Metallica

The most consistently innovative metal band of the late 80s and 90s was formed in 1981 in California, USA, by Lars Ulrich (Born 26 December 1963, Gentofte, Denmark; drums) and James Alan Hetfield (Born 3 August 1963, Downey, California, USA; guitar/vocals) after each separately advertised for fellow musicians in the classified section of American publication The Recycler. They recorded their first demo, No Life Til' Leather, with Lloyd Grand (guitar), who was replaced in January 1982 by David Mustaine (Born 13 September 1961, La Mesa, California, USA), whose relationship with Ulrich and Hetfield proved unsatisfactory. Jef Warner (guitar) and Ron McGovney (bass) each had a brief tenure with the band. At the end of 1982 Clifford Lee Burton (Born 10 February 1962, USA, d. 27 September 1986; bass, ex-Trauma) joined the band, playing his first live performance on 5 March 1983. Mustaine departed to form Megadeth and was replaced by Kirk Hammett (Born 18 November 1962, San Francisco, California, USA; guitar). Hammett, who came to the attention of Ulrich and Hetfield while playing with rock band Exodus, played his first concert with Metallica on 16 April 1983.
The Ulrich, Hetfield, Burton and Hammett combination endured until disaster struck the band in the small hours of 27 September 1986, when Metallica's tour bus overturned in Sweden, killing Cliff Burton. During those four years, the band put thrash metal on the map with the aggression and exuberance of their 1983 debut album, Kill 'Em All, the sleeve of which bore the legend "Bang that head that doesn't bang'. This served as a template for a whole new breed of metal, though the originators themselves were quick to dispense with their own rule book. Touring with New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands Raven and Venom followed, while Music For Nations signed them for European distribution. Although 1984"s Ride The Lightning was not without distinction, notably on "For Whom The Bell Tolls', it was 1986"s Master Of Puppets that offered further evidence of Metallica's appetite for the epic. Their first album for Elektra Records in the USA (who had also re-released its predecessor), this was a taut, multi-faceted collection that both raged and lamented with equal conviction.
After the death of Burton, the band elected to continue, the remaining three members recruiting Jason Newsted (Born 4 March 1963, Battle Creek, Michigan, USA; bass) of Flotsam And Jetsam. Newsted played his first concert with the band on 8 November 1986. The original partnership of Ulrich and Hetfield, however, remained responsible for Metallica's lyrics and musical direction. The new line-up's first recording together was The $5.98 EP - Garage Days Re-Revisited - a collection of cover versions including material from Budgie, Diamond Head, Killing Joke and the Misfits, which also served as a neat summation of the band's influences to date. Sessions for And Justice For All initially began with Guns N'Roses producer Mike Clink at the helm. A long and densely constructed effort, this 1988 opus included an appropriately singular spectacular moment in "One' (a US Top 40/UK Top 20 single), while elsewhere the barrage of riffs somewhat obscured the usual Metallica artistry. The songs on 1991"s US/UK chart-topper Metallica continued to deal with large themes - justice and retribution, insanity, war, religion and relationships. Compared to Kill 'Em All nearly a decade previously, however, the band had grown from iconoclastic chaos to thoughtful harmony, hallmarked by sudden and unexpected changes of mood and tempo. The MTV-friendly "Enter Sandman" broke the band on a stadium level and entered the US Top 20. The single also reached the UK Top 10, as did another album track, "Nothing Else Matters". Constant touring in the wake of the album ensued, along with a regular itinerary of awards ceremonies. There could surely be no more deserving recipients, Metallica having dragged mainstream metal, not so much kicking and screaming as whining and complaining, into a bright new dawn when artistic redundancy seemed inevitable (the album was certified as having sold thirteen million copies in the USA alone by 2001).
A stop-gap live set marked time while the band completed work on the eagerly awaited follow-up to Metallia. Finally released in 1996, Load entered the US charts at number 1. The album marked a change in image for the band, who began to court the alternative rock audience. The following year's Reload collected together more tracks recorded at the Load sessions, and featured 60s icon Marianne Faithfull on the first single to be released from the album, "The Memory Remains". Garage Inc. collected assorted cover versions, and broke the band's run of US number 1 albums when it debuted at number 2 in December 1998. The following year's S&M, recorded live with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, unfortunately evoked the worst excesses of heavy rock icons Deep Purple.
In January 2001, Newsted announced he was leaving after almost 15 years service with the band. He resurfaced with two unknown musicians in EchoBrain, before joining Canadian prog metal outfit Voivod. His replacement in Metallica was former Suicidal Tendencies' bass player Rob Trujillo. Recording sessions for the new studio album were fraught with difficulty, with Hetfield at one point departing to spend several months in rehaBorn When it finally appeared in 2003, St. Anger was given a decidely mixed reception by critics who had rapidly fallen out of love with the band. The making of the album was captured on film by documentary makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, who released the unflinching, warts-and-all Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster the following year.
Discography:Kill 'Em All (Megaforce 1983)***, Ride The Lightning (Megaforce 1984)***, Master Of Puppets (Elektra 1986)****, And Justice For All (Elektra 1988)***, Metallica (Elektra 1991)****, Live Shit: Binge & Purge (Elektra 1993)****, Load (Mercury 1996)****, Reload (Vertigo 1997)***, Garage Inc. (Vertigo 1998)***, S&M (Vertigo 1999)**, St. Anger (Elektra/Mercury 2003)**, The Unnamed Feeling EP (Vertigo 2004)**.
Videography:Cliff 'Em All (C.hannel 5 1988), 2 Of One (Channel 5 1989), A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica (PolyGram Music Video 1992), Metal Up Your Ass: The Interview Sessions (Startalk 1996), Cunning Stunts (PolyGram Music Video 1998), S&M (Elektra Entertainment 1999), Classic Albums: Metallica (Eagle Vision 2001), Live Sh*t Binge & Purge (Elektra Entertainment 2002).
Bibliography:A Visual Documentary, Mark Putterford. In Their Own Words, Mark Putterford. Metallica Unbound, K.J. Doughton. Metallica's Lars Ulrich: An Up-Close Look At The Playing Style Of ..., Dino Fauci. Metallica Unbound, K.J. Doughton. Metallica Live!, Mark Putterford. Metallica: The Frayed Ends Of Metal, Chris Crocker. The Making Of: Metallica's Metallica, Mick Wall and Malcolm Dome. From Silver To Black, Ross Halfin. Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica, Joel McIver. So What! The Good, The Mad And The Ugly, Steffan Chirazi (ed.).
Filmography:Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster (2004).

ड्रीम Theater

This rock band was formed in 1985 by Berklee College Of Music students John Petrucci (Born 12 July 1967, Long Island, New York, USA; guitar), John Myung (Born 24 January 1967, Chicago, Illinois, USA; bass) and Mike Portnoy (Born 20 April 1967, Long Island, New York, USA; drums; ex-Inner Sanctum). The trio subsequently enlisted old schoolfriend Kevin Moore (keyboards) and vocalist Chris Collins and began to record demos. Along with a contract with MCA Records, they also secured the services of vocalist Charlie Dominici, adopting their new name in favour of original choice Majesty. Their debut album showcased material incorporating elements of Rush, Queensr˜che, and Yngwie Malmsteen, in addition to the English progressive tradition embodied by King Crimson and Genesis. Dynamic, multi-faceted hard rock songs, characterized by countless slick time changes and impeccable musicianship, were the band's trademark. The album received a favourable response from the music media, but unfortunately was ignored by the record-buying public.
Dismayed at the poor album sales, MCA terminated their contract and Dominici quit shortly afterwards. It took the band a year to extricate themselves from the contract, and a rigorous auditioning process began to find a new singer. The winning candidate was Canadian James LaBrie (Born Kevin James LaBrie, 5 May 1963, Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada) formerly of Winter Rose. After their earlier label and personnel tribulations, their 90s albums for Atco/East West saw them regain their initial momentum, with both mainstream and metal critics acknowledging their fluency in meshing a variety of styles around a hard rock core. Moore left the band half way through the recording of Awake, and was subsequently replaced by Derek Sherinian. Following the release of Falling Into Infinity, Sherinian was replaced by Jordan Rudess (Born 4 November 1956, New York, USA; ex-Speedway Blvd.), who had already played with Petrucci and Portnoy in their side-project, Liquid Tension Experiment. A live set preceded the release of 1999's new studio album, Scenes From A Memory. Other projects include Playtpus (Myung) and Transatlantic (Portnoy).
Discography:When Dream And Day Unite (MCA 1989)**, Images And Words (Atco 1992)***, Awake (Elektra 1994)***, A Change Of Seasons mini-album (Elektra 1995)***, Falling Into Infinity (Elektra 1997)***, Once In A LIVEtime (Elektra 1998)***, Scenes From A Memory (Elektra 1999)****, Live Scenes From New York (Elektra 2001)***, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (Elektra 2002)***, Train Of Thought (Elektra 2003)***.
Videography:Images And Words (Sony 1993), 5 Years In A LIVEtime (Elektra 1998), Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York (Warner Video 2001).
Music AlbumsAwakeEastWest America10/11/1994
A Change Of Seasons [EP]EastWest America09/19/1995
Falling Into InfinityEastWest America09/23/1997
Once In A LivetimeElektra Entertainment10/27/1998
Scenes From A MemoryEastWest America10/26/1999
Live Scenes From New York [ECD]EastWest America09/11/2001
Six Degrees Of Inner TurbulenceEastWest America01/29/2002
When Dream And Day Unite [Limited] [Remaster]One Way Records03/12/2002
Train Of Thought [ECD]EastWest America11/11/2003
Live At Budokan [Digipak] *Atlantic10/05/2004
Images And WordsEastWest America06/15/1992
When Dream And Day Unite [Remaster]One Way Records02/15/1996

