Böhse Onkelz rank among the most commercially dominant yet fiercely debated rock outfits in German history. A string of chart-topping albums failed to shield the band from persistent accusations of racism and extremist leanings, prompting numerous shops to decline carrying their releases altogether. The group, whose name deliberately twists the German phrase for “Evil Uncles,” came together in Hösbach toward the end of 1980. Vocalist Kevin Russell, guitarist Stephan Weidner, and drummer Peter Schorowsky absorbed early inspiration from the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, absorbing the rudimentary playing skills those models encouraged. Once guitarist Matthias “Gonzo” Röhr joined, Weidner switched to bass, and Böhse Onkelz rapidly became a fixture on the Frankfurt punk scene. Their first appearance on record arrived in 1981 via the compilation Soundtrack zum Untergang 2; meanwhile, as much of German punk veered left politically, the band embraced the rising skinhead movement instead. Widely viewed as the first German album to openly champion skinhead ideals, their 1984 debut Der Nette Mann appeared on the right-wing imprint Rock-O-Rama, and tracks such as “Stolz,” “Vereint,” and “Deutschland” figured directly in the government’s decision to prohibit the record in September 1986.
On the follow-up Böse Menschen – Böse Lieder, Böhse Onkelz pivoted toward subjects of addiction and brutality, yet could not escape their skinhead associations. Particularly damaging were leaked early demo recordings of Weidner songs including “Türken Raus,” “Deutschland den Deutschen,” and “SS-Staat,” material the band would repeatedly disavow in later years. Through releases such as the 1987 album Onkelz Wie Wir… and its 1988 successor Kneipenterroristen, the group traded punk roots for a heavier, metal-leaning sound. That reinvention yielded their strongest sales yet and placed them under intensified press attention after longtime associate Andreas “Trimmi” Trimborn was fatally stabbed in a Frankfurt bar by a Bundeswehr soldier on 16 June 1990. The soldier stood trial but was acquitted; the presiding judge cited a pattern of violence involving Böhse Onkelz members and their circle, ruling the act self-defense. The episode only amplified public interest, allowing 1992’s Heilige Lieder to reach the German Top Ten despite scant promotion or airplay. Broadcasters nonetheless kept the band off the air, and major chains such as Media Markt, World of Music, and Saturn continued to boycott their catalog.
Trimborn’s killing and the surrounding controversy prompted the expansive double set Weiß and Schwarz, issued in October 1993 as two separate albums. Signing with Virgin for 1995’s Hier Sind die Onkelz, the members simultaneously commissioned confidant Edmund Hartsch to pen an authorized biography aimed at countering ongoing political rumors. Appearing in 1997 under the title Danke für Nichts, the book sold briskly and drew unexpected praise; Hartsch observed in the foreword that no other German act had been “used as a means for simple-minded political agitation” to the same degree. The blockbuster performance of 1998’s Viva los Tioz—moving more than 300,000 copies inside its first day and entering at number one—compelled many retailers to lift their restrictions, prompting the band to launch its own rule23 imprint for the 2000 follow-up Ein Böses Märchen …aus Tausend Finsteren Nächten. After 2002’s Dopamin, Böhse Onkelz were invited to open for the Rolling Stones at the Hanover Fairground on 3 August 2003. The announcement of their impending split accompanied 2004’s Adios; following the sold-out “La Ultima” trek, the group concluded its run with farewell performances at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz on 17 and 18 June 2005.
Speculation about a reunion surfaced in 2013, and the band indeed reformed the next year, drawing 200,000 fans to a sequence of sold-out concerts at the Hockenheimring racetrack. Kevin Russell, who had repeatedly approached death through substance abuse, appeared healthy and vocally strong. Four additional sold-out Hockenheimring dates took place in 2015, followed by another run in Baden-Württemberg that attracted twice the previous attendance; the group also began recording a new album slated for autumn 2016 and a subsequent tour across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
