This German group was formed by Uli Jon Roth (guitar, vocals) after he left the Scorpions in 1978. At first he was assisted by Ule Ritgens on bass and Clive Edwards on drums. The group was quickly signed by the Brain label and released Earthquake in 1979. It was a highly spiritual record, with guitar work that aspired to imitate Jimi Hendrix and the west coast acid rock movement. This fusion of jazz and rock music, however, was let down by Roth’s vocals. On Firewind, released in 1981, Clive Edwards was replaced by Sidhatta Gautama. The music was improved and featured pieces influenced by the oriental tradition, even though the vocals remained the same. Roth’s solo album, Beyond The Astral Skies, took four years to complete, but when it was finally released, it revealed a great leap forward. In addition to the jazz rock pieces, there were also neo-classical movements that allowed Roth free reign to indulge his religious beliefs and demonstrate his musical ability and technique. The biggest improvement was in the vocals, with Roth still singing lead but having the support of seven other vocalists.