'80s Metal History (August 9th)

August 9, 1984: Iron Maiden launched the "World Slavery" Tour in Warsaw, Poland, the first rock act to take a full stage show into the Eastern Bloc. The tour lasted 331 days, their longest to date and left the band exhausted by its end a year later.

Remembering producer/engineer Martin Birch (Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Michael Schenker Group and many more), who died August 9, 2020 at age 71. R.I.P.

August 9, 1986: Motörhead's seventh studio album "Orgasmatron" debuted on the UK Official album chart (November 29th on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart), their first to feature two guitarists Phil "Wizzö" Campbell and Michael "Würzel" Burston.

August 9, 1980: Black Sabbath brought the "Heaven And Hell" Tour to Philadelphia. According to Tony Iommi, some audience members were initially displeased that Ozzy Osbourne was no longer in the band, but "eventually Ronnie (James Dio) won them over."

August 9, 1988: With the end of Van Halen's "Monsters Of Rock" Tour ten days earlier, Scorpions launched a new North American tour in Tucson, Arizona in support of their latest album "Savage Amusement". Kingdom Come opened until late September.

August 1983: Metal Blade issued Armored Saint's debut EP with three songs including "False Alarm" and "Lesson Well Learned", the latter previously featured on Metal Blade's 1982 compilation "Metal Massacre II".

Raven recorded the most metal version of Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" with Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider, who co-produced their forthcoming album "All For One". The song was issued as a single in early August 1983, but not included on the LP.

August 1985: Formed three years earlier in Copenhagen while they were visiting Mercyful Fate at their rehearsal room, Danish thrash metal band Artillery released their debut album "Fear Of Tomorrow". Their name comes from the band Tank's song "Heavy Artillery".

August 1985: Fates Warning began recording the album "The Spectre Within" which would reveal the band further developing their progressive metal sound with many tempo changes and fantasy lyrics. Featuring the songs "The Apparition" and "Orphan Gypsy", the LP was released in October that year.

August 9, 1982: Named after the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum in London and known for their ear-damagingly loud live shows, Canadian hard rockers Coney Hatch released their self-titled debut album in the US (July 5, 1982 in Canada, May 1983 in the UK) featuring single "Devil's Deck". Release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication - August 6, 1982; [Canada] RPM radio trade publication - July 17, 1982; [UK] Kerrang! ad - May 5, 1983.

Remembering Samson founder and guitarist Paul Samson, who died today in 2002 at age 49. An important part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Samson featured Bruce Dickinson and Clive Burr (Iron Maiden). R.I.P.

Happy Birthday to Voivod lead singer and lyricist Denis "Snake" Bélanger (August 9, 1964).

Happy Birthday to former Badlands bassist Greg Chaisson (August 9, 1958).

August 1985: Def Leppard secured a high court injunction banning the manufacture, distribution and sale of the LP "First Strike". "The album, Leppard claim, is a 'pirate' record produced from poor quality demos and put together without the knowledge or consent of the band." -Kerrang!

August 9, 1995: With original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss joining Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick, KISS performed on "MTV Unplugged". The recording was released the following year and led to the 1996 reunion tour.