STEELTOWER - Night of the Dog - Mausoleum Skull Earthshaker 12" Vinyl LP Album

- The fierce 1984 German heavy metal legacy with production secrets track insights and exclusive photo

Album cover for Steeltower’s Night of the Dog featuring a snarling black dog breaking through a wall, surrounded by flames and jagged shapes, with the background displaying repeating text “NIGHT OF THE DOG” and the band name “STEELTOWER” in bold red letters.

"STEELTOWER - Night of the Dog" stands as the sole full-length album from Germany's Heavy Metal stalwarts. Born in Wolfsburg in 1982, the Teutonic metal ensemble crafted this LP before disbanding in 1986, with members later contributing to the formation of "Heavens Gate." A testament to Steeltower's legacy, the album encapsulates the band's fervor, marking a crucial chapter in the world of German Heavy Metal history.

"Night of the Dog" Album Description:

In the vibrant era of 1980s heavy metal, one German band emerged from the shadows, leaving an indelible mark on the genre. Steeltower, hailing from Wolfsburg, Germany, took the stage with power, precision, and a commitment to crafting a sonic experience that would etch their name into the world of metal history.

Formation and Rise

Steeltower was forged in the crucible of metal in 1982, a time when the Teutonic heavy metal scene was gaining momentum. Comprising skilled musicians driven by a shared passion for powerful riffs and anthemic vocals, the band quickly garnered attention. Their intense live performances and raw energy set them apart, paving the way for something monumental.

The Night of the Dog Unleashed

In 1984, Steeltower reached the zenith of their creative journey with the release of "Night of the Dog." This 12" Vinyl LP, a magnum opus of metal craftsmanship, was unleashed upon the world via Earthshaker Records in Belgium. The album not only showcased the band's musical prowess but also marked a defining moment in the flourishing European metal landscape.

The album cover, adorned with a chilling wolf, became an iconic emblem of the band's dark and powerful sound. Each track on the album, from the thunderous opener to the haunting ballads, reflected the band's commitment to storytelling through music. "Night of the Dog" wasn't just an album; it was an auditory journey through realms of metal ecstasy.

Production & Recording Information:

Music Genre:

Heavy Metal

Collector Notes / Liner Notes
  • 1 - Album back cover (Top left corner): EARTH SHAKER Records ES 4005
  • 2 - Album back cover (Top right corner): SKULL 8341
  • 3 - Album back cover (Bottom center): MAUSOLEUM A Division of Eldorado Entertainment & Communications, Lange Van Bloerstraat 78/80 - 2008 Antwerp, Tel. 03/235 21 12 - Tx 33713; 11, Sandygate Crescent - Wath upon Dearne - Rotherham - South Yorkshire S63 7JP, Tel. (0709) 872875
  • 4 - Album back cover (Bottom center): LC 8920, Printed in Belgium by DRUCO HALLE - Imprimé & fabriqué en Belgique - Made in Belgium
  • 5 - Cover spine: The album cover spine has NO album-name nor catalognr
  • 6 - Barcode: There are NO barcodes
  • 7 - Labels Side One (Left side): SKULL 8341, Side One
  • 8 - Labels Side One (Right side): SABAM T.M., 33RPM, Made in Belgium
  • 9 - Labels Side One (Middle): Tracklisting and production information
  • 10 - Labels Side Two (Left side): SKULL 8341, Side One
  • 11 - Labels Side Two (Right side): SABAM T.M., 33RPM, Made in Belgium
  • 12 - Labels Side Two (Middle): Tracklisting and production information
  • 13 - Matrix codes / run-out grooves Side One: Skull 8341 A (etched)
  • 14 - Matrix codes / run-out grooves Side Two: Skull 8341 B (etched)
  • 15 - Additional info: This album has NOT been re-issued on vinyl
  • 16 - Additional info: Steeltower is one of the few German Heavy Metal bands recording on the Belgian Mausoleum Record company
Label & Catalognr:

EarthShaker Records ES 4005 / Mausoleum Records SKULL 8341

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram

Year & Country:

1984 – Belgium

Producers:
  • Jan Nemec – Producer
  • Steeltower – Producer
  • Axel Thubeauville – Executive Producer
  • Axel Thubeauville – Music producer, record company owner

    One of those Essen metal fixers who seemed to have a hand on the faders, the contracts, and the pressing plant at the same time.

