History & Biography Hate Squad's story began on 18.04.1993 when Burkhard Schmitt, Tim Baurmeister, Helge Dolgener and Robert Radeka decided to form a band. Hate Squad was reportedly the first band experience of all four members. Nevertheless, the German thrash metal band signed to GUN Records following the Theater Of Hate demo in 1994. The debut was recorded at Big House Studios in Hannover. Vocalist Schmitt would also lend his vocals to a Crack Up demo in that year.
Following the release of the debut bassist Baurmeister switched to guitar and was replaced on bass first by Marco Schulz and then by Bauke De Groot. The band had met De Groot at a local record store at which the Dutch man worked. Shows with Atrocity, Crematory, Death, Gorefest and others followed - these completed with Schulz on bass - and the band had the opportunity to appear at that year's Dynamo Festival. The lineup would soon see further changes when Kuennemann departed following I.Q. Zero. Markus Fenske then joined and the band hit the road. Shows were performed with bands like Grip Inc (which would soon lend a bassist to the band) and Kreator.
Next GUN released a sampler EP of the band's music reworked by several techno bands. Soon Baurmeister and De Groot would pack their bags and in would come former Grip Inc. bassist Vie Brooks. The band and GUN parted ways with the former complaining from a lack of tour and financial support. In 1998 the band would even participate, as the only unsigned band, at the fifth With Full Force Open Air, but the gang was nonetheless soon history.
Hate Squad reformed in 2003 and soon finished recording ten songs with Hermann Frank (of Accept fame) at Horus Studio in Hanover, Germany, The new album was named H8 For The Masses.
The band was to release its fifth album, and first in four years, Degüello Wartunes in March of 2008 through new label Dockyard 1. Locomotive Records licensed it for North America. Hate Squad released its newest full-length, Katharsis, through Massacre Records on January 17th, 2012. A 2013 compilation was called You Are Not My Fuckin' God (Best of 20 Years of Raging Hate). Reborn From Ashes was presumably named so due to the space between it and its predecessor.
Marcel Griese left in 2021. Tim Baurmeister returned to the band after 25 years of absence. Bauke De Groot died of cancer in 2021. Lorenz Kandolf of the band Traitor joined on bass in 2022. The band cancelled its appearance at Aaargh Festival in 2022. A band member was ill. Stepfather Fred replaced the act. The band opened for Pestilence at Mangualde Hardmetalfest in Portugal in 2022.
Reviews HATE SQUAD - DEGUELLO WARTUNES - DOCKYARD 1
Hate Squad is displaying a lot of energy here for a band that first existed in the '90s only to die and subsequently to return. The band has preserved loads of energy and goes about its hardcore business with the exuberance of a young band. Leading the way are the raw hardcore guitar sounds and the vocals of Burkhard Schmitt. His voice is amazingly close to Napalm Death’s Barney. The only downside to this are the spoken vocal segments which interrupt the hoarse barking on the rare occasion. With topical songs, a powerful hardcore sound that slams Hate Squad's aggression is for everyone from Biohazard poseurs to Agnostic Front diehards. - Ali “The Metallian”
Interviews
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