'80s Metal History (December 12th)

Venom released their debut album "Welcome To Hell" in the UK near the end of 1981. At least that is the year printed on the back cover. One could make the case it was early 1982 since the LP wasn't mentioned in Kerrang! Magazine until February, followed by a proper review in March. Raw and loud sonically, in part because the band thought they were making a demo as they spent only three days in the studio. 🙃

December 12, 1982: Judas Priest brought the "World Vengeance" Tour to Memphis, Tennessee. The show was recorded, but the audio not released until part of the 2004 "Metalogy" box set.

Happy Birthday to Y&T lead guitarist and singer Dave Meniketti (December 12, 1953).

December 12, 1982: Back to where it all began, Ozzy Osbourne performed in Birmingham, England, which is also the hometown of former Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, who paid Ozzy a visit backstage. -Kerrang!

Accept released "Starlight" in late 1981 as the last single from their third studio album "Breaker", and there was no edit made like previous single "Son Of A Bitch", which in the UK was re-titled "Born To Be Whipped". 😁

Formed a year earlier in Chicago, alternative metal band Diamond Rexx released their debut album "Land Of The Damned" in 1986, featuring tracks "Wish I Was Rich" and "B.A.T.S." Three more albums followed before they went on hiatus in the '90s.

December 12, 1988: Iron Maiden concluded the "Seventh Tour Of A Seventh Tour" in London. For seven months, they had performed for more than two million people worldwide, plus headlined Monsters Of Rock in Europe for the first time. -Kerrang!

Happy Birthday to former KISS lead guitarist [1984-96] Bruce Kulick (December 12, 1953).

December 12, 1983: Opening for Judas Priest, Quiet Riot performed in Newcastle, England, the first of seven UK dates that included two shows at London's Hammersmith Odeon. Quiet Riot began their eight song set each night with "Run For Cover" from the "Metal Health" album.

December 12, 1987: On the road with Aerosmith, Dokken played the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota... "I think the best that Dokken ever was, was on the Aerosmith tour. We were trying to beat a headliner and we had been on the road for so many years everything was clicking and firing on all pistons. That was our peak, I think." -George Lynch

December 12, 1989: Two days after a sell-out show at Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey, that included an encore performance of "Jailhouse Rock" with guests Sebastian Bach, Dimebag Darrell and Ace Frehley, Mötley Crüe played The Spectrum, in Philadelphia.

December 12, 1981: The UK's Record Mirror reported on the plan for Ozzy Osbourne's new live show to feature the madman sitting "in a huge hand, suspended in the air above the audience. At just the right moment, he'll roll out of the hand and down a safety chute, before an explosive charge showers the audience with chopped liver. 'The only trouble is that if I don't move out of the way fast enough, then I get blown up myself,' says Ozzy. 'I'm insured for a million quid but my mum still worries about me.'" No surprise that Oz was getting pushback from local councilors and theatres 😁