क्रेदले ऑफ़ filth

This outlandish band quickly became the most popular UK representatives of the Satanic black metal revival of the early 90s with the release of their formidable 1994 debut, The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh. Formed in 1991 by Daniel Davey aka Dani Filth (Born 25 July 1973, Hertford, England; vocals), John Richard (bass), Paul Ryan (guitar) and Darren (drums), the band went through the several line-up changes before the release of their debut, with Robin Eaglestone aka Robin Graves (bass), Paul Allender (Born 17 November 1970, Colchester, Essex, England; guitar), Benjamin Ryan (keyboards) and Nicholas Barker (drums) added to the line-up in place of Richard and Darren. Visually, Cradle Of Filth were evidently influenced by the Scandinavian bands who led the movement, such as Mayhem and Emperor. This influence included adopting the black and white make-up known as "corpse-paint" and funereal garb, while incorporating displays of fire-breathing and drenching themselves in blood on stage. While the Scandinavian black metal bands have become increasingly interested in the occult, right-wing philosophies of Viking mythology, Cradle Of Filth have a more gothic, quasi-poetic musical outlook. This is evidenced in their darkly poignant lyrics, use of a cello player and the haunting singing of Andrea Mayer (a German Satanist who has since married a member of Emperor). The core of Cradle Of Filth's sound, however, remains a blizzard of apocalyptic guitars and vocals.
Following the release of their debut the band entered a tumultuous phase, with the loss of several members and problems with management and their record label. They eventually regrouped in 1996 for Vempire: Dark Faerytales In Phallustein, by which time the line-up incorporated founding members Filth and Robin Graves, as well as Irish keyboard player Damien Gregori and guitarists Stuart Anstis and Jared Demeter. The new mini-album was released on Cacophonous as a compromise solution to allow them to escape their contract and release a third studio set, Dusk ... And Her Embrace, on the Music For Nations label. The album featured new guitarist Gian Pyres (Born 20 October 1973, London, England), who was brought in to replace Demeter. Once again it explored at some length their fascination with vampire mythology and Victorian and Medieval romanticism. Gregori was subsequently replaced by Les "Lecter" Smith.
Cradle Of Filth gained further notoriety (and popularity) by insulting socialite Tara Palmer Tomkinson at the 1998 Kerrang! music awards. The same year's Cruelty And The Beast featured a guest appearance from actress Ingrid Pitt on "Bathory Aria'. Was Sargison and then Adrian Erlandsson (Born 27 October 1970, Malm”, Sweden; ex-At The Gates, Haunted) replaced Barker on the From The Cradle To Enslave EP, while Martin Powell (ex-My Dying Bride) replaced Smith and Allender rejoined on the full-length Midian. The stop-gap mini-album Bitter Suites To Succubi was the band's last on an independent label, having signed to Sony Records. Further line-up changes saw Dave Pybus joining the band and Pyres, Powell and Robin Graves leaving. The slimmed-down quartet made their major label debut with 2003"s Damnation And A Day.
Discography:The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh (Cacophonous 1994)**, Vempire: Dark Faerytales In Phallustein mini-album (Cacophonous 1996)***, Dusk ... And Her Embrace (Music For Nations 1996)**, Cruelty And The Beast (Music For Nations 1998)****, Midian (Music For Nations 2000)***, Bitter Suites To Succubi mini-album (Abra Cadaver/Spitfire 2001)***, Live Bait For The Dead (Abra Cadaver 2002)**, Damnation And A Day (Abra Cadaver/Epic 2003)***, Nymphetamine (Roadrunner 2004)***.
Compilations:Lovecraft & Witch Hearts (Music For Nations/Spitfire 2002)***.
Videography:PanDaemonAeon (Music For Nations 1999), Heavy, Left-Handed & Candid (Snapper 2001).

Source: Encyclopedia of Popular Music Music AlbumsCruelty And The BeastFierce05/05/1998
Cruelty And The Beast [Limited]Koch Records07/10/2001
Dusk And Her Embrace (Koch)Koch Records07/10/2001
From The Cradle To Enslave [EP]Metal Blade04/11/2000
MidianKoch Records10/31/2000
VempireCacophone Records10/31/2000
Bitter Suites To SuccubiSpitfire Records07/03/2001
Maximum Cradle Of FilthGriffin Music03/13/2001
Lovecraft & Witch Hearts [PA]Koch Records06/11/2002
Dusk And Her Embrace (Fierce)Fierce08/05/1997
Live Bait For The Dead [ECD] [Limited]Snapper09/03/2002
Damnation And A Day [PA]Red Ink Records03/25/2003
The Principle Of Evil Made FleshCacophone Records02/29/2000
Nymphetamine [PA] *Roadrunner09/28/2004

Pantera

This Texas, USA-based heavy metal quartet was formed in 1981, and initially comprised Terry Glaze (guitar/vocals), Darrell Abbott (Born 20 August 1966, Dallas, Texas, USA; guitar), Vincent Abbott (Born 11 March 1964, Dallas, Texas, USA; drums) and Rex Rocker (Born Rex Brown, 27 July 1964, Graham, Texas, USA; bass). Drawing musical inspiration from Kiss, Aerosmith and Deep Purple, they debuted with 1983's Metal Magic. This well-received set led to prestigious support slots to Dokken, Stryper and Quiet Riot. Projects In The Jungle indicated that the band were evolving quickly and starting to build a sound of their own. The Kiss nuances had disappeared and they sounded, at times, similar to early Def Leppard, with cuts such as "Heavy Metal Rules" and "Out For Blood' leading the charge. The membership altered their names at this juncture, with Glaze becoming Terence Lee, Darrell Abbott switching to Diamond (later Dimebag) Darrell and brother Vince emerging as Vinnie Paul. Phil Anselmo (Born 30 June 1968, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA) was the new lead vocalist on 1988"s Power Metal, which saw the band beginning to make the conversion to the heavy thrash sound that would become their trademark. (The band have subsequently attempted to sweep any sign of their early career under the carpet).Diamond Darrell turned down the offer to join Megadeth at this point, in order to concentrate on new Pantera material. The decision proved crucial, as a return to form was made with 1990's Cowboys From Hell, their debut for Atco Records. This was an inspired collection of infectious hard rock, played with unabashed fervour, with Anselmo, who would later set up his own side-project Down, growing as a creative and visual force. Vulgar Display Of Power, meanwhile, belied half of its title by invoking a sense of genuine songwriting prowess to augment the bone-crushing arrangements of live favourites such as "Fucking Hostile".Establishing a fierce reputation, it surprised few of the band's supporters when Far Beyond Driven was a huge transatlantic success in 1994. Rock music had found powerful new ambassadors in their brutally honest and savagely executed thrash metal. The key word was "loud', as both The Great Southern Trendkill and Official Live: 101 Proof demonstrated without a doubt. Anselmo indulged his love of black metal in the side project, Viking Crown, debuting with 1999"s Unorthodox Steps Of Ritual. Pantera returned the following year with the "back-to-basics" Reinventing The Steel, an incredibly heavy album which reasserted their prominence in the metal hall of fame (their influence on the new wave of alternative metal bands that emerged in the late 90s, such as Korn and Fear Factory, should also be noted.) Sadly, the album looked to be their last as a growing wedge between Anselmo and the Abbott brothers led to Pantera being put on an indefinite hiatus. Anselmo went on to form Superjoint Ritual, while the Abbotts resurfaced in Damageplan.Discography:Metal Magic (Metal Magic 1983)***, Projects In The Jungle (Metal Magic 1984)***, I Am The Night (Metal Magic 1985)***, Power Metal (Metal Magic 1988)**, Cowboys From Hell (Atco 1990)****, Vulgar Display Of Power (Atco 1992)****, Far Beyond Driven (EastWest 1994)****, Driven Downunder Tour '94 Souvenir Collection (EastWest 1995)**, The Great Southern Trendkill (EastWest 1996)***, Official Live: 101 Proof (EastWest 1997)**, Reinventing The Steel (EastWest 2000)***.Compilations:The Best Of Pantera: Far Beyond The Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits! (Elektra 2003)***, Reinventing Hell: The Best Of Pantera (WSM 2003)****.Videography:Vulgar Video (A*Vision 1993), 3 - Watch It Go (EastWest 1998), The Best Of Pantera: Far Beyond The Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits (Elektra/Rhino 2004).
Music Albums
Cowboys From HellAtco07/24/1990
Far Beyond DrivenEastWest America03/22/1994
Vulgar Display Of PowerAtco02/25/1992
The Great Southern TrendkillAtlantic05/07/1996
Official Live: 101 ProofEastWest America07/29/1997
Reinventing The Steel [PA]EastWest America03/21/2000
Reinventing The Steel [Edited]EastWest America03/21/2000
Maximum PanteraGriffin Music08/01/2000
Best Of Pantera: Far Beyond... [CD & DVD] [PA] *Rhino Records09/23/2003

