For every Motley Crue, Def Leppard and Van Halen, there are many other bands that are outstanding, but somehow they haven't reached the peak. There were some great bands in Hard Rock and Metal in the 80s. They didn't have a good promotion, a good manager, a good record company, or just collapsed because of the conflict of personality within the band. All the bands on this list are worth listening to, if you haven't heard some of them before, please do yourself a favor and check it out. There is a lot of great music waiting to be discovered.
Florida hard rock band AX mixes heavy guitars with keyboards to create their sound. In the 1980s, they released Living on the Edge (1980), Offering (1982) and Nemesis in 1983. The band broke the top 100 charts with the singles "Now Or Never" and "I Think Youll Remember Tonight". The band's voice is far less heavy than the image on the album cover, which makes them look more like a heavy metal band.
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Banshee comes from the Kansas City area of the Midwestern United States. Although their image is exactly the same as the gorgeous/hair metal scene at the time, the band has more powerful metal sound in music. Race Against Time is Banshee's first full-length album. It was released on Atlantic Records in 1989, and it showcased their sound that combines melody with power metal. The first album is the only album released by the band through the Atlantic. The band still exists and has released several albums in recent years, albeit with a more modern metallic sound.
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Baton Rouge technically released their first album "Shake Your Soul" in 1990, but it is included here because it reflects the band's early material. The band was originally formed in 1986 and Kelly Keeling was in charge of the vocals after the conversion from guitar. Keeling went on to record and perform with King Kobra, MSG, John Norum, George Lynch and many others. Baton Rouge released three critical albums "Shake Your Soul", "Lights Out In The Playground" and "Baton Rouge", and it was over.
By 1989, Beau Nasty released "Dirty But Well Dressed", with gorgeous/hair metal scenes flooded with bands. This is a shame for Beau Nasty, because the band showed its true potential. The band’s voice is similar to Britny Fox, and the band has produced some great songs, including the album opening track "Shake It", "Piece Of The Action" and "Love Potion #9".
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Black N'Blue is one of those bands where you only need to scratch your head to know why they never reached the top. The band has top-notch talents and has released four outstanding albums for Geffen Records. Guitarist Tommy Thayer later replaced Ace Frehley in KISS. The demo that led to their first album was produced by Don Dokken. Every song on this album is great and should make the band the next big thing. The band reached the pinnacle of their success by playing the song "I'll Be There For You" on MTV. Although there is no Tommy Sayer, the band still performs live and releases a new album.
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In 1985, Black Sheep, led by Willie Basse, released their first album "Trouble In The Streets" on Enigma Records. The band is known for having multiple members who will rise to fame among other bands, including Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big), Slash (Guns N'Roses), Randy Castillo (Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford, Motley) Crue) and James Kottak (Kingdom Come, Scorpions). Although the production of this album seems a bit hollow, it is rare to find it anywhere nowadays.
Another band that unfortunately released their first album at the end of the gorgeous/hair metal era is Cats In Boots. Lead singer Joel Ellis provided a gritty vocal style. The guitarist and bassist came from the Japanese metal band Seiki Matsu, now known as Seikima. The band’s vulgar voice is reminiscent of the original voices of the early Motley Crue, Vain, Faster Pussycat and other vulgar bands. The album was released on EMI in 1989, and critics and fans seem to like it.
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Circus Of Power released their first album of the same name in 1988. The band attracted cyclists visually and lyrics, and the lead singer Alex Mitchell had a tattoo on his body. This band from New York matches the music with a tough street attitude. Their debut album was highly praised by critics, and Mitchell’s voice compared it with the voice of the late Doors singer Jim Morrison. The band will record two other albums in the 90s with Vices (1990) and Magic & Madness (1993). The band reunited for the album Four in 2017 and will release a new album in 2020.
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Known for his collaboration with former Keel guitarist Marc Ferrari. Cold sweat is ready to go, fame and fortune. The band owns Rory Cathey, an unknown singer at the time, and often compares it with Dokken. With an excellent vocal and guitar player, it is easy to see the comparison with Dokken. Unfortunately, the band failed to reach the mainstream heavy metal and rock crowd in its next step to the top. Break Out is currently out of print and is a collector's item sought after by metal enthusiasts. Marc Ferrari recently wrote a children’s book, and Cathey is now in charge of the band "The Fifth"
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Crimson Glory’s classic lineup includes vocalist Midnight, guitarists Jon Drenning and Ben Jackson, bassist Jeff Lords and drummer Dana Burnell. Together with Queensrÿche, Dream Theater, and Fates Warning, the band is considered to be one of the original creators of the avant-garde metal movement. From a visual point of view, the band is completely different, with members wearing chrome masks. Crimson Glory released Crimson Glory (1986) and Transcendence (1988), and then in the 90s Strange and Beautiful (1991) and Astronomica (1999), with Wade Black as the lead singer and then called it For the band's day. Singer Midnight died of a gastric aneurysm in 2009. Although he has never recorded an album with the band, the current Queensryche lead singer Todd La Torre has worked with the band for some time.
