'80s Metal History (April 15th)

April 1982: Anvil released their second studio album "Metal On Metal". A year earlier, Lemmy Kilmister asked Anvil's Steve "Lips" Kudlow to replace Motörhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke, but Kudlow declined. Release information source: Kerrang! review - May 6, 1982; Debuted Canada RPM 50 Albums chart on May 15, 1982.

April 15, 1985: Yngwie Malmsteen released his debut album "Rising Force" in North America (November 1984 in Japan and Europe). Singer Jeff Scott Soto met Yngwie in August '84 and recorded his vocals for the album in September of that year. Release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication - March 29, 1985.

April 15, 1980: With the new album released a few days earlier, but not before this ad was printed, Judas Priest brought the "British Steel" Tour to Cologne, Germany.

April 15, 1984: Megadeth began a three-night run at The Keystone in Berkeley, California, the last shows with Slayer guitarist Kerry King in the lineup.

April 15, 1985: Savatage released their second full-length album "Power Of The Night" in North America. Their label Atlantic wanted them to change the title of the song "Hard For Love" to "Hot For Love" for the music video, but the band refused, so no video. Release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication - March 29, 1985.

April 15, 1985: Doom metal pioneers Trouble released their second studio album "The Skull" in North America. Gloomy down-tuned riffs and spiritual, often openly Bible-inspired lyrics, led Metal Blade to market them as "white metal" instead of "black metal". Release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication - March 29, 1985.

April 15, 1988: Already a European guitar hero, David Chastain and his band Chastain released their fourth studio album "The Voice Of The Cult" in North America (April 25th in the UK). Release date source: Kerrang! - April 30, 1985.

Happy Birthday to UFO singer Phil Mogg (April 15, 1948). He is the only member of UFO to appear on all of the band's albums.

Happy Birthday to Helstar singer James Rivera (April 15, 1960).

April 1983: The title track from KISS album "Creatures Of The Night" was issued as a single in the UK. A month later, the song was a Top 40 hit on the Official Singles Chart. Release information source: Kerrang! ad - April 21, 1983.

April 15, 1983: Saxon released the title track in the UK as the first single from their fifth studio album "Power & The Glory". The track would hit the Official Singles Chart on April 23rd and rise to No. 32. The album reached No. 1 in four countries. Kerrang! ad - May 5, 1983

April 1985: This ad marked the worldwide success of Scorpions ninth studio album "Love At First Sting" including double platinum in America. Billboard Magazine - April 27, 1985

April 1984: "10 Headbanging Months" that included 182 shows and nearly 5 million copies sold of No. 1 album "Metal Health", it was a great year for Quiet Riot.

April 1976: "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)", the first track from AC/DC's second album "T.N.T." was released in the UK (December 1975 in Australia, November 1976 in North America). The signature song for Bon Scott, his replacement Brian Johnson does not perform it, out of respect for his predecessor.

Dokken released their sixth studio album and last with the entire classic lineup, the alternative rock sounding "Shadowlife" in 1997. Don Dokken has said George Lynch took control of the LP and even replaced the original Dokken logo.

April 2010: Ozzy Osbourne released "Let Me Hear You Scream" as the lead single from his forthcoming 11th studio album "Scream", his first with new guitarist Gus G. The single premiered in the US on an episode of CSI:NY, which was broadcast on April 14, 2010. "We were looking for something high energy and irreverent to sell the madness of a prison riot," said executive producer and episode writer Peter M. Lenkov about the use of the song. Ozzy, who spent time in prison in the UK for burglary before his 18th birthday said: "When I heard they were going to use 'Let Me Hear You Scream' for a prison riot scene, I thought, 'Well, now that's something I know about.'"

Kids taking quaaludes at heavy metal shows in early '80s Los Angeles would just sit there glaze-eyed and snoozing, but W.A.S.P. had a solution to that problem, "We throw raw meat at the audience". Says frontman Blackie Lawless: "It's like being at a sporting event. The audience gets involved. You have to pay attention in case you get hit! It stops them from falling asleep!" -Kerrang! (April 1983)