ACDC

This theatrical Australian hard rock band was formed in November 1973 by Malcolm Young (Born 6 January 1953, Glasgow, Scotland; rhythm guitar) after the demise of his previous outfit, the Velvet Underground (no relation to the US group). Young, whose elder brother George had already achieved stardom in Australia as a member of the Easybeats, also enlisted his younger brother, Angus Young (Born 31 March 1955, Glasgow, Scotland; guitar). Their sister later suggested that Angus wear his school uniform on stage, a gimmick that rapidly became their trademark. The two brothers made their debut appearance in a bar in Sydney on 31 December 1973, along with Dave Evans (vocals), Larry Van Kriedt (bass) and Colin Burgess (drums). In late 1974, the Young brothers and Evans moved to Melbourne. Another immigrant from the UK, Bon Scott (Born Ronald Belford Scott, 9 July 1946, Forfar, Scotland, d. 19 February 1980, London, England; vocals), graduated from being the band's chauffeur to becoming their vocalist when Dave Evans refused to go on stage one night. (Evans went on to form Rabbit, releasing two albums for CBS Records in Australia, before joining Hot Cockerel in 1984 and releasing David Evans And Thunder Down Under in 1986.) Scott had previously recorded with two Australian outfits, pop group the Valentines (1966-68) and rockers Fraternity (1970-74). Indeed, after he emigrated from Scotland in 1951, he had also spent five consecutive years as drum champion (under-17 section) with the Perth Pipe Band. After such a wholesome start, a prison conviction for assault and battery indicated a more volatile side to his nature, and resulted in him being refused admission to the army. In 1965, he joined the Spectors, before the aforementioned periods with the Valentines and Fraternity.The AC/DC line-up that welcomed Scott had already recorded a solitary single, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl", but it was his voice that graced their first two albums, High Voltage and T.N.T.. The latter album also introduced two new members, Mark Evans (Born 2 March 1956, Melbourne, Australia; bass) and Phil Rudd (Born Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke, 19 May 1954, Melbourne, Australia; drums). Both sets were produced by George Young and his writing partner, another former Easybeat, Harry Vanda. Neither set was issued outside Australia, though Atlantic Records in Britain did offer a selection of material from both records under the title High Voltage in 1976. These albums established AC/DC as a major draw in their native territory, and brought them to the attention of Atlantic, who promptly relocated the band to London in January 1976. However, Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams (Born 14 December 1949, Romford, Essex, England; ex-Home) in June 1977 after the former tired of touring. He went on to Finch/Contraband, then a variety of bands including Swanee, Heaven, Best and Party Boys.Once AC/DC began to tour outside Australia, the band quickly amassed a cult following, as much for the unashamed gimmickry of its live show as for its furious, frequently risqu‚ brand of hard rock. Let There Be Rock broke them as a chart act in the UK, with its contents including the perennial crowd-pleaser, "Whole Lotta Rosie'. The live If You Want Blood You've Got It consolidated their position, but 1979"s Highway To Hell established them as international stars. This, the band's first album with producer Mutt Lange, also proved to be their last with Bon Scott. On 19 February 1980, after a night of heavy drinking, he was left unconscious in a friend's car, and was later found to be dead, having choked on his own vomit. The coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.Scott's death threatened the band's future, but his replacement, former Geordie lead singer Brian Johnson (Born 5 October 1947, Dunston, England), proved more than equal to the task. His first album with the band, Back In Black, reached number 1 in the UK and Australia, number 4 in the USA, and spawned the UK number 15 single "Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution". The album was certified as having sold 12 million copies in the USA by March 1996. In 1981, For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) topped the American charts for three weeks, the band headlined at the Donington Festival and also achieved two Top 20 UK singles ("Let's Get It Up" and "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)"). After Flick Of The Switch in 1983, drummer Phil Rudd left the band to become a helicopter pilot in New Zealand, and was replaced by Simon Wright (Born 19 June 1963; ex-A II Z and Tytan) - who in turn departed to join Dio in 1989. His replacement was Chris Slade (Born 30 October 1946; ex-Manfred Mann's Earth Band).In keeping with their superstar status, AC/DC maintained an increasingly relaxed schedule through the 80s, touring to support each carefully spaced album release. Two UK Top 20 singles, "Who Made Who" (1986) and "Heatseeker" (1988), confirmed their enduring popularity. There were further "casualties", however. When Malcolm Young was unfit to tour in 1988 his cousin, Stevie Young (ex-Starfighters), temporarily deputized. Paul Greg also stepped in for Cliff Williams on the US leg of their 1991 tour. A year earlier, The Razors Edge had been one of the more successful albums of their later career, producing a Top 20 UK hit, "Thunderstruck" and reaching number 2 on the album chart in America. In 1992, they issued a live album, while the attendant single, "Highway To Hell", made the UK Top 20. With Brian Johnson long having buried the ghost of Bon Scott, the band showed no signs of varying its winning musical formula, and in 1994 were buoyed by the return of Rudd to the line-up. The following year's Ballbreaker marked a powerful return after a lengthy break from recording. The ensuing Bonfire box set, meanwhile, served as a fitting memorial to Bon Scott. The band greeted the new millennium in typical style with the "business as usual" recording, Stiff Upper Lip. They were deservedly inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in March 2003.Discography:High Voltage Australia only (Albert 1975)**, T.N.T. Australia only (Albert 1976)**, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Atlantic 1976)***, Let There Be Rock (Atlantic 1977)****, Powerage (Atlantic 1978)***, If You Want Blood You've Got It (Atlantic 1978)***, Highway To Hell (Atlantic 1979)****, Back In Black (Atlantic 1980)****, For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (Atlantic 1981)****, Flick Of The Switch (Atlantic 1983)**, '74 Jailbreak mini-album (Atlantic 1984)**, Fly On The Wall (Atlantic 1985)**, Who Made Who (Atco 1986)***, Blow Up Your Video (Atlantic 1988)**, The Razors Edge (Atco 1990)***, Live (Atco 1992)**, Ballbreaker (Atlantic 1995)***, Stiff Upper Lip (EMI 2000)***.Compilations:High Voltage (Atlantic 1976)**, Box Set 1 (EMI 1981)***, Box Set 2 (EMI 1987)***, Bonfire 4-CD box set (EMI 1997)****.Videography:Let There Be Rock (Warner Home Video 1985), Fly On The Wall (Atlantic Video 1985), Who Made Who (Atlantic Video 1986), Clipped (AVision 1991), Live At Donington (AVision 1992), No Bull (Warner Music Vision 1996), Stiff Upper Lip Live (Warner Music Vision 2001).Bibliography:The AC/DC Story, Paul Ezra. AC/DC, Malcolm Dome. AC/DC: Hell Ain't No Bad Place To Be, Richard Bunton. AC/DC: An Illustrated Collectors Guide Volumes 1 & 2, Chris Tesch. AC/DC Illustrated Biography, Mark Putterford. Shock To The System, Mark Putterford. HM Photo Book, no author listed. The World's Most Electrifying Rock 'n' Roll Band, Malcolm Dome (ed.). Highway To Hell: The Life & Times Of AC/DC Legend Bon Scott, Clinton Walker. AC/DC: The World's Heaviest Rock, Martin Huxley. Get Your Jumbo Jet Out Of My Airport: Random Notes For AC/DC Obsessives, Howard Johnson. AC/DC: The Definitive History, The Kerrang! Files.

