Stomper 98 - Stomper 98

Germany’s Stomper 98 celebrate their 25th Anniversary with a new self-titled LP, due out September 1st, 2023. Featuring Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen on guitar, the band’s seventh studio album Stomper 98 delivers a mix of hardcore, street punk, reggae, and Oi!. – Dying Scene

As one of the premier Oi! bands in Germany, STOMPER 98 are regarded as legends of working class punk rock. It is perhaps bitter irony that it was a workplace accident that left the band’s frontman Sebi with a crushed foot, bedridden for nearly half a year, and needing to learn to walk all over again. Such a traumatic and life-altering event might crush a person’s spirit as much as any bones, but for Sebi, it put life into perspective and fueled his desire to always rise above adversity stronger than ever. Besides, how could a band with such a rich history like STOMPER 98 miss out on the chance to release a record for their 25th anniversary?

Ultimately, STOMPER 98 was presented with an arduous challenge: following up 2018’s Altergebracht, which was hailed as the band’s best work, not to mention the best German Oi! album of the past 20 years. As high as the bar has already been set, this album is primed to not only meet but exceed those expectations.

The story of the new STOMPER 98 album then, is the story of conquering life’s challenges to emerge triumphant. Just like the theme behind the album, every song tells a story.

“Every song tells a story. We sing about what is happening around us. What we experience, how we look at the socio-political situation of the world in which we live. We sing about grief, loss and painful moments. The gaze is always directed forward,” says Sebi.

Stomper lets their creative juices flow as listeners will get their share of punk, reggae, Oi!, shuffle, hardcore, and more. It helps to have the vision executed by an international all-star lineup of street punk legends, including RANCID & OLD FIRM CASUALS guitarist Lars Frederiksen, guitarist Tommi Tox, saxophonist Holgi Stomper, bassist Sille Riot, and drummer Stefan H.! Tommi Tox wrote the music for the record, and collaborated with Sebi on the lyrics to bring these songs to life.

Whether the challenges STOMPER 98 have faced are the self-made challenges of surpassing previous creative milestones or the challenge of recovering from the blows life inevitably deals with, this latest collection of Oi! classics will send the message loud and clear to fans across the world that STOMPER 98 have certainly emerged victorious.