During the 1980s, a handful of German hard rock acts managed to make a pretty remarkable impression on the American music market. While not all of them had the staying power and popularity of Scorpions, some, like Accept, Helloween, and Hannover's Victory made an impression that -- while not necessarily selling millions -- was almost unattainable in the following decades for German rock acts. Signed to CBS records, Victory (circa their first release: Charlie Huhn, vocals, Tommy Newton, guitars, John Lockton, guitar, Peter Knorn, bass, and Bernie Van de Graaf on drums) released their first album -- a self-titled affair that was boosted sales-wise by a rather Spinal Tap-esque "sexist" cover -- in 1985. A U.S. tour was in the offing, and, first making a replacement on drums with Van de Graaf stepping down for Fritz Randow, the band made additional appearances at Oakland's Day on the Green Festival and the Texxas Jam festival. Lockton left the band after its journey westward, but once new guitarist Herman Frank was in the fold, Victory continued a steady stream of recording and releasing that would result in four more albums from 1987 to 1990. And although the band was dealt the unfortunate blow of losing frontman Charlie Huhn, replacement Fernando Garcia made a positive impression, and the Victory train kept rolling. By the early '90s, Victory had begun to achieve chart success in Germany, but it wasn't enough to guarantee roster stability, and over the years a number of members had come and gone. It also wasn't enough to guarantee the band a longer shelf-life, as Victory decided to call it a day after releasing the double-live album Live Line in 1994. In 1996, the band, presenting a very different roster than in years past, tried to make a comeback, but it was short-lived, and once again the members of Victory went their separate ways. The members found success in other bands, including Foghat, Godiva, and Saxon, and working with solo artists such as Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth. But the dissolution of Victory was to see its own end in 2003, when the band (the lineup this time around being Huhn, Newton, Randow, Frank, and Knorn) released the album Instinct. 2006 found the re-established Victory releasing another collection, a re-recorded best-of titled Fuel to the Fire. The band continued on in the face of continued line-up changes (Jioti Parcharidis in for Huhn, Randow replaced by Achim Keller), and would land a touring spot opening up for Metal Church. ~ Chris True, Rovi