Judas Priest

This enduring heavy metal outfit was formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969, by K.K. Downing (Born Kenneth Downing; guitar) and close friend, Ian Hill (Born 20 January 1952; bass). As another hopeful, struggling young rock band, they played their first gig in Essington in 1971 with a line-up completed by Alan Atkins (vocals) and John Ellis (drums). The name Judas Priest came from Atkins' previous band (who took it from a Bob Dylan song, "The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest") before he joined up with Hill and Downing. Constant gigging continued, with Alan Moore taking over on drums, only to be replaced at the end of 1971 by Chris Campbell. Most of 1972 was spent on the road in the UK, and in 1973 both Atkins and Campbell departed, leaving the nucleus of Hill and Downing (in 1991 Atkins released a debut solo album that included "Victim Of Changes", a song he co-wrote in Judas Priest's infancy). At this point, their fortunes took a turn for the better. Vocalist and ex-theatrical lighting engineer Rob Halford (Born 25 August 1951, Walsall, England) and drummer John Hinch, both from the band Hiroshima, joined the unit. More UK shows ensued as their following grew steadily, culminating in the addition of second guitarist Glenn Tipton (Born 25 October 1948; ex-Flying Hat Band).
In 1974 Judas Priest toured abroad for the first time in Germany and the Netherlands, and returned home to a record contract with the small UK label Gull. The band made their vinyl debut with Rocka Rolla in September 1974. Disappointed with the recording, the band failed to make any impact, and Hinch left to be replaced by the returning Alan Moore. In 1975 the band's appearance at the Reading Festival brought them to the attention of a much wider audience. Sad Wings Of Destiny was an improvement on the debut, with production assistance from Jeffrey Calvert and Max West. However, despite good reviews, their financial situation remained desperate, and Alan Moore left for the second and final time. A worldwide contract with CBS Records saved the day, and Sin After Sin was a strong collection, with Simon Philips sitting in for Moore. The band then visited America for the first time with drummer Les Binks, who appeared on Stained Class, an album that showed Priest at a high watermark in their powers. Killing Machine yielded the first UK hit single, "Take On The World", and featured shorter, punchier, but still familiar, rock songs. The formidable Unleashed In The East was recorded on the 1979 Japanese tour, and in that year, Binks was replaced on drums by Dave Holland of Trapeze.
After major tours with both Kiss and AC/DC, Judas Priest's popularity began to gather momentum. British Steel smashed into the UK Top 5, and included the Top 20 singles "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight". After appearing at the 1980 Donington Festival, they began recording Point Of Entry. It provided the hit single "Hot Rockin", and was followed by sell-out UK and US tours. The period surrounding Screaming For Vengeance was phenomenally successful for the band. The hit single, "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", was followed by a lucrative six-month US tour, with the album achieving platinum status in the USA. Defenders Of The Faith offered a similar potent brand of headstrong metal to Screaming For Vengeance. Turbo, however, proved slightly more commercial and was poorly received, Judas Priest's traditional metal fans reacting with indifference to innovations that included the use of synthesized guitars. Ram It Down saw a return to pure heavy metal by comparison, but now the band's popularity had begun to wane. Scott Travis (Born Norfolk, Virginia, USA; ex-Racer X) replaced Dave Holland for the return to form that was Painkiller. Although no longer universally popular, Judas Priest were still a major live attraction and remained the epitome of heavy metal, with screaming guitars matched by screaming vocalist, and the protagonists clad in studs and black leather.
The band was taken to court in 1990 following the suicide of two fans in December 1985. Both CBS Records and Judas Priest were accused of inciting suicide through the "backwards messages" in their recording of the Spooky Tooth classic, "Better By You, Better Than Me". They were found not guilty in June 1993 after a long court battle, Downing admitting: "It will be another 10 years before I can even spell subliminal". Soon afterwards, Halford became disheartened with the band and decided to quit. He had temporarily fronted an Ozzy Osbourne-less Black Sabbath and recorded "Light Comes Out Of The Black" with Pantera for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer soundtrack, as well as working on his Fight project. He debuted his new band, the electronic rock outfit Two in 1996, and later formed the highly successful Halford.
Judas Priest returned to recording with 1997's Jugulator, featuring new vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (Born Akron, Ohio, USA). Owens had spent several years performing in Judas Priest tribute bands, and was recruited after performing just one song at an audition in London. He spent several years performing Halford's old role with no little skill and energy, but was rather casually dropped when the Painkiller-era line-up of the band re-formed for a world tour in 2004.
Discography:Rocka Rolla (Gull 1974)**, Sad Wings Of Destiny (Gull 1976)**, Sin After Sin (Columbia 1977)***, Stained Class (Columbia 1978)***, Killing Machine (UK) Hell Bent For Leather (US) (Columbia 1978)**, Live - Unleashed In The East (Columbia 1979)****, British Steel (Columbia 1980)****, Point Of Entry (Columbia 1981)***, Screaming For Vengeance (Columbia 1982)***, Defenders Of The Faith (Columbia 1984)***, Turbo (Columbia 1986)**, Priest " Live! (Columbia 1987)**, Ram It Down (Columbia 1988)***, Painkiller (Columbia 1990)***, Jugulator (SPV 1997)***, Concert Classics (Ranch Life 1998)**, Meltdown: "98 Live (SPV 1998)**, Demolition (SPV 2001)**, Live In London (SPV 2003)**.
Compilations:Best Of (Gull 1978)**, Hero Hero (Telaeg 1987)**, Collection (Castle 1989)***, Metal Works '73-'93 (Columbia 1993)****, Living After Midnight (Columbia 1997)***, Metalogy box set (Columbia/Legacy 2004)***.
Videography:Fuel Of Life (Columbia Music Video 1986), Live (Virgin Vision 1987), Painkiller (Sony Music Video 1990), Metal Works '73-'93 (Columbia Music Video 1993), Classic Albums: British Steel (Eagle Vision 2001), Live In London (SPV 2002), Electric Eye (Sony Music Video 2004).
Music AlbumsBest Of Judas Priest (Koch)Koch Records02/13/2001
Beyond Metal [Cassette]Hollywood/IMG02/27/1992
British Steel [Remaster]Legacy Recordings05/29/2001
Defenders Of The Faith [Remaster]Legacy Recordings05/29/2001
Hell Bent For Leather [Remaster]Columbia11/06/2001
Hero, HeroKoch Records05/09/2000
Metal Works '73-'93Columbia05/11/1993
Painkiller [Remaster]Legacy Recordings03/19/2002
Point Of Entry [Remaster]Legacy Recordings05/29/2001
Priest... Live! [Remaster]Legacy Recordings03/19/2002
Ram It Down [Remaster]Legacy Recordings03/19/2002
Rocka RollaKoch Records01/25/2000
Rocka Rolla & Other Hits [Cassette]RCA Recordsn/a
Sad Wings Of DestinyKoch Records01/25/2000
Screaming For Vengeance [Remaster]Legacy Recordings05/29/2001
Sin After Sin [Remaster]Legacy Recordings11/06/2001
Stained Class [Remaster]Legacy Recordings11/06/2001
The Collection: Rocka Rolla/Sad Wings of DestinyCastle Communications - (import)10/01/1989
Trouble Shooter [Cassette]Hollywood/IMG02/27/1992
Turbo [Remaster]Legacy Recordings03/19/2002
Unleashed In The East [Remaster]Legacy Recordings11/06/2001
JugulatorCMC International10/28/1997
The Best Of Judas Priest: Living After MidnightLegacy Recordings02/03/1998
British Steel/Point Of Entry/Screaming... [Box]Columbia06/30/1998
Judas Priest '98: Live MeltdownCMC International09/29/1998
Prisoners Of PainSony Music Special Products09/22/1996
GenocideRecall (UK)05/02/2000
Demolition [PA]Atlantic07/31/2001
Demolition [Edited]Atlantic07/31/2001
Limited Edition Collector's Box [Box]Legacy Recordings03/19/2002
Live In London [ECD]SPV06/01/2004
Metalogy [CD & DVD] [Box] [Limited] [Remaster]Legacy Recordings05/11/2004
Angel Of Retribution [3/1] *Epic03/01/2005

