My Favorite Bands

MOTLEY CRUE

2011-02-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil.Mötley Crüe was formed on January 17, 1981 when bass guitarist Nikki Sixx left the band London and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist/guitarist Greg Leon. Lee had worked previously with Leon in a band called Suite 19 and the trio practiced together for some time with Leon eventually deciding not to continue. Nikki and Tommy then began a search for new members. Sixx and Lee soon met guitarist Bob "Mick Mars" Deal. Mars was quickly auditioned and subsequently hired by Sixx and Lee.

STEELHEART

2011-02-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

Steelheart is a glam metal band based in Norwalk, Connecticut. Formed in 1990, the band is fronted by vocalist Miljenko Matijevic.Steelheart started off as a rock band called Red Alert whose members included James Ward (bass), Chris Risola (guitars), Jack Wilkenson (drums) and after auditioning, Miljenko Matijevic on vocals. Frank DiCostanzo joined as a second guitarist and John Fowler replaced Jack Wilkenson on drums, after leaving the band Rage of Angels. Recording a four-track demo tape, Matijevic managed to meet artist manager Stan Poses. Poses wasn't interested but the next day, after hearing the demo tape, called confirming that "Red Alert" had just been given a contract with MCA records. Realizing that the Red Alert name was already taken, the band settled on Steelheart allegedly because of their attitude after trying to get a record deal for so long.

POISON

2010-10-23T07:15:00.001-07:00

Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved huge success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. To date, the band have released eight studio albums, four live albums, and four compilations. Poison have sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 16.5 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted 10 singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including six Top 10 singles and the Hot 100 number-one single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". In the 2000s, with the original line up back together, the band found new popularity after a successful greatest hits reunion tour. Band members have released several solo albums and starred in successful reality TV shows. After 25 years, the band is still recording music and performing.

KIX

2010-08-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

Kix is an American hard rock/heavy metal band who achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Kix was started by Brian "Damage" Forsythe and Donnie Purnell in Dec. of 1977 in Hagerstown, Maryland. The first song Brian and Donnie played together was Atomic Bombs. They played with two musicians from Pittsburgh, "Tee" and "Tunes." The first practices were at the Old Mill Inn, in Williamsport, Maryland, just outside of Hagerstown. Because "Tee" and "Tunes" lived so far away the rehearsals didn't work out. They started rehearsing with Ronnie "10/10" Younkins, whom Ronnie asked to join the new band. Soon after they invited Donnie Spence to join as a drummer. He didn't have a car so he was picked up every day for rehearsals.
Steve Whiteman was added to the band after a couple of other lead singers (Terry Brady and Sam Smith) didn't work out. Steve also played drums, so he and Donnie Spence, who was also a good singer, would alternate drums and lead vocals. Steve though, sang all the difficult songs. The guys met Steve at a show at The Other Place in Ridgely, WV. They had heard about him, and went to see him play with his old band. During the break they took him out to the car and played him a cassette of their original songs. They asked him to join. A week later Steve moved to Hagerstown, to join what was then called "The Shooze."
After a while, Donnie Spence didn't work out anymore. Jimmy "Chocolate" Chalfant was recruited as the drummer for "The Shooze." Jimmy was Donnie Purnell's old bandmate and had played with him in his previous bands "Fire and Rain", "Starship" and "Jax". Brian used to go see Donnie and Jimmy playing those bands. From the beginning Ronnie had envisioned this as the perfect line-up: Donnie (who also wrote cool songs), Jimmy and Ronnie, all musicians he knew and admired from around town. So by late 1979 the classic Kix lineup of Steve Whiteman (lead vocals), Ronnie "10/10" Younkins (lead guitars), Brian "Damage" Forsythe (rhythm guitars), Donnie Purnell (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Jimmy "Chocolate" Chalfant (drums, backing vocals) was complete.
They changed their name to "The Generators," when they realized there was another band out of Chicago, named "The Shooze." They began recording their first album on Atlantic in 1980 before eventually settling on "Kix."

VIXEN

2010-08-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

Vixen is an all-female American hard rock band which achieved some commercial success during the late 1980s and early 1990s as part of the Los Angeles, California glam metal scene.
Vixen was formed in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1980 by guitarist Jan Kuehnemund while still at high school. In 1984, an early version of the band with Kuehnemund, singer Janet Gardner and bassist Pia Maiocco (who later married guitarist Steve Vai) appeared in the movie Hardbodies, as the on-screen band Diaper Rash. In 1985, the band moved to Los Angeles, California to be part of the L.A. rock scene.In 1997, drummer Roxy Petrucci reformed Vixen, with Janet Gardner (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gina Stile (lead guitar), and Rana Ross (bass). This lineup toured the United States in 1997, and in 1998 Gardner, Stile, and Petrucci recorded the album Tangerine. After the release of the new album, Roxy's sister Maxine Petrucci was brought in to play bass on a U.S. tour of 1998, but they were sued for copyright infringement by Kuehnemund.
In 1999, Share Pedersen joined her husband's band, the Dogs D'Amour, who were reforming after a long hiatus. She appeared on their 2000 album, Happy Ever After, playing bass, keyboards, and, backing vocals. Share and her husband, Bam, also have their own band, Bubble, which is very popular in L.A..

