'80s Metal History (March 18th)

March 18, 1983: Quiet Riot launched the "Metal Health" Tour with two shows at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California.

March 1984: Led by vocalist Doro Pesch, German metal band Warlock released their debut album "Burning The Witches". Formerly known as Snakebite in the early '80s they recorded the album in six days and toured Europe with labelmates Steeler. Release information source: Kerrang! review - April 5, 1984.

March 18, 1982: Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads unknowingly played his final show in Knoxville, Tennessee. The last song performed was "Paranoid". The image with two fans, taken after the show, is the last known photo of Randy. R.I.P.

Remembering Cinderella guitarist Jeff LeBar, who would have celebrated a birthday today (March 18, 1963). Jeff died in 2021. R.I.P.

Predating L.A. glam rockers Warrant by a year, German power metal band Warrant released their debut EP "First Strike" in 1985. L.A.'s Warrant had the fattest of all fat cats as a mascot, a man called "Fugazi". For Düsseldorf's Warrant, a hooded man called "The Enforcer" appeared on most of their album covers.

March 18, 1984: Ozzy Osbourne brought the "Bark At The Moon" Tour to Salt Lake City, Utah which was filmed and released as "Bark At The Moon Live" on VHS later that year. Two years after that you could get it on LaserDisc in Japan and then eventually DVD.

March 1983: Twisted Sister released "I Am (I'm Me)" in the UK as the lead single from their forthcoming album "You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll". If you bought it early enough, the 45 came with a free Twisted Sister headband 🥳 Release information source: Debuted Official Singles chart on March 26, 1983.

Happy Birthday to singer Jason McMaster (March 18, 1965), best known as frontman for Dangerous Toys, but before joining that group, he sang for progressive metal band Watchtower on their 1985 debut album "Energetic Disassembly".

Happy Birthday to former Doro and current Dokken guitarist Jon Levin (March 18, 1966).

March 1991: Kerrang! reported that Black Sabbath were "currently negotiating with former vocalist Ronnie James Dio with a view to the American star rejoining the band." A spokesman said at the time, "there are a lot of details to be sorted out." It all became official in October that year.

March 18, 2003: "It's not a fair exchange" said Ozzy Osbourne, referring to former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted joining his band to replace Robert Trujillo who quit the previous month to join Metallica. "It's robbery I say." Jason only played the tour.

March 1990: Six months after the Moscow Music Peace Festival, "Rockin' In Russia" the magazine was on newsstands in the US... Might have taken awhile to sneak the photos out of the former USSR.