Craaft

This German melodic rock quartet was formed in 1984. The line-up comprised Marcus Schleicher (ex-GMT; guitar), Tommy Keiser (ex-Krokus; bass), Tommy Schneider (drums), Franz Keil (keyboards) and Klaus Luley (vocals; ex-Tokyo), and they provided a breath of fresh air in the mid-80s teutonic rock scene, which was otherwise dominated by identikit speed metal bands. Surprisingly, the band sounded more American than German, combining Night Ranger, Whitesnake and Toto influences to great effect. Luley was a highly talented vocalist, using his considerable range and power to carry the melody lines, while the use of keyboards to fill out the sound is achieved in a subtle and understated fashion. They released two excellent albums, but received little recognition outside Germany.