WRATHCHILD

2010-08-28T05:50:00.000-07:00

Wrathchild (sometimes known as Wrathchild UK in the United States due to a naming conflict with Wrathchild America) were an English heavy metal band. Formed in 1980, the group are one of the first (if not the first) true bands of the glam metal genre, starting off at least a year before other bands of the genre such as Mötley Crüe. In addition, they were part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene. However, they did not gain the same level of success or influence as their American counterparts.
In their home country, the band were well known for their D.I.Y. aesthetic (common for many NWOBHM bands), over the top stage shows, and striking image. During their early days, they would often play in pubs but still used confetti, pyrotechnics, and dressed in full glam metal gear, including their trademark platform boots and huge, teased hair.

DOKKEN

2010-08-28T05:44:00.001-07:00

Dokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band that was formed in 1978. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.[2] The band was a nominated for a Grammy.
Dokken was composed of founder Don Dokken on vocals, George Lynch on lead guitars, Juan Croucier on bass, and "Wild" Mick Brown on drums. In 1983 Croucier left Dokken in order to join Ratt and was replaced by Jeff Pilson. Currently, Dokken and Brown remain from the original line-up. After several personnel changes on guitar, Dokken's attorney Jon Levin stepped in to fill the role in 2004. In 2001, Barry Sparks replaced Jeff Pilson on the bass guitar. In 2009, Sean McNabb replaced Barry Sparks on bass guitar.

L.A GUNS

2010-08-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

L.A. Guns is a name used by two American glam metal bands whose music is frequently associated with the L.A. glam metal scene which grew up around the Sunset Strip in the 1980s, in particular the sleaze rock subgenre. Three members of the first L.A. Guns lineup, including founder Tracii Guns, were involved in the formation of the first incarnation of Guns N' Roses. L.A. Guns merged with fellow L.A. group Hollywood Rose, but they soon all left the group.
L.A. Guns were then reformed by singer Paul Black initially under a different moniker until Tracii joined the band. The lineup changed to what is now known as the classic lineup with Phil Lewis on vocals, Tracii Guns on lead guitar, Mick Cripps on rhythm guitar, Kelly Nickels on bass and Steve Riley on drums releasing three moderately successful albums. During the early 90's the group were dropped from their label and several members left the group with the band going through numerous lineup changes afterwards. In 1999 the classic lineup reunited for a reunion tour and later began recording new material.
In 2002 Tracii left the group forming Brides of Destruction with Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx. The remaining members decided to continue on without Tracii, adding guitarist Stacey Blades and releasing new material on the album Tales from the Strip. After Tracii put the Brides on hiatus he formed a solo band he eventually renamed L.A. Guns. Both bands continue to tour under the L.A. Guns moniker.

ROXX GANG

2010-08-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Roxx Gang were a glam metal band formed in Largo, Florida in 1985.
They were fronted by Kevin Steele, who formed the band along with guitarist Eric Carrol. After going through several lineup changes, the band garnered record company attention in 1987 with their Love 'Em and Leave 'Em demo. The band recorded their debut album Things You've Never Done Before with their lineup now consisting of Steele, Jeff Taylor Blanchard (guitar), Wade Hays (guitar), Roby "Strychnine" Strine (bass), and David James Blackshire (drums). It was produced by Beau Hill and went on to sell a quarter million copies worldwide. The band broke up in 1991 due to infighting and record company issues. Steele then formed a new version of the band along with Roby Strine, with guitarist Dallas Perkins and drummer Andy James, who promptly departed within a year after the band's following died. Then drummer Tommy Weder and Toronto guitarist Stacey Blades joined the group. Strine quit in 1994 and was replaced with Dorian Sage. The band released its first album since Things called the Voodoo You Love and went on to release several more albums in the late 1990s. The band also added guitarist Jeff Vitolo and Vinnie Granese to the band. After playing and touring together for years, in 1998–1999 this new lineup went on to tour and record under the name "Mojo Gurus". In 2000 Blades Quit Roxx Gang citing musical and personal differences and moved to L.A. where he hooked up with L.A. Guns in 2003, replacing Tracii Guns.

HANOI ROCKS

2010-08-13T09:11:00.001-07:00

Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley. Original members vocalist Michael Monroe and guitarist Andy McCoy came back together in 2001 and were active with the new line-up of Hanoi Rocks until 2009.
In the 80s Hanoi Rocks was the most successful Finnish band internationally and are still popular in the United States, Japan, and England. They were also one of the first rock bands to tour in Asia, and were the first western rock band to play in Delhi. According to Finnish radio and TV personality Jone Nikula (who was also Hanoi Rocks' tour manager in the 2000s), Hanoi Rocks' albums have sold around 780.000–1.000.000 copies around the world, but mostly in Scandinavia and Japan. They are more known for their energetic live performances than for album sales though.
The band have been cited as pioneers of hair metal.

