If you have additional info about any of the listed bands - or one that should be listed but is not - please don't hesitate to mail me!
Curly brackets, "{" and "}", mean that the enclosed band or artist is itself an entry in the list.
-E-
Easy Action:
Tommy Nilsson (vo), Kee Marcello (gu), Chris Lynn (gu), Nalle Påhlsson (ba), Freddie Von Gerber (dr) (1986)
Swedish band inspired by Glam Metal oriented acts such as {Mötley Crüe}. Musically Easy Action mainly focused on fairly harmless Heavy Metal/Hard Rock and basically stayed firmly in the middle of the road. In it's early stages, the band released a whole bunch of singles (We Go Rockin', which was later adopted by {Poison}, was closest to becoming an actual hit) and released the debut album Easy Action no less than three times on different labels or with different covers.
The band appeared in several different constellations, for example featuring vocalist Zinny San (Bo Stagman) who later formed {Shotgun Messiah}, but by the time the second album That Makes One was released in 1986, the setting was the one mentioned above, featuring Tommy Nilsson on vocals, Kee Marcello (Kjell Lövbom) and Chris Lynn (Kristoffer Lind) on guitar, Nalle Påhlsson on bass and Freddie Von Gerber on drums. That Makes One was really the album to take Easy Action to the limelight and featured several catchy, melodic (albeit less heavy) songs such as the power ballad Rosie, which was to become their biggest hit, reaching top ten on the national charts. Unfortunately, That Makes One didn't take the band to the heights they had hoped for, and also became their last album as Kee Marcello left the band to join {Europe}. Kee, by the way, was apparently not happy with the sound on That Makes One and has later claimed that that album "wasn't really Easy Action" and "had a completely different sound". Later, singer Tommy Nilsson had a very successful solo career as a pop singer and the other members went on to different musical projects. For instance, Chris Lynn was a member of {Electric Boys} for a short period of time before they released their first album.
In 1985 Easy Action appeared in the thriller flick Blood Tracks, produced by legendary B-movie producer Mats-Helge Olsson. They also wrote two songs for the sound track. In the movie, the band members suitably play the roles of a rock band that travels to a remote factory out in the mountains in order to shoot a rock video. Unfortunately they are cut off from civilization by an avalanche (remember, this was before cell phones were common), and when a mysterious family starts hunting them down and killing them, the horror begins. A classic by any standards!
Special thanks to Kristoffer Lind for setting the facts straight.
E.F. Band:
Bengt Fischer (gu, vo), Per Ericsson (ba), Dave Dufort (dr) (1980)
Despite being a Swedish band. the E.F. Band (named after the founding members, Ericsson and Fischer), are often mentioned as one of the original NWOBHM bands. The did however spend much of their time in England from the very start back in 1979. They also pretty much sounded like a typical NWOBMH act and appeared on the 1980 NWOBHM compilation Metal for Muthas with their track Fighting for Rock n' Roll. It was also in England that Per and Bengt recruited veteran drummer Dave Dufort. Pretty soon the E.F. Band landed a record deal, and the full length debut The Last Laugh Is on Us was released in 1981 and saw the band touring with {Rainbow}.
For some reason, Dufort had decided to leave the band to join {Angel Witch} and was by now replaced by Dag Eliason. Apparently the band also felt the need to add a dedicated vocalist, and thus John Ridge was added to the fold. Now a quartet, the E.F. Band released their second LP, Deep Cut, in 1983. Touring followed again, this time supporting {Saxon}. Shortly thereafter, John Ridge too left the band and was replaced by Roger Marsden, who had in fact for a short time been a member of the band Dave Dufort joined, Angel Witch. The last time a member was changed, the E.F. Band had soon added another member to their ranks, and why break such a nice tradition? Hence, Anders Allhage (aka Andy La Rouche, aka LaRocque) was brought in as a second guitarist and another album, One Night Stand, was released in 1985. In 1987, the E.F. Band split up as the members decided to go their separate ways. Andy La Rouche subsequently joined {King Diamond} as mr. Diamond left {Mercyful Fate} to start a solo career.
The Official E.F. Band web site.Electric Boys:
Conny Bloom (vo), Franco Santunione (gu, vo), Andy Christell (ba, vo), Niclas Sigevall (dr) (1989)
Electric Boys was put together in Sweden in 1987 by Conny (his real name is Conny Blomqvist) and Andy, who had been playing together in different constellations for quite some time. The first single, All Lips n' Hips, was released the same year, and thanks to being friends with the guys in Hanoi Rocks, they got a record deal with an American record company, and the aforementioned single appeared on the soundtrack to the movie "Feds". The full length debut came in 1989 with Funk-o-Metal Carpet Ride, and was followed by heavy touring.Funk-o-Metal Carpet Ride was later re-produced by Bob Rock and re-released.
The title of this album is also a fitting description of the kind of music Electric Boys represented, ie elegant Heavy Metal mixed with elements of funk and a touch of 60's psychedelic rock.
Rik Emmett:
See {Triumph}.
Enuff Z'Nuff
Chip Z'Nuff (vo, ba), Donnie Vie (gu), Derek Frigo (gu), Vikki Fox (dr) (1989)
Enuff Z'Nuff was born in 1984 outside Chicago when Chip and Donnie met and recorded a bunch of songs. A year later they had recruited guitarist Geno Martino and drummer B.W. Boeski and recorded the demo Hollywood Squares under the name Enough Z'nuff. Obviously, this name simply wouldn't do, and they soon changed their name to Enuff Z'Nuff. Some time later Geno Martino and B.W. Boeski left the band (perhaps they were unhappy with the name change?) and were replaced by guitarist Derek Frigo and drummer Vikki Fox. In 1989, they landed a record deal and released their full length debut, Enuff Z'Nuff. Featuring two fairly successful singles, New Thing and Fly High Michelle, the album did quite well. And so it happened that when most other bands of the genre rapidly lost popularity as the end of the eighties approached, the career of Enuff Z'Nuff was only just beginning.
Enuff Z'Nuff did certainly not play Heavy Metal. Instead, they were infuenced by seventies Glam acts acts such as {Cheap Trick} and T Rex - at least imagewise. Musically, their powerful guitar sound still placed them in the "middle of the road" Hard Rock genre together with acts like {Def Leppard} and {Poison}, but with an undeniable feeling for catchy melodies.
