Gravestone

Formed as early as 1977, the German hard rock outfit Gravestone initially endured repeated setbacks, issuing a pair of obscure long-players in the form of 1979's Doomsday and 1980's War that attracted minimal attention. Persistence eventually paid off with modest acclaim amid the major commercial breakthroughs achieved by fellow German acts such as the Scorpions and Accept during the 1980s. Seizing upon this newfound attention from their base near Stuttgart in southern Germany, singer Berti Majdan along with guitarists Mathias Dieth and Klaus Reinelt, bassist Thomas Sabisch, and drummer Dieter Behle put out three more records: Victim of Chains in 1984, which included bassist Oli Orlitta, followed by Back to Attack in 1985 and Creating a Monster in 1986, prior to transforming into the group 48 Crash. An anthology compiling highlights from their 1980s recordings appeared under the band's name in 1993, after which guitarist Dieth collaborated with U.D.O. and Sinner.