Sinner

Biography

Sinner is a German heavy metal band formed by vocalist and bassist Mat Sinner in 1982 (who later joined Primal Fear). They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene. Their latest album, Boom Bang Goodbye×Boom Bang Goodbye31 July 2026 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Dreams Can Come True4:132Wait3:233Leave It All Behind4:114All Night Long4:375Are You Ready3:216Born to Run4:207Hellbreaker3:008Turn the Page3:139Road to Remember3:5610Under the Moonlight3:5211Power4:53, was released on 31 July 2026, and will be their last as Sinner will focus solely on Primal Fear going forward.

History

Based in Stuttgart, Sinner released their first album, Wild'n'Evil in 1982. This album, along with the next two (Fast Decision×Fast Decision1983 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Runnin' Wild3:312Crazy3:063Prelude No. 70:484Magic3:195One Last Look4:216Fast Decision4:017Trouble Boys2:258In the City3:259Chains2:4310Rockin'3:59 and Danger Zone×Danger Zone1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Danger Zone3:372No Place in Heaven3:383Scene of a Crime3:404Lupo Manaro3:515Fast, Hard & Loud2:546The Shiver4:027Razor Blade3:158Shadow in the Night3:009Wild Winds2:5910Rattlesnake2:5911Outro (Danger II)0:35) were raw affairs, having little in common with the melodic metal they would later become known for. After many personnel changes (including drummer Edgar Patrik leaving to join Bonfire), the band saw the addition of Accept's Herman Frank on guitars and the release of Touch of Sin in 1985. Frank would leave before the next album, 1986's Comin' Out Fighting×Comin' Out Fighting1986 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Hypnotized4:33A2Faster Than Light4:58A3Comin' Out Fighting3:07A4Age of Rock3:41A5Rebel Yell4:00B1Lost in a Minute2:49B2Don't Tell Me (That the Love Is Gone)4:01B3Germany Rocks4:05B4Playing With Fire3:37B5Madhouse3:45, with future U.D.O. guitarist Mathias Dieth replacing him.
1987 saw the release of Dangerous Charm, a much more melodic album than previous efforts, but shortly after this the band lost their recording contract, took a break and would not be heard of again for five years.
In 1990, Mat Sinner released a solo album called Back to the Bullet on BMG with a completely new band. Three members of the Mat Sinner band reformed Sinner and released No More Alibis in 1992, an album far heavier than anything Sinner had released before. This renewed vigour coupled with songwriting that far exceeded the band's previous releases not only carried on but strengthened with Respect in 1994 and Bottom Line in 1995, the latter staying in the Japanese national chart for five weeks. Since the reformation the band's reputation had improved immensely, touring as support for bands such as Mr. Big and Savatage as well as headlining their own German tour and releasing a live album. Sinner were to reach even higher peaks though, releasing two hugely successful albums with Judgement Day×Judgement Day26 September 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Used to the Truth4:592Blue Tattoo3:103Jump the Gun4:064Judgement Day8:505Pray for Mercy4:356White Lightning3:597Streets of Sin7:208Deathwalker3:239School of Hard Knocks5:1210The Fugitive4:0811Troublemaker3:5312The River Runs Dry7:51 in 1997 and The Nature of Evil×The Nature of Evil24 June 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Devil's River5:202A Question Of Honour7:173Justice From Hell4:524The Nature Of Evil7:325Some Truth (Has Better Left Unknown)3:586Darksoul7:217Faith And Conviction3:388Rising2:259Walk On The Darkside4:3310Trust No One3:1011The Sun Goes Down6:11 in 1998 before touring Europe as support for rock giants Deep Purple. The Nature of Evil was the band's most successful album to date, reaching No. 63 in the German albums chart.
In 1998, Mat Sinner and Tom Naumann, who had been with Sinner since their reformation in 1992 formed Primal Fear with ex-Gamma Ray vocalist Ralf Scheepers. Mat Sinner has been involved as a driving force in both Sinner and Primal Fear to this day.

In 2000, the band saw its first line-up change in five years as several members left, including guitarist Tom Naumann while ex-Helloween and Gamma Ray's Uli Kusch filled in on drums for The End of Sanctuary. However, in 2003 the previous 1995–1999 line-up renewed itself and on 20 January 2003 released There Will Be Execution before going quiet again for four years. In the past nine years the band had released six albums, proving to be the band's most successful period. This success would continue, as after releasing two more albums with Primal Fear, an album with his pre-Sinner band Goddess Shiva and guesting on Tribuzy's debut album, Mat Sinner brought Sinner back to release Mask of Sanity×Mask of Sanity19 January 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1The Other Side4:022Diary of Evil4:353Badlands3:524Black3:595Thunder Roar5:166The Sign4:277Revenge3:358Under the Gun3:429Can't Stand the Heat3:4110No Return4:4011Last Man Standing3:3012Baby Please Don't Go4:30 in 2007. This album spawned two popular singles in "Diary of Evil" and "Black" and included a faithful rendition of Thin Lizzy's "Baby Please Don't Go".