Enuff Z'Nuff Online - the Official Enuff Z'Nuff site.Europe: Joey Tempest (vo), John Norum (gu), John Levén (ba), Tony Reno (dr) (1983)
Europe was founded (under the name "Force") in 1980 in a suburb outside Stockholm, but remained virtually unknown until 1982 when they won the "Swedish Rock Championships", which made them at least nationally recognized. The prize was to record a full length album, and hence they released their self entitled debut album in 1983. Europe featured rather melodic hard rock of a kind that appealed to a larger audience than just the die hard metal heads, and made the band popular in among other places Japan. The songs were primarilly written by Joey Tempest (Joakim Larsson). Their second album, Wings of Tomorrow from 1985, was also fairly successful and was released in the USA the following year. By this time, Tony Reno had been replaced by Ian Haugland and the quartet had been extended to a quintet thanks to the addition of keyboardist Mic Michaeli.
Even though the band were already doing well enough, they could probably not even in their wildest dreams imagine the impact of their third album The Final Countdown, however. The grandious hard rock anthem that is the title song from this album, released in 1986, hit the world with perfect timing. For many people it is not only the epitome of the kind of mainstream Hard Rock that was so popular in the 1980's, but indeed of the entire musical scene of that age. The Final Countdown, which hit top ten on charts around the world, including the American "Billboard" chart, and went number one in an amazing 25 countries, was followed by years of extensive touring all around the world. Apparently guitarist John Norum was not too happy about the newfound status of the band as he was soon replaced by Kee Marcello, former member of {Easy Action}.
Europe were for obvious reasons never able to repeat the massive success of The Final Countdown, even if the following single, Rock The Night, and their last album of the decade, Out of This World released in 1989, were by no means unsuccessful.
The Official Europe site.
The Final Countdown (110 K)
(© Epic)
Every Mother's Nightmare:
Rick Ruhl (vo), Steve Malone (gu), Mark McMurty (ba), Jim Phipps (dr) (1989)
As we all know, the popularity of Heavy Metal took a serious blow as the eighties dawned. One of the bands in the very last wave of (reasonably) successful Metal Bands to surface was Every Mother's Nightmare. Formed in 1987 in Tennessee in the US, they gained a record contract in 1989 and released their self-titled debut album in 1990. They had a minor hit with the single Love Can Make You Blind and toured with for instance {Doro}, but like I said, their days were basically numbered right from the start...
The official Every Mother's Nightmare site.Exodus:
Paul Baloff (vo), Gary Holt (gu), Kirk Hammet (gu), Geoff Andrews (ba), Tom Hunting (dr) (1981)
Formed in 1981 in San Francisco, Exodus were definately one of the pioneers of the so called Bay Area Thrash movement. At the time, there really was no "Bay Area Thrash". Instead, Exodus got their inspiration from British Heavy Metal acts such as {Motörhead} and {Iron Maiden}. They were also influenced by local punc acts, and it was this musical amalgam that helped define Thrash Metal. They quickly gained a quite large following of fans, at least locally, thanks to their early demos. Unfortunately, they lost their guitarist Kirk Hammet to {Metallica} in 1983, and hence their musical momentum slowed down a bit.
All was not lost, however, and they were soon able to land a record deal featuring a new guitarist, Rick Hunolt (and also featuring a new basist, Rob McKillop.) The debut album Bonded By Blood was recorded in 1984, but wasn't released until one year later. This was a fateful mistake at a time when Heavy Metal was evolving so rapidly, and Exodus would no doubt have played a more significant role in the History of Thrash Metal had their debut not been delayed. Nonetheless, Bonded By Blood is still widely regarded as one of the most important Trash Metal albums of all times. Whether due to frustration because of the delayed release or not, singer Paul Baloff quit the band and was replaced by {Testament} (or "Legacy" as they called themselves at the time) vocalist Steve Souza. In 1987, Exodus' second album, Pleasures of the Flesh, was released. Unfortunately, this album was regarded by many a bit of a disappointment. At the same time the general interest in Heavy Metal was already beginning to wane ever so slightly, and things didn't look very good for Exodus. However, against all odds the band managed to end the decade by releasing an album that was much more well-received, Fabulous Disaster, and Exodus were finally able to reap the commercial harvest of all those years of hard work.
The official Exodus site.Extreme:
Gary Cherone (vocals), Nuno Bettencourt (guitar), Pat Badger (bass), Paul Geary (drums) (1986)
Thanks to the acoustic ballad More Than Words, Extreme is regarded by many as the most prominent example of the kind of unplugged Metal that supposedly gave the already seriously wounded Heavy Metal movement it's final blow around 1990. Hailing from USA (more specifically Boston), Extreme actually started out as "The Dream" quite early in the eighties, however, and debuted with a self-titled album in 1983. In 1985 they won an MTV video competition and slowly started to gain a reputation. In 1986 they signed with a major label and soon released another self-titled debut album (although now they were obviously called Extreme). Although the influences from e.g. Queen and Van Halen were apparent, this album suffered somewhat from a lack of consistent musical direction, but it was evident that especially guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was a talent out of the ordinary. Sales figures for Extreme were a bit disappointing, but that was about to change when the Funk-inspired album Pornograffitti was released in 1990, featuring the aforementioned ballad as well as Hole Hearted and Get The Funk Out. And the rest, as they say, is history...
The Official web site of Gary Cherone.-F-
Fastway:
David King (vo), Fast Eddie Clarke (gu), Pete Way (ba), Jerry Shirley (dr) (1983)
Guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke left {Motörhead} in 1982. In 1983 he teamed up with bass player Pete Way, who came straight from the disbanding of {UFO}, and formed Fastway. (Get it? "Fastway". Fast-Way. Pretty clever, eh?) The debut album Fastway was released later the same year. Pete Way didn't stay very long in the band, but instead went on to form {Waysted}. (Fastway kept it's name, though, rather than being renamed "Fast" or "No Way" or something...) He was replaced by Charlie McCracken, and the second album All Fired Up was released in 1984. The record sales never really took off, and McCracken left the band after only one album, taking Jerry Shirley with him. History repeated itself several times: Band members left and went, records were released at a steady pace, but the sales never really took off. The third album Waiting For the Roar was released in 1986, followed by The World Waits for You, Trick or Treat, On Target and finally Bad Bad Girls (but that was released in 1990, so it doesn't really count...)
As was previously mentioned, Fastway had to struggle to get recongized as a competent band and to get their record sales up, even though the first few albums, at least, were without doubt fine albums in their own right. Most notably, Fastway was inevitably compared to Motörhead, even years after Clarke had left the band. This wasn't very fair, however, as Fastway very soon went from being a copy of Motörhead (if they had in fact ever been that) to being more of a classic Heavy Metal band influenced by such acts as {Deep Purple}.
