1994 was a time of rehearsal; the first home-made tapes were recorded and copied. Lupe was the last to join the band, in October, scratching his way into a whole new view of things. Record companies began to show interest. Then things went into overdrive. EMI signed a deal in March 1995 and only six months later, on September 14, the THUMB debut was in the shops. A new star had entered the crossover firmament. Genre-related bands Bad Religion, Dog Eat Dog, Henry Rollins and Foo Fighters kept the band company in the next two years at live gigs in Germany, then it was time for the five to set to work in January 1997 and write the songs of their second album EXPOSURE.

The album duly appeared on May 5 that year and proved to be a great surprise, because THUMB had changed direction: no unnecessary jumping about, no hackneyed mottos, no boredom. THUMB's new sound is sharp-edged and at the same time so earthy that the critics are not the only ones to stand there open-mouthed. They have effortlessly succeeded in escaping the crossover stereotypes. The fans appreciate this move, and the ensuing live shows lift THUMB above routine into a success story. Their path even leads them to America, where they play in front of nearly 180,000 during the 1998 Vans Warped Tour, alongside the Deftones, Bad Religion, NoFX and many more, at thirteen shows in three weeks. Needing to recharge their batteries, they take a long break - and very nearly don't return from it.

The THUMB-free time comes in very useful for the band's constituent members for letting it all out in other bands, opening up tattoo parlours or just pursuing private interests. Preparations for the third album slowly get under way at the start of 2000, but are abruptly interrupted when guitarist Axel Hilgenstöhler leaves the band in the middle of the year. This shock is compounded by the band's creative crisis. THUMB is on the point of disintegrating. Only the new Axel and his six strings, along with the new blood coursing through the band's veins, takes things upwards again. All the numbers done so far end up in the bin. Claus looks back on this phase: "It wasn't just a question of finding a new guitarist who could fill the gap. We wanted to be writing proper songs as an ensemble. In the past three years we have kept trying to do just that, but we never really came up to our own expectations." Their new-found strength virtually gave them wings. Anyone who thought that THUMB had reached the apogee of their creative career with EXPOSURE soon had to think again. Whereas their old crossover companions had by now almost all retreated from the scene, the Gütersloh crew were back with a heavyweight crossover/hardcore/alternative steam hammer unequalled in its genre and in its home country.

The new album shows progress, and not only in its energy level. THUMB are coming in through the front door, and they haven't bothered to unlock it either. Beefy, powerful, with plenty of groove, intelligent arrangements and blazing anger in their belly, they are forcing their way into the limelight. The sound is very dense; there are many ways to approach it and many small discoveries to be made about it. "THUMB's idea was never basic rock," explains Claus. "We always aimed to go deeper. Of course, we needed the sound to back that up. The first release from the third album, 'Down Like Me', is a typical example which shows that THUMB songs are more than just music to stomp to." 'Down Like Me' literally drives its way through the loudspeakers. PHAT! Steffen pushes the song forward with stoic, primal force, Axel's guitar work is mean and insidious, Jan Hendrik offers a nice soft pillow to cry on, Claus joins in with furious polyphonic arguments, and Lupe strings together chains of nuances to fuse the sound together. All this is crowned with psychedelic sounds within sounds and electronic elements reminiscent of Portishead.
This single is a tailor-made opener, but the rest of the songs - this much we can guarantee - are in no way inferior.

THUMB finished work on February 26 after 43 days in the studio and took the songs along to Düsseldorf's Skyline Studios for the album mix. The title of their third work is simple called "3". 'Down Like Me', the first release from the album, appears on May 21 and on June 25, twelve new tracks will be inviting you to dance.