Oomph!

Hailed as pioneers of the German "tanz metal" (dance metal) scene and heavily influencing late-'90s acts like Rammstein, Oomph! were arguably one of the most controversial, influential, and popular German goth-industrial bands to emerge in the early '90s. In spite of their importance to the German industrial scene, however, Oomph! didn't break into the mainstream until the early 2000s. Frontman Dero Goi and guitarist Andreas Crap were born in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The two grew up in the same tenement housing unit, and started playing music together when they were in grade school. Dero and Crap were playing in a new wave band by the time they met Robert Flux at a music festival in 1989. The three hit it off, and Oomph! were born. The band traveled to Spain that year and recorded a 500-copy demo. They managed to obtain a contract with Machinery once they returned to Germany; their first single on that label, a KMFDM-esque track called "Ich Bin Du," was released in 1991, and the following year found Oomph! with their self-titled debut. Oomph! had yet to develop their guitar-driven metal sound -- they were more or less considered part of the electro scene -- but things changed on the band's next release, 1994's Sperm. It was aggressive, it was metal, and it was highly controversial; the video for the first single, "Sex," was banned from MTV Germany due to its graphic content. Oomph!'s third album, Defekt, was released the following year, and the band embarked on an exhaustive touring schedule. Two new members, Leo and Tobi, were added to round out the band's live sound, and a new music video, "Ice Coffin," made the rounds on MTV Germany. Oomph!'s profile had heightened to the point that they were offered a spot on Virgin Schallplatten's roster, but Dynamica (a...