The Official Fast Eddie Clarke Site.Faith No More: Chuck Mosley (vo), Jim Martin (gu), Jimmy Gould (ba), Roddie Bottum (ke), Mike Bordin (dr) (1984)
Faith No More saw the Light of day in San Francisco in 1982, and released their self entitled debut album two years later. Neither their debut, nor Introduce Yourself, released in 1987, were more than moderately successful. At least not compared to the success that came in 1989 with the release of their third album, The Real Thing, and in particular the massive hit Epic. By this time singer Chuck Mosley had been replaced by the charismatic Mike Patton.
Faith No More were never satisfied with playing just plain Heavy Metal, but would rather experiment with dynamic and energetic mixtures of Heavy Metal, rap, funk and jazz. This is perhaps part of the explanation to why they managed to survive the turn of the decade, and even had their biggest successes ahead of them, when so many other bands went downhills faster than you could say "headbanger".
fnm.com - A Faith No More web site.Faster Pussycat: Taime Downe (vo), Greg Steele (gu, vo), Brent Muscat (gu, vo), Eric Stacy (ba, vo), Mark Michals (dr) (1987)
Growing out of the same sleazy Glam Metal tradition as bands like {Guns n' Roses} and {Mötley Crüe}, Hollywood band Faster Pussycat released their debut album, Faster Pussycat, in 1987. This was an instant success, the singel Bathroom Wall getting quite a lot of air time on MTV. The second album, Wake Me When It's Over from 1989, did equally well and once again the band managed to produce a successfull single, House of Pain. After this, however, the heyday of Glam Metal seemed to be over, and bands like Faster Pussycat were soon forgotten by all but the most dedicated fans.
HeLL2k'S FPK Site (sic).Fates Warning: John Arch (vo), Victor Arduini (gu), Jim Matheos (gu), Joe DiBase (ba), Steve Zimmerman (dr) (1984)
Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, American prog rockers Fates Warning started out in 1983. At first, however, they were not very progressive at all, but rather a pretty straightforward Heavy Metal band. Thus, their debut album Night on Bröcken, released in 1984, was more reminiscent of NWOBHM bands like {Iron Maiden} than, say, {Rush}. On the following two albums, The Spectre Within from 1985 and Awaken the Guardian from 1986, Fates Warning became slightly more "proggish".
The real change came in 1987, however, as singer John Arch quit (or was sacked, depending on who you ask...) and was replaced by Ray Adler. All of a sudden, while still remaining true to Heavy Metal, Fates Warning exhibited a much more complex and elaborate sound, and No exit, released in 1988, bore all the trademarks of a full-blown Prog Metal album, including a track (The Ivory Gates Of Dreams) clocking in at over 20 minutes. It is also widely recognized as Fates Warning's finest recording to date, and featuring the semi-hit Silent Cries it went on to sell fairly well.
Fates Warning released one more album in the eighties, Perfect Symmetry, released in 1989. By this time, drummer Steve Zimmerman had been replaced by Mark Zonder. Also, on this album, Fates Warning became even more experimental and took yet another step towards Prog Rock. This firmly established themselves as being in the vanguard of Progressive Heavy Metal, and they continued to release albums throughout the nineties.
The official Fates Warning Home Page.Flotsam and Jetsam:
Eric "A.K." Knutson (vo), Edward Carlson (gu), Michael Gilbert (gu), Jason Newsted (ba), Kelly David-Smith (dr) (1986)
Flotsam and Jetsam? Wasn't that the band were that guy from {Metallica} used to play? Yes, it was. But it was also a competent Thrash band in it's own right. Founded in 1981 in Phoenix, Arizona in the US, Flotsam and Jetsam spent their first years changing names and trying out different band settings. Eventually, they won a substantial local following playing support gigs to bands such as {Megadeth}. It was to take until 1986, however, (following an appearance on the Metal Massacre IV compilation) until their debut album Doomsday for the Deceiver was released.
Doomsday for the Deceiver was rough and heavy and all around a good example of the early American Thrash movement. Unfortunately, Flotsam and Jetsam suffered a serious blow later the same year as bassist and songwriter Jason Newsted left the band to join their more well-known colleagues in Metallica, who had lost their bassist in a bus accident. The remains of Flotsam and Jetsam soon recovered, however, and recruited a new bassist, Troy Gregory (following a short appearance by Mike Spencer). In 1988, this new incarnation of Flotsam and Jetsam released No Place for Disgrace. This time, guitarist Michael Gilbert wrote most of the material, and proved that the loss of Jason Newstead hadn't drained the band of their song writing talents. Just as the debut album, No Place for Disgrace featured good, solid Thrash Metal. Without a doubt, the end of the eighties were not good times for up-and-coming Thrash acts, and some time later, Flotsam and Jetsam were dropped by their record label. Flotsam and Jetsam continued to release albums throughout the nineties, but they never quite reached up to the standards of their first two albums.
The official Flotsam and Jetsam site.
Desecrator (56 K) from the album Doomsday for the Deceiver (©
Metal Blade)Lita Ford:
American (born in London, however) singer and guitarist who used to be a member of the
legendary 70's rock band The Runaways, together with among others {Joan Jett}. Her first
album as a solo act, Out For Blood, was released in 1983 and the follow-up
Dancin' on the Edge came one year later. Her most notable commercial success
came some years later, though, with the release of the ballad Close My Eyes
Forever, a duett featuring Lita together with {Ozzy Ozbourne}. This single was
taken from Lita Ford's last album of the eighties, released in 1987 and aptly titled
Lita.Even while still a member of Runaways, Lita was the one in the band to promote heavier, more Metal-like rock. And the sheer fact that she was something as unusual as a female Heavy Metal front figure, even if her musical style was not on the heavier side of the scale, may have contributed to her popularity. Her stage shows, filled with leather and sexual references may also have helped, at least at gaining male fans...
The image shows the Out for Blood album cover (© Polygram Records.)
The Lita Ford Information Center.
Kiss Me Deadly (127 K) from the album Lita (© RCA Records)Marty Friedman:
See {Cacophony}.
