'80s Metal History (January 2nd)

January 2, 1982: Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio brought the "Mob Rules" Tour to London for four shows that were recorded and later released as "Black Sabbath Live At Hammersmith Odeon". Click Here for more photos.

Guitarist Jake E. Lee's first post-Ozzy Osbourne venture was "Badlands", and with a new record deal signed, the band was in the studio in January 1989 recording their debut album.

January 1989: "Happy Metal New Year!" On a break until the start of the "Headbangers Ball" Tour in April, Helloween's Michael Kiske was on the cover of Japan's Burrn! Magazine.

Many sources show UFO released live album "Strangers In The Night" on January 2, 1979. This date is NOT CORRECT. It was issued on January 19, 1979. Release date source: [UK] Record Mirror - December 29, 1978; Music Week ad - January 20, 1979; [US] Billboard Magazine ad - January 27, 1979.

Originally issued over three months earlier as the lead single from their new album "Dancing Undercover", RATT's "Dance" was re-released as a single and the music video, which wasn't shot until well after the album was out in late September 1986, was put into heavy rotation on MTV from mid-December 1986 to early February 1987, revitalizing sales of the album.

January 1986: New York metal band Virgin Steele released their third studio album "Noble Savage" in North America. Co-founder/guitarist Jack Starr left before it was recorded and was replaced by Edward Pursino, an old friend of co-founder/singer David DeFeis. Release information source: [US] Kerrang! - January 9, 1986.

Nasty Savage released their second studio album "Indulgence" in 1987. One online review describes it as "a very special mixture of morbidity, weirdness and pure thrash metal power" and "beyond the threshold of pain."

Happy Birthday to Grave Digger co-founder and singer Chris Boltendahl (January 2, 1962).

A new year means a new calendar and these cool images from the Metal Maniacs calendar issued in 1986 can be used any year!... As long as you print a new bottom half each month with the current year's dates 😁 Good luck 🤘