Knorkator

Germany's Knorkator emerged in 1994 as an industrial metal outfit that blended sharp satire and comedy with an embrace of metal's most flamboyant traits, such as exaggerated vocal deliveries and lavish arrangements. The group billed itself as "Deutschlands meiste Band der Welt," translated as "Germany's most band in the world," signaling its distinctive brand of wit from the outset. Confining early activities to the Berlin region, Knorkator issued its first two albums, The Schlechtst of Knorkator in 1997 and Hasenchartbreaker in 1999. National and broader Continental European recognition arrived in 2000 through the band's Eurovision Song Contest entry "Ick wer zun Schwein," rendered in English as "I'm Turning Into a Pig." That same year brought the follow-up full-length Tribute to Uns Selbst. Additional releases followed, among them High Mud Leader in 2002, Ich Hasse Musik in 2003, and Das Nächste Album Aller Zeiten in 2007, until the members declared their intention to disband in 2008. The hiatus proved brief; recognizing the void created by their departure, Knorkator regrouped in 2011. The reconstituted lineup of vocalist Stumpen, guitarist Buzz Dee, keyboardist Alf Ator, drummer Nick Aragua, and bassist Rajko Gohlke launched tours and began recording fresh material, resulting in the album Es Werde Nicht later that year. Aragua departed in 2012, prompting Sebastian Meyer to assume drumming duties.