EVERY MOTHER NIGHTMARE (EMN)

2010-08-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Every Mother's Nightmare (EMN) is a Heavy Metal band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1987 by vocalist Rick Ruhl and guitarist Steve Malone. Bassist, Mark McMurty, and drummer, Jim Phipps, completed the lineup. EMN blended blues, metal, and southern rock for their sound. Before moving to Nashville, Rick Ruhl spent his formative teenage years in the West Knoxville area (Concord Tn.) where he was most likely influenced by that area's local garage rock bands (featuring Bruce Watkins, Kevin Morgan and Eddie Francis.)
EMN's career ended as quickly as it started. With the label-signing frenzy of the late '80's of hard rock/metal bands, EMN benefited and gained some minor success. However, just as quickly, they were swallowed up in the even-larger signing frenzy of grunge.
They reached their biggest success with the single, 'Love Can Make You Blind,' which reached #22 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks.
EMN still enjoys a local following in the Memphis and Nashville music scene.

CRY WOLF

2010-08-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

Cry Wolf was a melodic hard rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area, originally named Heroes formed in the mid '80's with Tim Hall (vocals), Steve McKnight (guitar), Phil Deckard (bass), John Freixas (drums) and JC Crampton (Keyboards).
In 1986, the band moved to Los Angeles and started working the Hollywood club circuit, soon thereafter recruiting Hall's friend Paul Cancilla on drums. During recording sessions for their demo, the keyboardist, JC left and they were forced to change the name of the band. To generate a mailing list and search for a name at the same time the band ran a contest in the local BAM magazine. The person(s) who came up with the winning name would win Mötley Crüe tickets. The name "Cry Wolf" was chosen out of hundreds of entries.
At about the same time, a demo of the band was out on the streets and was starting a buzz on the strip. Word got out overseas and Cry Wolf was convinced to release it as a limited red vinyl in Japan and do a handful of live shows, all of which sold out. The band was promptly offered a recording contract and released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut on Epic/Sony which featured the Beatles song "I Am The Walrus".

WINGER

2010-08-08T01:29:00.000-07:00

Winger is an American heavy metal/hard rock band formed in New York City that gained popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's two platinum albums, Winger and In the Heart of the Young, along with charting singles "Seventeen", "Headed for a Heartbreak", and "Miles Away", put the band on the top of the charts by the early 1990s. In 1990, the band was nominated for an American Music Award for "Best New Heavy Metal Band". As the music scene changed in the early to mid-1990s with the popularity of grunge, the band faded after their third release Pull.
After disbanding in 1994, bassist/lead vocalist Kip Winger went on to a solo career, guitarist Reb Beach went on to touring projects with artists like Dokken and Alice Cooper, and the band's other members pursued or resumed careers as session musicians. Rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Paul Taylor left the band before the recording of its 1993 album Pull and was replaced by guitarist John Roth for the album's tour; Roth has been a full-fledged recording and touring member since then. The band reunited in 2001 for several successful tours, but halted activity again in 2003 due to Reb Beach's touring commitment with Whitesnake as well as his solo album "Masquerade" and involvement with "supergroup" project The Mob with King's X frontman Doug Pinnick and Night Ranger drummer Kelly Keagy, resulted in a single self-titled album in 2005. In 2006, the band's 1993 touring line-up (minus Paul Taylor but including John Roth) re-united to record the band's first studio album in over 13 years, IV. The band has toured in support of the album into 2008. In 2009 the band released 5th album Karma

BAD ENGLISH

2010-07-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Bad English was an American/British hard rock supergroup formed in 1988, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.The members decided on a name for the band while playing pool. John Waite missed a shot and Jonathan Cain made a comment on how bad his "english" was (referring to the spin a player puts on the cue ball) and the band decided to use the phrase.
Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon, who had enjoyed enormous success in Journey, continued on to form Bad English with Waite after Journey disbanded. The first album, eponymously titled, was a big seller with three hit singles, including the number one hit "When I See You Smile" written by Diane Warren, the top 10 hit "Price of Love," and "Possession." Another track from the debut album, the AOR song "Best of What I Got", was featured in the soundtrack to 1989's Tango and Cash.
The band's second album, 1991's "Backlash" came and went without any fanfare. The only single, "Straight To Your Heart," just missed the Top 40, peaking at #42. Ricky Phillips writes on his website that the group had parted company before the second album had been mixed. Both Phillips and guitarist Neal Schon expressed frustration with the "pop" side of the band's songs and wanted a harder edge. In the end, it proved to be the band's undoing as everyone left to pursue other projects.
In later interviews Waite revealed that although he loved playing to stadium-sized audiences, he was uncomfortable with the corporate rock image that he felt the band had presented and has been a solo artist ever since.
Bad English drummer Deen Castronovo later went on to join a reformed Journey with singer Steve Augeri, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, and Ross Valory. He also played on Ozzy Osbourne's album Ozzmosis in 1995.

