Bethlehem, a German death metal band from Grevenbroich (North Rhine-Westphalia), was formed in 1991 by bassist Jürgen Bartsch, guitarist Klaus Matton, and singer Andreas Classen. The band released their first single, "Thy Pale Dominion", in 1993 via Nightmare Records. Their debut album, Dark Metal, followed in 1994 on Adipocere Records. Classen left after this release to form Paragon Belial, and Rainer Landfermann took over vocals for subsequent albums. Notable releases include Dictius te necare (1996) and S.U.I.Z.I.D. (Sardonischer untergang im eichen irreligiöser darbietung, 1998). The band's contributions to the soundtrack of the film Gummo in 1998 further expanded their reach. In 2001, they released Schatten aus der Alexander Welt, followed by Mein Weg in 2004, both featuring Guido Meyer de Voltaire on vocals. The band continued with various lineup changes and releases, including the album Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia in 2014 and their self-titled album Bethlehem in 2016 to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Composed of Bartsch, drummer Florian Klein, singer Yvonne Wilczynska and guitarist Ilya Karzov, the band followed with Lebe dich leer in 2019 and The Gospel According to Alexander in 2022. Bassist and former keyboardist and guitarist, Jürgen Bartsch died on August 27, 2025. Since, Bethlehem continued as a trio.
