Jürgen Bartsch, the founding and one fixed member of pioneering German excessive steel band Bethlehem, has handed away after an undisclosed sickness. The information was shared by present Bethlehem singer Yvonne “Onielar” Wilczynska.
On Instagram, Onielar wrote (as translated from German), “He has died many occasions… However loss of life was solely momentary. After a critical sickness, perseverance, and nice preventing spirit, our beloved good friend and esteemed founding father of Bethlehem – Jürgen Bartsch – handed away on August 27, 2025. In deep sorrow and with a damaged coronary heart, Within the identify of Bethlehem, We are going to always remember you, Jürgen. Relaxation in peace.”
Bartsch was the founding bassist and chief songwriter of Bethlehem, whom he based in 1991. The band is credited with pioneering the DSBM (Depressive Suicidal Black Metallic) style, combing black steel with doom steel on a collection of influential Nineteen Nineties albums, together with its debut Darkish Metallic (1994) and its follow-up Dictius te necare (1996).
Associated Video
General, Bethlehem has launched 10 albums, most just lately 2022’s The Gospel In response to Alexander, with their sound evolving through the years. Two of the band’s songs appeared on the soundtrack to Concord Korine’s 1997 cult film Gummo.
In a 2017 interview, Bartsch was requested about Bethlehem being referred to as the forefathers of the DSBM style, to which he responded, “Sure, we’re! [laughs]. Mainly, we don’t have something in frequent with that scene, however sure, we’re their godfathers! … Within the nineties, we had been taking part in in entrance of ten folks. Individuals had been saying: ‘That is shit! It’s not black steel, it’s about suicide, what sort of shit is that this?’ So yeah, we had been fortunate that in some way some youngsters bought thinking about that.”
Our condolences exit to Jürgen Bartsch’s household, buddies, and bandmates throughout this troublesome time.
