Last week I had some time to rip some old D-punk classics and the next four posts belong exclusively to this. Let's start with the awesome debut from Schliessmuskel (German punk band of the late 1980s and early 1990s from Hamminkeln). Along with groups such as the Mimmi's and the Abstürzenden Brieftauben they were among the best-known German bands of this genre (FunPunk). The band itself always rejected the classification "FunPunk" and saw the band rather as Punk (Hardcore) combo and I agree absolutely with them. After the band's formation in 1983 by Ede Wolff (guitar), Schlaffke Wolff (vocals), Techt Tetmeyer (drums) and Böckler Hachenberg (bass) they released their debut EP Komm Setz' Dich Zu Uns (WeBite Records) in 1986 with six short punk attacks and with their debut LP one year later they continued their fast hardcore style, same applies for the 2nd album Sehet, Welch Ein Mensch! In the coming years they played gigs with the Spermbirds, MDC or the Adicts. 1990 they were on the compilation Festival Der Volxmusik that brought together the most important German fun punk performers. The next album Weniger Fett-Mehr Muskeln appeared in the same year and reached four digit sales figures and held for weeks in the independent charts. Mid-1990 it was quiet about the group and the split from WeBite follows. In 1993 the musicians performed as the opening act for Die Toten Hosen. Renamed in Die Muskeln and in the following years, the band retreated, still published recordings (in 2000 again under the old band name). Singer Schlaffke began after the withdrawal of the group under the name "Zwakkelmann" a solo project but with no comparable success. In late 2005 the band were reformed and played in Oberhausen and early 2006 in Essen two gigs. Rumors of a reunion but were rejected. So don't be afraid what you see or read about them, Schliessmuskel is one of the best German Punk bands I've ever seen.
