'80s Metal History (May 4th)

May 4, 1982: Iron Maiden released the title track in the UK as the second single from the album "The Number Of The Beast" with the first 100,000 copies pressed in flame red vinyl. The band originally asked Vincent Price to read the intro to the song, but he refused to do it for anything less than £25,000. Release date source: Record-Mirror - May 1, 1982.

Happy Birthday to former Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars (May 4, 1951).

Happy Birthday to Exodus and Slayer guitarist Gary Holt (May 4, 1964).

Happy Birthday to Crimson Glory guitarist Jon William Drenning (May 4, 1965).

Happy Birthday to Tygers Of Pan Tang co-founder and guitarist Robb Weir (May 4, 1958).

May 4, 1978: Two months after its release in North America, this ad for Judas Priest's fourth studio album "Stained Class" appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine. "Tired of wimpy music? Judas Priest may be your salvation."

Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost released their second EP "Emperor's Return" in 1985, featuring a shorter version of "Circle Of The Tyrants" that appeared on the band's debut album "To Mega Therion" that same year.

Slayer released their debut EP "Prepare To Die" in 1984. Not the Slayer that Showed No Mercy six months earlier, but Slayer from San Antonio, Texas. Both bands would battle it out in a Slayer vs. Slayer concert that same year, but in the meantime, L.A.'s Slayer sued the Texas Slayer and the latter ended up changing their name to S.A. Slayer. Release information source: Kerrang! review - May 3, 1984.

May 1993: KISS released "I Love It Loud" (Live) in North America as a single from the forthcoming KISS "Alive III". Release information source: [US] HITS radio trade publication ad - May 3, 1993.

May 4, 1989: Ozzy Osbourne brought the "No Rest For The Wicked" Tour home to England with two shows at London's Hammersmith Odeon. U.D.O. opened and Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler played bass with Ozzy's solo band on this tour.

May 1990: With his debut solo album "Tattooed Millionaire" due out any day, a poster of Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson appeared in RAW Magazine (UK). The photo was actually taken in the early '80s as it appeared on the cover of Creem Metal Magazine (US) in May 1985.

May 4, 1984: A year away from the release of her debut album, Canadian rocker Lee Aaron traveled to the UK for a show at The Marquee Club that included "an impromptu photo-session that produced the colour pic." -Kerrang!

May 4, 1986: After starting the year opening North American dates for Twisted Sister, followed by two months in Europe with Accept, Dokken returned to the States to join Judas Priest and Raven on the "Fuel For Life" Tour in Denver.

May 4, 2022: They really wanted this... It was announced that Judas Priest were to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Something many fans wanted was a reunion with guitarist K.K. Downing and for one night, that happened later that year.