Holy Moses

Holy Moses
Holy Moses live in 2009
Background information
Origin	Aachen, Germany
Genres	Thrash metal
Years active	1980–1994, 2000–present
Labels	Armageddon Music, Aaarrg, West Virginia Records, WEA, Steamhammer, Century Media Records
Associated acts	Darxon
Members	Sabina Classen Peter Geltat Gerd Lücking Thomas Neitsch

Holy Moses is a German thrash metal band. They are well noted for being fronted by Sabina Classen (it is rare for a woman to be a singer in thrash metal) and for being one of the very first German thrash metal bands.

Holy Moses were formed in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, in 1980. The band's first line-up was formed by bassist Ramon Brüssler, drummer Peter Vonderstein and guitarist Jochen Fünders during high school, the latter of whom also handled the band's vocals. This line-up played its first live show only four days after its formation, and released a demo titled Black Metal Masters in the same year. Vonderstein and Fünders left the group in 1981, and were replaced by drummer Paul Linzenich, vocalist Iggy, and guitarist Andy Classen from the local group Desaster. In December 1981, Iggy left the group and was replaced by ex-Desaster bassist and girlfriend of Andy, Sabina Classen (née Hirtz). The band performed their first live show with the new stable line-up in November 1982 and released a string of demo tapes, including Walpurgis Night in 1985, and The Bitch in 1986, and also appeared on the split-album compilation Metallic Bunnys.

In 1986, Holy Moses released their debut album Queen of Siam through independent label Aaarrg, with Herbert Dreger on drums (Linzenich left shortly before the recording to focus on his university studies). After the release of the record, Dreger was sacked for not showing up to a support show with Agent Steel, and Brüssler (the only original member of Holy Moses remaining), left the band. Both members were replaced by nineteen-year-old Uli Kusch and Andre Chapelier respectively. The following year, Holy Moses released their sophomore effort Finished With the Dogs, which was a much heavier and cleaner-sounding album than its predecessor. The album was a critical success around the world, earning the band a distribution deal through Warner Music Group (WEA) and tours of Europe with Angel Dust, Rage, Steeler, Paganini, D.R.I. and Holy Terror, finishing with a headlining show in Hamburg.