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The post J\u00fcrgen Bartsch, Founder of Pioneering Metal Band Bethlehem, Has Died<\/a> appeared first on Consequence<\/a>.<\/p>\n J\u00fcrgen Bartsch, the founding and one constant member of pioneering German extreme metal band Bethlehem, has passed away after an undisclosed illness. The news was shared by current Bethlehem singer Yvonne \u201cOnielar\u201d Wilczynska.<\/p>\n On Instagram, Onielar wrote (as translated from German), \u201cHe has died many times\u2026 But death was only temporary. After a serious illness, perseverance, and great fighting spirit, our beloved friend and esteemed founder of Bethlehem \u2013 J\u00fcrgen Bartsch \u2013 passed away on August 27, 2025. In deep sorrow and with a broken heart, In the name of Bethlehem, We will never forget you, J\u00fcrgen. Rest in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n Bartsch was the founding bassist and chief songwriter of Bethlehem, whom he founded in 1991. The band is credited with pioneering the DSBM (Depressive Suicidal Black Metal) genre, combing black metal with doom metal on a series of influential 1990s albums, including its debut Dark Metal (1994) and its follow-up Dictius te necare\u00a0(1996).<\/p>\n Overall, Bethlehem has released 10 albums, most recently 2022\u2019s The Gospel According to Alexander,<\/i> with their sound evolving over the years. Two of the band\u2019s songs appeared on the soundtrack to Harmony Korine\u2019s 1997 cult movie Gummo.<\/p>\n