Die Krupps

Biography

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Die Krupps (1980-1985, 1989-1997, 2005-present): a Industrial Metal band from Dusseldorf, Germany.

ranslated as "The Krupps", German industrial metal/EBM band, Die Krupps opened shop in 1980 with Jürgen Engler (vocals/guitar/keyboards/synthesizers/programming/metallic percussion) and Bernward Malaka (bass) at the helm; the band name coming from Krupp, one of Germany's biggest industrial families before and during World War II. In some interviews, the band stated that Visconti's 1969 film The Damned, a depiction of the fictitious German industrial dynasty of the Essenbecks, was the main inspiration, however.

The band's debut Stahlwerksynfonie (1981), showed a mix of industry factory noises with metallic percussion and real instruments. The album featured Ralf Dörper (synthesizers/programming), Frank Köllges (R.I.P. 2012; drums), Christina Schnekenburger (keyboards) and Eva Gößling (saxophone) added to the membership. Volle Kraft voraus! (1982) followed without Gößling. With this album the band's sound moved toward a less experimental sound and into a more synthesizer based heavy metal style.

Walter Jäger (drums) and Christopher Lietz (vocals) were the new members of note for Entering the Arena (1985), an album that saw Die Krupps move completely away from their heavy metal sound toward a 1980s new wave style. Soon after, Engler went to work on his record label 'Atom-H', signing bands who played thrash metal and hardcore punkrock; this influence would play a key part in the act's musical change later in the 1990s. But before a change could occur, the act split soon after. They would reform in 1989.

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When I came out in 1992 Engler and Dörper were joined by Rüdiger Esch (bass) and Volker Borchert (drums) they had restored aspects of their previous heavy metal influences, specifically around the guitar. This was further strengthened with the release of the all-covers A Tribute to Metallica EP in 1992.

Darren Minter (drums) and Lee Altus (guitars) joined the band in time for II - The Final Option (1993), an album that combined electronic and heavy metal elements in keeping with a deeper industrial sound. This style would prove to be a pioneering move that led to a number of other bands using the combination as a template .

Die Krupp's fetish for Metallica was re-visited with the release of the club re-mix cover EP Enter Sandman/One (1993); the cover inspired by Deep Purple's Machine Head). After the release of the more experimental III - Odyssey of the Mind (1995), the more groove metal influenced Paradise Now (1997; unofficially known as IV) arrived shortly after and before the band split again.

Several years and compilation albums would pass before the membership of Jürgen Engler (guitars/vocals), Marcel Zürcher (guitars), Ralf Dörper (synthesizers), Rüdiger Esch (bass) and Nook (Real Name: Christopher Michelfeit; drums) would unite to release The Machinists of Joy (2013) once again toying with an industrial/EBM before the release of a heavy metal album in the form of V - Metal Machine Music (2015) with the band reduced to a three-piece of Engler, Dörper and Zürcher.

2016 would see their first (and so far only) live album, Live im Schatten der Ringe (2016) that was soon followed by the Stahlwerkrequiem (2016). Three years later, Vision 2020 Vision (2019) and Songs from the Dark Side of Heaven (2021) followed.

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