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The gorgeous metal band Cry Wolf released their eponymous album in 1989. They caused quite a stir among rock journalists and fans. The band released the album Crunch (1990), which will be their most successful release. The band was originally named Heroes, and the band consisted of Tim Hall (vocal), Steve McKnight (guitar), Phil Deckard (bass), John Freixas (drums) and JC Crampton (keyboard). Singer Tim Hall compared the vocal styles of Michael Sweet from Stryper.
Danger Danger released their eponymous debut in 1989 and achieved success with the single "Naughty Naughty" with the help of MTV. The band mixed the lighter keyboard sound with gorgeous metal to provide a sound suitable for the radio. They didn't release their second album until 1991. By that time, due to changes in musical tastes, the metal genre in the 1980s had gone downhill. Currently, the band continues to record and perform. Although their lineup has undergone some changes over the years, including different singers, they still have a loyal fan base.
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Diamond Rexx is a unique band. This band seems to combine gorgeous metal, vulgar and punk into a unified voice. This uniqueness may also be their Achilles’ heel. Admittedly, the mixed sound may not be liked by everyone, but it was enough for them to sign with Island Records in 1986. This band is from Chicago, which also contributed to the fact that they sounded different from other bands. At that time, they were flooded with gorgeous bands in the Los Angeles music scene. The band has released the following albums: Rated Rexx (1990), Golden Gates (1991), Rexx Erected (2001), The Evil (2002), and will release a new album called Psycho Ward in 2020.
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Dirty Blonde is a rough diamond. Their only album "Passion" was released in 1989. By this time in the 80s, gorgeous metal bands were almost everywhere. This makes it more difficult to be noticed, and the dirty blonde is one of many victims in a scene that is already crowded with people. The band is very talented and is still an underground favorite of many fans of the genre. Their albums are still sought after by collectors.
D'Molls lead singer Desi Rexx, bassist Lizzy Valentine, guitarist SS Priest (Diamond Rexx) and drummer Billy Dior. They released their first album on Atlantic Records in 1988. The band launched their "777" video on MTV, but it did not increase album sales. The band will continue to release two other albums "Warped" (1990) and Beyond D'Valley Of D'Molls (1997).
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Femme Fatale, led by singer Lorraine Lewis, released their eponymous album in 1988 and immediately became a success on MTV with their "Waiting For The Big One" video. This was enough to push them to the top 200 in the US charts, but Femme Fatale did not release a second studio album with MCA records. In essence, this band is a miracle in terms of commercial sales, but it still attracts a considerable audience. Unfortunately, guitarist Bill D'Angelo (Bill D'Angelo) died of a heart attack in 2005. Lorraine Lewis (Lorraine Lewis) had a short solo career, and now leads the "Shrew" band, replacing Janet Gardner (Janet Gardner) as the lead singer.
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Fifth Angel is a band full of incredible talent and great musicians. However, despite this, the band has never succeeded in the mainstream. The band is likened to Queensryche, Fates Warning and other bands. Ted Pilot is an amazing singer. Former Alice Cooper drummer Ken Mary provided an incredible thunderous rhythm, while James Byrd performed well as a guitarist. The band released the second album "Time Will Tell", but eventually disbanded.
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Giant was founded by Dan and David Huff, the founding members of the Christian rock band Whiteheart. They released the album Last of the Runaways in 1989. They got a hit on the radio with the single "I'll See You in My Dreams". The band was well received and quickly developed a fan base, some from Whiteheart fans, and then new fans on MTV and radio stations. Giant disbanded in the early 90s, but returned with a different lineup. The most recent release was the album "Promised Land" in 2010.
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Originally a side project formed by Greg Giuffria after his band Angel ended, Giuffria became a mature band. In the 1980s, they released Giuffria (1984) and Silk + Steel (1986), which were well received. Singer David Glen Eisley compared the vocal style with Journey's Steve Perry. The band had a taste of success for the first time, and the single "Call To The Heart" helped the album rank 26th on the US charts. The band received the MTV broadcast of their single "I Must Be Dreaming" from their second album Silk + Steel, but failed to achieve commercial success. Greg Giuffria will continue to form the House of Lords band, and then eventually withdraw from the music industry altogether. David Glen Eisley and Craig Goldy reunited in 2017 and released an album called Blood, Guts and Games. The album also includes works by former Giuffria member Chuck Wright.
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After the fall of Soviet communism, this Russian band quickly integrated into Western rock and metal music culture. They signed with Mercury Records and released their first album in 1989. The band released their first single "Bang" and was the first Russian band to appear on MTV. They also played the singles "Try to Find Me" and "Peace in Our Time" on the radio. They performed with Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne and Scorpions at the Moscow Music Peace Festival. However, this will be the pinnacle of their career outside Russia. Gorky Park released their last album Protivofazza in 1998.
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Gypsy Rose was one of the first bands to sign with Gene Simmons Records. This Canadian band released two singles "Poisoned By Love" and "Don't Turn Your Back On Me Now" on their first album "Prey", and won them a growing fan base . When the height of the gorgeous metal age began to fade, the band disbanded, and lead singer Michael Rose returned with solo material and returned with a new Gypsy Rose lineup. Since then, the band has released several albums in cooperation with FNA Records.
