Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The band has produced nine gold albums, three multi-platinum albums, one other platinum studio album (Monolith), one platinum live double album, and a million-selling single, "Dust in the Wind". Kansas appeared on the Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the 1970s and 1980s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. "Carry On Wayward Son" was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No. 1 in 1997.
Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of groove metal and industrial metal. Over the years, Fear Factory has seen changes in its lineup, with lead vocalist Burton C. Bell being the only consistent member for 31 years until his departure in 2020. Other than guitarist Dino Cazares, there are no original members left in its current lineup. The band went on hold in March 2002 following some internal disputes, but resumed activity a year later without founding member Cazares. Previous bassist Christian Olde Wolbers replaced him as the new guitarist, and bassist Byron Stroud joined the band. In April 2009, a new lineup was announced. Cazares returned as guitarist, and Gene Hoglan as drummer. Bell and Stroud reprised their respective roles, and this lineup recorded the band's seventh studio album titled Mechanize (2010). Former members Wolbers and Raymond Herrera—both of whom were playing in Arkaea—disputed the legitimacy of the new lineup, and a legal battle from both parties had begun. Despite this, Fear Factory has since released three more albums: The Industrialist (2012), Genexus (2015) and Aggression Continuum (2021).
John Elefante is an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and Record producer. He is known for his tenure as frontman of the rock group Kansas and is currently touring with several groups that have featured members from classic rock bands.
Robert Lee Sweet is the drummer of the Christian metal band Stryper. He and his brother Michael founded the band as Roxx or Roxx Regime. Robert became known as the "Visual Time Keeper" for his wild drumming and captivating drum kits. Unlike most drummers, Sweet faces in the direction of stage left or right while playing, not straight ahead, so that the audience can see him and not have their view of him obscured by his drumkit. He began using a sideways setup in 1978 as a way to enhance his showmanship and connect with the audience. Sweet also played a key role in the visual direction of the band itself as well as being a significant contributor to the group.
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.
"The Trooper" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released as the second single on 20 June 1983 from the band's fourth studio album, Piece of Mind (1983). It was one of only a few songs to get much radio airplay in the United States, thus peaking at No. 28 on the US Mainstream Rock charts. It also achieved success in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 12 in the UK Singles Charts as well as gaining a much better reception than the band's previous single, "Flight of Icarus".
Demanufacture is the second studio album by American industrial metal band Fear Factory, released on June 13, 1995 by Roadrunner Records. Burton C. Bell wrote the majority of the lyrics and Dino Cazares wrote all the music. This is the band's first album with their classic line-up, adding new bassist Christian Olde Wolbers. Although credited, his actual input is disputed between current and former band members. Many regard it as the band's best album and a heavy metal classic. The album was certified Gold in Australia by ARIA and Silver in the UK by the BPI.
Richard Alfonso Martinez, better known by the stage name Oz Fox, is the lead guitarist of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. Martinez' high school friends called him Oz in honor of Ozzy Osbourne due to his ability to emulate the vocals of Osbourne while playing Black Sabbath covers in his pre-Stryper days. He was recruited by the Sweet brothers in 1983 to form what would become Stryper. As a founding member of the band, Fox recorded and toured with Stryper until the band's first break up in 1992 but has since rejoined the band.
Jeff Scott Soto is an American rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for being the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and (briefly) the lead vocalist for Journey in 2006–2007. Soto also sang lead vocals in the band Eyes. He also had a long tenure as the front man of hard rock band Talisman. Currently he works as solo artist, with his self-named band SOTO and as the vocalist of super-groups W.E.T., Sons of Apollo and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Guardian is an American Christian hard rock and metal band. The band has released seven studio albums, three additional albums in Spanish, and toured extensively worldwide. There are also numerous compilations, live records and bootlegs available.
Bride is an American Christian metal band formed in the 1980s, by brothers Dale and Troy Thompson. During the band's peak years it was known for covering a wide range of musical styles and remains popular in places like Brazil. Their song "Same 'Ol Sinner" is on the Digital Praise PC game Guitar Praise.
Mastedon is a Christian rock band formed by brothers Dino and John Elefante in the mid-1980s. The band was formed mainly as a studio project and have released three full-length albums and two stand-alone songs on compilation albums. Mastedon signed with Italian label Frontiers Records in 2009 and release Mastedon 3.
The Best of Kansas is the first compilation album from the American progressive rock band Kansas. It was originally released in 1984, and featured one new track, "Perfect Lover," written by then-lead vocalist John Elefante and his brother Dino Elefante. The compilation was re-released in 1999 in a version supervised by the original band members. "Perfect Lover" was dropped in favor of three additional tracks from the original lineup. Added were "The Pinnacle" from Masque, "The Devil Game" from Song for America, and a live track deleted because of space limitations from the CD version of Two for the Show called "Closet Chronicles," originally from Point of Know Return. The album has sold over 4 million copies in the United States and was certified quadruple platinum in 2001.
It's a Jungle Out There is the first album by Mastedon, the studio project formed by brothers John & Dino Elefante. It was released in 1989 on Regency Records, while they were setting up their own label "Pakaderm Records". Long out-of-print, it was re-issued by Deep Music Distribution in 2006 in the form of digital downloads, available from iTunes and eMusic.
Barren Cross was an American Christian metal band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983 by high school friends Ray Parris (guitar) and Steve Whitaker (drums). The band released six albums from 1986 to 1994. They have reunited for a few shows in recent years, and plan to record a new album.
This article details the discography of Petra. Petra is a music group formed in 1972, and regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres. Though they disbanded formally in 2005, incarnations of Petra have played reunion shows in the years since and released an album in fall 2010. The band released 24 albums during their 33 years of career starting with their first release in 1974 and finishing with their last album in 2005.
Frontiers Records is an Italian record label, predominantly producing hard rock. It was founded in 1996 by Serafino Perugino and is based in Naples, Italy.
Jamie Rowe is a musician best known as the lead vocalist of the Christian hard rock band, Guardian. He has also been vocalist for New York-based AdrianGale, power pop band, London Calling and most recently collaborating with Jamey Perrenot in The Lost Days of Summer. He has also released several solo works including the single "I Do" written for his wife, Amber Rowe, for their wedding. In 2019, a solo album, This Is Home, was recorded.
Halo was a Christian rock band formed in Alabama in 1980. Touring in the South for almost a decade before a chance meeting with an encouraging Bob Hartman of Petra fame, Halo was signed by Pakaderm Records and recorded their first album in 1989. Another album followed in 1992 before the group disbanded in 1993.
Stryper is an American Christian metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet, Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson, and Robert Sweet (drums).