    Axel Thubeauville is the kind of German metal operator I learned never to ignore: while digging through 1980s heavy metal albums, I kept running into his name on dozens of sleeves, and sooner or later it dawned on me that this was no minor credit but one of the men quietly shaping the heavy metal scene from behind the desk. Out of Essen, he opened Earthshaker in 1983 to get Steeler on wax, then produced Brainfever in 1983-1986, Steeler in 1984-1985, Warlock in 1984, and Living Death across 1984-1985. By 1986 he had moved into Shark and Aaarrg territory, helping bring acts such as Sepultura, Stratovarius, and Virgin Steele to the German market. In the 1990s he stayed active as executive producer for Virgin Steele in 1994-1995 and At Vance in 1999-2001. I never saw him as a mere office man; he was one of the engine-room characters who kept German metal pressed and moving.

Sound & Recording Engineers:
  • Jan Nemec – Engineer
  • Jan Němec Bocek – Sound engineer & producer

    One of those behind the the mixing pult (Mischpult) craftsmen whose name you see in the credits right where the sound suddenly makes sense.

    Jan Němec Bocek, I’ve always filed him under the quietly essential studio people—the ones who never mug for the camera but absolutely shape what comes out of the speakers. During the 1980s he worked as a sound engineer and producer at the Horus Sound Studio, right in that sweet spot when European rock and metal records were getting bigger, tighter, and more confident. That decade defines his main working period, and you can hear it in the disciplined yet punchy studio sound he helped capture. No rock-star mythology here, just long hours, good ears, and the kind of decisions that only reveal themselves years later when a record still holds up.

Recording Location:

Horus Sound Studio – Hannover, Germany

  • Horus Sound Studio– Recording studio (Hannover, Germany)

    Horus Sound Studio is the Hannover birthplace of Teutonic thrash—founded in 1979, the room where that German riff-machine learned mayhem, and somehow always near the scene of the riff-crime.

    Horus Sound Studio doesn’t announce itself with fireworks; it just sits there in Hannover and keeps ending up on the back of records that sound like they were forged, not “produced.” The name starts showing up, then showing up again, until it’s basically living on my shelf rent-free.

    Frank Bornemann built the place in 1979, and that date matters because it tells you this wasn’t some latecomer cash-in. This was infrastructure. A real room with real walls that could take volume without flinching.

    Sleeves get flipped, credits get scanned, and suddenly there it is: Steeltower hammering out Night of the Dog (recorded and mixed Jan–Sept 1984), Living Death pushing Metal Revolution through the desk (recorded and mixed Aug 1985). Both of them sound like the amps were slightly insulted to be treated “professionally.” Love that. No cap.

    Then the bigger names start piling in, and the pattern gets almost suspicious. Kreator tracking and mixing Terrible Certainty in 1987. Sabbat cutting History of a Time to Come in Sept 1987. Helloween grinding through the winter of 1986–1987. Sodom getting Agent Orange mixed there in April 1989. Not a coincidence. More like the studio knew how to keep the edges sharp instead of sanding them down for “radio.”

    Plenty of studios capture sound. Horus captures intent—the part where a band decides to stop asking permission. Anyone calling that “just a room” is either lying or has never heard what a good room does to a hungry band.

    Horus Sound Studios Wiki
    • Album Cover Design & Artwork:
    • Detlef Braun – Artwork
    • Detlef Braun – Illustrator, Album Cover Artwork

      I have grabbed LPs just because his painted chaos looked expensive.

      Detlef Braun is a German graphic artist and album-sleeve illustrator who, in the mid-1980s, gave the West German metal underground its painted fangs. From roughly 1984 to 1986 his name turns up on covers for Atlain ("Living in the Dark"), Living Death ("Vengeance of Hell"), Avenger ("Prayers of Steel"), Breaker ("Dead Rider"), Brainfever ("Face to Face", sometimes credited as "Detlev Braun"), and Steeltower ("Night of the Dog"). His calling card is bold, airbrushed drama: reapers, monsters, and steel-on-steel attitude, the kind of imagery that made me flip the record over before I even bothered to read the tracklist. I still love how those sleeves scream "serious business" while the budget probably said "two beers and a prayer".