Album sales

Sinner album sales have never been spectacular: it is estimated they sold less than 150,000 copies of their first three releases. The band's six and seven track albums of the 1990s, Respect×Respect1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Respect5:102Things Get Started3:313Fire in the Dark3:574Don't Let This Dream Die Young4:265Modern World4:576Beds Are Burning4:207Little Victory5:018Every Little Step5:329Believer3:5410Valley of Tears4:0011Shattered Dreams4:3612Knife in My Heart4:4113What's So Bad About Feeling Good4:16 and Bottom Line×Bottom LineJune 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1The Biggest Lie3:512Roses of Yesterday4:413When Silence Falls3:464All Men Are Heroes4:155I Can't Stop the Fire3:406We'll Make It Alright4:097Rage of a Hurricane3:198Mercy Killer4:379Dead End Street3:2710In the Heart of the Young5:1911Hearts of Steel4:3612Say Goodbye6:14, sold less than 200,000 combined and without any real advertising except that of word of mouth. Sinner's fourth full-length album, Judgement Day×Judgement Day26 September 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Used to the Truth4:592Blue Tattoo3:103Jump the Gun4:064Judgement Day8:505Pray for Mercy4:356White Lightning3:597Streets of Sin7:208Deathwalker3:239School of Hard Knocks5:1210The Fugitive4:0811Troublemaker3:5312The River Runs Dry7:51, received fair reviews but again had little advertising put into it as the band spent most of its money on recording. Sinner's Nature of Evil released in 1998 proved to be the band's most successful original album with over 100,000 copies sold. Nature of Evil was advertised heavily on the internet mostly on German Music web sites.
In 1998 and 1999, Sinner released two compilation albums, the first was Emerald Collection containing many tracks from Danger Zone×Danger Zone1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Danger Zone3:372No Place in Heaven3:383Scene of a Crime3:404Lupo Manaro3:515Fast, Hard & Loud2:546The Shiver4:027Razor Blade3:158Shadow in the Night3:009Wild Winds2:5910Rattlesnake2:5911Outro (Danger II)0:35 and Comin' Out Fighting. The second compilation album, which contained three songs from Bottom Line, three songs from Nature of Evil, four songs from Judgement Day, two from live recording and three new released songs, was called The Second Decade. The Second Decade became Sinner's best selling album, most of which were bought on eBay. The Second Decade by Sinner until 2005 was the only album available for sale on eBay and proved to be an international success. The Second Decade brought new fans to Europe primarily from Latin America, Japan, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Poland and Greece.
The End of Sanctuary and There Will Be Execution are currently Sinner's only 21st century albums that entered the German albums chart. After the German Top 50 album Tequila Suicide×Tequila Suicide31 March 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Go Down Fighting2:372Tequila Suicide3:143Road to Hell3:314Dragons5:015Battle Hill4:086Sinner Blues4:317Why3:568Gypsy Rebels3:269Loud & Clear4:0910Dying on a Broken Heart4:42, Sinner toured Europe, Japan and Australia. The latest Sinner album Santa Muerte×Santa Muerte13 September 2019 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Shine On3:402Fiesta Y Copas2:593Santa Muerte6:074Last Exit Hell3:585What Went Wrong4:366Lucky 133:307Death Letter4:058Craving3:069The Wolf4:3610The Ballad of Jack3:4411Misty Mountain4:4612Stormy Night4:0113Sorry4:35 was released via AFM Records on 13 September 2019, including the first single/video "Fiesta Y Copas" featuring Ronnie Romero of Rainbow. Sinner has released seventeen albums and sold over a million records worldwide.

Current members

Mat Sinner – bass, vocals (1980–present)
Tom Naumann – guitars (1988–present)
Alex Scholpp – guitars (2011–present)
Markus Kullmann – drums (2018–present)
Giorgia Colleluori – vocals (2018–present)

Studio albums

Wild 'n' Evil (1982)
Fast Decision (1983)
Danger Zone (1984)
Touch of Sin (1985)
Comin' Out Fighting (1986)
Dangerous Charm (1987)
No More Alibis (1992)
Respect (1993)
Bottom Line (1995)
Judgement Day (1997)
The Nature of Evil (1998)
The End of Sanctuary (2000)
There Will Be Execution (2003)
Mask of Sanity (2007)
Crash & Burn (2008)
One Bullet Left (2011)
Touch of Sin 2 (2013)
Tequila Suicide (2017)
Santa Muerte (2019)
Brotherhood (2022)
Boom Bang Goodbye (2026)

Live albums

In the Line of Fire (Live in Europe) (1996)

Compilation albums

The Best of Sinner - Noise Years (1995)
Germany Rocks - The Best of Sinner (1995)
Treasure - The Works 93-98 (1998)
The Second Decade - Best of (Includes three new tracks) (1999)
Emerald - Very Best of Sinner (1999)
Jump the Gun - Collection (2009)
No Place in Heaven the Very Best of the Noise Years 1984-1987 (2016)

Tribute albums

A Tribute to Accept (covers "Balls to the Wall") (2000)
The Spirit of the Black Rose - A Tribute to Phil Lynott (covers "The Sun Goes Down") (2001)
Emerald - A Tribute to the Wild One (covers "The Sun Goes Down") (2002)
A Tribute to the Four Horsemen (covers "Wherever I May Roam") (2002)