At Vance

Formed in Germany during 1998, At Vance united vocalist Oliver Hartmann (ex-Centers) with guitarist Olaf Lenk (ex-Velvet Viper). Their established résumés quickly landed the group a contract on Shark Records, where guitarist Rainald Konig, keyboardist Ulli Muller, bassist Jochen Schnur and drummer Spoony completed the roster for the 1999 debut No Escape, a straightforward specimen of melodic Germanic power metal. The album found ready acceptance among European listeners, and the follow-up Heart of Steel—now featuring drummer Jurgen Lucas—registered an unexpected commercial success in Japan during 2000. Buoyed by that response, the band rushed out Dragonchaser the next year. In 2002 At Vance moved to AFM Records, shed their bassist and keyboardist, issued the fourth album Only Human, and then toured Europe in tandem with Rhapsody and Angel Dust. Additional personnel shifts arrived in 2003 when new vocalist Mats Leven and bassist Sascha Feldmann joined ahead of the recording of The Evil in You.