About this artist
A powerhouse German power metal outfit with elements of thrash and speed metal, Scanner was formed in 1986 out the ashes of the like-minded Lion's Breed, who like Scanner, invoked names such as Helloween, Pretty Maids, and Blind Guardian. Featuring the talents of Tom S. Sopha (guitar), Michael M.A.J.O.R. Knoblich (vocals), Wolfgang Kolorz (drums), Axel A.J. Julius (guitar), and Martin Bork (bass), the band issued their Noise Records debut, the sci-fi concept album Hypertrace, in 1988. Vocalist Knoblich left the group the following year and was replaced by ex-Angel Dust vocalist S.L. Coe, who made his studio debut with the group on 1989′s Terminal Earth, another conceptual offering. 1995 saw the release of the Balkan War-inspired Mental Reservation, this time via Massacre Records, and the band’s fourth studio outing, 1997′s Ball of the Damned, was also released by the label. Scantropolis arrived in 2002, and after a period of studio inactivity, the band returned strong with 2015′s The Judgement. Two years later, the band issued The Galactos Tapes, a double-LP that included a compilation of their best-known songs, as well as a collection of cuts re-recorded with their current line-up. ~ James Christopher Monger