Deathrow

Emerging as a classic instance of German thrash metal from the eighties, Deathrow emulated bands such as Destruction, Sodom, and Iron Angel from their homeland yet achieved significantly less commercial success. The group originated in Düsseldorf, where vocalist and bassist Milo joined guitarists Thomas Priebe and Sven Flugge plus drummer Markus Hahn to form the band in 1984. They quickly inked a deal with Noise Records and stirred early attention through controversy when their debut album, originally titled Satan's Gift, was retitled Riders of Doom to sidestep objections from the American marketplace. European tours alongside Possessed and Voivod came next, followed in 1987 by the release of their second full-length effort, Raging Steel. Former Mekong Delta guitarist Uwe Osterlehner then stepped in for Priebe, prompting the band to adopt a more complex and progressive metal approach on the subsequent pair of albums, Deception Ignored in 1988 and Life Beyond in 1992. Those efforts failed to expand the group's modest audience, however, and Deathrow soon dissolved. Osterlehner later assumed vocal duties for the progressive thrash outfit End Amen.