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Not to be confused with the German metal band Helloween, Halloween has attracted quite a few followers. The band is famous for their album Don't Metal with Evil (1985). The band was founded in Detroit, away from the gorgeous metal scene sweeping Hollywood. Unfortunately, their geographic location may make the band small. As many bands relocated to the Los Angeles Performance Club to seek major record deals. Halloween has never seen a jump, but it is one of the hidden gems that collectors are still looking for. The band went through many different lineups and released several albums in the 90s and 2000s.
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Hawk is a band founded by Doug Marks. You may remember all the commercials that Metal magazine did for his "Metal Method" Guitar Lessons in the 1980s. Hawk’s members include: Doug Marks (MetalMethod.com), Scott Travis (Judas Priest), Charles Morrill (Charlie Wayne Morrill), Lonnie Vencent (Bullet Boys), David Fefolt and Matt Sorum (Guns'N Roses). The band collapsed due to individual differences after releasing only one studio album. However, this Hawk album of the same name is still a hard-to-find classic metal album.
The Australian band Heaven released three studio albums "Bent" (1982), "Where Angels Fear to Tread" (1983) and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (1985). With the support of their singles and "Rock School" videos, the band toured the United States and attracted news fans. However, they never seem to break into the mainstream American metal audience. In the early days, their voice was closer to AC/DC, but later albums adopted a more commercial and broadcast version. Fans believe that all their albums are high-quality releases, and they are still heavily collected by metal fans. In 2015, singer Allan Fryer died after a long battle with cancer.
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Heavy Pettin is a Scottish band that released its first album "Lettin Loose" in 1983. The sound of the band is usually similar to the material of the early Def Leppard. With the release of their second album "Rock Ain't Dead" (1985), they seemed to be a rising band, but by the time they released "Big Bang" in 1989, their voices became more commercial And keyboard accents. Melody Metal fans are still looking for all three albums, and recently the band regrouped and released a new EP called 4Play.
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Hellion released their eponymous Ep and album Screams in the Night (1987) in 1983, as well as another EP, "Postcard from the Madhouse" (1988) in the run in the 1980s. Led by lead singer Ann Boleyn, the band often made headlines at Sunset Strip club performances, but could not find offers from major record companies. Ronnie James Dio (Ronnie James Dio) provided help to the band and produced a demo with Boleyn. The band members decided to part ways with the singer. Boleyn was not deterred, he reformed Hellion and founded his own record company New Renaissance Records. The band continued to release material in the 2000s.
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Hurricane is known for having brothers Carlos Cavazo and Rudy Sarzo from Quiet Riot, and Tony Cavazo and Robert Sarzo as bass and guitarists. Kelly Hanson, now an excellent singer in front of foreigners, perfected the band with drummer Jay Sheren. The band had the greatest success on the 1988 "Over The Edge" album, but it never reached the level of Motley Crue, Ratt and other bands that dominated the Los Angeles music scene at the time. Recently, Hurricane reunited with the original members Sarzo and Cavazo, and plans to record new material in the near future.
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Icon released their first album Icon in 1984. The band showed great talent and commitment to the future. Then in 1985, they released the aptly named "Crime Night" because it was a crime that the album did not make it to the top of the hard rock and metal charts at the time. If any band has everything needed to succeed, it is Icon. This is one of the best albums of the 80s, and it is seriously underestimated. The band seems to lack exposure, which caused them to lose their proper status as one of the best bands in the 80s. When bands like Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Ratt and Cinderella played on the radio and reported on MTV, the Arizona band seemed to just disappear from the cracks. Night Of The Crime is a wonderful album from beginning to end, with excellent production and talent. After that, the band released several albums with different singers, A More Perfect Union (1987), Right Within the Eyes (1989), but it just doesn't have the magic of Crime Night.
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The Burning Star of Jakestal
Released Rock the American Way (1985), No Turning Back (1986), Blaze of Glory (1987) and Jack Starr’s Burning Starr (1989). This band proved to be very talented, but lacked vigorous promotion and competition with other bands. A good tour helps them attract a large audience. Under the leadership of the former Virgin Steele guitarist, Jack Starr Burning Starr produced some good albums in the 1980s. The band reorganized different lineups and released three other studio albums in the 2000s.
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Jetboy was originally located in San Francisco and moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s, becoming part of the growing gorgeous/hair metal scene at the time. Jetboy incorporates all elements of metal, punk and rock music into their sound. Their debut album "Feel the Shake" (1988) was a certain success, but it took the band two years to release a follow-up album, by then the scene had begun to disappear. The brave Jetboy will continue to release the album Damn Country (1990), A Day in the Charming Life (1997), Make More Noise (1999), Rock Music (2002), Rock from You (2010)) and their latest releases, Born to Fly (2019).
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The Canadian metal band Kick Ax never seems to have received a fair blow. They are another band that has not gained enough exposure and is widely known among hard rock fans. The band has released several great albums, among which "Vices" is their most well-known album. The band always has great songs and arrangements to drive any metal fan crazy, but the band seems to be slowly dying out with little promotion.
