'80s Metal History (January 12th)

K-Tel released compilation album "Metal Meltdown" in 1988 featuring Anthrax, Scorpions, W.A.S.P., DIO, Judas Priest and more. A nice starter album for someone not raised in the '80s, or, they can just listen to METAL SHOP 🤘

January 12, 1985: Metallica, W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint played the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia. Later that month Iron Maiden and Twisted Sister came to town for a "Dance Concert" 🤷‍♂️ at the Spectrum.

January 12, 1988: DIO brought the "Dream Evil" Tour to Philadelphia with the epic power metal of opener Savatage the perfect match for the headliner, but it was the thrash metal of middle act Megadeth, who were about to release their third album "So Far, So Good, So What", that seemed like the future.

January 12, 1983: Whitesnake with special guest Ozzy Osbourne played Helsinki. It was Ozzy's first show with new guitarist Jake E. Lee. Whitesnake's latest LP was "Saints And Sinners" and Ozzy "Speak Of The Devil". Second and third image from Copenhagen show on January 16, 1983.

January 12, 1991: It was just a Saturday night in Oakland, California with the mighty Slayer and Testament in concert! A review in Kerrang! called it Slayer's "greatest-ever performance." 🤘

Before she was known as Doro, she was Dorothee Pesch and Kerrang! revealed this month in 1985 that her band Warlock had just signed a new deal with Phonogram.

January 12, 1980: Big in Switzerland but virtually unknown everywhere else, Krokus would remedy that with a tour that launched in Wettingen, but would arrive in the UK and US later that year, in support of their fourth album "Metal Rendez-vous" featuring "Bedside Radio" and "Heatstrokes". The LP reached North American ears in May 1980.

January 1987: Produced by Max Norman [Ozzy, Savatage, Grim Reaper], Malice released their second studio album "License To Kill". Megadeth's Dave Mustaine contributed backing vocals on two songs. Release information source: Kerrang! review - February 5, 1987.

Canadian rockers Triumph released their 10th and final studio album "Edge Of Excess" in the US in early 1993 ('92 in Canada), their only LP without singer and guitarist Rik Emmett, who was replaced by Phil X. Release information source: [US] The Hard Report radio trade publication ad for "Child Of The City" single - December 4, 1992.

Happy Birthday to former Manilla Road drummer and guitarist [1984-90] Randy "Thrasher" Foxe (January 12, 1960).

January 12, 1983: KISS brought the "Creatures Of The Night/10th Anniversary" Tour to Colisée de Quebec in Quebec City, the first of four Canadian shows that included Toronto two days later... "The faithful who were in attendance got exactly what they came for, 90 minutes of trashy, explosive, high-decibel theatrics, the slickest rock circus ever created, performed by men who have been doing it so long they are masters of musical manipulation." -Toronto Star (January 16, 1983)

January 1990: Megadeth's cover of Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" from the "Shocker" Movie Soundtrack was issued in the UK. The band was in disarray at the time with Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson the only current members. Release information source: Kerrang! ad - January 6, 1990.

January 1989: "Mysticism And Magic", Floridian metal band Crimson Glory were on the cover of Germany's Metal Hammer Magazine. Their second studio album "Transcendence" featuring "Lonely" was released in Europe in November 1988.