-G-
Gaskin:
Paul Gaskin (vo, gu), Stef Procopczuk (ba), Dave Norman (dr) (1981)
Gaskin formed in England in 1980. They managed to get a record contract quite early,
but pulled out of the deal before any records were released(!) After signing a new
record deal (with the same company!), the debut album End of the World
was released in 1981. Later the same year, the band recruited a lead singer, Mick
Clarke. Unfortunately, this drove a wedge between the band members, and Mick and
Stef had to leave the band. In 1982 another lead singer, Brendon "Dipper" Spencer,
joined Gaskin together with bass player "Baggy". 1982 also saw the release of
Gaskin's second album, No Way Out. Unfortunately, No Way Out was
also to be their last album, as the band split up later the same year due to
musical indifferences. Paul and Brendon made some attempts to resurrect Gaskin, but
nothing lasting came out of it.Gaskin was certainly not the only band to form in England at the time. In the early eighties, the NWOBHM was rapidly gaining momentum, giving birth to a vast number or Heavy Metal bands. It would be unfair to say that Gaskin was just another vanilla NWOBHM band, however, as they had a rather unique sound, much owing to the harmonic vocals. Also, Gaskin originally only featured three members whereas most other NWOBHM acts featured five (a lead singer and a second guitarist).
The image shows the band members some time around 1982.
The official Gaskin web site (may be down).Giant:
Dan Huff (vo/gu), Alan Pasqua (ke), Mike Brignardello (ba), David Huff (dr) (1989)
Dan Huff had already been in the business for quite some time, e.g. as front man for White Metal act White Heart, when he formed Giant in the late eighties. Featuring Dan's brother David Huff on drums, Giant played rather traditional, melodic Heavy Metal with a twist. Giant released one album in the eighties, Last of the Runaways from 1989, which featured the minor hit single I'll See You in My Dreams. In spite of this hit, and even though Giant were extremely well received by critics and fellow musicians, the album didn't sell very well and the band dissolved a few years into the nineties.
The Dan Huff Page.Gillan:
Ian Gillan (vo), Janick Gers (gu), John McCoy (ba), Colin Towns (ke), Mick Underwood (dr) (1982)
Even though most people might primarilly think of Ian Gillan as the singer of such legendary bands as {Black Sabbath} and {Deep Purple}, he was actually quite successful with his "own" band Gillan as well. When they got their breakthrough in 1980 with the release of Glory Road, the band had already been around for some years in different constellations, in the beginning performing under the slightly longer name Ian Gillan Band. One year later Future Shock was released and yet another year later came Double Trouble.
So, in 1982 things seemed to be moving along just fine, the band setting finally appearing to be stable and a new album, Magic, fresh from the printing press. No wonder then that the fans and the band members alike were quite shocked when Gillan announced in 1983 that he was to dissolve the band to sing for Black Sabbath. This move wasn't too successful, but instead of going back to the Gillan band he one year later rejoined Deep Purple were he remained until 1990. In 1988 he recorded the album Accidentally On Purpose together with long time companion Roger Glover.
Caramba! - official Ian Gillan home page.The GillaNet - another Gillan home page.
Girlschool:
Kim McAuliffe (vo, gu), Kelly Johnson (vo, gu), Enid Williams (ba), Denise Dufort (dr, vo) (1980)
While Heavy Metal acts kept popping up faster than gophers on a carrot farm in the early eighties, it was without doubt a very male dominated world. Girlschool, along with a few others, was the exception to this rule. They released their debut album Demolition in 1980, but it was in the following year that they peaked. Apart from appearing on an EP, The St Vallentine's Day Massacre, together with {Motörhead} with whom they had previously toured, it was in 1981 that they released their very successful second album, Hit & Run. Unfortunately the rest of the decade was to become anything but successful for Girlschool. In 1984 they lost their record contract, some years later Kelly Johnson tried to go solo without luck, and while the band didn't officially disband until 1988, it saw numerous member changes and never managed to even come close to its former heights.
Be this as it may, there is no doubt that Girlschool together with acts like {Joan Jett} and {Lita Ford} paved the way for female artists with rock dreams, and girls with a mind for Heavy Metal could certainly have had a worse school.
The Official Girlschool Web Site.Giuffria:
David Glen Eisley (vo), Craig Goldy (gu), Gregg Giuffria (ke), Chuck Wright (ba), Alan Krigger (dr) (1984)
In the early eighties, Los Angeles based keyboardist Gregg Giuffria recruited a bunch of musicians and decided to resurrect his old band Angel. Unfortunately, his former Angel-band mates were not too pleased, and Greg had to come up with a new band name. In a moment of divine inspiration, mr. Giuffria came up with the perfect name: Giuffria! The self-titled debut album was released in 1984, and thanks to the hit single Call to Your Heart the melodic, keyboard-driven symphonic-AOR-style album sold fairly well. In 1986 the follow-up Silk and Steel was released. By this time, Craig Goldy and Chuck Wright (ex-{Quiet Riot}) had been replaced by Lanny Cordola and David Sikes. Silk and Steel featured softer, ballad-like songs on one side ("Silk") and heavier, more up-beat songs on the other ("Steel"). Remember, kids, this was back in the ancient times when records had two playable sides... Unfortunately, Silk and Steel failed to get much attention and Giuffria eventuelly disbanded. Gregg Giuffria resurfaced soon thereafter with another band, {House of Lords}.
The Giuffria Tribute Page.
Grave Digger:
Chris Boltendahl (vo), Peter Masson (gu), Willi Lackmann (ba), Albert Eckardt
(dr) (1984)Grave Digger was formed by singer Chris Boltendahl in 1980 and soon gained areputation as one of the foremost German Thrash/Power Metal acts. Following an appearance on the Rock From Hell compilation, Grave Digger released their full length debut album, Heavy Metal Breakdown (see image, © Noise Records), in 1984. Heavy Metal Breakdown sold quite well, at least in Europe, and Grave Digger promptly released the follow-up Witch Hunter only a year later. Around the same time, bassist Willi Lackmann left the band and was replaced by C.F. Brank (following a short appearance by Rene Teichmann). This new constellation recorded the album War Games, which was released in 1986.
Supposedly, Grave Digger had high hopes for War Games. Unfortunately, even though German Power Metal in general was relatively strong at the time with bands such as {Helloween} and {Running Wild} on the rise, the album didn't sell very well at all. Perhaps frustrated by this, Peter Masson decided to leave the band and was replaced by Uwe Lulis. In an attempt to turn things around (and supposedly encouraged by their record label) Grave Digger shortened their name to Digger and took a distinctly more commercial direction on 1987's Stronger than Ever. Alas, as many other bands before (Grave) Digger had already discovered, this did absolutely nothing to help their record sales - on the contrary - and eventually Digger split up (although Boltendahl decided to resurrect Grave Digger a couple of years later).
Please note that I resisted the temptation to make hilarious puns on the name of the last album...
The official Grave Digger web site.
