'80s Metal History (January 16th)

January 16, 1985: With guitarist Jake E. Lee, Ozzy Osbourne played the first of two nights (January 19th) at the very first "Rock In Rio" in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Accept released their debut album in 1979. Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann remembered it selling around 3,000 copies. The band would gain better production values and a more cohesive direction on future releases we all know and love.

January 16, 1984: Michael Schenker Group released their fourth studio album "Built To Destroy" in North America (September 1983 in the UK) featuring the return of original singer Gary Barden, who was replaced by Graham Bonnet for the previous LP, 1982's "Assault Attack". Release date source: CMJ New Music Report - January 16, 1984.

January 16, 1985: With a month left of the "Fly On The Wall" Tour, AC/DC played the first of two shows at London's Wembley Arena. "Brian Johnson still stomps the ground as if trying to squidge an imaginary beatle and Angus still solos like a champ." -Kerrang!

Fates Warning released their third studio album "Awaken The Guardian" in Europe in early 1987 (Late 1986 in North America), their last with original singer John Arch.

Happy Birthday to Alice Cooper guitarist Kane Roberts (January 16, 1962).

January 1972: Black Sabbath released "Iron Man" in North America as the second single from their second album "Paranoid" (October 1971 in the UK). Ozzy thought Tony Iommi's guitar riff sounded "like a big iron bloke walking about." Release information source: [US] Cashbox Magazine ad - January 15, 1972.

Exactly 10 years later, the UK's Record-Mirror published a review of Black Sabbath's concert in Newcastle... "This is the most attentive audience I've ever seen. Once your archetypal headbangers band (Sabbath with Ozzy) that inadvertently pioneered the myth of thousands of morons pounding themselves into the ground, Sabbath are surrounded by an audience who reserve most of their screams and shouts for the end of each song. The last time I saw this type of thing was with Rush." The weekly music newspaper also printed and highlighted this quote from new frontman Ronnie James Dio, "Ozzy is a moron. He couldn't carry a tune around in a suitcase.." 😬

January 1987: Heading to the grocery store to pickup the latest issue of Faces Magazine which featured "The Year In Metal '86... A spectacular issue with 8 Giant Pull-outs!" What an awesome time for teen rock fans 🤘