Megadeth

This thrash metal quartet was founded in San Francisco, California, USA, by guitarist Dave Mustaine (Born 13 September 1961, La Mesa, California, USA) after leaving Metallica in 1983 (he co-wrote four songs on the latter's debut album, though he did not actually appear on it). Recruiting bass player Dave Ellefson (Born 12 November 1964, Jackson, Minnesota, USA), Slayer guitarist Kerry King and drummer Lee Rash, Mustaine formed Megadeth. King and Rash were quickly replaced by Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson, and Mustaine negotiated a contract with the independent Combat Records label. Working on a tight budget, Megadeth produced Killing Is My Business ... And Business Is Good! in 1985. This was a ferocious blast of high-energy thrash metal, weakened by a thin production. Nevertheless, Capitol Records, realizing the band's potential, immediately signed them, even though Mustaine was beginning to acquire a reputation for his outspoken and provocative manner. Peace Sells ... But Who's Buying? was a marked improvement over their debut, both technically and musically. It was characterized by incessant, heavy-duty riffing, bursts of screaming guitar and lyrics that reflected Mustaine's outspoken perception of contemporary social and political issues.
In 1986, Mustaine fired Poland and Samuelson (who then formed Fatal Opera), bringing in Jeff Young and Chuck Behler as replacements before the recording of So Far, So Good ... So What! This built on their aggressive and vitriolic style, and included a cover version of "Anarchy In The UK", with the Sex Pistols' guitarist Steve Jones making a guest appearance. Following two years of heroin-related problems, and the enforced departure of Young and Behler, Mustaine reappeared in 1990 with guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman (Born 8 December 1962, Washington, DC, USA) and drummer Nick Menza (Born 23 July 1964). Rust In Peace was released to widespread critical acclaim, combining an anti-nuclear message with the explosive guitar pyrotechnics of Friedman. Countdown To Extinction, meanwhile, was a bruising encounter that entertained more melody in the execution of its theme - that of impending ecological disaster. It included the UK Top 20 hit singles, "Skin O' My Teeth" and "Symphony Of Destruction".
Reports of Mustaine's drug problems again overshadowed sessions for their sixth album, Youthanasia, recorded in Phoenix, Arizona, where three-quarters of the band now lived. It was produced by Max Norman (who co-produced Countdown To Extinction and mixed Rust In Peace), and featured the brilliant UK hit single "Train Of Consequences". Following the release of Cryptic Writings drummer Nick Menza left the band due to "health problems"; he was replaced by Jimmy Degrasso. A "clean' Mustaine steered the band in an even more melodic direction on 1999"s Risk. Mustaine announced a hiatus in band activities in April 2002 after sustaining severe nerve damage to his left arm and hand. Further changes ensued witht he departure of Ellefson and the surprising return of Poland, the results were heard on The System Has Failed.
Discography:Killing Is My Business ... And Business Is Good! (Combat/Megaforce 1985)**, Peace Sells ... But Who's Buying? (Capitol 1986)***, So Far, So Good ... So What! (Capitol 1988)***, Rust In Peace (Capitol 1990)****, Countdown To Extinction (Capitol 1992)***, Youthanasia (Capitol 1994)***, Cryptic Writings (Capitol 1997)***, Risk (Capitol 1999)***, The World Needs A Hero (Sanctuary 2001)***, Rude Awakening (Sanctuary 2002)**, The System Has Failed (Sanctuary 2004)***.
Compilations:Hidden Treasures (Capitol 1995)***, Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years (Capitol 2000)****.
Videography:Rusted Pieces (EMI 1991), Exposure Of A Dream (PMI 1993), Evolver: The Making Of Youthanasia (Capitol 1995), VH1 Behind The Music (Extended) (BMG Video 2001), Rude Awakening (BMG Video 2002).
Music AlbumsCountdown To ExtinctionCapitol/EMI Records07/14/1992
Foreclosure Of A Dream [EP]Capitol/EMI Records1992
Killing Is My Business... [PA] [Remaster]Loud02/05/2002
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?Capitol/EMI Records08/24/1987
Rust In PeaceCapitol/EMI Records10/02/1990
So Far, So Good, So WhatCapitol/EMI Records01/19/1988
Symphony Of Destruction [EP]Capitol/EMI Records1992
YouthanasiaCapitol/EMI Records11/01/1994
Hidden Treasures [EP]Capitol/EMI Records07/18/1995
Cryptic WritingsCapitol/EMI Records06/17/1997
The Original (Series) [Box]EMI-Capitol Entertainment Prop.11/03/1998
Risk [ECD]Capitol/EMI Records08/31/1999
Capitol PunishmentCapitol/EMI Records10/24/2000
The World Needs A Hero [PA]Sanctuary05/15/2001
The World Needs A HeroSanctuary05/15/2001
Rude AwakeningSanctuary03/19/2002
Killing Is My Business... [Edited] [Remaster]Loud04/02/2002
Still Alive.... And Well?Sanctuary09/10/2002
Rude Awakening [CD & DVD]Sanctuary10/07/2003
The System Has FailedSanctuary09/14/2004
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? [PA] [Remaster]Capitol/EMI Records07/27/2004
Youthanasia [Remaster]Capitol/EMI Records07/27/2004
So Far, So Good, So What [PA] [Remaster]Capitol/EMI Records07/27/2004
Cryptic Writings [Remaster]Capitol/EMI Records07/27/2004
Rust In Peace [Remaster]Capitol/EMI Records07/27/2004
Risk [Remaster]Capitol/EMI Records07/27/2004
Countdown To Extinction [Remaster]Capitol/EMI Records07/27/2004
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? [DVD-Audio]DTS Entertainment04/29/2003
The System Has Failed (Edited Cover) *Sanctuary09/14/2004

Iron मैडेन Biography

Formed in London, England, in 1976, Iron Maiden was from the start the brainchild of Steve Harris (Born 12 March 1957, Leytonstone, London, England; bass), formerly a member of pub rockers Smiler. Named after a medieval torture device, the music was suitably heavy and hard on the senses. The heavy metal scene of the late 70s was widely regarded as stagnant, with only a handful of bands proving their ability to survive and produce music of quality. It was at this time that a new breed of young British bands began to emerge. This movement, which began to break cover in 1979 and 1980, was known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, or NWOBHM. Iron Maiden was one of the foremost bands in the genre, and many would say its definitive example. Younger and meaner, the NWOBHM bands dealt in faster, more energetic heavy metal than any of their forefathers (punk being an obvious influence).

There were several line-up changes in the Iron Maiden ranks in the very early days, and come the release of their debut EP, the band featured Harris, Dave Murray (Born 23 December 1958, London, England; guitar), Paul Di'Anno (Born 17 May 1959, Chingford, London, England; vocals) and Doug Sampson (drums). The band made its live debut at the Cart & Horses Pub in Stratford, east London, in 1977, before honing its sound on the local pub circuit (the Bridge House and the Ruskin Arms) over the ensuing two years. Unable to solicit a response from record companies, the band sent a three-track tape, featuring "Iron Maiden", "Prowler" and "Strange World", to Neal Kay, DJ at north London's hard rock disco, the Kingsbury Bandwagon Soundhouse. Kay's patronage of Iron Maiden won them an instant welcome, which prompted the release of The Soundhouse Tapes on the band's own label.

In November 1979, the band added second guitarist Tony Parsons to the line-up for two tracks on the Metal For Muthas compilation, but by the time the band embarked on sessions for their debut album, he had been replaced by Dennis Stratton (Born 9 November 1954, London, England), and Sampson by Clive Burr (Born 8 March 1957; drums, ex-Samson). A promotional single, "Running Free", reached number 34 on the UK charts and brought an appearance on BBC Television's Top Of The Pops. Refusing to mime, they became the first band since the Who in 1973 to play live on the show. Iron Maiden was a roughly produced album, but reached number 4 in the UK album listings on the back of touring stints with Judas Priest and enduringly popular material such as "Phantom Of The Opera". Killers boasted production superior to that of the first album, and saw Dennis Stratton replaced by guitarist Adrian Smith (Born 27 February 1957). In its wake, Iron Maiden became immensely popular among heavy metal fans, inspiring fanatical devotion, aided by blustering manager Rod Smallwood and apocalyptic mascot Eddie (the latter had been depicted on the cover of "Sanctuary" standing over Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's decapitated body).

