40 YEARS OF STEAMHAMMER

Forty years of Steamhammer – forty years of rock history! One of the world’s most eminent rock labels is celebrating a milestone birthday this year. Not many record companies have had such a lasting impact on the international rock music and metal scene as the Hanover-based imprint, which looks back on a successful history spanning several decades with countless releases and a myriad of seminal, style-defining acts.

It was January 1984 when Steamhammer, named after company founder Manfred Schütz’s favourite band, released its first own production, an album entitled ‘Common Times Heroes’ by local act Hardware. Within just a few years, the label, having enlisted groups such as Sodom, Destruction, Assassin, and Iron Angel, flourished both on a national and an international level. At the time, Steamhammer also licensed acts such as Metal Church, Trouble, Lääz Rockit and Leatherwolf.

Björn von Oettingen

The following decades saw several generations of talented bands and artists, such as Axel Rudi Pell, Steeler and Zed Yago, develop into globally successful acts under Steamhammer’s aegis. In the 1990s, Steamhammer became home to numerous international icons such as Motörhead, Dio, Judas Priest, Saxon, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet. In the new millennium, additional globally successful releases by Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Helloween, Kreator, Gamma Ray, Kamelot and Doro followed.

Label manager Olly Hahn has been running Steamhammer for more than fourteen years, based on plenty of experience, extensive expertise and that crucial enthusiasm for music; which of course also applies to Head of Promotion, Björn von Oettingen. A number of exciting releases have been announced for the future, including new albums by Axel Rudi Pell, Running Wild, Sodom, Freedom Call, Molly Hatchet and the first solo album by UFO singer Phil Mogg in addition to albums already launched by Magnum and Rage.
Steamhammer is accompanying the anniversary with an exclusive shirt, two 20% off campaigns in its own label shop, a 40th Anniversary Spotify playlist, and exciting social media content.

Olly Hahn

No doubt about it, Steamhammer has always been a label by fans for fans, marked by its staff members’ drive, passion, and professional expertise, which are also reflected by the large number of gold and platinum awards garnered by its artists. No less impressive are the scores of triumphal chart sensations and countless front covers of influential music magazines featuring Steamhammer musicians.