HARDLINE

2010-07-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hardline is an American hard rock band.Hardline is a band created by brothers Johnny Gioeli and Joey Gioeli, who had previously played in the bands Killerhit and Brunette (which at one point was the top-drawing band in Hollywood, setting the all-time attendance record at Gazzarri's[citation needed]), later played in the band Gravity, and have since returned to Hardline. The band originally also included guitarist Neal Schon of Journey and Bad English, bassist Todd Jensen (ex-Sequel), and drummer Deen Castronovo. The group was marketed as something of a glam metal band, due to the Gioelli brothers having long hair and dressing in a glam metal style, but their sound had as much in common with hard rock and AOR. A couple of the groups first songs were used in the movie "Rapid Fire" which starred Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts expert, Bruce Lee.
Neal Schon left and then did several projects before finally rejoining Journey. Former Jag Panzer and Shrapnel Records legend Joey Tafolla was approached to join but declined at the time to concentrate on building his southern California merchandising company. Todd Jensen and Deen Castronovo left to join Ozzy Osbourne, though Jensen was replaced by Geezer Butler. Eventually, Deen Castronovo also joined Journey. Drummer Bobby Rock played on Hardline's second album, II. He had previously played several times with the Gioeli brothers in the band Brunette, replacing their regular drummer. They met via Rock's former Vinnie Vincent Invasion bandmate Dana Strum, who produced one of Brunette's demos, on which Rock did some drum tracks. Angel keyboardist Michael T. Ross joined the band for II and the live DVD, when they headlined "The Gods Festival" in Bradford, England, June 2002.

VINNIE VINCENT INVASION

2010-06-23T01:53:00.000-07:00

Vinnie Vincent Invasion was an American heavy metal/glam metal band formed in 1984 by former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent.Initially forming the band in the mid-80's, Vincent recruited bassist Dana Strum, who had also served as a talent scout of sorts in L.A., recruiting band members for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss (in fact, he had been the one responsible for securing Vincent's place in Kiss in the first place). Bobby Rock came on board as the drummer. With this nucleus of the band intact, the search was on for a lead vocalist. Initially, they were very impressed with an audition tape they had received of a male singer, whose vocal style was very reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant. Unfortunately, however, this auditionee had neglected to leave a name or any form of identification on the tape. In the meantime, as the band attempted to track down this "mystery singer," they temporarily hired former Journey singer Robert Fleischman, who had also previously played with Vinnie Vincent in the band Warrior and would later sing on some Vinnie Vincent solo music, to provide vocals on VVI's self-titled debut album. This first record included material primarily in the style very au-courant glam metal bands of the era.

LEATHERWOLF

2010-06-19T19:53:00.001-07:00

Leatherwolf is an American heavy metal band that formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1981. Currently comprising vocalist and guitarist Michael Olivieri, guitarists Carey Howe and Greg Erba, bassist Patrick Guyton and drummer Dean Roberts, the band has released five studio albums and is known for its "triple lead guitar attack" style.Formed in the early 80's, Leatherwolf emerged on the Southern California scene despite the band members' young ages. Sharing bills with fellow OC metal acts such as Metallica, Witch, and Slayer at venues like the Woodstock and Radio City, Leatherwolf quickly caught the attention of Enigma Records affiliated indie label Tropical Records who financed the band's eponymous 1984 5-song EP, produced by Randy Burns (who would go on to work with the likes of Megadeth, Helstar, and Kreator). Influenced by European heavy metal in general and Iron Maiden in particular, Leatherwolf's musical sophistication earned them high praise and led to the EP being extended to a full-length album and licensed in Europe. Germany's Steamhammer/SPV released the album in 1985, titled Leatherwolf, while Heavy Metal America, who had the rights for Great Britain, issued it as Endangered Species, so named after one of the songs on the album.

SHOTGUN MESSIAH

2010-06-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

The band originally went under the name "Kingpin" while in Sweden, recording the album Welcome To Bop City; the line-up featured Zinny J. Zan (vocals), Tim Skold (going by "Tim Tim") (bass), Harry K. Cody (guitar) and Pekka "Stixx" Ollinen (drums). This would become the original line-up of Shotgun Messiah as the band changed their name and relocated to Hollywood, California. The album they released under the "Cools" name was re-recorded and released as Shotgun Messiah's self-titled debut album, Shotgun Messiah. The style of this album was glam metal typical of early 1980s American bands such as Mötley Crüe and Ratt.

