BETHLEHEM - GERMANY

Dark Metal - 1994 - Adipocere
Dictus Te Necare - 1996 - Red Stream
Sardonischer Untergang Im Zeichen Irreligioser Darbietung - 1998 - Red Stream
Schatten Aus Der Alexander Welt - 2001 - Red Stream
Mein Weg - 2004 - Red Stream
A Sacrificial Offering To The Kingdom Of Heaven In A Cracked Dog's Ear - 2009 - Red Stream
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia – 2014 – Prophecy
Bethlehem – 2016 – Prophecy
Lebe Dich Leer – 2019 - Prophecy

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Members
Vocals
Classen [Andreas Classen]>>Paragon Belial, Dark Creation, Shining, Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Lovelorn, Pavor>>Rainer Lanfermenn>>Pavor, Solo - Malefic Oath, Deinonychus>>Marco Kehran>>Deinonychus - Shining, Diabolicum, Hjarnidaudi, Skitliv>>Niklas Kvarforth>>Shining, Diabolicum, Hjarnidaudi, Skitliv – Aardvarks, Augury, Mistica>>Guido Meyer De Voltaire>>Aardvarks, Mistica - Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult>>ONIELAR [YVONNE WILCZYNSKA]>>Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult

Guitar
Morbid Vision, Dark Tempest>>Kläus Matton – Olaf Eckhardt>>Punt E Mes – Blight, Midwinter Storm, Benighted In Sodom, Andacht>>Rueben Jordan>>Blight, Benighted In Sodom, Andacht, Ævangelist, Leviathan, Crowhurst, Chaos Moon, Death Fetishist, Devil Worshipper, Hex Arcana, Præternatura, Oblivion Gate, Obscuring Veil, Carrie White Burns In Hell, Matron Skrying Mirror, Thorn, Cathaaria, California Blood Ritual – Bog Morok, Cerebrium, Shexna, Во Скорбях, Babooshka>>KARZOV [ILYA KARZOV]>>Bog Morok, Cerebrium, Shexna, Во Скорбях, Babooshka

Bass
Dark Tempest, Stahlmantel>>JÜRGEN BARTSCH>>Stahlmantel

Drum
Beatifix, Scarecrow>>Chris Steinhoff - Anti, Paragon Belial>>Marcus Losen>>Anti, Paragon Belial, Utter Silence - Deinonychus, A-Rise, Imperia, Halgadom>>Steve Wolz>>Imperia, Deinonychus, Halgadom, Disörder – Mor Dagor, Dämmerfarben, IT, Belphegor, Cadaver Disposal, Goat Torment>>FLORIAN KLEIN>>Mor Dagor, IT, Cadaver Disposal, Goat Torment




History & Biography
Germany's Bethlehem manages to introduce yet another term to the already fragmented metal scene. Calling themselves 'dark metal', the band delivered an esoteric philosophical type of doom metal that only gained more followers with all the deaths (real and imaginary) that followed the band. Dictus Te Necare means 'Kill Yourself.' The band releases another EP later called Reflektionen Auf's Sterben (Reflections On Death), which featured several reworkings and older tracks with new names. The band has endured much censorship from venues/cities not allowing the band to play, parents threatening the band, Adipocere not printing lyrics to a song like 3rd Nocturnal Prayer and on to Red Stream having to alter the album photos to get the CD plant to press the album. The band, however, uses such news to further promote itself: for a while the band corroborated the suicide news of its former lead singer Classen. Classan would later re-appear in Dark Creation alongside drummer Ralf!

2001's Schatten Aus Der Alexander Welt is more off beat industrial than metal. In June of 2002 the band announces it will not be participate at the Full Force Festival because one of the members suffers from a heart disease.

Bethlehem members spent the summer of 2002 working on Suicide Radio, which is an interactive CD-ROM. A Sacrificial Offering To The Kingdom Of Heaven In A Cracked Dog's Ear was out in June of 2009 through Red Stream Inc. The only members left standing from previous releases was bassist Bartsch. Guitarist Reuben Jordan was in the band between 2009 and 2010 began a campaign to be in a new band a month. The Sarcophogaus, which had signed with Osmose Productions and was issuing a 7" called Hate Cult, featured two songs with Niklas Kvarforth on vocals on the EP. Bethlehem’s Stoenkfitzchen MCD was out in October of 2010 through Red Stream. Bethlehem recruited vocalist Malte Langenbrinck (Chaos Invocation) in the spring of 2011. Langenbrinck was set to appear at the Under The Black Sun festival in July in Germany. Velnias became the second guitarist in 2019. The band was booked for the Rockstadt Fest in 2020, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. The group reported working on a new album in 2025.


Reviews

BETHLEHEM - SCHATTEN AUS DER ALEXANDER WELT - RED STREAM
Bands and labels should have mercy upon writers and journalists. What would be great is a life line. Give us something with which to work. This album is a two-disc set where one is the album proper and the second 'diverse bonus tracks by several BETHLEHEM members.' I want to hear from people who are fans of Bethlehem and from people who buy this. What is it that the rest of us are missing? Shadows From the Alexander World is a compilation of slow beats, a drum machine and dismal melodies. There are curious odds and ends, out-takes, radio dial static (also depicted on the CDs), a couple of Ministry-inspired industrial beats and even listen to the 2:30 mark of track thirteen to hear an Offspring riff on the bass! The doll from the Solefald CD (also recently seen on the December Wolves CD) also makes a guest appearance on the cover. Schatten Aus Der Alexander Welt is two of the most abstract CDs of all time.


Interviews







Bethlehem