      Detlef Braun Wiki
    Photography:
    • Jürgen Karolek – Back-Cover Photo

    Band Members / Musicians:

    Band Line-up:
    • Thomas Rettke – Vocals
    • Bernd Kaufholz – Guitars
    • Ingo Millek – Guitars
     
    • Manni Jordan – Bass
    • Thorsten Müller – Drums

    Band Member / Musician Bio:

    Thomas Rettke — Vocals

    Thomas Rettke is a German heavy/power metal vocalist whose soaring tenor defined the sound of Steeltower and later Heavens Gate through the 1980s and 1990s. Revered for his powerful melodic range and commanding stage presence, he continued with Redkey in the 2000s

    • Primary Role – Lead Vocals
    • Voice Type – Melodic tenor, high register
    • Country – Germany
    • Years Active – 1980s–present
    • Bands – Steeltower → Heavens Gate → Redkey

    Complete Track-listing:

    Tracklisting Side One:
    1. Intro (00:19)
    2. Night of the Dog (03:35)
    3. Hell and Fire (03:42)
    4. Save my Life (03:27)
    5. Angel`s Devil (03:15)
    Video: Steeltower Hell and Fire
    Tracklisting Side Two:
    1. Gotta Believe No Angel (03:08)
    2. Break the Law (03:50)
    3. Powerdrive (04:43)
    4. Bring up the Night (05:27)
    5. Devil's Dreamer (03:24)
    Video: Steeltower - Bring Up the Night

    Thanks & Special Thanks:

    Thanks To:
    • Axel
    • Yvonne
    • Kerstin
    • Jürgen Karolek
    • Frank Bornemann
    • "Matze" (Matziol)
    • Manni
    • Lutz-Helge Meyer
    • Werkstatt
     
    • Uwe's Music Shop
    • MP-Musicland
    • Yogi
    • Archie
    • Tommy
    • Peter Koblitz
    • Herr Zibel
    • Landesmusikat Hannover
    Special Thanks To:
    • Kalle (from HOZO)
    • Achim (from HOZO, Wielandstraße 1)
    • Gero
    • Hannes (for "fire")
    • Fritz Randow
    • Akko
    • Andrea
    • Ilona
    • Frank Wittmann
    • All our "crazy" fans all over the world
    Album Front Cover Photo
    Front cover of the album Night of the Dog by Steeltower, featuring a black, muscular dog bursting through a wall of repeating text. The animal’s fur is rendered with metallic shading, its jaws open wide with sharp white fangs and a vivid red tongue curling outward. Flames and jagged shapes surround the beast, emphasizing aggression and energy. Above, the band name Steeltower appears in bold red uppercase letters against a muted patterned background that repeats the phrase NIGHT OF THE DOG, creating layered depth and contrast.

    The front cover artwork of Night of the Dog by Steeltower features a fierce black dog rendered in a stylized, muscular form. Its body is bursting dramatically through a surface patterned with the repeated words NIGHT OF THE DOG, as if tearing through both wall and typography.

    The creature’s fur is shaded with metallic greys, while its snarling open mouth reveals sharp, white fangs and a bright red tongue that whips outward. Flames and jagged edges surround the dog’s silhouette, enhancing the sense of violent energy and unstoppable force.

    Above the scene, the band’s name STEELTOWER appears in bold, red uppercase letters, contrasting strongly against the muted, grid-like background. This composition merges aggression, symbolism, and visual intensity, perfectly reflecting the heavy metal spirit of the album.

    Album Back Cover Photo
    Back cover of Steeltower’s 1984 album Night of the Dog. The background repeats the phrase NIGHT OF THE DOG in a uniform grid across the entire surface. At the top, the band name STEELTOWER is printed in bold red uppercase letters, flanked by Earthshaker Records ES 4005 and Skull 8341 catalog numbers. The left section lists tracks for Side 1 including Intro, Night of the Dog, Hell and Fire, Save my Life, and Angel’s Devil. The right section lists tracks for Side 2 including Break the Law, Powerdrive, Bring up the Night, and Devil’s Dreamer. Centered below, a monochrome band photograph shows five members standing confidently with crossed arms, dressed in 1980s heavy metal attire. Liner notes credit Jan Nemec and Steeltower as producers, Axel Thubeauville as executive producer, and Detlef Braun for cover art. At the bottom appears the Mausoleum logo in red, legal information, and LC 8920 code.

    The back cover of Night of the Dog continues the visual motif with a full background of repeating NIGHT OF THE DOG text, creating a dense patterned backdrop. At the top, the band’s name STEELTOWER is presented in bold red uppercase letters, positioned between the Earthshaker and Skull catalog identifiers.

    On the left and right sides, the track listings for Side One and Side Two are displayed, highlighting songs such as Hell and Fire, Angel’s Devil, Break the Law, and Bring up the Night. Each track title is carefully set in contrast for readability against the patterned background.

