Thomas "Thomen" Stauch (born 11 March 1970), also known by his nickname The Omen, is a German heavy metal drummer, mostly known as the co-founder and former drummer of
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.Symphonies of Doom. After changes in the line-up, the band renamed itself Blind Guardian in 1987.
Stauch quit Blind Guardian in April 2005, citing dissatisfaction with the direction the band had taken in its latter years.
His last releases with the band were the 2002 studio album '' A Night at the Opera'' and the live album '' Imaginations Through the Looking Glass''.
In 2004, while still in Blind Guardian, he formed
Savage Circus
Savage Circus is a German/Swedish power metal band originally formed as a side project by Thomas "Thomen" Stauch before leaving Blind Guardian.
History
Formation and ''Dreamland Manor''
Savage Circus began when Stauch asked his friend Piet ...
with friend
Piet Sielck
Piet Sielck (born 14 November 1964) is a German power metal guitarist, vocalist and producer. He is member of the power/speed metal band Iron Savior as well as owner of the studio Powerhouse in Hamburg.
Early years
Born in Hamburg, Germany, ...
. Piet introduced him to Persuader vocalist Jens Carlsson and guitarist Emil Norberg, who completed the band's lineup. They released their debut album '' Dreamland Manor'' in August 2005. Due to health problems causing him to miss too many gigs, Thomen left the band on 17 August 2007 but came back to the line-up in 2012. Stauch also worked in other projects such as
Iron Savior
Iron Savior is a German power metal band that was formed in Hamburg in 1996. Following a period of several years working behind the scenes in music production, multi-instrumentalist and producer/engineer Piet Sielck joined with former Helloween ...
and Serious Black.
Stauch joined the band Seelenzorn in September 2008. He has also played drums for the band Coldseed with Soilwork frontman Björn Strid.
Stauch is known for his fast and technical drumming skill, especially on the Blind Guardian album '' A Night at the Opera'', where he mixes the traditional intensity and speed of the band's older style, with new, more technical and progressive elements. He uses Premier Drums, Artisan Turk cymbals and
Vic Firth
Everett Joseph "Vic" Firth (June 2, 1930 – July 26, 2015) was an American musician and the founder of Vic Firth Company (formerly Vic Firth, Inc.), a company that makes percussion sticks and mallets.
Biography
Vic Firth was born June 2, ...