by Steve Huey
Hailing from Dortmund, Germany, heavy metal quintet Angel Dust originally began life in the '80s as a thrash outfit. They recorded two albums, 1988's Into the Dark Past and 1989's To Dust You Will Decay, before disbanding due to personality conflicts. However, the band's rhythm section -- drummer Dirk Assmuth and bassist Frank Banx -- spearheaded an improbable comeback in 1998, recruiting new vocalist Dirk Thurisch, guitarist Bernd Aufermann, and keyboardist Steven Banx. Sporting a similar but slightly retooled sound that drew from British power metal, the reconstituted Angel Dust toured and signed to Century Media, which released the Europe-only Border of Reality (also in 1998). Bleed, the group's first album to be released and distributed in the U.S., appeared the following year, and the group returned again in the summer of 2000 with Enlighten the Darkness. Border of Reality appeared the following spring.
Angel Dust (originally Angeldust) are a German heavy metal band. Initially active from 1981 to 1990 as speed and thrash metal band, they dropped their thrash roots in favor of a power metal sound upon reforming in 1998.
Biography
Initial career (1981-1990)
Angel Dust formed in Dortmund, Germany in 1981 as a typical garage band. They took their name from a song title off English black metal band Venom's debut album Welcome To Hell. The band's musical style was initially heavily influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and Bay Area thrash metal scenes. They soon found their niche in the speed and thrash metal styles, which were widely popular at the time. The band released their debut studio album, Into the Dark Past, in 1986, and followed it up with To Dust You Will Decay, released in 1988. The band broke up in 1990 due to internal conflicts.
[edit] Reunion (1998-present)
Although all members had gone their separate ways, founding member Frank Banx had no desire to let the Angel Dust name die. In 1998, Banx, and original drummer Dirk Assmuth, gathered a completely new lineup (including Frank Banx' younger brother Steven Banx on keyboards) to start from scratch. This reincarnation would handle music differently, shifting dramatically towards power metal, and would consequently gain a solid reputation in Europe.
After releasing a few successful albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a series of line-up changes significantly reduced the band's activities. However, Angel Dust are still active, and have "enter[ed] the studio [in March of 2006] to record the long awaited successor from Of Human Bondage."[1]
The band's first two albums are now rare metal collectibles. They were reissued unofficially in very limited quantities in late 2002-2003, with no label or copyright info and with two bonus tracks each.[2]
Dirk Assmuth's sister Anja plays drums in power metal band called Duke.
Members
Current line up
Carsten Kaiser - vocals
Bernd Aufermann - guitar
Christian Polhmann - bass
Steven Banx - keyboards
Dirk Assmuth - drums
[edit] Former members
S.L. Coe - vocals
Dirk Thurisch - vocals
Romme Keymer - guitar, vocals
Andreas Lohrum - guitar, vocals
Vinny Lynn - guitar
Stefan K. Nauer - guitar
Ritchie Wilkison - guitar
Frank Banx - bass
Hailing from Dortmund, Germany, heavy metal quintet Angel Dust originally began life in the '80s as a thrash outfit. They recorded two albums, 1988's Into the Dark Past and 1989's To Dust You Will Decay, before disbanding due to personality conflicts. However, the band's rhythm section -- drummer Dirk Assmuth and bassist Frank Banx -- spearheaded an improbable comeback in 1998, recruiting new vocalist Dirk Thurisch, guitarist Bernd Aufermann, and keyboardist Steven Banx. Sporting a similar but slightly retooled sound that drew from British power metal, the reconstituted Angel Dust toured and signed to Century Media, which released the Europe-only Border of Reality (also in 1998). Bleed, the group's first album to be released and distributed in the U.S., appeared the following year, and the group returned again in the summer of 2000 with Enlighten the Darkness. Border of Reality appeared the following spring.
Angel Dust (originally Angeldust) are a German heavy metal band. Initially active from 1981 to 1990 as speed and thrash metal band, they dropped their thrash roots in favor of a power metal sound upon reforming in 1998.
Biography
Initial career (1981-1990)
Angel Dust formed in Dortmund, Germany in 1981 as a typical garage band. They took their name from a song title off English black metal band Venom's debut album Welcome To Hell. The band's musical style was initially heavily influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and Bay Area thrash metal scenes. They soon found their niche in the speed and thrash metal styles, which were widely popular at the time. The band released their debut studio album, Into the Dark Past, in 1986, and followed it up with To Dust You Will Decay, released in 1988. The band broke up in 1990 due to internal conflicts.
[edit] Reunion (1998-present)
Although all members had gone their separate ways, founding member Frank Banx had no desire to let the Angel Dust name die. In 1998, Banx, and original drummer Dirk Assmuth, gathered a completely new lineup (including Frank Banx' younger brother Steven Banx on keyboards) to start from scratch. This reincarnation would handle music differently, shifting dramatically towards power metal, and would consequently gain a solid reputation in Europe.
After releasing a few successful albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a series of line-up changes significantly reduced the band's activities. However, Angel Dust are still active, and have "enter[ed] the studio [in March of 2006] to record the long awaited successor from Of Human Bondage."[1]
The band's first two albums are now rare metal collectibles. They were reissued unofficially in very limited quantities in late 2002-2003, with no label or copyright info and with two bonus tracks each.[2]
Dirk Assmuth's sister Anja plays drums in power metal band called Duke.
Members
Current line up
Carsten Kaiser - vocals
Bernd Aufermann - guitar
Christian Polhmann - bass
Steven Banx - keyboards
Dirk Assmuth - drums
[edit] Former members
S.L. Coe - vocals
Dirk Thurisch - vocals
Romme Keymer - guitar, vocals
Andreas Lohrum - guitar, vocals
Vinny Lynn - guitar
Stefan K. Nauer - guitar
Ritchie Wilkison - guitar
Frank Banx - bass