CINDERELLA

2010-06-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

Cinderella was formed in Philadelphia in 1983 by singer-songwriter, keyboardist, and guitarist Tom Keifer and bassist Eric Brittingham. The initial lineup also included guitarist Michael Smerick and drummer Tony Destra. In 1985, Smerick and Destra left to form Britny Fox, another Philadelphia-based glam metal band that later relocated to Los Angeles. Cinderella got their big break when Jon Bon Jovi saw them perform at the Empire Rock Club in Philadelphia and recommended that his A&R rep Derek Shulman who knew of the band, to see them as well.In 1985, with a recording contract with Mercury/Polygram Records in the works, guitarist Jeff LaBar and drummer Jim Drnec joined the band.

MEGADEATH

2010-05-31T05:29:00.001-07:00

Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1983. Founded by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson following Mustaine's departure from Metallica, the band has since released twelve studio albums, six live albums, two EPs, twenty six singles, thirty-two music videos, and three compilations.
As a pioneer of the American thrash metal movement, Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s and was ranked as one of the "Big Four of Thrash", along with Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, who were responsible for creating, developing and popularizing the thrash metal sub-genre. Megadeth has experienced numerous line-up changes, due partly to the band's notorious substance abuse problems. From 1983 to 2002, Mustaine and Ellefson were the only continuous members of the band. After finding sobriety and securing a stable line-up, Megadeth went on to release a string of platinum and gold albums, including the platinum-selling landmark Rust in Peace in 1990 and the Grammy nominated, multi-platinum Countdown to Extinction in 1992. Megadeth disbanded in 2002 after Mustaine suffered a severe nerve injury to his left arm. However, following extensive physical therapy, Mustaine reformed the band in 2004 and released The System Has Failed, followed by United Abominations in 2007; the albums debuted on the Billboard Top 200 chart at #18 and #8, respectively. Megadeth, along with their new lead guitarist Chris Broderick, released their twelfth studio album, titled Endgame, on September 15, 2009, which debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200.

BLACK SABBATH

2010-05-26T03:50:00.000-07:00

Black Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 by Tony Iommi (guitar), Ozzy Osbourne (lead vocals), Geezer Butler (electric bass), and Bill Ward (drums and percussion). The band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of twenty-two musicians have at one time been members of Black Sabbath. Originally formed as a heavy blues-rock band named Earth, the band began incorporating occult- and horror-inspired lyrics with tuned-down guitars, changing their name to Black Sabbath and achieving multiple platinum records in the 1970s. Despite an association with occult and horror themes, Black Sabbath also composed songs dealing with social and political issues such as drugs and war.

TESLA

2010-05-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

The band formed in 1984 in Sacramento as City Kidd, and was renamed Tesla during the recording of their first album, 1986's Mechanical Resonance, on the advice of their manager that City Kidd was not a great name (in addition, there was already another band going by that name). The band derived their name, certain album and song titles, and some song content from events relating to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla.

The band's original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jeff Keith, guitarists Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch, bassist Brian Wheat, and drummer Troy Luccketta.

Tesla's music is often referred to as heavy metal, but is better described as blues metal. The band's lyrics also strayed from the themes popular in heavy metal, particularly in the 1980s at the beginning of their career. A further distinction from their contemporaries was their T-shirt-and-jeans image which was in strong contrast to Glam Metal bands of the time, which were characterized by big hair, leather pants, and flashy makeup. Also in the early days of their career, Tesla toured with David Lee Roth, Def Leppard, and Poison which incorrectly resulted in the band being categorized as a Glam metal band. The band's members resented this labelling

KISS

2010-04-09T04:22:00.000-07:00

Kiss (styled KISS in capitals) is an American hard rock and heavy metal band formed in New York City in January 1973. Easily identified by its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and pyrotechnics. Kiss has been awarded 24 gold albums to date in the USA. The band has sold over 19 million albums in the United States,and their worldwide sales exceeded 100 million albums.

The lineup of Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, percussion and vocals) is the most successful and identifiable. With their makeup and costumes, they took on the personae of comic book-style characters: The Demon (Simmons), Starchild (Stanley), Spaceman (Frehley), and Catman (Criss). The band explains that the fans were the ones who ultimately chose their makeup designs. The "Demon" makeup reflected Simmons's cynicism and dark elements, as well as his affection for comic books. Paul Stanley became the "Starchild" because of his tendency to be referred to as the "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic." Ace Frehley's "Spaceman" makeup was a reflection of him wanting to go for a ride in a space ship and supposedly being from another planet. Peter Criss's "Catman" makeup was in accordance with the belief that Criss had nine lives because of his rough childhood in Brooklyn. Because of creative differences, both Criss and Frehley were out of the group by 1982. The band's commercial fortunes had also waned considerably by that point.

