Paradox is a German

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

speed metal Speed metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It ...

band formed in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

in 1986.

History

The group was formed in Würzburg in 1986 by two young musicians, Charly Steinhauer and Axel Blaha. Both of them were founding members of German cover bands of

Overkill Overkill may refer to: * Overkill (term), the use of excessive force or action to achieve a goal * Surplus killing, when a predator kills more prey than it can eat * Overexploitation, depletion of a natural resource through overharvesting ** Ove ...

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

and Warhead since 1981. In February 1986, Markus Spyth joined on guitar and Roland Stahl on bass. In July 1986, the band recorded a demo, drawing the attention of

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. History The label was launched in 1980 in t ...

who went on to produce their first two albums. In 1987, their second demo "Mystery" was a success for the band, with the German press calling it the best demo of the year. In the same year, the band started recording their first album '' Product of Imagination'', which contained 10 songs and lasted 40 minutes. It was a success in Germany, with ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

'' recognising it as the best German debut after '' Walls of Jericho'' by Helloween. A year before releasing their second album, Roland Stahl left the band to be replaced by Matthias 'Kater' Schmitt. Shortly afterwards, Spyth Markus also decided to leave the band and was replaced by Dieter Roth. In November 1989, Paradox released their second album ''

Heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

''. The international acclaim received by the album helped to bring a worldwide fanbase to Paradox. In 1990, Markus Spyth was replaced by Kai Pasemann. From this year on, the band remained on hold for personal reasons, and continuing line-up changes did not help their activity. The band was inactive for almost ten years. In 1998, Charly Steinhauer had plans to reform Paradox. The new line-up featured Kai Pasemann on guitar and brothers Oliver and Alex Holzwarth on bass and drums respectively. In May 2000, Paradox signed with AFM Records and released their third album ''Collision Course''. Once again the album received positive reviews. After this album, the band again went on hiatus, this time because Steinhauer contracted a serious intestinal disease. In September 2005, he again reassembled the band, with Roland Jahoda on drums and Olly Keller on bass. In January 2008, Paradox released their fourth album, ''Electrify'', which became a success especially in Japan. In October 2009, the band released its fifth album, ''Riot Squad'', the album's main themes concerning the problems and violence present in civilization. The artwork was designed by Italian/Chilean artist Claudio Bergamin who had also created the artwork for ''Electrify''. In December 2012, they released ''Tales of the Weird''. In late 2013, Paradox began working on their seventh album, which was said to be a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

and a sequel to the band's 1989 album ''Heresy''. However, the band stated on their Facebook page that their new album was not going to be called ''Heresy II''; instead it was titled ''Pangea''. Slovenian bass player Tilen Hudrap joined the band in 2015 and recorded the bass for ''Pangea''. The album was released in June 2016 and received great reviews all over the world. Paradox's eighth studio album, and the long-awaited sequel to ''Heresy'', titled ''Heresy II – End of a Legend'', was released in September 2021.

Members

Current members

* Charly Steinhauer – vocals, guitar * Tilen Hudrap – bass * Kostas Milonas – drums *

Christian Münzner Christian Münzner (born 21 August 1981) is a German guitarist who plays for the bands Obscura and Alkaloid. He is also known for playing for the technical death metal band Necrophagist from 2002 until 2006, appearing on their 2004 release ''Epi ...

– guitar

Past members

;Guitar * Achim Hömerlein "Daxx" * Martin Buchmann * Andreas "Wuschi" Meyer * Earl Carter * Michael "Micky" Wehner * Detlef Kernwein * Markus Spyth * Jochen Glöggler * Dieter Roth * Werner Wilz * Kai Pasemann * Fabian Schwarz * Gus Drax * Fabian Schwarz ;Bass * Volker Hartmann * Martin Stark * Rainer Langgut * Brian Sorensen * Klaus "Marshall" Albert * Roland Stahl * Joe DiBiase * Matthias "K.ter" Fries (Schmitt) * Klaus Lohmeyer * Armin Donderer * Andi Siegl * Olly Keller * Armin Donderer ;Drums * Axel Blaha * Udo Klein * Stefan Schwarzmann * Chris Weiss * Roland Jahoda ;Vocals * Peter Motschiedler * Günter Niedermeyer * Mitch Schmitt * Stefan Haller

Discography

* ''Mystery'' (demo, 1987) * '' Product of Imagination'' (1987) * ''

'' (1989) * ''Collision Course'' (2000) * ''Electrify'' (2008) * ''Riot Squad'' (2009) * ''Tales of the Weird'' (2012) * ''Pangea'' (2016) * ''Heresy II – End of a Legend'' (2021)

References

External links

* {{Authority control German thrash metal musical groups German power metal musical groups German speed metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1986 1986 establishments in West Germany