band. 2004 Axxis toured with Pink Cream 69 and Crystal Ball throughout Europe. In July Kuno Niemeyer bassist left the band and was replaced by Rob Schomaker. 2005 followed by concerts with Gotthard.
With Paradise in Flames in January 2006, her ninth studio album will be released. The singer Lakonia, which was already listening to Time Machine as a backup singer, sang on some songs for the first time in a duet with Bernhard Weiss. In March, they toured Italy, Belgium and Switzerland in the opening act for Helloween. In May, a double headlining tour followed in Germany with crocus. Guitarist Guido Wehmeyer left the band in December 2006. His replacement was the end of January 2007, the 22 - year-old Marco Wriedt.
Published on 16 November 2007 Axxis Doom of Destiny their tenth album, on the limited edition as a bonus track for the first time a German song is included ( angel of hatred ). This time they were supported vocally by Lakonia - even more intense than before. From November 2007 until end of January 2008 AXXIS were in Europe as support with Helloween and Gamma Ray on tour.
In 2008, she played again at the Wacken Open Air, this time as a headliner at the party days.
After the departure of André Hilgers and delta former Annihilator tour drummer Alex Landsburg was announced on November 8 as the new drummer of the Mekong.
End of August 2009 they released their new album "Utopia" on which a regular track is also the first time in the band's history in German. In addition, a 12 -minute Anniversary song was on the album for the 20th anniversary of the band recorded at the Andi Deris ( Helloween ), Doro Pesch ( Doro ), Schmier ( Destruction ), David Readman (Pink Cream 69 ), Claus Lessmann ( Bonfire ), Rolf Stahlhofen (Ex - Söhne Mannheims ), Walter Pietsch ( ex- AXXIS ) to the medley of the band sing.
End of the year was given at the Zeche Bochum a sold-out, four -hour concert celebrating its 20th anniversary. Here fans invaded forward to record this concert. The band made it possible and opted out of this material to produce a DVD. For a year, the different film formats were prepared, spotted the material and mixed 33 songs. Cover, booklet, squeeze everything was created entirely by fans and band.
In early 2011 AXXIS founded her own label PHONOTRAXX PUBLISHING, which exists as a music publishing since 2002 and produced the first real official bootleg DVD of a band around the world. In June 2011, this DVD was called " 20 Years of AXXIS - The legendary anniversary live show " as an official bootleg on the market. This is so far the first and only DVD of AXXIS at all. As part of this publication AXXIS 2011 went with the support band Dawn of Destiny, which also appear on Phonotraxx, for a partial sell-out tour and played only songs from the first three albums of their career.
Drummer Alex Landsburg has dropped out from the end of 2011 the band. He is succeeded by Dirk Brand.
Discography
Studio albums
Live albums and compilations
Singles and EPs
DVD
- 2011: 20 YEARS OF AXXIS: " The legendary Anniversary Show " Zeche / Bochum (live)