Superior (band)
Encyclopedia
Superior was a German
progressive metal
band, founded in 1992, and disbanded in 2007. Their style was described as something very similar to Dream Theater
, but there were also many big differences between them.
album, with very heavy and aggressive sounds, including driving guitar
s, complex piano and string arrangements.
When the album was completed the band signed a contract with Hamburg
label L.M.P., which got in touch with various record companies. In the fall of 1996 Superior signed a contract with Modern Music
/Noise Records
. Shortly after signing with Noise Records, Superior toured Germany with Virgin Steele
and Angra
. After the fourth show, keyboardist Jan-Marco Becker hurt his hand severely and had to be operated on during the tour. Angra's frontman Andre Matos
offered them to rehearse some of the keyboard parts and Superior was able to continue touring. After the tour Superior was forced to take a break, waiting on their keyboardist to recover.
In the middle of 1997, when their keyboardist had recovered, Superior began touring again, starting with a short tour through France, where they also played some unplugged sessions. They performed several shows in Germany, while already working on the material for their new album.
From the middle of March through the middle of May 1998 Superior recorded, mixed and mastered their second album, Younique
, which was released in August 1998. This album can identify heavy guitar
riffing, diverse keyboard
arrangements and sounds, very complex and individual instrumentation, acoustic guitar
s, sitar
-sounds, brass arrangements and saxophone
solos. Many magazines worldwide celebrated Younique as a milestone in progressive music. After the album's release, the band didn't much; they did perform with Angra and Stratovarius
.
Superior and their French label NTS Records decided to cooperate for a further album, which turned out to be a concept album, about religious fanaticism with all its consequences down to terrorism
. The recordings for their next album at the Roko Soundstudios took the following six months. Ultima Ratio is less experimental than Younique
, Superior and Noise Records agreed that the style of the band's music just didn't match together with the company's politics and their strict adherence to true metal
style. The arrangements in this albums are clearly structured, and the dominating characteristics are the heavy guitars, piano
playing combined with Michael's vocals.
The band split up at the end of 2007, reasons are unknown.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band, founded in 1992, and disbanded in 2007. Their style was described as something very similar to Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
, but there were also many big differences between them.
Lineup
- Michael Tangermann – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Bernd Basmer – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Michael Müller – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Martin Reichhart – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Jan-Marco Becker – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Thomas Mayer – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
History
Eight months after Superior was founded, they released their demo Timeshift. This demo contained an early version of the song "Tomorrow's Eve", which was to be included on their first album Behind. Until the middle of 1994 the band toured mainly in southwestern Germany, until they began recording their first CD. It took them a year to work on the compositions, arrangement and the concept of their debut album, Behind. The album was recorded in 1995 in the Roko Soundstudios. Behind can be described as a progressive metalProgressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
album, with very heavy and aggressive sounds, including driving guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, complex piano and string arrangements.
When the album was completed the band signed a contract with Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
label L.M.P., which got in touch with various record companies. In the fall of 1996 Superior signed a contract with Modern Music
Modern music
Modern music may refer to:* 20th-century music* 20th-century classical music* 21st-century classical music* Contemporary classical music* Modernism * Modern rock* Popular music...
/Noise Records
Noise Records (Germany)
Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any...
. Shortly after signing with Noise Records, Superior toured Germany with Virgin Steele
Virgin Steele
Virgin Steele is a heavy metal band from New York, originally formed in 1981.The band released a few career highlights albums...
and Angra
Angra (band)
Angra is a Brazilian metal band from São Paulo, Brazil known for its symphonic interludes, highly technical instrumental playing and Brazilian regional elements.- Biography :...
. After the fourth show, keyboardist Jan-Marco Becker hurt his hand severely and had to be operated on during the tour. Angra's frontman Andre Matos
André Matos
André Coelho Matos born September 14, 1971 in São Paulo, Brazil. He is the oldest son of photographer Pedro Henrique Matos and Sonia Maria Coelho. André Matos was the former vocalist, pianist and composer for the power metal bands Viper, Angra and Shaaman. Since October 2006 Andre Matos has been...
offered them to rehearse some of the keyboard parts and Superior was able to continue touring. After the tour Superior was forced to take a break, waiting on their keyboardist to recover.
In the middle of 1997, when their keyboardist had recovered, Superior began touring again, starting with a short tour through France, where they also played some unplugged sessions. They performed several shows in Germany, while already working on the material for their new album.
From the middle of March through the middle of May 1998 Superior recorded, mixed and mastered their second album, Younique
Younique
Younique is the second full-length Superior studio album, released in May 1998.The music of the album is characterized by heavy guitar riffing, diverse keyboard arrangements and sounds, very complex and individual instrumentation, acoustic guitars, sitar-sounds, brass arrangements and saxophone solos...
, which was released in August 1998. This album can identify heavy guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
riffing, diverse keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
arrangements and sounds, very complex and individual instrumentation, acoustic guitar
Steel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
s, sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
-sounds, brass arrangements and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
solos. Many magazines worldwide celebrated Younique as a milestone in progressive music. After the album's release, the band didn't much; they did perform with Angra and Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
.
Superior and their French label NTS Records decided to cooperate for a further album, which turned out to be a concept album, about religious fanaticism with all its consequences down to terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
. The recordings for their next album at the Roko Soundstudios took the following six months. Ultima Ratio is less experimental than Younique
Younique
Younique is the second full-length Superior studio album, released in May 1998.The music of the album is characterized by heavy guitar riffing, diverse keyboard arrangements and sounds, very complex and individual instrumentation, acoustic guitars, sitar-sounds, brass arrangements and saxophone solos...
, Superior and Noise Records agreed that the style of the band's music just didn't match together with the company's politics and their strict adherence to true metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
style. The arrangements in this albums are clearly structured, and the dominating characteristics are the heavy guitars, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
playing combined with Michael's vocals.
The band split up at the end of 2007, reasons are unknown.
Discography
- Behind (1996)
- YouniqueYouniqueYounique is the second full-length Superior studio album, released in May 1998.The music of the album is characterized by heavy guitar riffing, diverse keyboard arrangements and sounds, very complex and individual instrumentation, acoustic guitars, sitar-sounds, brass arrangements and saxophone solos...
(1998) - Ultima Ratio (2002)
- Ultra – Live (2005)