In 1983, Kiss abandoned its makeup and profited from a commercial resurgence throughout the rest of the decade. Buoyed by a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the 1990s, the band announced a reunion of the original lineup (with makeup) in 1996. The resulting Kiss Alive/Worldwide/Lost Cities/Reunion Tour was the top-grossing act of 1996 and 1997. Criss and Frehley have since left Kiss again and have been replaced by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively. The band continues to perform with makeup, while Stanley and Simmons have remained the only two constant members.

Kiss was named by VH1 as 10th on their list of the '100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock'and 9th on 'The Greatest Metal Bands' list by MTV. On 23 September 2009, Kiss was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,ten years after becoming eligible but on December 15, 2009 it was announced that Kiss did not make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

CACOPHONY

2010-04-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Cacophony was an American metal band formed in 1986 by guitarists Marty Friedman and Jason Becker. Cacophony is often recognized for its technically challenging, neo-classical metal and speed metal elements, as well as featuring two shred guitarists. The band broke up in 1989, with Friedman joining the successful thrash metal band Megadeth and Becker joining David Lee Roth's solo band.
Their first album, the predominantly instrumental Speed Metal Symphony, fused classical and hard rock styles with Friedman's preference of exotic scales (especially obvious in the song "The Ninja"). It featured exceptionally fast, melodic and technical music.

Their second release Go Off! was a more song-oriented album, while still displaying the virtuosity of the two guitarists. Besides Becker, Friedman and Marrino, it featured a new bassist and a new drummer. The drums were played by Deen Castronovo, however the picture of new drummer Kenny Stavropoulos was included on the back cover and one tour (the last) in the USA and Japan was with Kenny Stavropoulos and with vocalist - Dan Bryant (Hexx). The guitar playing is more technical and the harmonization of the lead lines and solos are different from the common twin-guitar harmonies made common in heavy metal by such bands as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

NITRO

2010-04-05T06:37:00.001-07:00

Nitro was officially formed in 1987 after the release of Jim Gillette's solo album Proud to Be Loud, on which Michael Angelo Batio and bassist T. J. Racer performed. Drummer Bobby Rock, previously of Vinnie Vincent Invasion, was recruited and the band began recording material for their debut album. Signed with Rhino Entertainment, Nitro released O.F.R. in 1989. Rock left the band after the recording of the album, and was replaced with K. C. Comet for the subsequent promotional tour.

After the O.F.R. Tour, Comet and founding bassist Racer departed from the band, leaving Gillette and Batio to find new members. Ralph Carter and Johnny Thunder were brought in on bass and drums respectively, and the band proceeded to record the follow-up to their debut album. Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S. was released in March 1992, after which the band broke up in 1993.

Post-Nitro, Gillette married hard rock musician Lita Ford and became a bodybuilder and Batio began and pursued a long solo career. In 1998, a collection of Nitro demos were featured on a compilation album entitled Gunnin' for Glory, which also included three songs by The Michael Angelo Band.

When asked at a Lita Ford gig if Nitro would ever get back together, Jim Gillette responded with "It would be great to do; maybe next year. It would take about six months to get back to where I would like it to be vocally.

BON JOVI

2010-04-04T03:18:00.001-07:00

Bon Jovi is an American hard rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald.The band's line-up has remained mostly static during their 26-year history, the only exception being the departure of Alec John Such in 1994, who was unofficially replaced by Hugh McDonald. The band have become known for writing several rock anthems, and achieved widespread recognition with their third album Slippery When Wet, released in 1986. Bon Jovi are well-known for songs including "Livin' on a Prayer", which has become their signature song, as well as "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Bad Medicine", "Keep the Faith", "Bed of Roses", "Always", "It's My Life" and "Have a Nice Day". Their latest hit single is "We Weren't Born to Follow."

After prolifically touring and recording during the late 1980s, the band went on hiatus following the New Jersey Tour in 1990, during which time Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora both released successful solo albums. In 1992, the band returned with the album Keep the Faith and have since created successful albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Their 2000 single "It's My Life", which followed a second hiatus, successfully introduced the band to a younger audience. Bon Jovi have been known to use different styles in their music, which have ranged to country for their 2007 album Lost Highway. Their latest album, The Circle, was released on 10 November 2009 in the United States.

IRON MAIDEN

2010-03-05T06:06:00.001-08:00

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in East London, formed in 1975. The band is directed by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the group has released a collective total of thirty albums: fourteen studio albums, seven live albums, four EPs and four compilations.

Pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, with such an original sound they achieved success during the early 1980s and after several lineup changes, went on to release a series of platinum and gold albums. These include the US platinum-selling landmarks The Number of the Beast in 1982, Piece of Mind in 1983, Powerslave in 1984, the acclaimed live album Live After Death in 1985, Somewhere In Time in 1986, and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son in 1988. Their most recent studio effort, A Matter of Life and Death, was released in 2006 and peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 and at number 4 in the UK. The album was certified gold in the UK. It is also one of the few rock albums to be certified platinum in India.