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The Canadian product released its first album in 1983. The original lineup consisted of Russ Graham (vocal), Darrell Millar (drums), Bryce Trewin (guitar) and Ange Fodero (bass). Soon after, guitarist Mike Hall and bassist Ron Meyer became members of the latter. The band achieved considerable success with their second album "Stand Tall". With a sense of humor (all band members adopt the stage surname Dwarf), the band found that the MTV broadcast helped attract more audiences outside of Canada. Big Deal was their last album in the 1980s, and it performed well. The band is still performing and released the album Start @ One, most recently in 2013.
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King Kobra is the creativity of drummer Carmine Appice, who has played with Rod Stewart and the King of Metal, Ozzy Osbourne himself. The members of the band later joined other bands such as WASP and Bulletboys. The appearance of King Cobra is unusual, at least among all members, except for Apis, who has extremely bleached blond hair. Ready To Strike is a great album and promises to bring great things, but unfortunately, the band never reached this level. The band recorded the soundtrack for the movie "Iron Eagle" and several other albums, but eventually disbanded. Since then, lead singer Mark Free changed the gender to female, now called Marcie Free. Carmine Appice is currently performing in Drum Wars with his brother Vinnie Appice.
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This Australian band has received little attention in the United States, but if you happen to hear them, you will usually get enthusiastic approval from hard rock fans. The band created an original, blues-like hard rock, mixed with a little 70s rock sound. This is different from what most metal bands do, but it is still vibrant and exciting rock. The band was formed in 1986 by Jeffrey Hoad and Clifford Hoad. Kings of the Sun released their eponymous album in 1988. It ranks in the top 200 in the U.S.
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This 80s pseudo-beating band released City's Gonna Burn (1984), No Stranger to Danger (1985), Know Your Enemy (1987) and Annihilation Principle (1989) in the 1980s. Although these people are members of the Bay Area metal world, they have never been recognized by bands like Metallica, Testament, Death Angel, and Megadeth. When the band signed with Enigma Records and released "Known Your Enemy", it was a boost that the band badly needed and saw them get a larger record release. Both the album and the follow-up album Annihilation Principal received critical acclaim, and the band participated in the tour with bands such as Metallica and Anthrax. Megadeth, Overkill, etc. However, the band never seemed to reach a large commercial audience. It is currently believed that the band is still technically active, but their last recorded album was in 2008.
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Le Mans is an underrated band that has released two albums and invited Enuff Z'Nuff's original guitarist Derek Frigo (Derek Frigo). Their first album "On The Streets" (1983) was a straightforward classic heavy metal style with a gorgeous appearance, but the band soon softened the overall sound a lot in their second album, simply named Le Mans ( 1986). The band obviously wanted to use more commercial materials to get the attention of radio broadcasts and MTV, but it failed to achieve it for a long time. The band briefly introduced Randy Castillo (Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford, Motley Crue) and Leonard Haze (Y&T).
Leatherwolf released their eponymous album in 1987, which contained triple axe attacks and incredible power metal. The band has won praise from fans and critics. The song "The Calling" is a great metal song that promotes this album to attract new fans. Unfortunately, the band seems to never be able to replicate the same formula in future versions. The band has reformed in recent years and has since released many high-quality albums.
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Lion came out of thin air with Dangerous Attraction and released one of the most underrated metal albums of the 80s. Doug Aldrich served as the guitarist, and later he continued to work with bands such as Dio, Whitesnake and the current Dead Daisies. Kai Swan’s singing is very powerful. In an untimely unfortunate accident, drummer Mark Edwards fractured his neck, causing the band to disband after a month. Aldrich and Swan continue to join a new band called Bad Moon Rising. Lion may be famous for recording Transformers movie themes. Although the band was a major record company when Dangerous Attraction was released, they never really had access to a large number of mainstream American metal audiences, which could have helped them reach the level of bands such as Whitesnake, Motley Crue and Def Leppard, who dominated the band. The status of the radio waves at the time.
Sadly, London is known for being a stepping stone to other band members who later worked on bigger things, including Blackie Lawless (WASP), Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue), Steven Adler (Guns N'Roses), Slash (Guns) N'Rose), Izzy Stradlin (Guns N'Roses) and Fred Coury (Cinderella). London released two albums in the 1980s, Non-Stop Rock (1985) and Don't Cry Wolf (1986). Under the leadership of Nadir D'Priest and guitarist Lizzie Gray, these albums are worth listening to, but they have not been commercialized. In the gorgeous metal age, this band was the main force on Sunset Boulevard and appeared in the documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization Part Two: The Metal Age". Since then, London has released two albums, the most recent being in 2018.
Lord Tracy released "The Deaf of Babylon" in 1989, and the single "Going Out with the Boys" ranked 40th on the billboard charts. The band used to feature Pantera's lead singer Terry Glaze. Before Phil Anselmo joined, he played with the band in the gorgeous era of the band. This album is full of vulgar sense of humor, and it has generated a fanatical following. Unfortunately, it did not sell well on a commercial level, and the band disbanded. The band has released several albums, including demos and unreleased material.