Heavy Metal Breakdown (48 K) from Heavy Metal Breakdown (© Noise Records)Great White:
Jack Russell (vo), Mark Kendall (gu), Michael Lardie (ke, gu), Tony Montana (ba), Audie Desbrow (dr) (1989)
Great White released their debut album Out of the Night in 1982 (it was later re-released as On Your Knees) and quickly found their place among the more melodic hard rock acts, such as {Bon Jovi} and {Dokken}. They never managed to reach the same amount of success as those two, however, even if their last two studio albums in the eighties, Once Bitten... from 1987 and ...Twice Shy from 1989, did well enough, much thanks to a pair of Hunter covers. The latter album reached as high as number nine on the American charts.
Mistabone.com - The Official Great White Web Site.
Save Your Love (145 K) from Once Bitten... (© Capitol Records)Grim Reaper:
Steve Grimmet (vo), Nick Bowcott (gu), Dave Wanklin (ba), Mark Simon (dr) (1984)
When Grim Reaper debuted in 1984 with the album See You In Hell, they had already been around for a couple of years. The follow-up, Fear No Evil, was released the following year. Being a British band, they played somewhat NWOBHM-inspired Heavy Metal on the more melodic side of things. You could argue that their music was nothing out of the ordinary, but their theatrical style, filled with horror and satanic imagery, managed to make them rather popular, not least in the USA. In 1987, when their last album of the decade, Rock You To Hell, was released, drummer Mark Simon had been replaced by Lee Harris. Steve Grimmet later joined the Thrash Metal band {Onslaught}.
A Grim Reaper site.Guns n' Roses:
Axl Rose (vo), Slash (gu), Izzy Stradlin (gu), Duff McKagan (ba), Steven Adler (dr) (1987)
When Axl and Izzy decided to put a band together in Los Angeles, USA, in 1985, they had previously played in the bands {LA Guns} and Hollywood Rose, respectively. What could be more natural, then, than to name their new band Guns n' Roses? Their music and image, known as Sleaze Metal, reminded of Glam Metal acts such as {Hanoi Rocks} and {Mötley Crüe}, and they debuted in 1986 with a live EP named Live ?!*# Like a Suicide (sic), released on their own record label. They soon got a record contract with a "real" label, though, and their first studio album, Appetite For Destruction, arrived in 1987. At first, Appetite For Destruction sold no more than you might expect, but it wasn't long before people started to discover the greatness of this recording and about a year later it had sold no less than six million copies and was still selling like hot cakes. This was nothing short of astonishing for a record in the Heavy Metal genre, especially considering that the sale figures didn't primarilly stem from sugar sweet ballads or pop flirts a' la {Bon Jovi} et al, but rather wild and uncompromising singles like Paradise City and Welcome to the Jungle.
Unfortunately the band seemed to be more interested in the "sex" and "drugs" parts than the
"rock n' roll" part of the rock myth. There were also some interpersonal problems in the
band, and the record company had a tough time trying to convince them to release a follow-up
album. In the abscence of new material, they released Guns n' Roses Lies in 1988,
which was basically a re-release of Live ?!*# Like a Suicide and a bunch of acoustic
demo tapes. This was to be the last record before the turn of the decade, and while it may
have seemed like a desperate attempt at making some quick dough from the success of
Appetite For Destruction, it did almost as well as the debut album.You can only guess as to why Guns n' Roses managed to become so immensely popular so far outside the Heavy Metal commutity. Perhaps the answer lies in part in the fact that they did indeed manage to write some brilliant songs and in part in the fact that their timing was perfect. There is no doubt, however, that the inimitable egergy and charisma of the band members, especially Axl and Slash, has very much to do with it. Unfortunately this energy sometimes took a turn for the self destructive.
The real names of the band members are:
Axl - William Bailey
Slash - Saul Hudson
Izzy - Jeffrey Isabelle
Duff - Michael McKagan
Steven - Steven Adler
MYGNR - a Guns n' Roses site. There are plenty more...
Welcome to the Jungle (176 K) from Appetite For Destruction (© Geffen)Gwar:
Oderus Urungus (vo), Balsac the Jaws of Death (gu), Flattus Maximus (gu), Beefcake the Mighty (ba), Jizmak the Gusher (dr) (1989)
Hmm... I wonder if those are their real names... Anyway, Gwar didn't release their debut album Hell-O until 1988, so there isn't that much to say about their eighties. Nevertheless, they are so distinctly original that they certainly deserve to be mentioned here.
The band was formed in Richmond, USA by, among others, a bunch of art students and movie makers, so while their mixture of punk, Thrash Metal, Glam Metal etc. was perhaps musically not that original it was only natural that their focus was clearly on image and appearance. They were apparently inspired by "dragons and dungeouns" and fantasy imagery and their videos and live shows were filled with monsters, masks, spectacular outfits and fake blood. When performing live, by the way, the band setting was often extended to include well above ten musicians, all doing their very best to boost Gwar's reputation as the most far out and provocative (in more than one way) act around.
So, what does the acronym GWAR stand for then? Many suggestions have been made, but according to the official site (see link below) the disappointing truth is... absolutely nothing!
The official Gwar web site.-H-
Sammy Hagar:
American singer and guitarist Sammy Hagar already had a couple of quite successful projects behind him when he decided to put together a super group in 1983. Apart from himself this band consisted of Neil Schon from {Journey} on guitar, Kenny Aaronson from Billy Squier Band on bass and Michael Shrieve from Santana on drums. Together they recorded the live album Through the Fire in 1984. For some reason this album was only moderately successful, and the band was soon dissolved. Mr Hagar didn't have to grieve at this for too long, however, because not only did his motorist melody I Can't Drive 55 from his next album VOA become a hit in 1985, but the same year he replaced David Lee Roth as lead singer for {Van Halen}.
The Official Sammy Hagar Web Site.Hallows Eve:
Stacy Anderson (vo), David Stuart (gu), Skellator (gu), Tommy Stewart (ba), Ronny Appoldt (dr) (1985)
Among Metal Heads, Metal Blade was a renowned record company back in the eighties, not least owing to their phenomenal ability to discover aggressive Thrash Metal bands. Hallows Eve was one such band. Starting out in Atlanta, USA, in 1984, Hallows Eve were quite soon taken under the wings of the aforementioned record company. In 1985 they released their debut album Tales of Terror, complete with obligatory cheesy record cover art.