As one of the most successful heavy metal bands to date, Iron Maiden has sold over 100 million records worldwide.The band won the Ivor Novello Awards for international achievement in 2002,and were also inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk in Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California during their tour in the United States in 2005. As of October 2009, the band has played just over 2000 live shows during their career, and are often cited as one of the most influential bands in rock history.

STRYPER

2010-03-05T05:53:00.001-08:00

Stryper is a Christian metal band from Orange County, California, USA. Formed in 1983, they are pioneers in the mainstream popularization of Christian rock music. Stryper enjoyed great success during the mid-late 1980s, with one Platinum and two Gold records,before breaking up in 1992 at a time when most metal (especially glam metal) groups of the 1980s were losing popularity. However, the band reunited in 2003 and since have released two new studio albums.

The name "Stryper" derives from the King James Version of Isaiah 53:5:

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
The scriptural reference is also part of Stryper's logo on most of their releases. (They also incorporate stripes into most of their outfits and their logo.) Once the band embraced the name of Stryper, drummer Robert Sweet created a backronym which is: Salvation Through Redemption, Yielding Peace, Encouragement, and Righteousness.

RATT

2010-03-05T05:49:00.001-08:00

Ratt's music is influenced by 1970s hard rock and glam rock bands such as Aerosmith, Sweet, Van Halen and Kiss. They fused this style with heavy metal influences, including Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

Although they later incorporated more of a blues-rock sound into their music, the band was one of the first glam metal style groups that appeared in the early 1980s in California. Their image bore similarities to that of Rough Cutt, which had several members who were previously in Mickey Ratt (from which Ratt evolved).

HELIX

2010-03-05T05:46:00.001-08:00

Helix are a Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band that formed in 1974 and are best known for their single "Rock You" from 1984. The original lineup was formed by drummer Bruce Arnold, and consisted of lead vocalist Brian Vollmer, guitarists Ron Watson and Rick "Minstrel" Trembley, keyboardist Don Simmons, and bassist Keith "Bert" Zurbrigg. Their most well known lineup, however, and the one that recorded "Rock You", was the 80's version of the band: Vollmer on vocals, accompanied by guitarists Brent "The Doctor" Doerner and Paul Hackman, bassist Daryl Gray, and drummer Greg "Fritz" Hinz. This lineup has changed continuously since then, with Brian Vollmer being the sole constant member.

SKID ROW

2010-03-05T05:43:00.001-08:00

Skid Row is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1986 in Toms River, New Jersey. They are named after Phil Lynott and Gary Moore's first band. They were most successful in the late 1980s and early 1990s when their first two albums with lead singer Sebastian Bach and drummer Rob Affuso were multi-platinum successes. Their current line-up consists of Johnny Solinger (vocals), Dave "The Snake" Sabo (guitar), Scotti Hill (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass) and Dave Gara (drums). As of the end of 1996 the band has sold 20 million albums worldwide.

As of 2008, Skid Row has released five full-length albums, an EP, a compilation album, and a live album. For album and single sales information, see the Skid Row discography page. They became popular with their first two albums, Skid Row and Slave to the Grind, which are often considered their best-known works to date. Their last full-length studio album, Revolutions per Minute, came out on October 24, 2006.

They are often associated with glam metal, partly due to their image on their debut album, Skid Row, which spawned the hits "18 and Life", "Youth Gone Wild", and "I Remember You" for the band. They would eventually go on to foster an image base geared toward more traditional heavy metal and hard rock audiences.

BRITNY FOX

2010-03-05T05:36:00.001-08:00

Britny Fox formed in 1985 in Philadelphia. The band was originally fronted by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist "Dizzy" Dean Davidson.

The band released a demo titled In America in 1986, which drummer Tony Destra reportedly played on. The band's self-titled debut album, released in 1988, was one of the most successful premieres of the 1988-89 season, selling more than one million copies and bringing more than 625,000 fans to their 130+ shows. They also won Metal Edge Magazine's 1988 Reader's Choice Award for Best New Band. After the release of the band's second album in 1989, Boys in Heat, Davidson departed, and formed the band Blackeyed Susan. He was replaced by Las Vegas native Tommy Paris aka Don Jillson formerly of the band Jillson. Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde and Poison drummer Rikki Rockett guested on the band's third album, Bite Down Hard, which was released in 1991. However, the popularity of glam metal was on a decline around the time of the album's release due to the rising popularity of the grunge movement. Britny Fox disbanded in 1992.

Michael Kelly Smith was previously in an early version of fellow Philadelphia glam metal band Cinderella until his dismissal, and later Tony Destra also played with them.

Drummer Adam West, formerly of Tangier, played for Britny Fox briefly between the time of Tony Destra and Johnny Dee.

Britny Fox reunited in 2001[citation needed] with the same line up before their disbandment, and released a fourth studio album, Springhead Motorshark, in 2003. The band has had summer US and European tours in 2007 and 2008. Guitarist Tommy Krash and former White Lion drummer Greg D'Angelo was supposed to join at that time, but he broke his foot during rehearsal and was replaced with Henry Now.