The release of Number Of The Beast was crucial to the development of the band. Without it, Iron Maiden might never have gone on to be such a force in the heavy metal arena. The album was a spectacular success, the sound of a band on the crest of a wave. It was also the debut of former infantryman and new vocalist Bruce Dickinson (Born Paul Bruce Dickinson, 7 August 1958, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England), replacing Paul Di'Anno (who went on to front Dianno, Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone and Killers). Formerly of Samson, history graduate Dickinson made his live debut with Iron Maiden on 15 November 1981. Singles such as "Run To The Hills" and "The Number Of The Beast" were big UK chart hits, Iron Maiden leaving behind their NWOBHM counterparts in terms of success, just as the movement itself was beginning to peter out. Piece Of Mind continued their success and was a major hit in the UK (number 3) and USA (number 14). Clive Burr was replaced by Nicko McBrain (Born 5 June 1954) on the sessions, formerly drummer with French metal band Trust, who had supported Iron Maiden on their 1981 UK tour (he had also played in Streetwalkers). Piece Of Mind was not dissimilar to the previous album, showcasing the strong twin-guitar bite of Murray and Smith, coupled with memorable vocal lines and a sound that perfectly suited their air-punching dynamic. Single offerings, "Flight Of Icarus" and "The Trooper", were instant hits, as the band undertook two massive tours, the four-month World Piece jaunt in 1983, and a World Slavery retinue, which included four sell-out dates at London's Hammersmith Odeon a year later. With the arrival of Powerslave in November, some critics accused Iron Maiden of conforming to a self-imposed writing formula, and playing safe with tried and tested ideas. Certainly, there was no significant departure from the two previous albums, but it was nonetheless happily consumed by the band's core supporters, who also purchased in sufficient quantities to ensure UK chart hits for "Aces High" and "Two Minutes To Midnight". Live After Death was a double-album package of all their best-loved material, recorded live on their gargantuan 11-month world tour. By this time, Iron Maiden had secured themselves an unassailable position within the metal hierarchy, their vast popularity spanning all continents.

Somewhere In Time was a slight departure: it featured more melody than previously, and heralded the use of guitar synthesizers. Their songwriting still shone through and the now obligatory hit singles were easily attained in the shape of "Wasted Years" and "Stranger In A Strange Land". Reaching number 11 in the USA, this was another million-plus seller. Since the mid-80s Iron Maiden had been staging increasingly spectacular live shows, with elaborate lighting effects and stage sets. The Somewhere In Time tour (seven months) was no exception, ensuring their continued fame as a live band, which had been the basis for much of their success. A period of comparative inactivity preceded the release of Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, which was very much in the same vein as its predecessor. A concept album, it retained its commercial edge (giving the band their second UK number 1 album) and yielded hit singles in "Can I Play With Madness", the surprisingly sensitive "The Evil That Men Do" and "The Clairvoyant". After another exhausting mammoth world trek, the band announced their intention to take a well-earned break of at least a year. Speculation abounded that this signalled the dissolution of the band, exacerbated by Dickinson's solo project, Tattooed Millionaire, his book, The Adventures Of Lord Iffy Boatrace, and EMI Records' policy of re-releasing Iron Maiden's single catalogue in its entirety (on 12-inch).

After a considerable hiatus, news of the band surfaced again. Steve Harris felt that the direction pursued on the last two albums had been taken as far as possible, and a return to the style of old was planned. Unhappy with this game plan, Adrian Smith left to be replaced by Janick Gers (Born Hartlepool, Teeside, England), previously guitarist with White Spirit and Ian Gillan (he had also contributed to Dickinson's solo release). The live show was also scaled down in a return to smaller venues. No Prayer For The Dying was indeed much more like mid-period Iron Maiden, and was predictably well-received, bringing enormous UK hit singles with "Holy Smoke" and "Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter". The latter, previously released in 1989 on the soundtrack to A Nightmare On Elm Street 5, had already been awarded the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Song that year. Nevertheless, it gave Iron Maiden their first ever UK number 1. The obligatory world tour followed. Despite being denounced as "Satanists" in Chile, 1992 also saw the band debut at number 1 in the UK charts with Fear Of The Dark, which housed another major single success in "Be Quick Or Be Dead" (number 2). However, it was Dickinson's swansong with the band, who invited demo tapes from new vocalists following the lead singer's announcement that he would depart following current touring engagements. His eventual replacement was Blaze Bayley (Born 1963, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) from Wolfsbane. His debut album was The X-Factor, and on this and at live gigs (which they only resumed in November 1995), he easily proved his worth. This was a daunting task, having had to learn Iron Maiden's whole catalogue and win over patriotic Dickinson followers.

In February 1999 it was announced that Dickinson and Smith (who had formed Psycho Motel in the interim) had rejoined the band, restoring the classic 80s line-up. To the great delight of their loyal fans, an excellent new studio album, Brave New World, was not long in following.

Discography:
Iron Maiden (EMI 1980)***, Killers (EMI 1981)**, Number Of The Beast (EMI 1982)****, Piece Of Mind (EMI 1983)***, Powerslave (EMI 1984)**, Live After Death (EMI 1985)***, Somewhere In Time (EMI 1986)***, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (EMI 1988)****, No Prayer For The Dying (EMI 1990)***, Fear Of The Dark (EMI 1992)***, A Real Live One (Volume One) (EMI 1993)***, A Real Dead One (EMI 1993)**, Live At Donington '92 (EMI 1993)**, The X Factor (EMI 1995)***, Virtual XI (EMI 1998)***, Brave New World (EMI 2000)****, Rock In Rio (EMI 2002)***, Dance Of Death (EMI 2003)***.

Compilations:
The Best Of The Beast (EMI 1996)***, Ed Hunter (EMI 1999)****, Eddie's Archive 6-CD box set (EMI 2002)***, Edward The Great: The Greatest Hits (EMI 2002)****.

Videography:
Live At The Rainbow (PMI/EMI 1984), Behind The Iron Curtain Video EP (PMI/EMI 1986), Live After Death (PMI/EMI 1986), Run To The Hills (Video Collection 1987), Twelve Wasted Years (PMI/EMI 1987), Maiden England (PMI/EMI 1989), The First Ten Years (The Videos) (PMI/EMI 1990), Raising Hell (PMI/EMI 1993), Donington Live 1992 (PMI/EMI 1994), Rock In Rio (Sanctuary 2002), Visions Of The Beast: The Complete Video History (EMI 2003), The History Of Iron Maiden Part 1: The Early Days (EMI 2004).

Bibliography:
Running Free: The Official Story Of Iron Maiden, Garry Bushell and Ross Halfin. Iron Maiden: A Photographic History, Ross Halfin. What Are We Doing This For?, Ross Halfin. Run To The Hills, Iron Maiden: The Official Biography, Mick Wall, The Iron Maiden Companion, Marco Gamba and Nicola Visintini. The Beast, Paul Di'Anno.



Source: Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Music Albums
Iron Maiden [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Killers [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

The Number Of The Beast [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Piece Of Mind [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Powerslave [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Live After Death [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Somewhere In Time [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

No Prayer For The Dying [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Fear Of The Dark [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

A Real Live One [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

A Real Dead One [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Maiden Japan [Cassette]
Capitol/EMI Records
n/a

The X Factor [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Best Of The Beast
Castle Music America
09/24/1996

Virtual XI [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Fear Of The Dark [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

A Real Live Dead One [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Iron Maiden [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Killers [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Live After Death [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

No Prayer For The Dying [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Piece Of Mind [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Powerslave [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Somewhere In Time [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

The Number Of The Beast [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Live At Donnington [ECD] [Limited]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Eddie's Head [Box] [Limited]
Raw Power (UK)
12/01/1998

Ed Hunter [ECD] [Box]
Portrait
09/21/1999

Playing With Madness
Baktabak - (import)
12/03/1991

Brave New World
Portrait
05/30/2000

Maximum Iron Maiden
Griffin Music
03/27/2001

Rock In Rio [ECD]
Columbia
03/26/2002

Live At Donnington [ECD]
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

The X Factor
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Virtual XI
Metal-Is
03/26/2002

Edward The Great
Legacy Recordings
11/26/2002

Eddie's Archive [Box] [PA] [Limited]
Legacy Recordings
11/26/2002

Dance Of Death *
Columbia
09/09/2003

Modern Music Bio

The first type of rock music, rock and roll, originated in the United States in the 1950s, and was largely derived from music of the American South. In the United States, the affluence that followed the end of World War II in 1945 and the emergence of a youth culture—based in part upon the rejection of older styles of popular culture—helped rock and roll to displace the New York City-based Tin Pan Alley songwriting tradition that had dominated the mainstream of American popular taste since the late 19th century. Rock and roll was a combination of the R&B style known as jump blues, the gospel-influenced vocal-group style known as doo wop, the piano-blues style known as boogie-woogie (or barrelhouse), and the country-music style known as honky tonk.

