Artension was the brainchild of Shrapnel Records head Mike Varney. He received a demo from Vitalij Kuprij and Roger Staffelbach of a project they called Atlantis Rising. He got the idea to hook them up with John West, Kevin Chown, and Mike Terrana. The result was a band called Artension (named for a combination of the words "art" and "tension")... [+] Read More

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The progressive metal band Crimson Glory formed in Florida in 1982. Vocalist Midnight, guitarists Jeff Drenning and Ben Jackson, bassist Jeff Lords and drummer Dana Burnell had played together for over three years before Roadrunner signed the band and released the Crimson Glory album in 1986. The album received good reviews, prompting MCA to... [+] Read More

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When lead singer and heavy metal legend Rob Halford left Judas Priest in the early '90s (following two decades of service in the veteran band), he quickly rebounded with a ferocious new metal band called Fight, which he co-founded with Priest drummer Scott Travis. Fleshing out the group's lineup with guitarists Russ Parrish and Brian Tilse and... [+] Read More

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Colorado band formed in 1981 consisting of guitarist Mark Briody, bassist John Tetley, drummer Butch Carlson, and vocalist Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin. Their style was basic British-style metal influenced by bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, and they released their debut mini-album in 1983. The band moved to Los Angeles to seek out another... [+] Read More

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Judas Priest was one of the most influential heavy metal bands of the '70s, spearheading the New Wave of British Heavy Metal late in the decade. Decked out in leather and chains, the band fused the gothic doom of Black Sabbath with the riffs and speed of Led Zeppelin, as well as adding a vicious two-lead guitar attack; in doing so, they set the... [+] Read More

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Formed in 1991, the American metal outfit Kamelot did not record its debut album, Eternity, until four years later; Dominion followed shortly thereafter. For 1998's Siege Perilous, the band revamped its lineup, adding drummer Casey Grillo and ex-Conception vocalist Roy Kahn to veterans Thomas Youngblood, David Pavlicko, and Glenn Barry; Fourth... [+] Read More

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This long-lived Chicago trio became a cult favorite among death metal fans with their perverse themes that inspire just about as much boyish giggling as they do shock. Though Macabre was one of the first bands to ever experiment with the themes and songwriting that would eventually become widely known as death metal, the group remained primarily... [+] Read More

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Morgana Lefay is one of the few bands in the '90s to carry on the thrash tradition that had been abandoned by most of its innovators. They first made their mark in 1990 with the independently released Symphony of the Damned. Featuring vocalist Charles Rytkonen, guitarists Tony Eriksson and Tommi Karppanen, drummer Jonas Sonderlind, and bassist... [+] Read More

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The brainchild of former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Rainbow quickly developed into one of the '70s most successful heavy metal bands behind charismatic front man Ronnie James Dio. Together, the duo would produce a string of acclaimed albums which are still considered classics of the genre. But the group would change their musical... [+] Read More

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Led by bassist/vocalist Phil Rind, this Phoenix-based band also includes Wiley Arnett, Jason Rainey, and Greg Hall. Sacred Reich is noted for its highly opinionated political lyrics, examination of personal politics, and thoroughly uncompromising spirit, as well as an occasional satiric sense of humor, and its fortunes have continued to rise... [+] Read More

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Sanctuary, formed in Seattle in 1985, was a pet discovery of Megadeth guitarist Dave Mustaine. He helped get the band signed to CBS/Epic Records, produced their first album, and took them on the road with Megadeth. The band consisted of vocalist Warrel Dane, guitarists Lenny Rutledge and Sean Blosl, bassist Jim Sheppard, and drummer Dave... [+] Read More

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Wrathchild America were a competent but rather unoriginal thrash metal quartet featuring vocalist / bassist Brad Divens, guitarist Jay Abbene, guitarist Terry Carter and drummer Shannon Larkin. Released in 1989, the group's first album Climbin' the Walls caught the tail-end of the thrash metal boom, and despite some positive reviews, never found... [+] Read More

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