'80s Metal History (September 29th)

September 29, 1986: Iron Maiden released their sixth studio album "Somewhere In Time", their first recorded with guitar synthesizers. Guitarist Adrian Smith wrote both singles "Wasted Years" and "Stranger In A Strange Land".

Iron Maiden "Somewhere In Time" release information source: [UK] Kerrang! ad - September 18, 1986; [US] Billboard Ad - September 27, 1986.

Framed and signed looks good on my studio wall 🤘 -Rich Rock

Dokken filmed a lavish, big budget music video in London for "Into The Fire", the first single from the "Tooth And Nail" album, and that video began playing on MTV in the US the last week of September 1984. -Kerrang!

Happy Birthday to Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick (September 29, 1968).

September 29, 1990: Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars married singer Emi Canyn, who also sang background for Crüe on the "Girls, Girls, Girls" Tour and contributed vocals to the "Dr. Feelgood" album. They divorced in 1993 and Emi died in 2017. R.I.P.

September 29, 1991: Kerrang! reported that "Floridian Mystic Metallers Crimson Glory" had parted ways with singer Midnight "on the eve of a US tour." He was replaced by Mannekin frontman David Van Landing.

September 29, 1990: With a week left of the "Throw 'Em To Wolves" Tour, DIO performed at The Music Hall in Houston, opening with "Wild One", Sabbath classic "Children Of The Sea" and a medley of Rainbow covers... "Man On The Silver Mountain / Tarot Woman / Stargazer / Long Live Rock 'n' Roll".

September 29, 1982: San Francisco rockers Y&T recorded their fourth studio album "Black Tiger" in England and were back in the UK to promote it with a tour opening for AC/DC that began with two shows in Birmingham.

September 29, 1984: Exciter made an in-store appearance at the Record Vault in San Francisco ahead of their show with Metal Church at The Stone.

September 29, 1985: Mötley Crüe brought the "Theatre Of Pain" Tour to Tulsa, Oklahoma with special guests Loudness. Five days earlier, Tommy Lee called Heather Locklear from Bloomington, Indiana during a day off and held the phone next to his left forearm... She heard the hum of a tattoo needle as it etched a big black rose ribboned with Heather’s name into Tommy... Aww.

September 1984: Supporting their latest album "Defenders Of The Faith", Judas Priest closed out the "Metal Conqueror" Tour in Japan. After some time off, the band returned with "Turbo" two years later and much more competition in the metal genre.

METAL SHOP has referenced radio trade publication FMQB as a release date source for many albums released in the '80s. However, these dates still need to match up with other available sources and album chart dates. An example of this is the New Releases page of the September 19, 1986 issue of FMQB that shows Tesla's debut album "Mechanical Resonance" to be issued on September 29, 1986. When checking other reliable sources, there isn't one anywhere close to this date. In fact, the lead single "Modern Day Cowboy" didn't hit American rock radio until November 1986. The accepted release date for the album by most sources is December 8, 1986 and this is supported by its debut appearance in radio trade publication Radio & Records on December 12, 1986 and reviews of the album appearing in radio trade publication The Gavin Report on December 12, 1986 and Billboard Magazine on December 20, 1986. "Mechanical Resonance" was released in the UK on January 19, 1987. In the US, it debuted on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart on January 31, 1987.