'80s Metal History (April 3rd)

April 3, 1989: The MTV "Headbangers Ball" Tour, "featuring the ball-busting vibes of Anthrax!" along with Exodus and Helloween, launched in Seattle. The bands went to the home of the MTV contest winner and "trashed it". The Jeep Wrangler she won was wrecked by her "asshole boyfriend.. a week later".

Happy Birthday to former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach (April 3, 1968). Bas was dubbed "Marshall Mouth" by his former bandmates and friends for his powerful vocals.

April 3, 1980: A week before the release of their debut album, Iron Maiden played "an hour plus, of solid post-punk metal at its best" (Record-Mirror) at London's Marquee Club. The show was recorded and issued as the B-side of the "Sanctuary" single a month later.

April 3, 1989: With Cozy Powell now on drums, Black Sabbath released the title track as the lead single from their forthcoming album "Headless Cross" due in mid-April. Release date source: I.R.S. Records promotional letter.

April 3, 1989: W.A.S.P. released their fourth studio album "The Headless Children" in the UK (late March '89 in North America) featuring Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali on drums and the last with guitarist Chris Holmes until he rejoined the band in late 1995. Release date source: Kerrang! ad - April 1, 1989.

April 3, 2002: After suffering an injury that caused severe nerve damage to his left arm and hand, Dave Mustaine disbanded Megadeth. Recovery took about a year and included physical and electroshock therapy. The band reformed in 2004.

Motörhead were free from their former label Bronze and ready to record their first album for their own label GWR (Great Western Road) at Master Rock Studios in London. This photo of Lemmy was taken at a Sheraton hotel in Copenhagen on April 3, 1986.

April 3, 1989: Helloween released their first live album "Live In The U.K." (Titled "I Want Out – Live" in the US and "Keepers Live" in Japan) recorded at Edinburgh Playhouse in Scotland, the band's only live album with Michael Kiske on vocals. Release date source: [UK] Kerrang! - March 25, 1989; Kerrang! ad - April 8, 1989.

Remembering Savatage co-founder and lead guitarist Criss Oliva, who would have celebrated a birthday today (April 3, 1963). Criss died in 1993. R.I.P.

April 3, 1988: Judas Priest played a warm-up gig and shot footage for the "Johnny B. Goode" video in Amsterdam. The "Mercenaries Of Metal" Tour would launch two months later in Stockholm.

April 3, 1982: Up and coming bands Steeler, Bitch and RATT performed at the Valley West Club in Tarzana, California as part of "Metal Massacre Night", presented by the production company of Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel.

April 3, 1985: Venom, Slayer and Exodus laid waste to former disco Studio 54 in New York City. Live footage and interviews with all three bands were later released on VHS as "The Ultimate Revenge - Combat Tour Live". Venom's live clips though are from other videos because guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn had Chickenpox.

April 3, 1983: With Mötley Crüe opening, KISS concluded the "Creatures Of The Night/10th Anniversary" Tour in San Francisco, the last time they would perform in makeup in the US until the 1996 Reunion Tour.

April 3, 2007: Black Sabbath: The Dio Years was issued featuring remastered tracks taken from the three studio albums and "Live Evil" recorded with Ronnie James Dio, along with three new songs, including "The Devil Cried" and "Ear In The Wall". Release date source: Blabbermouth.net - February 8, 2007.

April 1991: U.D.O. released their fourth studio album "Timebomb" in the UK. Gaby "Deaffy" Hawke who wrote the English lyrics on the Accept albums did the same for U.D.O. (she later married guitarist Wolf Hoffman). Udo Dirkschneider reunited with Accept a year later. Release information source: Kerrang! ad + review - April 20, 1991.

April 3, 1981: Girlschool released the title track in the UK as the lead single from their forthcoming album "Hit And Run". Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister "loved the idea of women playing hard rock (“Don’t call this heavy metal,” he said), and figured Girlschool could rock as hard as any man. And he was right. It was the biggest hit either band had, reaching No.5 in the singles chart." -Louder. Release information source: Record Business - April 6, 1981.

April 1987: Tesla released "Little Suzi" in North America as the second single from their debut album "Mechanical Resonance" that went on to be a Top 25 US rock hit. The song is a cover of "Little Suzi's On The Up" originally done by British new wave group Ph.D. Release information source: [US] R&R radio trade publication ad - April 3, 1987.

April 3, 1989: Metallica released "One" as the third single from the album "...And Justice for All" in the UK (January '89 in North America). Release date source: Kerrang! - March 25, 1989.

April 3, 1981: Saxon released "And The Bands Played On" as the first single from their next album "Denim And Leather" in the UK. It would become the band's most successful single to date, reaching No. 12 on the Official Charts. Written by singer Biff Byford, the lyrics are about Saxon's performance at the "Monsters Of Rock" festival a year earlier. Release information source: Debuted UK Official singles chart on April 11, 1981.

April 3, 1981: English hard rockers Praying Mantis released their debut album "Time Tells No Lies" in the UK. A part of the new wave of British heavy metal scene, they opened for Iron Maiden. Former Maiden drummer Clive Burr and singer Paul Di’Anno joined Praying Mantis in the '90s. Release information source: Record Mirror ad - April 4, 1981; Debuted UK Official album chart on April 11, 1981.

April 1995: Scorpions released their second live album "Live Bites" featuring songs recorded between 1988 and 1994 in San Francisco (US), Mexico City (Mexico), Leningrad (Russia), and Berlin and Munich (Germany). Release information source: [US] The Hard Report radio trade publication - March 31, 1995.

April 3, 1989: With "The Headless Children" hitting record shops in Europe, W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless got the cover of Metal Hammer Magazine... "Blackie talks about the album that's set to change everyone's preconceptions about the former raw meat hustlers."