Anja Huwe can be seen as Germany's answer to Siouxsie Sioux. Just as Sioux led the Banshees into the bleak terrain of gothic rock, Huwe ventured into ominous landscapes with Xmal Deutschland. Along with bassist Rita Simon, guitarist Manuela Rickers, keyboardist Fiona Sangster, and drummer Caro May, Huwe formed Xmal Deutschland in 1980 in Hamburg, Germany. The band's unsettling 1982 single Incubus Succubus echoed Siouxsie the Banshees' gloomy dance music as Huwe howled over death march drums, scratchy guitars, and sampled human screams. Xmal Deutschland also toured with the Cocteau Twins in England in 1982. Like Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins, Huwe uses her voice as an instrument; even when her lyrics are unintelligible to listeners not versed in German, her vocals sway with the chaotic energy of the music.

Xmal Deutschland released three albums in the '80s -- Fetisch, Tocsin, and Viva -- that are generally considered classics among goth cognoscenti. However, by 1989's Devils, Xmal Deutschland shed the horror film stylings and shifted to pop; Huwe is nearly unrecognizable in the bouncy love song I'll Be Near You. In 1990, Xmal Deutschland entered the studio to record another LP, but nothing ever materialized. Because of her similarities to Sioux, Huwe's contributions to the evolution of gothic rock haven't acquired much recognition; nevertheless, her influence can be heard in groups such as the March Violets and the Identity Crisis. ~ Michael Sutton, Rovi