It is their second album Death and Instanity, released in 1986, that is most well-known among most Metal Heads, however. Having kicked out their dubiously named rhythm guitarist Skellator and replaced drummer Ronny Appoldt with Tym Helton (in fact, Tym had already appeared on two of the tracks on Tales of Terror), Hallows Eve performed their hard-hitting Thrash Metal complete with complicated lyrics on subjects such as torture and mutilation better than ever. Death and Instanity also featured a considerably less cheesy cover. Hallows Eve's third and last album, Monument, was released in 1988. Perhaps in an attempt to renew themselves, the band this time chose a much more "modern" and polished cover image. Along the same line, the tracks included a cover of Queen's Sheer Heart Attack. Also, the band changed drummers again a couple of times (from Tym Helton to Rob Clayton to Paul Kopchinski and back to Tym again.) Shortly after the release of Monument, singer Stacy Anderson left the band. The remaining members tried their best to keep going for a while. Among others, they briefly cooperated with guitarist James Murphy, who later went on to other bands such as {Death} and {Obituary}. Eventually, they had to throw in the towel and Hallows Eve split up completely...
... or so it seemed, at least. Tommy Stewart himself tells the story:
After Stacy Anderson left the band in '88, the live shows continued to '94. During that time Tommy Stewart had been seeking the right line-up for the fourth album. Giving up on live shows for an extended time, Tommy played in some other projects while the search continued. In 2004, the band that did release the long awaited fourth album (entitled 'Evil Never Dies') consists of Tommy Stewart, taking over lead vocals, continuing with bass and the return of Skullator on guitar and vocals. Also Dane Jensen (drums) and Brandon Ottinger (guitar). This line-up has played many live shows consistently from 2004 through 2006 and is the longest running same line-up.
Huge thanks to Tommy Stewart for providing this info!
The official Hallows Eve site.Hanoi Rocks:
Michael Monroe (vo), Andy McCoy (gu), Nasty Suicide (gu), Sam Yaffa (ba), Gyp Casino (dm) (1981)
Finnish rock band put together by Michael Monroe (Matti Fagerholm) and Andy McCoy (Antti Hulkko), who had already attracted some attention through various musical escapades in Helsinki and Stockholm when Hanoi Rocks released their debut album Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks in 1981. This album got quite a lot of attention in Finland and Sweden, but it was the second album, Oriental Beat from 1982, that opened the doors to international fame. This record was fairly succesful in England, and consequently the band moved there, toured a lot and replaced their drummer Gyp Casino (Jesper Sporre) for Razzle (Nicholas Dingley). Hanoi Rocks released a couple of more albums in England, and eventually recorded the album that seemed to be the one to gain them a place among the really big names of Rock n' Roll, Two Steps From the Move, released in 1984. Unfortunately we will never know what would have happened after that, since Razzle tragically died in a car accident on december 8, 1984. The car, incidentally, was driven by Vince Neill of {Mötley Crüe}. Razzle was replaced by Terry Chimes from The Clash, but soon thereafter Sam Yaffa (Sami Takamäki) left the band to be replaced by Rene Berg, and it wasn't long before Hanoi Rocks were officially disbanded.
Hanoi Rocks played a happy mixture of Glam Rock and Heavy Metal, inspired by acts like New York Dolls and {Alice Cooper}. They were particularly spectacular live, where Michael Monroe was definately in his right element, and played a lot at clubs like Marquee in London. This is also where their excellent live record, All Those Wasted Years, was recorded in 1984. It is ironic that Vince Neill from Mötley Crüe drove the car on that unfortunate night when Razzle was killed, since Hanoi Rocks are often mentioned as one of the main sources of inspiration for Mötley Crüe as well as for other bands like {Guns n' Roses}.
A Hanoi Rocks home page.Hawkwind:
Dave Brock (vo, gu), Huw Lloyd Langton (gu), Harvey Bainbridge (ba), Tim Blake (ke), Ginger Baker (dr) (1980)
Hawkwind? Isn't that a seventies band? Well, yes, Hawkwind even has it's roots in England back in the sixties, and many fans think they had their finest moments back in the early seventies (when Lemmy from {Motörhead} was a band member). They existed all the way through the eighties, however, releasing albums at a ferocious rate. Being true groundbreakers in the early days of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, they also certainly deserve to be mentioned in any decent Heavy Metal biography collection if only for that fact alone. From the very beginning they experimented wildly with mixing heavy guitars with synthesizers and all kinds of innovative sounds, and they were also well known for improvising large parts of their concerts (and studio recordings, for that matter). Strange as it may sound, they were to some extent early influences to both quite rough Heavy Metal acts, Progressive Metal bands and psychedelic rock bands. I'm tempted to label Hawkwind a Heavy Metal Hippie band, but I'm sure many Hawkwind fans would object, so I'm not going to...
Before I continue, let me point out that the member lineup above was true at some point of time in the year 1980, but Hawkwind notoriously changed their lineup, singer Dave Brock more or less being the only permanent member. I'm not even going to try to give an account of all the member changes. Also, as I mentioned above, they released a ridiculous amount of albums. Counting compilations and live albums etc., they released somewhere around 20(!) albums in the eighties alone. So forgive me for not listing all of those either...
As the eighties dawned, Hawkwind were basically struggling for their existence as a band (but then again, they had excelled in that throughout the entire seventies). The 1980 release Levitation helped maintaining their popularity, but as always, member changes seemed to occur on a more or less daily basis. Nonetheless, by adopting a more Heavy Metal oriented sound, without loosing their psychedelic qualities, Hawkwind managed to hitch a ride on the NWOBWH bandwagon that had begun to roll and were rather commercially successful for the first few years of the decade. In 1985, they took a step back towards their more progressive and sci-fi oriented roots with the release of the ambitious concept album The Chronicle of the Black Sword, and Hawkwind continued to tour and release moderately successful albums throughout the decade, always closely watched by a devoted cult following.
The Official Hawkwind site.Hawkeye - a site with loads of Hawkwind info.
Hear 'N Aid:
See this entry in the thesaurus.
Heathen:
Dough Godfrey (vo), Dough Piercy (gu), Lee Altus (gu), Mike Jastremski (ba), Carl Sacco (dr) (1987)
Heathen formed in the mid eighties in San Fransisco, California and only released one record, Breaking the Silence from 1987, before the end of the century. Their sound was quite typical of the so called "Bay Area Thrash" and their debut album got a fair deal of attention, not least thanks to the cover version of Sweet's Set Me Free.