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MARS project driven
This one-off project published on Shrapnel Records is great. The title represents (Tony) MacAlpine, (Tommy) Aldridge, (Rob Rock) and (Rudy) Sarzo or MARS. The band is full of talented musicians, which is the dream of heavy metal guitar crushers. The biggest problem with this album must be the sound production, which is a bad mix considering the artists involved. It's great to see this group continue, because this album shows the real chemistry between the players involved.
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The band consists of sisters Maxine and Roxy Petrucci, including Bret Kaiser and Chris Doliber, and actually once had a young Sebastian Bach (Sebastian Bach). They released the album We Reserve the Right in 1984 and got a small hit with the song "High In High School". The band will disband in 1988, but will return in 2017 and release the album Monstrosity. After the initial breakup, Roxy Petrucci will join Vixen and is still a member of the band today.
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Malice entered the Los Angeles metal industry in the early 1980s and cultivated a large number of followers. Usually compared to bands such as Queensryche and Lizzy Borden, mainly because of James Neal's high-pitched voice. The band features talented musicians, License To Kill is an epic album, but it fails to put them first. Over the years, the band has evolved through different members and still records and performs regularly. Unfortunately, guitarist Mick Zane passed away in 2016.
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Mama's Boys is an Irish metal band consisting of the three McManus brothers Pat (aka "Professor"), John (bass; vocal) and Tommy (drums). The band's Power and Passion album broke into the top 100 billboards in the United States. Mama's Boys released the following albums in the 1980s: Official bootleg (1980), Plug It In (1982), Turn It Up (1983), Mama's Boys (1984), Power and Passion (1985), and Grow Up the Hard Way ( 1987). Unfortunately, Tommy McManus (Tommy McManus) died of complications from bone marrow replacement surgery in 1991. Although the band has never been considered a commercial success in the United States, they are still a favorite of metal music collectors.
Masi is a band created by guitarist Alex Masi to demonstrate his abilities. They signed with Metal Blade Records in 1986 and released two albums Fire in the Rain (1987) and Downtown Dreamers (1988). Downtown Dreamers played the popular single "God Promises a Paradise", and the video brought them a lot of attention from MTV. Alex Masi went on to release his first solo album Attack of the Neon Shark (1989), which was nominated for the Grammy "Best Instrumental Rock" album category. All in all, since the disbanding of the original "Masi" band, Alex Masi has released a total of 17 solo albums.
The Christian metal band Mass released the following albums in the 1980s: Mass (1985), New Birth (1985), Take You Home (1988) and Voices In The night (1989). The band consists of Gene D'Itria guitar, Joey Vadala drums, Louie St. August lead singer and Kevin Varrio bass. The band is from Massachusetts and signed with Medusa Records, who released their album "Bring You Home" and found that the band had embarked on a path similar to Stryper, which was signed with Enigma Records. However, Mass has never achieved mainstream success like Stryper.
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Odin is now recognized as one of the bands in the Penelope Spheeris documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization Part Two: The Metal Age". The band occupies a prominent position in the movie and sang two songs "Little Gypsy" and "12 O'Clock High" in it. Odin is Jeff Duncan-guitarist, Shawn Duncan-drummer, Randy O.-lead singer, and Aaron Samson-bassist. During the metal boom in the 1980s, Odin was well-known in the Sunset Strip area of Los Angeles. Odin is the only unsigned band that broke attendance records on multiple nights at Sunset Boulevard and Gazarri's at The Palace. Odin's entire catalog was republished on Global EMP/Universal/SPV in 2018.
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Omen was founded in Los Angeles in 1983 by guitarist Kenny Powell, and the band signed with Metal Blade Records in 1984. Their style is considered power metal, and every album they release has established a loyal following. In the 1980s, they released: (1984) Battle Cry, (1985) Warning of Danger, (1986) The Curse and (1988) Escape to Nowhere. Since then, Omen has released three studio albums. Sadly, in October 2003, their original singer JD Kimball died of cancer after three years of treatment.
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Paul Di'Anno was the original lead singer of Iron Maiden, who was later replaced by Bruce Dickinson. Then he formed a solo band called Di'Anno and only released one album. After his solo band disbanded, he created Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone. The original lineup of the band included Di'Anno, guitarists John Wiggins and John Hurley, bassists Laurence Kessler and drummers from Sid Falck. The band released only two albums in the 1980s: Fighting Back (1986) and Children of Madness (1987). The band implodes and the members fight each other. A completely different lineup appeared in a later version called "Feel My Pain" (1998).
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With lead singer Jeni Foster (Jeni Foster) as the lead singer, Ping Princess Pang is an exciting gorgeous metal band, playing vulgar hard rock. Unfortunately, they only released one album, the 1989 album of the same name. This album is available through Metal Blade Records, and is still sought after by collectors of gorgeous metal around the world.
