'80s Metal History (January 8th)

January 8, 1986: The music video for W.A.S.P.'s "Wild Child", the second single from the album "The Last Command", was added to the rotation at MTV in the US. It was filmed in Red Rock Canyon California in November 1985.

January 1984: After a delay to avoid competing with their then-current album "Restless And Wild", Accept released their fifth studio album "Balls To The Wall" in the UK and North America. After playing the UK in late January, the band would join KISS on the North American leg of the "Lick It Up" Tour.

Accept "Balls To The Wall" release information source: [UK] Kerrang! blurb - November 17, 1983 and advert - January 12, 1984; [US] Billboard Magazine album review - January 28, 1984.

Remembering Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark, who died January 8, 1991 at age 30. R.I.P.

January 1992: After reuniting with Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice, Black Sabbath began work on the "Dehumanizer" album that would be issued in June of that year. Image: Kerrang!

After leaving Iron Maiden in 1981, former singer Paul Di'Anno formed the short-lived project "Di'Anno" before becoming the frontman for "Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone", whose second album "Children Of Madness" was issued in July 1987.

Loudness released their fourth studio album "Disillusion" in Japan in 1984. Featuring the song "Crazy Doctor", an English version of the album was issued in Europe in June '84.

The first band signed by Shrapnel Records and featuring drummer Deen Castronovo (Ozzy, Journey, Bad English) who replaced Jamie St. James after he left to join Black 'N Blue, Portland, Oregon metal band Wild Dogs released their self-titled debut album in 1983.

Happy Birthday to Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren (January 8, 1975).

The wrongful death lawsuit that claimed Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution" encouraged a California teen to shoot himself in 1984 was thrown out in August 1986, but refiled in January 1987 before being thrown out again.

With the success of Twisted Sister's "Stay Hungry" album, "friends since high school" Eddie Ojeda and Jay Jay French, were peak rock stars and featured in the January 1985 issue of Circus Magazine.

January 8, 1992: KISS sent a strongly worded letter to Rolling Stone Magazine for not acknowledging the death of Eric Carr in their December 1991 issue, understandable given printing, production and turnaround time. But it didn’t mention the drummer in the January issue either. Read more