SINNER

Fronted by vocalist and bassist Mat Sinner—the outfit’s lone unchanging presence across decades—the German heavy metal band Sinner surfaced in the early 1980s with a raw, high-velocity fusion of speed and power metal that recalled the early ferocity of fellow countrymen Accept and Scorpions. Over time the group shifted toward a more melodic power-metal approach, building an extensive discography whose notable entries include Danger Zone (1984), Bottom Line (1995), There Will Be Execution (2003), and Santa Muerte (2019).

Formed in Stuttgart in 1980, the band issued its debut album, Wild ’n’ Evil, in 1982. The follow-up, Fast Decision (1983), marked Sinner’s first American release and was succeeded a year later by Danger Zone; both records are frequently cited as the group’s strongest work. Touch of Sin (1985) featured guitar contributions from Accept’s Herman Frank, who departed before the release of Comin’ Out Fighting in 1986. Dangerous Charm arrived in 1987 without delivering a significant commercial breakthrough, prompting Mat Sinner to disband the project the following year.

Alongside vocalist Ralf Scheepers and guitarist Tom Naumann, Mat Sinner then launched Primal Fear, which became active on the European metal circuit. By 1992 he had reactivated Sinner with the album No More Alibis. Throughout the 1990s and into the new century, Mat balanced Sinner with additional endeavors—Primal Fear, Level 10, Rock Meets Classic, Voodoo Circle, and his own Mat Sinner Band—while remaining the sole constant member of Sinner itself. Despite those commitments, he delivered ten well-received Sinner studio albums between 1993 and 2013. Following a four-year recording hiatus, the band resurfaced with Tequila Suicide in 2017 and Santa Muerte in 2019.