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Founded in Dortmund in 1969, Epitaph were tenants of the basement rooms in Fantasio, Dortmund's hottest music club at the time. While Cliff Jackson (g, voc), Bernd Kolbe (b, mellotron, voc) and Jim McGillivray (dr, voc) rehearsed there, well-known bands such as Black Sabbath, Rory Gallagher and Yes performed at the same time. Due to a concert cancellation, they stepped in as a replacement and were able to showcase their musical potential. The jazz and blues musician Günter Boas was impressed and arranged a recording contract for them with the major label Polydor. The recordings were made in 1971 in London's Wessex Studios with the support of another guitarist named Klaus Walz. The self-titled album was released in Germany in the autumn of the same year. As a German-British band, they also played a British-coloured progressive hard rock with two lead guitars, occasionally reminiscent of Wishbone Ash. Their complex compositions, melodic guitar work and strong vocal harmonies in the soft bluesy pieces as well as in hard rock songs earned them much praise from music critics.
Although the album was a commercial failure, concerts throughout Germany, TV appearances, and even two major tours in the United States followed. Original German first pressings of their debut album are now sought-after collector's items, especially in Germany and among rock fans in Europe.
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