Alcatrazz is a heavy metal band formed in 1983 by Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo, and Gary Shea. Following an internal disagreement and split in 2020, there are currently two separate and distinct Alcatrazz line-ups, one featuring Bonnet, and another featuring Waldo and Shea. Alcatrazz are best known for their songs "Island in the Sun", "Hiroshima Mon Amour", and "God Blessed Video". The band went through a number of line-up changes, with Bonnet being the only member to be in every incarnation of Alcatrazz. They are also notable for featuring a previously-unknown Yngwie Malmsteen, who was the guitarist of Alcatrazz during 1983–1984, and was subsequently replaced by Steve Vai, and Danny Johnson in the original incarnation of the band up until 1987. Joe Stump became the Alcatrazz guitarist when the band reformed, and remains the guitarist in the Waldo-Shea line-up of Alcatrazz. In June 2021, Jeff Loomis was announced as the guitarist in the Bonnet line-up of Alcatrazz.
Graham Bonnet is an English rock singer and songwriter. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri. He is known for his powerful singing voice but is capable of also singing soft melodies. His singing has been noted as 'very loud' by both his contemporaries and himself, and he claims to be a self-taught singer with 'no discipline for lessons'. Bonnet's visual style, considered uncharacteristic of hard rock musicians, has been described as being a cross between Don Johnson in Miami Vice and James Dean.
Disturbing the Peace is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Alcatrazz, and is the only one featuring Steve Vai on guitar. The album remained for 7 weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart, peaking at No. 145.
Christopher Andrew Tsangarides was a British Grammy-nominated record producer, sound engineer, and mixer of Greek Cypriot origin. He was best known for his work with many heavy metal bands, including Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Helloween, Anvil, Angra, Anthem, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Tygers of Pan Tang. Tsangarides worked with many pop and alternative artists as well, including Depeche Mode, Tom Jones, Concrete Blonde, and The Tragically Hip.
Anthem is a Japanese heavy metal band that was formed during the early 1980s in Tokyo. They are among the many heavy metal bands founded in Japan during that time and are considered to be one of the most successful and influential, alongside Loudness and Earthshaker.
Assault Attack is the third studio album by the Michael Schenker Group, and the only album to feature former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet. The album was recorded in France at the Château d'Hérouville and was produced by Martin Birch.
Mean Streak is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Y&T, released in 1983 through A&M Records. Major hits include "Midnight in Tokyo", "Sentimental Fool", and the opening track, "Mean Streak". The album peaked at number 103 on the Billboard 200 on October 27, 1983.
Metal on Metal is the second studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1982.
Future World is the second album by the Danish hard rock/heavy metal band Pretty Maids. The album was released by CBS in 1987. By 1990, the album had sold 300,000 copies worldwide. The album charted at number 165 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.
Forged in Fire is the third studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1983.
Seven Hills is Japanese heavy metal band Anthem's second studio album since their reformation in the year 2000.
Overload is Japanese heavy metal band Anthem's third studio album since their reformation in the year 2000.
Eternal Warrior is Japanese heavy metal band Anthem's fourth studio album since their reformation in the year 2000.
Immortal is Japanese heavy metal band Anthem's fifth studio album since their reformation in the year 2000. In Europe the album was sold together with the Anthem 20th Anniversary Tour 2005 bonus DVD; this DVD included several videos of the band rehearsing some of the songs that were including in the album: "Immortal Bind", "Insomnia", "Mob Groove" and "Road to Nowhere". This bonus DVD is known as "Core".
Black Empire is Japanese heavy metal band Anthem's sixth studio album since their reformation in the year 2000.
Heavy Metal Hippies is the eleventh studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was recorded and mixed by Chris Tsangarides and released in 1994 only in Japan. After the defection of bassist Taiji Sawada, Akira Takasaki played both the lines of bass and guitar on the album. In addition, drummer and band co-founder Munetaka Higuchi was replaced by Hirotsugu Homma.
Ghetto Machine is the twelfth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 1997 only in Japan and recorded at the famous Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. This was the first album to feature bassist Naoto Shibata. Only the instrumental "Katmandu Fly" was recorded in 1995 at ESP Guitars rehearsal studio.
Engine is the fourteenth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. Released in 1999, it was the third and final album to feature the lineup of guitarist Akira Takasaki, lead vocalist Masaki Yamada, bassist Naoto Shibata, and drummer Hirotsugu Homma before Takasaki reunited the original lineup in 2001.
Pandemonium is the sixteenth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 2001 only in Japan. All music is credited to Loudness and all lyrics to Niihara.
Live' Melt Down is the third live album released by the Japanese heavy hetal band Anthem and recorded during their "Overload Live" tour of 2003.
