METALLIAN - Rough Silk

Roots Of Hate - 1993 - RCA
Walls Of Never - 1994 - Mausoleum
Circle Of Pain... ...Or: The Secret Lies Of Timekeeping - 1996 - Teichiku/Massacre
Mephisto - 1997 - Massacre
Beyond The Sundown - 1998 - Massacre
Symphony Of Life - 2001 - Breaker
End Of Infinity - 2003 - Point Music
A New Beginning - 2009 - Dockyard 1
The Good, The Bad & The Undead - 2012 - Rebellion

Members

Vocals

Jan Barnett - Gutter>>Thomas Ludolphy>>Staub - Nils Wünderlich - Herbert Hartmann - FERDY DOERNBERG

Guitar

Hilmer 'Himar' Staacke>>Solo - Lawdy>>Andreas "Lanny" Laszewski - Nils Wünderlich>>Quake - A.O.D.>>MIKE MANDEL>>A.O.D.

Bass

Ralf Schwertner>>Hilmer Staacke - A.O.D.>>André Hort>>A.O.D., Human Fortress

Drum

Albatros>>Herbert Hartmann - Headgame, Gutter>>Curt Doernberg>>Donnerkopf, Treibhaus - Albatros>>Herbert Hartmann - Nocaress>>Alex Wenn

Keyboard

The Wabbles, Axel Rudi Pell, Gamma Ray, Crimson Glory, Freedom Call, Uli Jon Roth, Don Dokken, Dezperadoz, Roland Grapow, Shock Machine, Chris Caffrey, Taraxacum, Rick Renstrom, Solo, Philipp Burger, Therion, Eden's Curse, Sainted Sinners, Anke Sobek>>FERDY DOERNBERG>>Axel Rudi Pell, Gamma Ray, Crimson Glory, Freedom Call, Uli Jon Roth, Don Dokken, Dezperadoz, Roland Grapow, Shock Machine, Chris Caffrey, Taraxacum, Rick Renstrom, Solo, Philipp Burger, Therion, Eden's Curse, Sainted Sinners, Anke Sobek

History & Biography

Rough Silk is probably a good name for this band. There are hard parts, but the band has many soft commercial moments probably inspired by Queen or some such. The singer plays the keyboards too. Like all bands, Hanover-based Rough Silk disbanded (twice in this case first in 2003 and then in 2012) before reforming.

The act was founded in 1989. Ups And Downs was recorded and released in 1990. The demo contained three songs. The band was singer Jan Barnett, guitarist Hilmer Staacke, bassist Ralf Schwertner, drummer Herbert Hartmann and keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg. The band obtained a major record deal and a debut album appeared in 1993. Roots Of Hate was produced by Accept drummer Stefan Kaufmann. It showcased a new band logo. The band was being managed by Gaby who managed Accept. Walls Of Never was on Mausoleum, which promptly went broke again. The group toured as support for Helloween here. Guitarist Himar left due to his asthma. The third record was on the third label. Circle Of Pain... ...Or: The Secret Lies Of Timekeeping was on Massacre. This one featured new guitarist Andreas "Lanny" Laszewski. Ralf Schwertner was credited with both bass and harmonica. This album was a concept about life, but featured Hammond organs, mandolin and an accordion. It started with a track called The End and ended with an instrumental called The Beginning. Lanny quit suddenly, which meant that the band had to miss out on a gig opportunity and that the guitarist had been with Rough Silk for a year only. The self-produced Mephisto followed. Nils Wünderlich was on guitar. Curt Doernberg was on drums and had also introduced his former band-mate Nils to the group. Herbert had quit to become a teacher. Beyond The Sundown, similarly, arrived quickly, but the band had had time to fit in a new singer called Thomas Ludolphy. This one ventured into heavier territory. Earlier singer Jan had left amidst animosity.

Symphony Of Life was out three years later. The band was always considered as influenced by the newer pop-oriented Savatage and here co-producer Jon Oliva contributed vocals to the song The Voice Of God. Rough Silk had toured with Savatage after Mephisto and did so again here. The record was on Breaker Records, which was Udo Dirkschneider's upstart label. The band's popularity had declined. End Of Infinity switched up the band's cover artwork style and was on Point Music. The bigger change was the departure of singer Thomas Ludolphy as of March 2002. The other members had opted to divide vocal duties. The album featured Ferdy's father Martin Dörnberg on violin. The result was such that the group disbanded in 2005. The members were mostly uninterested. Ralf, for example, was not into metal anymore. In the interim, a drummer was Thomas Becker and his successor was Tribe 13's Detlef "Dizzy" Kroll before the disbandment. Thomas ended up in a goth rock band several years later.

The return was in 2006. An album, however, had to wait until 2009. In any case, the band might have been called Rough Silk, but the sole returning member was the keyboard player. The band's new beginning was on Dockyard 1. Ferdy Doernberg produced. The track A Song For Hilmer referenced early guitarist Hilmer Staacke who had died of asthma in 2006. Ferdy had left the Western themed Dezperadoz, but a track called Sierra Madre was on A New Beginning. The group played at Rock Harz Festival in 2009 and Building A Force Festival in 2010. The Good, The Bad & The Undead was another endpoint. The non-stop reformation, complete with new names, was in 2015. A release by the band was called Progressive Oi!-Pop. Yes, Progressive Oi!-Pop. Ferdy Doernberg was on every folk/pop instrument possible. Mike Mandel (in A.O.D. with Andre Hort and Sanitys Dawn as of 2024) was on guitar. Former Nikki Puppet member Anke Sobek (who was married to Ferdy) was on ukulele, bass and organ and a returning Herbert Hartmann was on organ and drums.

Ferdy Doernberg is also a session player and a side-project practitioner. He also worked as a music therapist. The Doernbergs are brothers.

Reviews

Interviews

Rough Silk