As of 2007, Britny Fox reformed under original bassist Billy Childs. The other current members are lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jamie Fletcher, lead guitarist Greg Polcari, and drummer Henry Now, with a new studio release scheduled for 2009.

Bassist Billy Childs has signed on to appear in the upcoming horror film "Incest Death Squad" scheduled for release in late 2010.

DAMN YANKEES

2010-03-05T05:33:00.001-08:00

The band was formed in 1989, consisting of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Ted Nugent of Amboy Dukes and his own solo career, and Michael Cartellone. Presumably inspired by the musical of the same name, Nugent once also explained that he coined the name because whenever someone asked him how he and Tommy Shaw would sound playing together, he would always reply by saying they would sound like “a bunch of damn Yankees.”[citation needed]

Produced by rock producer Ron Nevison, the new band’s self-titled debut album went double-platinum in 1990. Ted Nugent's well-tooled heavy blues guitar became a cornerstone, but Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw rose to the forefront as a potent vocal duo. Jack Blades’s leading single "Coming of Age," hit #60 on the U.S. Hot 100, and #1 on the AOR charts, while Tommy Shaw’s "Come Again" received extensive AOR airplay.

1990's rock ballad "High Enough" featured a passionate duet between Shaw and Blades, backed by a string section in the studio. Backed by a popular video, it rose to #3 on U.S. Hot 100, and #2 on AOR charts. Despite Ted Nugent's career being built on his "Motor City Madman" image, "High Enough" was his first mainstream top ten single. In fact, Damn Yankees seemed to be following a similar course pursued by Jack Blades’s prior band, Night Ranger, developing an overall hard rock sound in the studio, but relying heavily on power ballads to sell their albums. Furthermore, their songs appeared on several Hollywood film soundtracks, such as Gremlins 2: The New Batch, John Candy’s comedic vehicle, Nothing But Trouble and the 1991 action movie The Taking of Beverly Hills.

After the release of their debut, the Damn Yankees went on a year-and-a-half world tour with the likes of a revamped Bad Company, Poison and Jackyl. Their U.S. tour coincided with the Persian Gulf War, in which the band unfurled American flags and made patriotic statements. Nugent’s onstage archery stunts lead to being arrested and fined after firing a burning arrow into an effigy of Saddam Hussein in Colorado.[citation needed]

In 1992, Damn Yankees once again went platinum with their follow-up album Don’t Tread. The title song (sung by Jack Blades) enjoyed extensive coverage at the Barcelona Olympic Games. Ted Nugent also appeared on Rock the Vote, voicing support for the GOP against Bill Clinton. Although the second release was not as successful as the first album, it contained a few minor hits, such as "Mister Please," "Where You Goin’ Now," and "The Silence Is Broken," a power ballad featured on the 1993 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Nowhere to Run.

As the band began working on a third album, Damon Johnson of Brother Cane was added as another guitarist. The move was necessary due to Shaw's participation in Styx. If Shaw was unavailable Johnson would fill in as second guitarist. There was also talk that all three guitarists would play together when Shaw was available.

In July 2008, reunion tour rumors came around-supposedly to start after Styx and Ted Nugent respectively finish their tours.

On Friday, January 15, 2010 at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, the original members of Damn Yankees make a surprise appearance at the Taylor Guitars exhibit. Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw, Ted Nugent, and Michael Cartellone performed an acoustic set on the Taylor Stage including hits such as "Coming of Age", "High Enough", and the Ted Nugent anthem "Cat Scratch Fever". It was their first performance together in years.

WHITELION

2010-02-12T21:21:00.001-08:00

White Lion is an American/Danish glam metal band that was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, the band achieved double platinum status with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the Children Cry". White Lion disbanded in 1991, but was reformed again by Tramp in 1999 with all new musicians.

HELLOWEEN

2010-02-07T02:30:00.000-08:00

Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band is known as one of the pioneering power metal bands, being part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene...

GUNS N ROSES

2010-02-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

Guns N' Roses (sometimes abbreviated as GN'R or GnR) is an American rock band. The band formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since its formation; the current lineup comprises vocalist Rose, guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, DJ Ashba and Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs and one live album during its career.

The band has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide,including over 46 million in the United States.The band's 1987 major label debut album Appetite for Destruction has sold in excess of 28 million copies worldwide and reached number one on the United States Billboard 200. In addition, the album charted three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Sweet Child o' Mine" which reached number one.The 1991 albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II debuted on the two highest spots on the Billboard 200 and have sold a combined 14 million copies in the United States alone and 35 million worldwide. After over a decade of work, the band released their follow-up album, Chinese Democracy, in 2008.

Their mid-to-late eighties and early nineties years have been described by individuals in the music industry as the period in which "they brought forth a hedonistic rebelliousness and revived the punk attitude-driven hard rock scene, reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones.