Our Story

The story of CAVE.

More Than A Band. A Shared Vision.

Some bands are founded because musicians want to start a band. CAVE wasn't.

Long before anyone thought about albums, tours or festival stages, there was simply a small basement studio in southern Germany. Friends met there after work, bringing guitars, ideas and endless enthusiasm for creating music. Songs were written without deadlines, without expectations and without anyone thinking about record deals or audiences. Chris’s sister jokingly called the room “the Cave.” Years later, that nickname would become the name of the band itself.

For guitarist and songwriter Chris Lorey, music has always been a lifelong passion. His basement studio became a creative meeting place where ideas evolved together with longtime friends, among them Simon Moser and many other musicians who contributed riffs, lyrics, arrangements and inspiration over countless evenings. It was never about writing songs for a market – it was about writing songs they genuinely believed in.

As the collection of songs continued to grow, Chris Lorey and bassist Roberto Palacios reached a point where they could no longer imagine those compositions remaining unfinished demos. They wanted to hear them exactly as they had imagined them: with real drums, a powerful voice, world-class musicians and professional production. Nothing more. At least that was the original idea – CAVE was never intended to become a permanent band. The goal was simply to record one outstanding album.

Everything changed when former Metal Church vocalist Ronny Munroe heard the first demos. He immediately recognised something Chris and Roberto had almost overlooked themselves. This wasn’t simply another recording project – the songs already possessed an identity, and the musicians shared an unmistakable chemistry. Ronny encouraged everybody to think bigger: instead of producing one album, why not build a real band? Looking back today, every member agrees that this became the defining turning point in CAVE’s history.

Finding the remaining musicians was never about technical perfection alone. Friendship came first. Trust came first. Shared values came first. Tommy Laasch brought not only one of Germany’s most distinctive voices but also an extraordinary ability to connect with audiences. His charisma, humour and natural stage presence transformed every performance into an experience rather than simply another concert. Chris Schwinn completed the line-up with more than two decades of live experience and a philosophy that perfectly matched the band’s spirit: stay positive, never stop growing and always enjoy making music together.

Behind the scenes, Simon Moser continued to shape lyrics and songwriting while trusted partners Axel Heckert and Marc Ayerle became essential parts of the creative process, capturing and refining the sound that listeners now recognise as unmistakably CAVE.

Although CAVE is often described as a Heavy Metal band, its members have never believed in limiting creativity through genre definitions. Every song is allowed to become exactly what it needs to become – melodic, progressive, heavy, emotional, aggressive or epic. The genre has never been the goal. The song always has.

Over the years the band developed a simple but uncompromising philosophy: every composition must earn the right to become a CAVE song. That decision cannot be measured technically or explained scientifically – the band simply knows. There comes a moment when everyone in the room smiles, nods and says exactly the same thing: “That’s a CAVE song.” Only then does the song leave the studio. This uncompromising approach explains why CAVE refuses to release material simply to maintain visibility. Songs are released only when they truly represent the band’s identity.

Today CAVE continues to build its reputation through powerful songwriting, exceptional musicianship and energetic live performances. Following the albums Out Of The Cave and Into The Promised Land, the band has shared stages with internationally renowned artists while continuously expanding its audience. Yet commercial success has never been the driving force. For CAVE, success means something far more personal: standing on stage together, watching audiences become part of the performance, meeting listeners after the show and writing music they remain proud of years later.

Looking ahead, the band’s ambitions remain refreshingly simple: stay healthy, stay friends and keep writing music that deserves the CAVE name. Whether the future holds more albums, international festivals or headline tours is impossible to predict. One thing, however, will never change – CAVE was built on friendship long before it became a band. And that will always remain its greatest strength.