'80s Metal History (October 31st)

October 31, 1982: "Picture the scene if you will, a perfect California evening a clear sky and a full moon, and its halloween; the yanks make a real big deal out of it." Y&T was the headliner at the annual "Halloween Special" concert in Concord, California, but the opener Mötley Crüe "completely blew Y&T off stage, no wonder they wanted to ban the Crüe's special effects (they failed)." How could Y&T follow that? "By starting their set with 'Open Fire', of course. Y&T won the audience immediately. This is their home town after all." -Kerrang!

October 31, 1982: Ozzy Osbourne was on the cover of Circus Magazine. He shaved his head right before the photo shoot. Photographer Mark Weiss shared the story in "The Decade That Rocked"... They got creative with the mouse ears.

October 31, 1986: Krokus released their first live album "Alive And Screamin'" in North America, recorded that summer in the US and Canada directly from the soundboard. Release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication - October 24, 1986.

A Halloween release would have been perfect, but with a review in the October 6th issue of Kerrang! and Music Week showing November 4th, we will have to go with just October 1983 for Mercyful Fate's debut album "Melissa". With their self-titled EP only available as an import, it was the band's first official release in the US via Megaforce.

October 31, 1986: With opener Overkill, Slayer launched the "Reign In Blood" Tour on Halloween at The Moore Theater in Seattle. Headbangers love Halloween 🤘

Overkill also opened for Slayer two years earlier at the Rio Theatre in Valley Stream, New York.

October 31, 1986: Bassist Jason Newsted played his last gig with Flotsam and Jetsam in Phoenix. Two weeks later he was in Japan performing with his new band Metallica.

Happy Birthday to former Motörhead & King Diamond and current Scorpions drummer Mikkey Dee (October 31, 1963).

October 31, 1989: Progressive metal band Watchtower released their second and final album "Control And Resistance" in North America with singer Alan Tecchio who replaced Jason McMaster when he left to join Dangerous Toys. Release date source: [US] The Hard Report radio trade publication - September 22, 1989.

October 31, 1986: One of 74 shows in nine countries, Saxon brought the "Rock The Nations" Tour to Belgium with special guest Loudness. Meanwhile, the anthemic title track from the album was issued as a single in the UK that according to one review, "pumps and pounds and growls and grinds..." Release information source: Kerrang! ad - October 30, 1986.

October 31, 1980: Beginning with the slow, funeral tolling of a 900 kg (2,000 lb.) bronze bell, AC/DC released "Hells Bells" as a single in Europe. American rock radio stations began playing the song in March 1981. Release date source: [Germany] Label promotional information.

With dream-stalking monster Freddy Krueger, "A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" was scaring us in 1987, but that was in February of that year, and Dokken's "Dream Warriors" from the soundtrack arrived a few weeks before the film.

October 31, 1985: MTV's "Halloween Horror Show" in Chicago featured a contest winner and friends attending a private party with Mötley Crüe before seeing the band in concert the next night.

Happy Halloween from 1976! These guys look awfully familiar, especially the wizard in the center.

Hope you're enjoying the METAL SHOP Halloween Party. Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Metallica, Fastway from the "Trick Or Treat" movie soundtrack and more are in the mix, plus Alice Cooper hosting Headbangers Ball from 1989. Thanks for listening! 🎃🤘