Schlagwerk was a Neue Deutsche Härte band from Heilbronn, Germany. Formed in 2007, the group consisted of Ralph "Der Prediger" Barthelmess on vocals, Michael "Der Wächter" Schmitz on bass, Stefan "Der Vollstrecker" Schönbrunn on guitar, and Markus "Das Kind" Dietz on keyboard. Schlagwerk released their debut album Schlagwerk in 2010, produced by Tommy Newton, who had previously worked with bands such as Guano Apes and Helloween. The album was released through ZYX Music and featured contributions from Randy Black of Annihilator and Primal Fear. In May 2012, Schlagwerk embarked on their first Germany tour. Following the disbandment of Schlagwerk in November 2015, the band members formed a new project called Dornenkönig.
