Official UNREST Fanclub
                       Wolfspack

Band
History

Original bandmembers 1988 - 1999

Guido Hettwer (dr.) « Sönke Lau (voc.) « Claus Wiechert (g.) « Gerd Nawrocki (bass) « Henryk Niedbalka (g)

And the band persistently held on to the musical orientation even though they still had to fight hard against being permanently compared with Accept at the beginning. But if you listen very closely and attentive you will quickly perceive that unlike Udo Dirkschneider there is much more power and variety in the voice of UNREST frontman Sönke Lau. Might be that UNREST have been a bit burdened by Accept at the beginning, yet they have quickly found their own style that absolutely cannot be compared with Accept or even Grave Digger. UNREST simply is a power metal band that is best experienced when on stage. People who have been lucky enough to see the band live like me will know what I mean. Their shows are always bombastic and driving, the guitar, drum and bass parts are professional and the singing simply variously and outstanding. Not only for that reason even bikers love to book the band time and again for their meetings and parties.

Unfortunately, no one really noticed the release of their debut “Taste It” in 1992. Same thing happened after the release of their self produced 2^nd album “By The Light Of The Moon” in 1995.

“That point definitely goes to the f**** record companies!”, frontman Sönke explains. “Our debut was produced for the Inline label and we got screwed as it happened with many other bands too. The second company that took us down had been Tricolor Music. Instead of some action we only received nothing but nice words: no promotion, not anything at all! You won’t believe it but even our promotion material that we placed at their disposal just went into the stores for sale. That’s the reason why you can hardly get these albums any longer. At least we got the rights back on our 1^st album “Taste It”.

Having drawn conclusions from all these quarrels, soon initial bigger appearances took place with bands like RAGE and SKYCLAD followed by a first successful tour with ICED EARTH and NEVERMORE through Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The audience’s feedback had been that striking that UNREST easily won additional fans in great number from all over the world.

Several tours followed still within the same year; at first the tour of UNREST / SCANNER that even led them as far as Italy, then another tour with W.A.S.P. which was then followed by a tour with SINNER.

Cold Steel Whisper – 1998

1998 just on time to the 10th anniversary of UNREST their 4th album “Cold Steel Whisper” got released, hence it simply was the bands duty to play a show at the WACKEN OPEN AIR FESTIVAL that year.

However, after all these very successful albums and tours the band split nevertheless, and that already in 1999. Multiple reasons might have been responsible for that situation but basically,it seemed that one simply "has had enough" from each other being close together much too often and much too long at times (practice, gigs, studio, tours, etc.). The bands own spare time, their family and friends always came at the very last. Internal tension became bigger and bigger and got transmitted at last on friends and road crew too.

Sönke: “In succession our live album “Restless & Live” came out as well as “Bloody Voodoo Night” which actually had been a pure studio album of Claus and me. As our big final we then did the tour with DIO (enlarged and supported by some studio musicians)! During that tour and especially after our album "Bloody Voodoo Night" we have been aware of the fact that UNREST, though being successful even in halved form (for the trade), no longer had been what we have hoped for and expected of a band. We saw us in front of a “pile of broken pieces”! So that was when Claus and me decided to lay UNREST on ice. With that moment I put aside any thoughts about that subject but concentrated on my solo project “Alphawolf” just like Claus who has had formed his fun rock band “Santa Claus” in the meantime and did rock there just for fun… Unrest seemed to be history!...”

Well, so that should have been the end of UNREST. Having just grown big at the metal scene and yet finished already? No one really could believe it but in fact, it was the truth. – When a band you favour suddenly isn’t around any longer you realize just then how much you miss them and how badly that hurts. – But luckily there was still Claus Wiechert…

Sönke: “When at the end of 2003 Claus approached me with that idea to reunite UNREST, gently said, I have been more than doubtful. But after having had some beer and whiskey together his idea didn’t seem that wrong any longer which at last wasn’t only because of Claus’ enthusiasm! One could also declare that he convinced/ persuaded me! Of course, we painfully have been aware of the situation for all band members in those days, how bad the split must have been for each of us and how deep the wounds as arguments and discussions took hold of us that time. – Well, and then Claus suddenly came up with that crazy idea… - Somehow the situation was alike that of Blues Brothers :-) We get the old gang back together again! We do Unrest again!”

Hey yeah, and so it should happen! Since the end of 2003 UNREST is reunited with a new band logo and two new band members, Andre Neuhaus and Marco Liedtke who will now replace the former band members Gerd Nawrocki (on bass) and Henryk Niedbalka (on lead & rhythm guitar). Both new band members are doing quite an outstanding job and after the reunion of UNREST did easily stand the test masterly at the bands very first show on July 9^th, 2004 at the Kulturbahnhof Bremen-Vegesack, Germany. It almost seemed as if the band has never been separated at all! And despite all the worries of Sönke whether it really had been such a good idea to play a show in Bremen that quickly after the reunion, all the old fans of UNREST came over there in order to push and celebrate with the band!!! So the band couldn’t have wished for any better comeback!!!

Besides having numerous gigs (i.e. Bremen, Wolfenbüttel, Bochum and Wuppertal) as well as Festivals (i.e. Hard 'n' Heavy's/ Euskirchen, Metal Dayz 2006/ Switzerland)  UNREST has now finished the production of their 7th album "Back To The Roots" of which the release is now set under Massacre-Records on November 10th, 2006.   

Those who have never listened to UNREST yet but nevertheless are interested in their music and CD’s or just have some more questions should simply click their homepage www.unrest-metal.de or turn directly to the band via email: kontakt@unrest-metal.de.. Reply is guaranteed!

Check it out,
take care & keep on rocking!

Author: Tina Mönke  - 2004 (update Aug./ Sept. 2006)                                                             
Source: Rock Hard '96/ That's it! '96/ Metal Hammer '96/ Rock City News '97/ Unrest Band Board '04