Listen to Princess Pang’s song on Spotify
Prophet released two albums in the 1980s: Prophet (1985) and Cycle of the Moon (1988). This album of the same name features future Danger Danger singer Ted Poley on the drums. Prophet has more AOR-style melodic metal.
The Christian metal band Rage Of Angels released their only album of the same name in 1989. The band’s voice is similar to the secular metal sought by Christian metal fans, and this album alone caused a sensation in the Christian rock industry. Lead guitarist Chris Risola, rhythm guitarist Frank DiCostanzo, and now-deceased drummer John Fowler will continue to form the original lineup of the gorgeous metal band Steelheart starring vocalist Miljenko Matijevic, which was released in 1990.
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The lead singer Sandi Saraya's female lead band is very good and it deserves a show at the big moment. After releasing the album Saraya (1989), the band achieved success with the single "Love Has Taken Its Toll", and finally released the second album in When the Blackbird Sings (1991). Initially, Polygram Records wanted to use singer Sandi Saraya to create a sexy symbol similar to female Bon Jovi. Musically speaking, this band is very solid. It has always been one of the bands that has not been noticed but is well known to hard rock fans and collectors in the 80s.
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Savatage was founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva from Tarpon Springs, Florida. The band released several albums in the 1980s, including: Sirens (1983), Power of the Night (1985), Fight for the Rock (1986), Hall of the Mountain King (1987) and Gutter Ballet (1989). Bands often blur the boundaries between power metal, symphonic metal, and occasional thrashing. In 1993, Criss Oliva was killed by a drunk driver and a tragedy happened. Savatage released four albums after Criss Oliva's death, but they have been on a standstill since.
Sea Hags is a San Francisco-based band that appeared on their eponymous album at the end of the gorgeous metal era in 1989. The band actually started in 1985, but the band worked hard on time and finances to record an album until 1989. Sea Hags has a blues and vulgar metallic voice that resonates with the audience, but it only appeared at the wrong time. Guitarist Frank Wilsey later joined Stephen Pearcy's Arcade and Nitronic bands.
Detroit rock singer Seduce became the focus of the movie "The Decline of Western Civilization Part Two: The Metal Age". The band released their first album of the same name in 1985. The band was interviewed in the documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Age" and sang their song "Crash". Seduce released his second album "Too Much Ain't Enough" in 1988, which was well received by fans and critics. Seduce was dissolved in 1991. These two full-length albums are still sought after by metal record collectors, and the band gained enthusiasm after appearing in the Penelope Spheeris documentary.
In 1984, Shok Paris released the album "Go For The Throat", which received unanimous praise. They released the follow-up works "Steel" and "Starlight" on IRS Records in 1987, which are considered by many fans to be the best works of the band. They will release "Concrete Killers" in 1989. After a long interruption, Shok Paris returned in 2019 with a brand new album called "Full Metal Jacket".
Shark Island released their main label album "Law Of The Order" for Epic Records in 1989. Before the release of this album, the band was simply called "Sharks" in the Los Angeles music industry. The band was a frequent visitor to Sunset Boulevard, but failed to translate their success in the club into successful album sales. Although the "Law of Order" is popular with band fans, it has not received much publicity due to changes in the musical atmosphere. Shark Island has since reformed with a different lineup, and released the album "Faithful Gathering" (2006) and the critically acclaimed "Descent" in 2019.
When the Swedish gorgeous metal musician "Shotgun Messiah" first performed with the same name in 1989, he impressed many people with his useless and vulgar voice. The band was originally called Kingpin, but later changed its name to Shotgun Messiah, and they set their sights on the Los Angeles music scene. Original singer Zinny J. Zan left the band one year after the release of the first album, and bassist Tim Tim (Tim Skold) took over the vocal duties. The band released the albums Second Coming (1991), I Want More EP (1992) and Violent New Breed (1993). Tim Skold later joined the industrial rock band KMFDM and performed with Marilyn Manson and solo artists from his own band SKOLD. Acoustic singer Zinny J. Zan and his band The Zan Clan released a solo album and two albums. There have been rumors recently that Tim Skold may be planning to transform the shotgun Messiah.
Silent Rage released their first album "Shattered Hearts" in 1987, and the band's song "Rebel With A Cause" received small reviews. Unfortunately, in 1987, there was a lot of attention competition between bands, and Silent Rage's promotion was limited. The band followed up with "Shattered Hearts" in 1989 with "Don't Touch Me There". Although it was very popular among fans, as the scene moved towards junk rock, it was too late to attract the attention of mass record buyers and alternative rock. Silent Rage released the third album "Still Alive" in 2002.
This German band led by Mat Sinner is often compared to another great metal band The Pretty Maids. The band was founded in 1982 and released the following albums in the 1980s: Wild'n' Evil (1982), Fast Decision (1983), Danger Zone (1984), Touch of Sin (1985), Comin' Out Fighting (1986) , And dangerous charm (1987). Mat Sinner later joined the Primal Fear band as bassist and harmonizer. Sinner is still releasing new material. Their latest album was released in 2019. At first the band was a heavier traditional style metal band, but later switched to a heavier metal band. Melody metallic sound over the years.