During the 1950s the term rock and roll was actually a synonym for black R&B music. Rock and roll was first released by small, independent record companies and promoted by radio disc jockeys (DJs) like Alan Freed, who used the term rock 'n' roll to help attract white audiences unfamiliar with black R&B. Indeed, the appeal of rock and roll to white middle-class teenagers was immediate and caught the major record companies by surprise. As these companies moved to capitalize on the popularity of the style, the market was fueled by cover versions (performances of previously recorded songs) of R&B songs that were edited for suggestive lyrics and expressions and performed in the singing style known as crooning, by white vocalists such as Pat Boone. The most successful rock-and-roll artists wrote and performed songs about love, sexuality, identity crises, personal freedom, and other issues that were of particular interest to teenagers.

Popular rock-and-roll artists and groups emerged from diverse backgrounds. The group Bill Haley and the Comets, which had the first big rock-and-roll hit with the song “Rock Around the Clock” (1955), was a country-music band from Pennsylvania that adopted aspects of the R&B jump-blues style of saxophonist and singer Louis Jordan. The unique style of Chuck Berry came from his experience playing a mixture of R&B and country music in the Midwest. The rock-and-roll piano style of Fats Domino grew out of the distinctive sound of New Orleans R&B, which also influenced singer and songwriter Little Richard. Rockabilly, a blend of rock-and-roll and country-and-western music, was pioneered by Memphis producer Sam Phillips, who first recorded artists Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins on his Sun Records label. The earthy style of guitarist Bo Diddley derived from the blues of the Mississippi Delta region. The standard four-piece instrumentation of rock bands (drum set and lead, rhythm, and bass guitars) was developed by Texas musician Buddy Holly, who produced his own studio recordings. From the urban North came the vocal style of doo wop, which influenced such vocal groups as the Chords, the Penguins, and the Platters.

The golden age of rock and roll, which lasted only five years, from 1955 to 1959, is exemplified by the recordings of Berry, Presley, Little Richard, and Holly. By the early 1960s, the popular music industry was assembling professional songwriters, hired studio musicians, and teenage crooners to mass-produce songs that imitated late-1950s rock and roll. In the early 1960s professional songwriters in Manhattan, New York, such as Carole King and Neil Sedaka, produced numerous hit songs, many of which were recorded by female ensembles known as girl groups, such as the Ronettes and the Shirelles. Also during this period, the role of the record producer was expanded by Phil Spector, a producer who created hits by using elaborate studio techniques in a dense orchestral approach known as the wall of sound.

Beginning about 1962, producer Berry Gordy expanded the crossover market (music by black performers purchased by white youth) with a number of hits for his Motown record company, based in Detroit, Michigan. Popular Motown groups included the Supremes, the Temptations, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles . Other distinctive regional styles also developed during this period, such as the surf sound of the southern California band the Beach Boys and the urban folk music of the Greenwich Village movement—based in that neighborhood in New York City—which included singer and lyricist Bob Dylan.

In 1964 the Beatles traveled to New York City to appear on a television broadcast (The Ed Sullivan Show, 1948 to 1971) and launched the so-called British Invasion. Influenced by American recordings, British pop bands of the period invigorated the popular music mainstream and confirmed the international stature of rock music. Soon, several British groups had developed individual distinctive styles: The Beatles combined the guitar-based rock and roll of Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly with the artistry of the Tin Pan Alley style; the Animals blended blues and R&B influences; and the Rolling Stones joined aspects of Chicago blues to their intense, forceful music.

As with early rock and roll, the major American record companies did not take the British bands seriously at first—the Beatles' first hit singles in the United States were released through small, independent record companies. Soon, however, the success of the British bands became too difficult to ignore, and some American musicians reacted by developing their own styles. In 1965 Bob Dylan performed live and in-studio with a band that played electric instruments, alienating many folk-music purists in the process. The folk-rock style was further pioneered the same year by the American band the Byrds, who had a number-one hit on the Billboard magazine music charts with a version of Dylan's song “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The short-lived group Buffalo Springfield, formed in 1966, blended aspects of rock and country-and-western music to create country rock.

During the late 1960s, rock music diversified further into new styles while consolidating its position in the mainstream of American popular music. The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the first rock concept album, established new standards for studio recording and helped to establish the notion of the rock musician as a creative artist. Once again, American musicians responded to the British musical stimulus by experimenting with new forms, technologies, and stylistic influences.

San Francisco rock, or psychedelic rock, emerged about 1966 and was associated with the use of hallucinogenic drugs, such as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, or LSD; psychedelic art and light shows; and an emphasis on spontaneity and communitarian values, epitomized in free-form events called be-ins. Musicians such as Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead experimented with long, improvised stretches of music called jams. Despite the antiestablishment orientation of the youth culture in San Francisco, such musicians and groups as Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and Santana (led by Carlos Santana) signed lucrative contracts with major recording companies.

Another important center of rock music in the 1960s was Los Angeles, where film student Jim Morrison formed the group the Doors and guitarist and composer Frank Zappa developed a unique blend of risqué humor and complex jazz-influenced compositional forms with his group the Mothers of Invention. In the late 1960s hard rock emerged, focusing on thick layers of sound, loud volume levels, and virtuoso guitar solos. In London, American Jimi Hendrix developed a highly influential electric-guitar style. His fiery technique gained exposure at the first large-scale rock festivals in the United States, Monterey Pop (1967) and Woodstock (1969). In 1966 the first so-called power trio was formed in London—the band Cream, which showcased the virtuosity of guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker. In the late 1960s additional styles emerged in the United States, including southern rock, pioneered by the Allman Brothers Band; jazz rock, proponents of which included the band Blood, Sweat & Tears; and Latin rock (a blend of Latin American music, jazz and rock influences, and R&B styles), exemplified by the music of Santana.

In the early 1970s the popular mainstream was dominated by superstar rock groups, such as the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Chicago, and by individual superstars, such as Stevie Wonder and Elton John. Each of these groups and individual artists produced multiple albums, each of which sold millions of copies, pushing the industry to operate at a new scale.

Also highly popular was the singer-songwriter genre, an outgrowth of urban folk music led by artists Carole King, James Taylor, and Jackson Browne. At the other end of the stylistic spectrum, the heavy-metal style was pioneered by bands Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple, all of which featured aggressive guitar-laden songs. Art rock, represented by bands such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer, combined influences from classical music and displays of technical skill with spectacular stage shows. Glitter rock, or glam rock, cultivated a decadent image complete with such musicians as David Bowie and Marc Bolan wearing heavy makeup and sequined costumes and presenting themselves as sexually androgynous.

The most popular dance music of the 1970s was disco. Initially associated with the gay subculture of New York City, disco drew upon black popular music and simplified rhythms by adding steady bass-drum beats. Although much despised by aficionados of heavy metal, disco had a substantial impact on rock music, especially after the release of the motion picture Saturday Night Fever (1977) and its hugely successful disco soundtrack featuring the group the Bee Gees.

The 1970s also saw the development of funk, a variant of soul music that was influenced by rock. Influential funk musicians included singer Sly Stone with his San Francisco band Sly and the Family Stone, and vocalist George Clinton, whose groups Parliament and Funkadelic blended social satire and science-fiction imagery with African-derived rhythms, jazz-influenced horn music, long improvised jams, and vocal group harmonies.

About 1976 punk rock originated in New York City and London as a reaction against the commercialism of mainstream rock and the pretentiousness of art rock. Punk-rock music was raw, abrasive, and fast. London punk groups included the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Police, while New York punk and new wave (a style similar to punk) music included the bands the Ramones, Blondie, and Talking Heads, and vocalist Patti Smith.

