Hanzel und Gretyl

Exploration of the future gave birth to Hanzel und Gretyl in 1993 as Loopy and Vas Kallas fixated on a machine approach to music that has since popularized the infamous HUG quote "Machines Good People Bad." As the human element of musicians fell apart from former band projects, Vas and Loopy were left in the deep black forest and it was only natural to take on the personas of the fairy tale "Hanzel und Gretyl."

On their first demo Kindermusik in 1994, HuG worked along with Bryce Goggin, (Ramones, Space Hog...) and distributed it labels receiving a great response -- but the music industry was not daring enough to sign an act that sang in German and fringed on experimental ideas. At that time Vas and Loopy were living in their rehearsal studio in Manhattan actually on the same floor that Madonna occupied back in her struggling artist days. Conveniently, across the street from their studio was Energy Records, where HuG deposited a demo and were immediately signed.

In 1995 their first album, Ausgeflippt, was released. The duo then formed a live band, recruiting Ginger Bread on bass and the Pat 5000 on drums. Having only five live shows under their belt, Marilyn Manson took an interest in HuG and invited them on tour as an opening act for his 1995 and 1996 tours. This opportunity catapulted HuG into the public's eye with great admiration. At the same time Ausgeflippt (which translates to "flipped-out" in German), received nothing but great reviews, while their dance single "Shine 2001" reached the #1 position on the Alternative Press Dance chart.

Immediately following the success of Ausgeflippt HuG returned to Kinderland Studios to create their next opus -- Transmissions from Uranus which was subsequently released in 1997. This CD focused on Astrological, Sci-Fi, and futuristic influences incorporated with a more Techo/Metal vibe. Once again, receiving a plethora of positive reviews, HuG were coined as the Industrial band with a great sense of humor who stood out amongst all the rest. "9D Galactic Center" not only played on K-Rock Radio Stations during station ID's, but was also used in the movie Mortal Combat-Annihilation, as well as played during the 1997 MTV Music Awards.

During HuG's 1997 Transmissions... tour, Seven was inducted as a new live member on drums. The tour took them throughout the US as a headliner and as openers for bands such as Prong, Sister Machine Gun, Slipknot, and Rob Halford. Also around this time HuG played with US newcomers, Rammstein, at the CMJ music Festival in NYC, solidifying the Deutch-American Fruendshaft and opened the doors for them to tour successfully with Rammstein in 1998.

Shortly afterwards, Energy Records gradually went out of business and closed its doors. This gave way to a long legal situation which unfortunately halted the progression of HuG. Finally in 2002, a new day dawned for HUG leaving them legally free and signed with Metropolis Records. In 2003, their much anticipated third epic album, Über Alles saw the light of day, as well as an entirely new live band line-up. Über Alles is served up in the style of a misplaced Wagnerian space-metal opera lost in time, chewed up by distorted synth filters and pummeled by a million homicidal robot drum machines manipulated by the reclusive (but lovable) scatterbrain mastermind known as Loopy, and the much feared (but also very loveable) Vas Kallas. HuG once again created the epic of all possibilities.

2004's Scheissmessiah is Hanzel und Gretyl's newest masterpiece. This 11 track album demonstrates the perfection of HuG's unique brand of cyber industrial metal and is ready to capture the hearts and of course control the minds of the masses worldwide! Integrating heaven and hell, Dante's Inferno, and Handel's Messiah as the album's major themes, HuG has recorded possibly their most ironically anarchistic and ferociously heavy release to date. Scheissmessiah features HuG's signature blend of Deutsch and English along with aggressively gritty guitars and Vas's growling vocals. All 11 snarling tracks represent the brilliance that is Hanzel und Gretyl!