Paradox Heresy CD (Slipcase, 2026, High Roller Records)

Heresy is the second full-length studio album from German speed and thrash metal pioneers Paradox, originally released in 1989 and now reissued in 2026 by High Roller Records in a collector-friendly slipcase CD edition.

Formed in Würzburg, Bavaria, in 1986 by former Warhead members Axel Blaha on drums and Charly Steinhauer on vocals and guitar, Paradox quickly established themselves as one of the leading bands of the second wave of German Teutonic speed and thrash metal.

The original lineup was completed by guitarist Markus Spyth and bassist Roland Stahl. Their first seven-track demo, recorded shortly after the band's formation, immediately attracted attention throughout the German metal underground. Strong reviews in publications including Metal Hammer and Rock Hard helped establish Paradox as one of the country's most promising young thrash metal bands, with the group soon being described as Germany's answer to Metallica.

Paradox signed with Roadrunner Records and released their highly acclaimed debut album Product Of Imagination in October 1987. The album was met with an enthusiastic response from both fans and the metal press and was voted Album of the Month by German Rock Hard magazine.

The band's growing reputation led to extensive European touring, culminating in an appearance at the prestigious Dynamo Open Air festival in Eindhoven in 1988 in front of approximately 22,000 fans. By this point, Paradox had firmly established themselves within the European speed and thrash metal scene.

The next step was the recording of their second album, Heresy.

Production initially began with Kalle Trapp in Münster before legendary producer Harris Johns took over at his Music Lab Studios in Berlin. The recording sessions proved considerably more difficult than those for Product Of Imagination, with Charly Steinhauer temporarily losing his voice while both the bassist and second guitarist departed the band during the process.

Despite the considerable difficulties surrounding its production, Heresy emerged as a more focused, compact and powerful album. Steinhauer himself considers both Paradox albums classics of their genre, while regarding Heresy as the superior record due to its more transparent production, tighter songwriting and greater overall cohesion.

Where Product Of Imagination established Paradox's reputation, Heresy refined their approach. The album combines the speed, precision and aggression of classic Teutonic thrash metal with melodic guitar work, powerful vocals and memorable songwriting.

Harris Johns' production is particularly significant to the album's character. His work helped define the powerful and clear sound of numerous landmark German thrash metal releases, and his involvement gives Heresy an important place within the history of the classic Teutonic metal sound.

Heresy also represents the final chapter of Paradox's original incarnation. The difficult recording process, the breakup of the original lineup, problems finding a new vocalist and the loss of their Roadrunner Records contract ultimately contributed to Steinhauer and Blaha losing faith in the band's future. Paradox finally called it quits in July 1991.

he band would eventually return, but the original Heresy era remains one of the most important periods in Paradox's history and in the development of German speed and thrash metal.

For collectors of classic Teutonic thrash metal, Heresy is an essential physical release. Alongside Product Of Imagination, it represents the formative era of a band that helped establish the fast, technical and aggressive style associated with the second wave of German thrash.

Recommended for fans of Paradox, Product Of Imagination, Heresy and classic German speed and thrash metal.

Also recommended for listeners who enjoy Metallica, Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, Tankard, Holy Moses, Assassin, Exumer, Vendetta, Deathrow and other pioneers of the Teutonic thrash metal movement.

Ideal for collectors of German thrash metal, speed metal, Teutonic thrash, classic 1980s metal, Roadrunner Records releases, Harris Johns productions and High Roller Records editions.

Whether you're a longtime Paradox collector or discovering one of Germany's most underrated classic thrash bands for the first time, Heresy delivers a powerful snapshot of the late-1980s Teutonic metal underground at its most ambitious.

Recommended if you like: Heathen, Artillery, Flotsam and Jetsam, Toxik, Forbidden, and Vicious Rumors

Artist: Paradox 
Title: Heresy
Label: High Roller Records
Catalogue Number: HRR1067CD
UPC: 4251267724055
Release Year: 2026
Duration: Album
Format: CD 
Packaging Type: Slipcase/Jewel Case
Condition: New & factory sealed

Tracklist:

1. Heresy
2. Search for Perfection
3. Killtime
4. Crusaders Revenge
5. The Burning
6. Massacre of the Cathars
7. Serenity
8. 700 Years On
9. Castle in the Wind