Slave Raider was founded in 1985 and released two albums in the 1980s: Take The World By Storm (1986) and What Do You Know About Rock'N Roll? (1988). The band is an interesting combination of pirate costumes and gorgeous style, and is known for its wild antics, including lead singer Chainsaw Caine using a chain saw on stage during the performance. The band opened for bands such as Poison and Ratt, but never fully attracted gorgeous metal fans. The band did feature the song "Make Some Noise" in the 1988 "Driving License" movie.
Smashed Gladys made it to the gorgeous stage in Los Angeles and released 3 great singles from their album "Social Intercourse". The songs "17 Goin' on Crazy", "Lick it Into Shape" and "Legs Up" are all great tracks and should bring more attention and exposure than them. The band seems to be another victim of the lack of publicity. It is rarely seen in rock magazines, MTV, and almost no broadcast. What happened to their propaganda team is a mystery. Under the leadership of singer Sally Cato, the band released "Social Intercourse" as their major record label debut. A few years later, the band released another album, which appeared to be an early song, possibly pre-released EP material. It is a pity that they did not get more praise.
Sound Barrier broke the color barrier of heavy metal and became one of the first metal bands with all-black members. The band was founded in 1980 by Bernie K. and Spacey T. who first met in a funk band. The band released the album "Total Control" in 1983. The first album sold only 12,000 copies and was eliminated by MCA Records due to poor sales. The band released "Speed Of Light" (1986) after signing with Metal Blade Records. However, the band parted ways a year later. Singer Bernie K continues to sing on guitarist Alex Masi's critically acclaimed "Fire In The Rain" album. In 2017, the band underwent a brief reform and released the single "I'm Just A Man" on Tom Morello's (Rage Against The Machine) Firebrand Records.
Fans of Kingdom Come will recognize the singing of Lenny Wolf in these early 80s albums by Stone Fury. The band released two albums: Burns Like a Star (1984), Let Them Talk (1986) but failed to attract a large audience. The band received enthusiastic comments, but they failed to succeed. However, Wolf later achieved greater success with Kingdom Come.
Sweet Pain's name was taken from the KISS song, and was signed with Combat Records, and their only album was released in 1985. Known for the unknown Kelly Nickels as the bass player, he later joined LA Guns. This album actually includes a recording of the song "Shoot For Thrills (In The Night)" composed by Nickels, which also appeared in LA Guns' album of the same name. Sweet Pain was a decent gorgeous rock band that disappeared overnight. Since it has long been out of print, this album is very rare and sought after by collectors.
Sweet Savage is a gorgeous band from Texas that has never reached the next level. I'm sure that the cover photos of all four members with topless and blonde hair bleached did not help their case. Musically, they are considered to have more bubble gum charm than bands like Poison, but they have great catchy songs that have won them followers. Their first EP was produced by Dana Strum, who later played bass in Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Slaughter. They received the most attention for their cover of Sweet's "Fox On The Run".
Sword is an excellent real metal band, lost in the shuffle. Metalized should make these people the center of attention, because it is a great metal record in itself. It was excellent from start to finish, especially considering that this is their first release. The band subsequently released another album, which was also well received by critics and fans. The band eventually disbanded, but recently reformed and joined the newly formed Combat Records label owned by Megadeth's David Ellefson. The band is currently producing new material that will be released in the near future.
TT Quick was founded in 1980, and then came to the stage with their first EP in 1984. Singer Mark Tornillo later replaced Udo Dirkschneider as the lead singer of the German band Accept. TT Quick released the following albums in the 1980s: TT Quick EP (1984), Metal Of Honor (1986) and Sloppy Seconds (1989). The band has a group of hardcore fans, but it has never been as successful as other bands in the 80s. TT Quick is a great band for those looking for hidden gems they somehow missed years ago.
Taras is known as the first full-time band of bassist Billy Sheehan, which helped him show his abilities. Of course, Sheehan will continue to play in David Lee Roth's solo band and Mr. Big. Shy Boy (David Lee Roth) and Addicted To That Rush (Mr. Big) are both written by Sheehan in Talas. Talas released two albums in the 1980s: (1982) Sink Your Teeth into That and (1983) Live Speed on Ice. The band’s greatest success was when they opened 30 dates for Van Halen in 1980, but in the crowded field of metal bands, they could no longer achieve greater success.
Tigertailz is the British version of poison. In music, their debut is much heavier than poison. The lead singer of the band is Steevi Jaimz. His voice is rougher, which makes the band sound less like a bubblegum gorgeous band, but more like a vulgar rock band in Los Angeles Guns or Faster Pussycat. Young And Crazy was a wonderful debut, but after the release the band parted ways with Steevi Jaimz. Although they continued to collaborate with other singers and still do today, they never reached the level they reached on their first album. Young And Crazy is one of the best gorgeous metal albums of the 80s. If you can find this, you deserve it. It is great on every level.