    Centrally placed is a monochrome photograph of the band members, captured in a posed stance with arms crossed, exuding a confident and rebellious heavy metal presence. Their stage attire includes patterned shirts, belts, and long hairstyles, typical of the mid-1980s scene.

    The lower section details the album’s production credits: produced by Jan Nemec and Steeltower, executive producer Axel Thubeauville, and cover artwork by Detlef Braun. Additional acknowledgments, addresses for Earthshaker/Mausoleum, and the Mausoleum logo in striking red are also present, accompanied by the LC 8920 code and legal notes.

    Close up of Side One record’s label
    Close-up of the vinyl record label for Side One of Steeltower’s 1984 album Night of the Dog, released on Mausoleum Records. The label features the Mausoleum logo in large dripping red letters across the top, with 'Records' written below in gothic script. The background has a cloudy grey-blue sky with a yellow lightning bolt streak cutting across. Text on the left shows catalog number SKULL 8341 and Side One, while the right side lists SABAM T.M., 33 RPM, and Made in Belgium. The center text identifies the band as Steel Tower with the album title Night of the Dog, followed by the five track titles and their durations: Night of the Dog (3:55), Hell and Fire (3:42), Save My Life (3:27), Angel’s Devil (3:15), and Gotta Believe No Angel (3:08). At the bottom, it credits Rettke, Millek, and Kaufholz for songwriting and Jan Nemec & Steeltower as producers.

    This close-up shows the Side One vinyl label of Steeltower’s Night of the Dog, issued by Mausoleum Records in 1984. Dominating the top is the dramatic Mausoleum logo in dripping red letters, paired with the word Records in gothic typeface beneath.

    The background design resembles a cloudy sky rendered in shades of grey and blue, intersected by a jagged streak of yellow lightning that adds a sense of energy and menace. On the left margin appears the catalog number SKULL 8341 and Side One marking, while the right margin displays SABAM T.M., 33 RPM, and Made in Belgium.

    Centered is the album’s identification: Steel Tower – Night of the Dog. Beneath are the five Side One tracks with timings: “Night of the Dog” (3:55), “Hell and Fire” (3:42), “Save My Life” (3:27), “Angel’s Devil” (3:15), and “Gotta Believe No Angel” (3:08). The bottom line notes that all songs were written by Rettke, Millek, and Kaufholz, and produced by Jan Nemec together with Steeltower.

    Side Two Close up of record’s label
    Close-up of the vinyl record label for Side Two of Steeltower’s 1984 album Night of the Dog, released on Mausoleum Records. The label features the dramatic Mausoleum logo at the top in dripping red letters with 'Records' beneath in gothic script. The background has a cloudy sky effect in muted grey and blue tones, with a jagged yellow lightning bolt streaking across the design. On the left margin is catalog number SKULL 8341 with Side Two designation, and on the right are SABAM T.M., 33 RPM, and Made in Belgium. The center text credits the band as Steel Tower with the album title Night of the Dog, followed by four track titles and durations: Break the Law (3:50), Powerdrive (4:43), Bring Up the Night (5:27), and Devil’s Dreamer (3:24). At the bottom, songwriting is attributed to Rettke, Millek, and Kaufholz, and production to Jan Nemec and Steeltower.

    This detailed view of the Side Two vinyl label for Steeltower’s Night of the Dog again displays the bold Mausoleum logo in dripping red lettering, with the word Records beneath it in gothic type. The design continues the atmospheric cloudy background with muted blues and greys, pierced by a jagged streak of yellow lightning.

    To the left margin appears the catalog reference SKULL 8341 with Side Two indicated, while the right side lists SABAM T.M., 33 RPM, and the note Made in Belgium, confirming its pressing origin.

    Centered text identifies Steel Tower – Night of the Dog, followed by the Side Two tracklist: “Break the Law” (3:50), “Powerdrive” (4:43), “Bring Up the Night” (5:27), and “Devil’s Dreamer” (3:24). The lower lines attribute all songs to Rettke, Millek, and Kaufholz, with production credits to Jan Nemec and the band itself.

    Mausoleum Vinyl Records Discography

    MAUSOLEUM Records: Belgian keepers of a vast vinyl legacy. Founded in 1980, their catalog spans heavy metal, hard rock, and punk. Discover rare gems, cult classics, and legendary artists. Dive into their discography and unearth the sonic treasures waiting to be spun.