Breaking the Silence (164 K) from the album Breaking the Silence (© Music for Nations)Heavy Load:
Ragne Wahlquist (vo, gu), Eddie Malm (gu), Torbjörn Ragnesjö (ba), Styrbjörn Wahlquist (dr) (1983)
Swedish Heavy Metal/Power Metal act Heavy Load started out in Stockholm in the mid seventies. Heavily inspired by Viking imagery and Norse mythology, their first release of the eighties was the EP Metal Conquest, released in 1981. This was followed by the full length album Death or Glory the following year and Stronger Than Evil in 1983. Unfortunately, Stronger Than Evil was to become their last album, despite their being relatively popular, and in 1985 Heavy Load split up. Apparently, Heavy Load attempted a comeback in 1987. Reportedly, they even recorded an album (featuring {UFO} bass player Paul Grey no less) that was never released.
Heathens from the North - a Heavy Load tribute siteHeavy Pettin':
Steve Hayman (vo), Punky Mendoza (gu), Gordon Bonnar (gu), Brian Waugh (ba), Gary Moat(dr) (1983)
Heavy Pettin' was formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1981. Around this time, the "New Wave of Brittish Heavy Metal" movement was just just gaining momentum, fueled by bands like {Saxon} and {Iron Maiden}. Being a Brittish band, it's no wonder, then, that Heavy Pettin' got quite a lot of attention when they released a demo that same year. One thing led to another, and in 1983 they released their full length debut, Lettin' Loose (see image). Lettin' Loose, produced by Brian May of Queen no less, was fairly well recieved and saw the band touring with among others {Ozzy Osbourne}. Incidentally, Lettin' Loose was released in the US under the name Heavy Pettin. Guitarist Punky Mendoza explains that this was because the record label had never really fancied the name Lettin' Loose, and when it was time to give the American market a try they promply changed the name (and the cover) of the album.
The follow-up was released in 1985 and was entitled Rock Ain't Dead. At the time, Heavy Metal was more popular than ever. Many bands began experimenting with a more commercial sound in order to really make big bucks, and quite a few succeeded, too. Perhaps it was this fact that possesed Heavy Pettin' to making the fatal decision to enter the contest to become the Brittish entry to the (among Metal Heads at least) infamous annual Eurovision Song Contest. Their song didn't win nomination, and Heavy Pettin' was dropped by the record company. Personally, I would have dropped them if they had won nomination, but that's just me... Not surprisingly, Heavy Pettin' never really recovered from this blow, and some time later they disbanded. By that time, they had already recorded a new album, however, and this was released on a minor label in 1989 as Big Bang.
Punky Mendoza has the following thoughts on the Eurovision Song Contest adventure:
The final decision about appearing on the Eurovision Song Contest was entirely with the band. I take responsibility for being one of the members in the band who was up for it. However, my decision to go on the show was based on advice from our MD at Polydor (incidentally, the MD didn't tell Pettin at the time that he was leaving Polydor to work for Paul McCartney). Anyway, he led me to believe that should Pettin appear on the show the band would gain access to a wider audience through publicity at a premium level: all the national newspapers were waiting on the wing for the decision, as were all the major radio stations and TV/video producers were waiting to make a documentary on the rise of a young band from Glasgow, Scotland. The long and short of the whole affair was that we were duped into it and paid a serious price on our credibility as a metal band and shortly thereafter lost control of our will to survive as a team. The whole affair of being part of Wogan's world made us all sick as f*ck.
It's hard to tell why Heavy Pettin' never quite managed to make it all the way to becomming one of the really big names of Heavy Metal, in spite of their excellent guitar playing, flawless "big sound" production and their mixture of Heavy Metal, Hard Rock and AOR that proved successful for so many others. That's not to say they were unknown, however; especially during the early years, they got quite a lot of media attention, even prior to releasing their debut album. And they also had an occational single on the Metal Charts. Still, they were unable to take that final step to reach mega stardom. Perhaps the reason was the lack of true killer hit singles on any of their albums. Another explanation may have been singer Steve "Hamie" Hayman's falsetto voice, which may not have appealed to everyone as it was exceptionally high pitched and whiny, even by eighties Heavy Metal standards (and that's saying a lot...)
Huge thanks to Punky Medoza for his input to this bio!
Punky Mendoza's web site - don't miss the Punky interview by yours truly!Lettin' Loose - a Heavy Pettin' site.
Heir Apparent:
Paul Davidson (vo), Terry Gorle (gu), Derek Peace (ba), Ray Schwartz (dr) (1986)
When the Seattle band Heir Apparent released their debut album Graceful Inheritance in 1986, they got raving reviews, at least all over the European continent, and their Techno inspired Metal was hailed by many as the way ahead for Heavy Metal. For some reason, the following European tour was not very successful at all, however, and a period of turbulence and frequent member changes followed. In 1989, when the follow-up album One Small Voice was released, the setting consisted of Steve Benito (vo), Terry Gorle (gu), Derek Peace (ba), Michael Jackson (ke) and Ray Schwartz (dr). Where Graceful Inheritance had been a bit rougher around the edges, the second effort was distinctly more polished and progressive. One Small Voice got its fair share of attention, but Heir Apparent none the less decided to fold shortly after its release. At least for a couple of years... According to the band, the reason was the rise of Grunge on the expense of the more elaborate kind of Metal closer to Heir Apparent's heart.
The Official Heir Apparent Web Site.Helix:
Brian Vollmer (vo), Brent Doerner (gu), Paul Hackman (gu), Daryl Grey (ba), Greg Hinz (dm) (1984)
The Canadian band Helix was formed in the mid seventies and debuted on vinyl in 1979. Their first album of the eighties, White Lace and Black Leather, arrived in 1981. Helix played straightforward, no fuzz Hard Rock, and would probably not have enjoyed much attention outside the Metalhead community (as if that isn't enough!) if it hadn't been for the single Rock You from their 1984 album Walkin' the Razor's Edge. This sing-along metal anthem came with perfect timing and was hugely successful in many parts of the world. The band never managed to match this success, however, and even though they continued to release records throughout the decade, they slowly drifted into oblivion in most peoples minds. At least in the mainstream community.
Planet Helix - the official Helix siteHellion:
Ann Boleyn (vo), Chet Thompson (gu), Alex Campbell (ba), Greg Pekka (dr) (1987)
Hellion was not the only eighties Heavy Metal band to feature a female singer. They where, however, members of the far more exclusive "Metal Bands Fronted by Females Who Don't Play Lame A** Commercial Hard Rock Club" (tm), playing fairly melodic but distinctly hard-hitting Heavy Metal.