Also in the mid-1970s, reggae music—developed by musicians in the shantytowns of Kingston, Jamaica—began to attract attention among youth in Great Britain and the United States. The style, associated with political protest and the Rastafarian religion, combined elements of Jamaican folk music with American R&B influences. Reggae's popularity among American college students was stimulated by the 1973 film The Harder They Come, which starred reggae singer Jimmy Cliff in the role of an underclass gangster. The superstar of the style was Bob Marley, who by the time of his death in 1981 had become one of the most popular musicians in the world.

Despite these diverse stylistic developments, the music business in the United States had actually become more centralized in the 1970s. Spontaneous mass gatherings, epitomized by Woodstock, had been replaced by carefully managed stadium concerts. The individualistic local radio programming of the late 1960s was substituted with national radio formatting, in which music tailored to sell products to certain audiences was distributed nationally on tape to be broadcast from local stations. Economic factors encouraged major record companies to pursue almost exclusively artists with the potential to sell millions of copies of albums. While potential profits from hit albums had risen greatly, the financial risks involved in producing such music had also increased considerably. From 1978 to 1982 the American rock-music industry experienced financial difficulties as sales of recorded music dropped by almost $1 billion and receipts from live concerts experienced a similar decline.

Technological advances led to a revival of the music industry during the 1980s. The market for popular music expanded with new media formats, including music video, introduced by the Music Television (MTV) network in 1981, and the digitally recorded compact disc (CD), introduced in 1983. In 1982 entertainer Michael Jackson released Thriller, which became the biggest-selling album in history, and established a trend in which record companies relied upon a few massive hits to generate profits. Jackson's success contributed greatly to proving the promotional value of music videos. It thereafter became very difficult for record companies to achieve hit records without having the music receive intensive airplay on music-video networks.

Other mainstream rock hits of the 1980s came from a group of charismatic artists, each of whom attracted mass-audience followings extending across traditional social boundaries. Singer Bruce Springsteen appealed to many as a working-class hero. Other superstars followed Jackson's lead by integrating dance and video presentations into their work, including Prince, whose 1984 single “When Doves Cry” was the first song in more than 20 years to top both the pop and R&B charts in Billboard magazine; and Madonna, who came to symbolize female sexual liberation through her controversial videos and lyrics. Also during the 1980s the audience for heavy metal expanded from its original white-male, working-class core to include more middle-class fans, both male and female. By the end of the decade, heavy-metal bands, such as Van Halen, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallica, accounted for as much as 40 percent of all sound recordings sold in the United States.

Another genre of rock music, labeled alternative rock, rejected the heavy marketing and video-driven culture of the 1980s. In general, alternative rock bands recorded for independent labels, played in small clubs, and maintained a defiant stance toward the conformity and commercialism of the music industry. They were committed to songwriting that explored taboo issues (drug use, depression, incest, suicide) and were interested in social issues such as environmentalism, abortion rights, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) activism. During the 1980s groups such as R.E.M., the Replacements, Hüsker Dü, and the Pixies attracted a cult following, primarily through airplay on college radio stations and word of mouth.

Anticipated by reggae in the 1970s, worldbeat music (also called ethnopop) began to emerge during the early 1980s, with the success of the album Juju Music (1982) by Nigerian musician King Sunny Ade. Ade's music, which blended traditional African drums with electric guitars and synthesizers, helped to stimulate an interest in non-Western music in the United States and the United Kingdom, and opened the way for artists such as Youssou N'Dour, from Senegal; Papa Wemba, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire); Ladysmith Black Mambazo, from South Africa; Ofra Haza, from Israel; Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, from Pakistan; and the Gipsy Kings, from France. Rock superstars, such as Peter Gabriel, David Byrne, and Paul Simon—whose 1985 hit album Graceland featured musicians from Africa and Latin America—played an important role in exposing worldbeat musicians to audiences in the United States and Europe, and reaffirmed the worldwide appeal of rock music.

Perhaps the most significant rock-music development of the 1980s was the rise of rap, a genre in which vocalists perform rhythmic speech, usually accompanied by music snippets, or samples, from prerecorded material or from music created by synthesizers. Rap originated in the mid-1970s in the South Bronx community of New York City and was initially associated with a cultural movement called hip-hop, which included acrobatic dancing (known as break dancing) and graffiti art. DJs such as Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa experimented with innovative turntable techniques, including switching between multiple discs; back-spinning, or rotating the disc by hand in order to repeat particular phrases; and scratching, moving the phonograph needle across vinyl record grooves to create rhythmic sound effects.

The first rap records were made in 1979 by small, independent record companies. Although artists such as the Sugarhill Gang had national hits during the early 1980s, rap music did not enter the popular music mainstream until 1986, when rappers Run-DMC and the hard-rock band Aerosmith collaborated on a version of the song “Walk This Way,” creating a new audience for rap among white, suburban, middle-class rock fans. By the end of the 1980s, MTV had established a program dedicated solely to rap, and artists such as MC Hammer (Stanley Kirk Burrell) and the Beastie Boys had achieved multi-platinum record sales to broad interracial audiences.

During the 1990s, trends that had been established during the 1980s continued, including growth in the popularity of genres such as rap, heavy metal, and worldbeat and the introduction of new technologies for the digital generation, transmission, and reproduction of sound. The 1990s also saw the further splintering of rock music into a variety of specialized subgenres.

The 1990s were a significant decade for bringing rap music into the commercial mainstream. MC Hammer (later known simply as Hammer) went to the top of the charts in 1990 with Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, which sold 13 million copies in its first year and became the bestselling rap album of all time. A broader phenomenon was the harder-edged style known as gangsta rap, which emerged on the West Coast beginning in the late 1980s. The multimillion-selling recordings of gangsta rap artists such as the group N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitude), Dr. Dre (Andre Young), Snoop Doggy Dogg (Calvin Broadus), Tupac (2Pac) Shakur, and The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) combined grim stories of urban street life with gleeful celebration of the “gangsta” lifestyle. Gangsta rap became incredibly successful in the 1990s by attracting a predominantly white middle-class audience eager to experience gritty street culture from a safe distance.

Electronic dance music, or techno, also became more widely popular during the 1990s. The genre first emerged in the 1970s. Some forms of techno were influenced by punk rock; others by experimental art music, jazz, and world music; and still others by black popular music, including funk and rap. Although techno produced few commercial hits during the decade, the recordings of musical groups such as the Prodigy, Orbital, and Moby did make inroads into the charts during the late 1990s, and techno recordings were increasingly licensed as the soundtracks for technology-oriented television commercials and films.

The popularity of alternative rock exploded during the 1990s, featuring bands as diverse as R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, and the Dave Matthews Band. The genre spawned a number of substyles, such as the grunge rock of Seattle-based groups Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam.

More than any other group, Nirvana was responsible for the commercial breakthrough of alternative rock in the early 1990s. Between 1991 and 1994 Nirvana—a group made up of singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl—released two multiplatinum albums (Nevermind and In Utero) and moved alternative rock’s blend of hardcore punk and heavy metal out of specialty record stores and into the commercial mainstream. Cobain’s stunning 1994 suicide was widely viewed as at least partly attributable to the pressures faced by alternative rock musicians who achieve commercial success and then face accusations of “selling out.”

One of the most striking features of rock music in the first years of the 21st century was its sheer stylistic diversity. The most influential recordings of the year 2000 include retro-rocker Carlos Santana’s Supernatural, which won the Grammy Award for best album; a re-release of the Beatles’s number-one hits of the 1960s; the hard-edged rap-metal fusion of Limp Bizkit; gangsta rap stars Dr. Dre and Eminem (Marshall Mathers); techno musician Moby’s album Play (tracks from which were used on dozens of television commercials); and the teen-oriented pop-rock of Britney Spears and *NSYNC.

Technological innovation continues to drive changes in the way rock music is produced, heard, and sold. The development of low-cost digital technology has allowed musicians to make professional-quality recordings in their homes. The emergence of Internet services such as MP3.com and Napster, which allow fans to download their favorite music in the form of compressed files, has raised thorny legal questions about copyright laws while at the same time making the music of unsigned and alternative musicians much more widely available. The development of home compact disc recorders has enabled rock fans to create their own digital compilations, mixing genres, artists, and musical epochs to suit their own taste.

Rock music in the 21st century is increasingly influenced by the global marketplace. Of the five major transnational corporations now responsible for as much as 90 percent of music sales worldwide, only one is officially headquartered in the United States. Along with the expansion of the global audience for North American and European rock music, there is increasing influence by musicians from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other parts of the world.