If you’re a fan of progressive metal, then this German band, Sieges Even, may have occasionally passed your radar. This genre of music has become steadily more popular, spreading from its small niche into mainstream music charts, TV adverts, and soundtracks for video games and even a few top online slots. Formed first in the 1980s initially under the name Sodom, they released their first demo in 1983 and adapted their name Sieges Even in 1985, until they finally split in 2008 due to internal differences. This is a fan page dedicated to them, charting everything from their rise and fall, to examing each individual band that has joined and left the band, along with reviewing the music itself.
History and Starting Point
The starting point of the band’s history begins in the 1980s when guitar player Markus Steffen and bass player Oliver Holzwarth founded the first incarnation of the band in Munich, Germany. Afterwards, Oliver’s brother, Alex (who played the drums) along with the singer Franz Herde, were added as additional members to the band and Sieges Even was born in 1985.
In 1986, the band made its first demo, “Symphonies of Steel” and afterwards three more demos were released up to the year 1988, those being “Apocalyptic Disposition”, “Violent Alterations” and “Repression and Resistance”. The last 4-track-demo was brought to the attention of producer Kalle Trapp, along with German record label SPV, where SIEGES EVEN finally got signed on for. The group began recording their debut album in the spring of 1988, in the studio Munster, which belonged to Kalle Trapp. The result was an interesting mix of jazz fusion, progressive rock and technical trash metal. The band’s rising popularity could be contributed to how the general audience was reminded of Watchtower, the American progressive rock band. Thanks to the positive reception of their debut, the band immediately began writing their second album and in March 1990 they started recording Steps.
It was a different producer this time, called Charlie Bauerfeind, and it was recorded at “Lakeside-Studios” found in Utting. The second album showed the band’s evolution through more sophisticated use of guitar riffs, sledgehammer rhythms and mid-tempo breaks. Just like the previous albums, Steps was well received, especially from the press. Afterwards, Sieges Even were the support act for the American Band Psychotic Waltz during a concert in Verl. Then, during their next studio recording with the album “A Sense of Change”, their singer, Franz Herde, leaves during recording sessions. Eventually, they picked Jogi Kauser as a replacement and “A Sense of Change” becomes Sieges Even’s biggest departure as far as the sound and writing are concerned. The album features influences from 80’s Rush, cleaner guitar work and more melodic chords and solos. Markus Steffen, the main guitarist, eventually decided to leave the band after they finished playing their last show in Wiesbaden in 1992. Oliver and Alex continued with the band, recording “Sophisticated” in 1995 and “Uneven” in 1997 under a different label. New additions to the band for when these albums were recorded include Wolfgang Zenk as a guitarist, Bjorg Keller as the keyboard player and Greg Keller as the main vocalist. The new albums had more complex rhythms and angular shred guitar.
Reunion of the Band
Within the concurrent year, SIEGES EVEN remained mostly inactive, while the Holzwarth brothers began touring with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, while Oliver and Alex were recruited by world-famous bands such as Blind Guardian and Rhapsody. Years later, Alex, Oliver and Markus would reunite again and in 1999 they began their first rehearsal where they wrote the song Equinox and rebranded themselves as “LOOKING-GLASS-SELF”. They hired Andre Matos temporarily to spice some of the music up and eventual Equinox was released, containing 4 tracks: “Equinox”, “Stigmata”, “Footprints of Angels” and “The Valparaiso Dreaming”.
In 2003, the band began recording vocals for its new tracks, “The Lonely Views of Condors” and “Were Our Shadows Sleep”. The previous year, they received a new lead singer in the form of Arno Menses. After temporarily performing under the name VAL’PARAISO, the band eventually decided to switch back to their original name, Sieges Even, feeling that their music has returned to the similar groove that the original music had. They had a reunion show in Amstelveen and their first gig in Frankfurt in 2004. Their new album “The Art of Navigating by the Stars” was released in September 2005 under Inside Out label, co-produced by the band and Uwe Lulis. A more melodic, technical progressive rock album was produced thanks to the characteristics that Arno Menses introduced in the musical dynamic of the group.
The new record received global recognition, confirming their dynamic comeback in discography after 8 years. The successful formula of this record seems to have been applied to “Paramount”, the second effort with Arno Menses, released in September 2007, co-produced by the band and Kristian Kohlmannslehner. ”Playgrounds” was the first and only live album that Sieges Even released in 2008 as in the summer of the same year the band decided to split due to internal differences. Markus Steffen and Arno Menses formed the band SUBSIGNAL, while the Holzwarth brothers formed the band BRUTAL GODZ. Sieges Even remain to date as one of the most important acts of the German and European progressive metal scene, with their albums ”A Sense of Change” and ”The Art of Navigating by the Stars” receiving, not unjustifiably, critical acclaim.