Scanner is a German metalband that has existed since the beginning of '88, and as well as many others, they started their career on the Noise label. Just before the release of Hypertrace they changed their name into Scanner. Previously they were called Lions Breed. Actually one album came out with that name. They changed their name because they felt that they had outgrown the name Lions Breed. Now Scanner is struggeling with a another band which also is called Scanner, I thinks itīs a english techno-band.

In 1988 Scanner released their first album, itīs named Hypertrace and itīs on the Noise label. The lineup were Tom S Sopha, guitars. Michael M.A.J.O.R. Knoblich, vocals. Wolfgang Kolorz, drums. Axel A.J. Julius, guitars. Martin Bork, bass. It was a true concept-powermetal album. The theme were space or science-fiction, the reason to that is that Julius was studying astrology at that time and Knoblich thought that it would be a good theme.

Two years later they released their second album Terminal Earth, also on Noise. But the singer from Hypretrace had quit. One rumor is that Noise wasnīt willing to offer them a video and a single to Hypertrace, so Knoblich left. He was replaced with the Angel Dust singer S.L. Coe. With this album they got a video of the song Buy or Die. Pretty bad video but itīs funny.

After a long break Scanner began to write music again. Now they had a completely new lineup, except for the frontman Julius, John A.B.C. Smith, bass. Leszek "Haridon Lee" Szpigiel, vocals. D.D. Bucco, drums. In 1995 they released a new album called Mental Reservation. They had also switched record company from Noise to Massacre Records. Also another a concept album, but not powermetal, itīs a new aggressive and trashy personal style.

Two years later, in 1997, they made yet another album, still on Massacre Records. Itīs called Ball of the Damned. For this album they added another guitarist, Stefan Nicolai, and a keyboard-player, Stephan Braun, to sound more modern. This album is also starring Ralf Scheepers on vocals on the song Puppet on a String. They also did a cover on Queenīs Innuendo.