The Escape

Country of origin: Germany
Year of creation: 1989
City/ Location: Bielefeld
Official site: Official Site (German) - Myspace
Members: Ingo Klemens (vocals, Guitar, Piano, Bass, Programming), Randy Meinhard (Guitars), Heiko Wersing (Guitar, Keyboard), Thomas Arensmann (Keyboard)
Official contact mail: I.Klemens@The-Escape.de

Official biography:

Melodic wave and gothic – that is what THE ESCAPE stand for since they had been founded in 1989 by Ingo Klemens, Heiko Wersing and Thorsten Abel. Being based on synthesizer sounds in the beginning, the band from Bielefeld constantly changed  their style towards gothic rock in the course of their history. From 1993 to 2000 singer Elten had stamped the sound of THE ESCAPE with his classicaly trained baritone. In this period the band released three CDs (“Every Tear Dries” 1994, “Amaryllis” 1997 and “Faith And Decay” 1999) and two MCDs (“Anthem” 1997 and “Inside” 1998) and did three concert-tours through Germany as support band for S.P.O.C.K. (1997), the Dreadful Shadows (1998) and L Áme Immortelle (2000).

Over the years the more guitar-dominated sound of THE ESCAPE became a problem for Elten. As a consequence of the new style they had chosen, he left the band, but very soon it turned out that founding member and mastermind Ingo Klemens, who is on mike since 2000, could not only fill the gap without difficulty, but also added some new facets to the vocals, enriched with some fresh and rocking impulses by new guitarist Thorsten Lawrenz (since 2000) and keyboarder Tommes Arensmann (since 2001). As a logical consequence, THE ESCAPE presented in the fall of 2001 “Manderley”, an album praised by critics and even chosen "Demo of the Month" by German magazine Metal Hammer, which was inspiring for both fans of gothic rock and friends of melodic rock and wave.In 2001 the band went on tour again to support the band Whispers in the Shadow. In 2004 THE ESCAPE released their double live CD “Ivory” which had been recorded in Bielefeld in Spring 2004. This limited DCD was signed by each menmber of the band. In late 2004 they released their fifth album “House Of Mind”. The album was promoted by a headliner-tour in 2005 (with God´s Army and Other Day as support bands). Meanwhile Thorsten Lawrenz had left the band in 2004 and had been replaced by Randy Meinhard (former Pestilence, Sacrosanct). 

In 2007 THE ESCAPE did a split single in vinyl with the gothic-icons The House Of Usher. This single (named “Conspiracy”) has been the last release of the band. It was produced by Ingo Klemens, who even wrote the music of one song for The House Of Usher and played some guitar tracks for them. In 2007 Heiko Wersing, the last founding member beside Ingo Klemens left the band as he had too much familiar and professional obligations. The other members of the band also took a timeout to concentrate on their private life and work. But the band still exists and the remaining members may come together again, play some gigs and create some new songs. THE ESCAPE, who are one of gothic rock's originals having their roots in the Eighties, do enjoy the status of a cult band within the scene due to their great live performance and their delight in playing which they proved with their shows on the Wave Gotik Treffen 1998, 2000 and 2002, the Zillo Festival 1999 and 2002 or the Black Elben Festival 2003, among others. Straight, guitar-based gothic rock which never loses sight of their love for great melodies, ranging from dreamy and romantic to dark and melancholic. By mixing influences from Eighties-heroes like The Mission, Sisters of Mercy or Fields of the Nephilim, with new elements, THE ESCAPE create their own distinctive and independent sound stamped by Ingo Klemens' dark and multi-variant voice.

Official Discography:
1994: CD EVERY TEAR DRIES
1997: MCD ANTHEM
1997: CD AMARYLLIS
1998: MCD INSIDE
1999: CD FAITH AND DECAY
2001: CD MANDERLEY
2004: DOUBLE-LIVE-CD  IVORY
2004: CD HOUSE OF MIND
2007: SPLIT-VINYL-SINGLE  CONSPIRACY (with The House Of Usher)

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