Metal Oktoberfest

I talk so much about American and UK bands on my blog, but I probably don't give enough praise to German metal bands. The Scorpions get their share of praise, but they are one of the few who are widely known. Accept get some praise in some circles here. There was once a great outpouring of speed metal bands from this country back in the mid to late 1980's. The "big three" was a term used for Kreator, Sodom and Destruction. They rose to the top of the German speed metal pack by say 1988-89. Warlock got some notice over here after a few albums. They probably got notice due to lead singer Doro Pesch was often in pictures in the metal magazines. She went solo after the band broke up, but her career never really took off here. Then there are some old style straight up metal bands like Grave Digger and pirate themed band Running Wild. Both bands are still going although they each only have one original member left. Beer themed thrash band Tankard might actually be the most productive thrash band of the last twenty years if you count how many albums they done. There are also Scorpions' related acts such as the Michael Schenker group and Uli Jon Roth, both of whom were former Scorps' guitarists. So make it a Metal Oktoberfest and celebrate by listening to some German metal.

*Feel free to add your favorite German metal artists that I didn't mention.