Starting out in Los Angeles, USA, in 1982, they quite quickly laid their hands on a record
deal and released a self-titled EP (and a split side 7" single together with {Bitch})
in 1983. While sales where far from great, it helped
them attract the attention of Ronnie James {Dio} and his wife Wendy, who took them under
their wings. A time of personal differences and member changes followed before Hellion's
first full length album, Screams in the Night, was finally released in 1987.
Several of the original members had departed to form their own band ("Burn"), and by now,
the band featured the member setting mentioned above, which among others included drummer
Greg Pekka, previously in {Dokken}. Apparently, Ann Boleyn was not completely satisfied
with this album as it didn't quite reflect her personal thoughts on how Hellion should
sound.It should come as no suprise, then, that the member setting changed drastically once again. Boleyn now recruited guitarist Ray Schenck and bassist Dave Dutton. She also convinced two of the original members, guitarist Alan Barlamand and drummer Sean Kelley, to return to the fold. Theese two where among those who had previously formed "Burn" (I guess the grass wasn't greener after all...) Now being a band in harmony, Hellion quickly recorded a mini-album, Postcards From The Asylum. The harmony was very temporary, however. Soon a new bassist, Rex Tennyson, was brought in, and when The Black Book was released in 1990, it was to be Hellions last recording in quite some time. At the same time as The Black Book was released, incidentally, Ann Boleyn also published a novel. It tried to search for it on a popular web book store, but it didn't seem to be available, so unfortunately I can't say whether it was in fact a "black book" or not...
The official Hellion site (may be down).Helloween:
Michael Kiske (vo), Kai Hansen (gu), Michael Weikath (gu), Markus Grosskopf (ba), Ingo Schwichtenberg (dr) (1987)
Helloween was formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1982. Their debut album Walls of Jericho came in 1985, shortly after the release of the mini LP Helloween. It was with their third LP, the concept album Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I from 1987, that they got their real breakthrough though. By this time vocalist Michael Kiske had joined the band, allowing Kai Hansen to fully consentrate on his guitar playing. He also seemed to bring a more melodic quality to the band. The success of this album was followed up with Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II the following year. Unfortunately much of the band's dynamic energy seemed to disappear with Kai Hansen, as he left the band in 1989. He was replaced by Roland Grapow from Rampage, but the glory days of Helloween were over.
Helloween managed to successfully mix the speed and energy of more extreme kinds of metal such as Speed Metal with the melodic qualities of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. A winning combination in the eyes (or rather ears) of many metalheads. Furthermore, Michael Kiske mastered the art of singing in his characteristic high pitched Heavy Metal voice, similar to that of Rob Halford from {Judas Priest}, without sounding pathetic. Mostly. A difficult balance act indeed.
The Official Helloween Site.Future World - "The First Ever Helloween Web Site".
I'm Alive (111 K) from Keeper... Part I (© RCA)Heretic:
Mike Torres (vo), Brian Korban (gu), Bobby Marquez (gu), Dennis O'Hara (ba) Rick Merick (dr) (1987)
Los Angeles based Power Metal band. Heretic debuted with the album Burnt at the Stake in 1984, which was released on an independent label. Then they were silent for three years until Torture Knows No Boundary was released on Metal Blade in 1987. In 1988 Heretic released their final album before disbanding, The Breaking Point. By now, singer Mike Torres had been replaced by Mike Howe. When Heretic disbanded, Mike Howe went on to {Metal Church}, and this is probably what Heretic are most well-known for...
House of Lords:
James Christian (vo), Lanny Cordola (gu), Gregg Giuffria (gu), Chuck Wright (ba), Ken Mary (dr) (1988)
After keyboard virtuoso Gregg Giuffria abandoned his band {Giuffria}, he started up House of Lords together with among others former band mates Lanny Cordola and Chuck Wright. Through his good friend Gene Simmons of {Kiss}, he immediately got a record contract with Simmons Records. (Another version of the story is that Gene Simmons more or less forced Giuffria to kick out his old singer and changed the name of the band, but who knows...) The debut album House of Lords was released in 1988, and it was obvious from the very beginning that the sound of House of Lords was even more focused on Greg's keyboard playing than Guiffria had been. It was also quite a lot heavier. Incidentally, many of the songs on House of Lords were originally intended to be included on the never-to-be-released third Giuffria album. Both the debut album and the follow-up from 1989, I Wanna be Loved, got good reviewes and sold good if not very good, and House of Lords went on tour with names such as {Cheap Trick} and {Scorpions}. As the nineties dawned, House of Lords continued to tour and release albums and did well, although they never ranked among the most well-known Hard Rock/Heavy Metal acts.
Under Blue Skies - a House of Lords fan site.
Greg Howe:
Starting out in his home town Easton (PA, USA) when he was very young, it was soon clear that Greg Howe was an extremely talented guitar player. Among his early influences were {Van Halen} and Jimi Hendrix, and these were very apparent in his first band Duke.
In 1988 Greg Howe got his first record contract, and the same year he released his debut album Greg Howe. This album featured bassist Billy Sheenan, who had previously played with David Lee Roth, and drummer Atma Anur, and was very well received, not least among other musicians, thanks to Howes excellent guitar playing. Soon after his debut, Howe started up a new band, Howe II, featuring his brother Al behind the microphone. Howe II released the album High Gear in 1989. This album, which was Greg Howe's last release in the eighties, was a commercial success and featured Joe Nevolo on drums and Vern Parsons on bass. It also included such prominent guest singers as Jason Becker from {Cacophony} and Mike Varney (see {CJSS} and {Yngwie Malmsteen}).
The Official Greg Howe Web Site.Hurricane:
Kelly Hansen (vo), Robert Sarzo (gu), Tony Cavazo (ba), Jay Schellen (dr) (1985)
Founded in 1985 in Los Angeles by vocalist Kelly Hansen, guitarist Robert Sarzo and bassist Tony Cavazo (brothers of the hugely popular {Quiet Riot} members Rudy Sarzo and Carlos Cavazo) and drummer Jay Schellen, Hurricane released their first record, Take What You Want in 1986. The band enjoyed moderate success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, producing a US top 40 single (I'm On to You) and a top-5 MTV video. That single, from the 1988 album Over the Edge was to be the band's crowning achievement. Guitarist Robert Sarzo left the band after the Over the Edge tour and was replaced by ex-Lion guitarist Doug Aldrich. The band released another album in 1990, Slave to the Thrill.
During the band's heyday, they toured with groups like {Cheap Trick}, {Iron Maiden}, {Stryper}, {Poison}, {MSG}, {Gary Moore} & Ted Nugent. The band formally disbanded in 1991 after their label, Enigma, declared bankruptcy.
Special thanks to Brent Bouldin for writing this bio!
