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Having grown tired of their earlier joint project, Dark Tempest's thrash-based aggressions, and united by a morbid, almost pathological fascination with suicide and death, bassist Jürgen Bartsch and guitarist Klaus Matton (who as a boy lost his father to suicide and mother to cancer) founded Bethlehem in 1991.
Along with vocalist Andreas Classen and drummer Chris Steinhoff, the duo proceeded to channel their rampant negativity into the moody, atmospheric brand of dark/black metal (punctuated by tortured shrieking) presented on 1994's Thy Pale Dominion 7" E.P., and 1995's aptly named full-length debut Dark Metal. Their spirits did not improve on subsequent, despair-drenched outings like 1996's Dictus Te Necare (translation: "Kill Yourself"), 1997's S.U.I.Z.I.D. (full title: Sardonischer Untergang Im Zeichen Irreliogiosen Darbietung) and 1998's Reflektionen Auf's Sterben E.P., and various vocalists, drummers, and keyboard players sifted through their ranks as well. Bethlehem also ran into quite a bit of trouble with German authorities over their perceived glorification of death, and, among many, tasteless self-promotion stunts, claiming that former singer Classen had 'offed' himself! The band managed to stay a few steps ahead of the law, however, and even endured the departure of leader-in-misery Matton to complete 2001's ambitiously avant-garde, industrial-tinged double-disc set Schatten Aus der Alexander Welt. Heading into 2002, the Bethlehem lineup consisted of founder Bartsch & ex-Belphegor drummer Torturer and was hard at work on an interactive CD-ROM under the disturbing title Suicide Radio. ~ Eduardo RivadaviaBethlehem - Discography
Demo I -Bethlehem - *September 1992, Self production
Homevideo -Dark Metal - *May 1993, Self production
Demo II -thy pale dominion - *March 1993, Self prodcution
7" -thy pale dominion - *June/July 1993, Nightmare Records, Mönchengladbach, Germany
Deathophobia I -CD compilation - *August 1993, Force Productions, Donauwörth, Germany
CD -Dark Metal - *August 1994, Adipocere, France
7" -thy pale dominion - *May 1995, re-release, Red Stream, USA
MC -Dark Metal - *February 1996, Morbid Noize, Poland
CD -Dictius te necare - *April 1996, Red Stream, USA
CD -Gummo - O.S.T. *1997, New Line Productions/London Recs., USA
Homevideo -Gummo - *1997, New Line Productions/London Recs., USA
CD -Dark Metal - *January 1998, re-release, Red Stream, USA
CD -Sardonischer Untergang im Zeichen irreligiöser Darbietung - *March 1998, Red Stream, USA
MCD -Reflexionen aufs Sterben - *August 1998, Red Stream, USA
LP -S.U.i.Z.i.D. - (limited edition) *September 1998, Red Stream, USA
PicLP -Dictius te necare - (limited edition) *December 1998, Red Stream, USA
Homevideo -Gepriesen sei der Untergang - *April 1999, Red Stream, USA
LP -Dark Metal - *September 1999, re-release, Solid Recs./Selbstmord Services, Stockholm, Sweden
MLP -Reflexionen aufs Sterben - *December 1999, re-release, Solid Recs./Selbstmord Services, Stockholm, Sweden
7" -Profane Fetmilch lenzt elf krank - (limited edition) *December 1999, Prophecy Productions, Germany
MCD -Profane Fetmilch lenzt elf krank - *February 2000, Prophecy Productions, Germany
2CD Digi -Schatten aus der Alexander Welt -(limited edition) *August 2001, Prophecy Productions, Germany
CD -Schatten aus der Alexander Welt - *September 2001, Prophecy Productions, Germany
2CD Digi -Schatten aus der Alexander Welt - (limited edition) *September 2001, Red Stream, USA
CDRom -Suicide Radio - (special edition) *November 2002, Red Stream, USA
CD -Schatten aus der Alexander Welt - *February 2003, Iron Recs., Russia
Split 7" -Bethlehem/Wraithen - *April 2004, Morbid Wrath, USA
7" - Alles tot - (limited edition) *June 2004, Amortout Prod., Grenoble, France
Special Fan Package - Alles tot - (limited edition) *June 2004, Amortout Prod., Grenoble, France
2CD DVD Box -Dictius Te Necare - (special edition) *August 2004, Red Stream, USA
CD Digi -Mein Weg - *October 2004, Red Stream, USA
CD Digi - Dark Metal - *February 2006, re-release, Red Stream, USA
CD - Dark Metal - *June 2006, re-releases, Red Stream, USA
MCD - Reflektionen auf..s Sterben - *September 2006, re-release, Red Stream, USA
7" Split - Suizidal Ovipare Todessehnsucht (Bethlehem/Benighted in Sodom) - * April 2009, Obscure-Abhorrence, Germany
7" Split - Gestern starb ich schon heute (Bethlehem/Joyless) - * May 2009, VÁN, Germany
CD - A sacrificial offering to the kingdom of Heaven in a cracked dog's ear - * May 2009, remake, Red Stream Inc., USA
LP - Dictius Te Necare -, re-release (limited edition) * August 2009, Ostra, France
LP + CD + TS Die Hard Edition - Dictius Te Necare -, (limited edition) * November 2009, Ostra, France
CD Digi - Dictius Te Necare - (special limited edition + bonus tracks) *December 2009, Red Stream Inc., USA
CD - Schatten aus der....Bethlehem / A Tribut to Dictius Te Necare - *December 2009, Ostra Recs., France
CD - Bethlehems Bastarde - Split Tribut - Ataraxie (Fr)/Imindain(GB), *December 2009, Weird Truth Productions, Japan
CD - Dictius Te Necare - re-release - * June 2010, Red Stream Inc., USA
MCD - Stoenkfitzchen - self-production * October 2010, Red Stream Inc., USA
LP - Stoenkfitzchen - limited to 777 copies * June 2011, TPE, Germany