TKO released "In Your Face" in 1984. The hoarse lead singer Brad Sinsel brought a significantly heavier voice to the band while still having a melody. The band has an original "street" sound, offering a vulgar hard rock sound mixed with classic heavy metal. This Seattle-based band signed with Combat Records and later released the album "Below The Belt" for Roadrunner Records in 1986. Lead singer Brad Sinsel continues to serve as the prelude to the band "War Babies", which released their only album in 1992 with a minor pop song "Hang Me Up".
This British heavy metal band took the stage in 1982. Although they are considered part of the new wave of British heavy metal, the band will change their voice and image and lineup too frequently. By 1987, the band sounded closer to the gorgeous metal bands of Hollywood than their original sound was closer to the early Diamond Head. Their 80s albums are: Tokyo Blade (1983), Night of the Blade (1984), Black Hearts & Jaded Spades (1985), Ain't Misbehavin' (1987) and No Remorse (1989). The album Night Of The Blade released in 1984 may be their most popular and well-known album. By 2020, Tokyo Blade is still alive and a new album is being produced.
Tuff Luck is a very talented band, but fell victim to failing to obtain a major record contract. The band is located in South Florida and has attracted thousands of people to watch local performances. However, they did release an album for Amberlin's Neo-Renaissance Records. This album is still sought after by collectors, and it won the highest price at auction. This album of the same name has some great tracks such as "Sleaze if you Please", "Take It or Leave It" and "Tonight, Tonight". The band released their second album in 1993, but failed to capture the spirit of the original album. A documentary DVD was also filmed to show the band’s struggles that prevented them from reaching the top of the charts with bands such as Dokken, Ratt and Motley Crue.
Tytan had Norman'Kal' Swan, an unknown Scottish singer at the time, who later became the predecessor of the acclaimed gorgeous metal band Lion. Tytan also invited bassist Kevin Riddles and drummer Dave Dufort and guitarist Steve Gibbs's only album Rough Justice (1985) to be released, because they had broken away from the original recording planned for the album before Swan left.
Vamp released their only album "The Rich Don't Rock" in 1989, which is a completely underrated hidden gem in the hair metal scene. This album was released on Atlantic Records and it is difficult to find. Collectors are often looking for this album, and those who have owned and listened to it know that this is a great album from that era. Dicki Fliszar, the drummer, will continue to work with Jack Russell's Great White.
Warrior released the space-themed album "Fight for the Earth" in 1985. For a previously unknown band, these people pieced together a very classic metal album. Singer Paramore McCarty's voice combines tenacity and sharp screams. In general, the entire album did a good job, showing the maturity that many other bands did not show at the time. McCarty reappeared, Perry McCarty as the lead singer of Steve Stevens Atomic Playboy. In 1998, Warrior and McCarty released an album called "Ancient Future". The band also released two other albums, including Krokus singers Marc Storace and Rob Rock.
Waysted released their first album "Vices" on Chrysalis Records in 1983. The band's members include former UFO bassist Pete Way, as well as lead singer Fin Muir, lead guitarist Ronnie Kayfield, rhythm guitarist Paul Raymond and drummer Frank Noon. After Vices, the band released Waysted – EP (1984), The Good the Bad the Waysted (1985), Save Your Prayers (1986), Wilderness of Mirrors (2000), You Won't Get Out Alive (2000), Back from The Dead (2004), The Harsh Reality (2007) and Totally Waysted (2008). The band became a star again in the United States with the album "Save Your Prayers", which is starring future Tyketto singer Danny Vaughan. The voice of "Save Your Prayers" is more friendly to commercial radio, but it also failed to sell a large number of albums with limited promotions.
White Sister was established in the Los Angeles area in 1980 and released two albums: (1984) White Sister and (1986) Fashion by Passion. The band has appeared in multiple film soundtracks, including Horror Night, Thrashin' and Halloween 5: Revenge of Michael Myers. The band has a slightly more AOR, a melody rock sound and a heavy keyboard. After White Sister, the three members of the band will continue to form another band named Tattoo Rodeo.
White Tiger is known for being the protagonist of the former KISS guitarist Mark St. John who played on the Animalize album, which was later released by the band and replaced by Bruce Kulick after being unable to play acute tendinitis. St. John is a great performer, but the production of this album is very bad, which puts a burden on the whole album. With more support and clean production and mixing, Mark St. John may regain a foothold in the world of metal guitarists, but this album was mainly bought by die-hard KISS fans, and almost no one else. Buy. This is the only album released by Baihu. St. John's released several solo albums independently, but they never reached his previous level of success. Sadly, St. John died of cerebral hemorrhage in 2007.
This Canadian metal band released two albums in the 1980s: Standing Alone (1984) and Endangered Species (1986). Both albums entered the top 200 in the United States, but did not generate any clicks. The band released a music video of the song "She" and played some on MTV. The band toured the United States, Japan and Europe to support the album, but did not achieve the success they had hoped for in finding commercial audiences. The band reunited in 2007 and released new material. They are currently active.
Bobby Caughron is the music reporter and editor-in-chief of XS ROCK. After listening to KISS as a child, he began to become a lifelong fan of hard rock and metal music. He is still a big fan of the metal world in the 80s and continues to discover and write new music in all rock genres today.
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