'80s Metal History (April 30th)

April 30, 1988: The heartbeat of Metallica lives on with bassist Cliff Burton getting the cover of Kerrang! Magazine over a year after his untimely death... "Exuding an authenticity that couldn’t be faked, the cool one in the band was wearing bell-bottomed trousers way sooner than it was fashionable to do so."

April 1982: "A die-hard cult has become a massive horde" as Iron Maiden were becoming essential heavy metal with their new album "The Number Of The Beast" selling big and the "Beast On The Road" Tour coming to North America in early May that year. R&R US radio trade publication ad - April 30, 1982

Late April 1984: Mötley Crüe released "Too Young To Fall In Love" in North America as the third single from the album "Shout At The Devil". Written by Nikki Sixx, it was a US Top 20 rock hit but left off "Decade Of Decadence" and "Greatest Hits". Release information source: [US] R&R radio trade publication ad - May 11, 1984; Billboard Magazine front page ad - May 12, 1984.

April 30, 1982: After launching the "Mob Rules" Tour in Canada the previous fall, Black Sabbath returned to the Great White North for a string of dates including a show in Edmonton.

April 1985: Nearly three years after it was released in the UK, Venom's "Black Metal" was available in North America, the lyrics and imagery a major influence on the early Norwegian black metal scene.

Venom "Black Metal" release information source: [US] Billboard Magazine 'New Releases' - April 27, 1985; [UK] Kerrang! ad - November 4, 1982.

April 1985: With their debut album in stores since February, Rough Cutt wanted everyone to know they were on the road with this ad placed in Billboard Magazine. The band toured with Accept and Krokus before opening for DIO the rest of year.

April 1988: Vinnie Vincent Invasion were close to releasing their second studio album "All Systems Go" with new singer Mark Slaughter... "I've finally laid the colour pink to rest. I destroyed my pink Jackson guitar by placing it under the rear wheels of the tour bus. It splintered into a thousand pieces and that basically signalled the end of the colour pink." -Vinnie Vincent, Kerrang!

April 1982: Diamond Head released their third EP "Four Cuts" in the UK featuring singles "Call Me" and "Trick Or Treat". Their first EP on a major label, it was a teaser of their forthcoming second album "Borrowed Time" issued in October that year.

April 1988: With their debut album "Animal House" available worldwide, former Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider's new band U.D.O. released the first single "They Want War" in Japan. A music video was also made for the anti-war song.

April 1987: Chastain released their third studio album "The 7th of Never" worldwide featuring "We Must Carry On". The band members lived in different locations in the US and recorded their parts in different studios. Release information source: [US] The Hard Report radio trade publication spotlight - May 8, 1987; [UK] Kerrang! review - April 30, 1987.

German heavy metal band Stormwitch released their debut album "Walpurgis Night" in 1984. Similar to Helloween, their lyrics focus on fantasy, occult, and history. They have been called "The Masters of Black Romantic" by their fans.

30 April is "Walpurgis Night", a traditional holiday celebrated in Northern Europe and Scandinavia in honor of the patron saint of crops, Saint Walburga (Walpurga). In Finland, they typically drink sima, a sparkling spring mead, and snack on Tippaleipä, a Finnish funnel cake dusted with powdered sugar.