Crematory

Crematory is a gothic/melodic death metal band formed in Mannheim, Germany in 1991. The band received its earliest recognition in the mid-1990s by touring with My Dying Bride, Tiamat and Atrocity. Much like the latter two groups, the band had begun as traditional death metal, then evolved with an industrial music and gothic metal musical direction on later albums. The band would receive heavy rotation on MTV Germany, and would also make appearances at various extreme metal festivals, including Germany's Wacken Open Air in the years 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2008, in addition to inclusion on Nuclear Blast compilation samplers. The band re-signed to Massacre Records in 2006 after a 10 year stint with Nuclear Blast; Massacre had been the band's first label. Active for over 20 years (with a brief split between 2001 and 2003) they are among one of Europe's longest running gothic metal bands. Current members Gerhard Stass - vocals (1991–present) Matthias Hechler - guitar, vocals (1998–present) Katrin Goger - keyboards (1992–present) Harald Heine - bass guitar, backing vocals (1993–present) Markus Jüllich - drums (1991–present) Former members Marc Zimmer - bass, vocals (1991–1992) Heinz Steinhauser - bass, vocals (1993) Lothar "Lotte" Forst - guitar, vocals (1991–1998)