'80s Metal History (December 7th)

Black Sabbath debuted on the UK singles chart in early December 1980 with "Die Young" from the album "Heaven And Hell". Ronnie James Dio called it "a great, great song" and one that marked a sharp departure from the Ozzy-fronted Sabbath.

December 7, 1985: DIO's "Sacred Heart" Tour brought the Middle Ages to the West Coast USA with a show at The Forum in Los Angeles with "Special Guest Stars" Rough Cutt.

December 7, 2010: Judas Priest announced the "Epitaph Farewell World Tour". Guitarist KK Downing abruptly left the band shortly before the start of the tour and was replaced by then 31-year-old Richie Faulkner.

December 1990: Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna made his big screen acting debut in a low budget slasher film called "Pledge Night", where he play's a young Acid Sid who undergoes a hideous metamorphosis into a rogue monster.

December 7, 1980: A month before he left to form Mötley Crüe with Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx and London, a band he had co-founded two years earlier, played the first of two nights at the Starwood in Hollywood, California.

Happy Birthday to former Iron Maiden [1977-78] and Samson drummer Barry Purkis, better known as "Thunderstick" (December 7, 1954). In 1980, he was asked to rejoin Maiden, but declined.

Happy Birthday to guitarist Nita Strauss [Alice Cooper, The Iron Maidens, Femme Fatale] (December 7, 1986).

December 7, 2018: Metal Church released their 12th studio album “Damned If You Do”, their first with former W.A.S.P. drummer Stet Howland, who replaced Jeff Plate. Sadly, it also turned out to be the band's final album with singer Mike Howe. Release date source: Blabbermouth.net - October 4, 2018.

December 7, 2023: After being revealed a night earlier as Tiki on US television show "The Masked Singer" in the Group B Finals, former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach released single and music video "What Do I Got To Lose?" from his new album scheduled to arrive in 2024. He had not yet announced a title or release date. For the video, Sebastian is joined by his former Skid Row bandmate, drummer Rob Affuso. Release date source: Blabbermouth.net - December 7, 2023.

December 1988: Guitarist Vivian Campbell left Whitesnake in a move David Coverdale called "an unfortunate but amicable parting." Viv was only with the band for a year and appeared on one recording ("Give Me All Your Love" single remix).

December 1985: Released in October, Iron Maiden's "Live After Death" reached the Top 20 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. That same month, frontman Bruce Dickinson was featured in the latest issue of Circus Magazine and some fans may have just learned he was not the band's original singer 🤔