Abwärts (German for Downwards) is among the oldest existing German punk bands, led by singer/guitarist Frank Z., and founded in 1979 in Hamburg. Abwärts first achieved popularity within the scene with the Computerstaat EP and the album Amok/Koma, both released in 1980. Soon Abwärts got fans in the hardcore as well as in the ndw (neue deutsche welle - New German Wave) scene, with their second album, the dark and mysterious Der Westen ist einsam. After this album bassist Marc Chung and keyboardist FM Einheit left the band to join Einstürzende Neubauten. Abwärts recorded sporadically throughout the rest of the 1980s, before a shift in a more hardcore and thrash-oriented direction led to a flurry of albums (5 in 5 years) in the early 1990s, before Frank Z. started a solo career. Today, Die Ärzte bassist Rod Gonzalez is member of Abwärts.

Offizielle Homepage ist www.abwaerts.com
Die Fanpage findet man unter www.sonderzug.be.tt und das Forum unter http://www.sonderzug-forum.be.tt