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This is a list of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area, music groups founded in the San Francisco Bay Area or were closely associated with the region for a significant part of the group's active existence. Individual musicians who formed bands under their own name there are included, but not if they were primarily solo artists. The list is grouped in three sections: San Francisco Peninsula/North Bay, East Bay, and South Bay.
In the United States, California is commonly associated with the film, music, and arts industries; there are numerous world-famous Californian musicians. New genres of music, such as surf rock and third wave ska, have their origins in California.
The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classical music. More than 1,000 works have been written for it.
Wally Heider Studios was a recording studio founded in San Francisco in 1969 by recording engineer and studio owner Wally Heider. Between 1969 and 1980, numerous notable artists recorded at the studios, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and The Grateful Dead. The studio changed ownership in 1980 and was renamed Hyde Street Studios, which is still in operation today.
Forbidden is an American thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. They formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil, but would change their name in 1987. Since their formation, Forbidden have broken up and reformed twice with numerous line-up changes. After breaking up for the first time in 1997, Forbidden reunited once again in 2007, went into an indefinite hiatus in 2012, but reformed in 2023. The current line-up of the band is Norman Skinner (vocals), Craig Locicero (guitar), Matt Camacho (bass), and Chris Kontos (drums).
Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its career, they have released demo tapes, three EPs and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, and often credited as one of the leading lights of the second wave of the genre. They are also considered to be a member of the "Big Six of Bay Area Thrash Metal," alongside Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit and Forbidden.
Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. They have released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda are the only members of to appear on all of their studio albums.
Bay Area thrash metal referred to a steady following of heavy metal bands in the 1980s who formed and gained international status in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Along with Central Florida, the scene was widely regarded as a starting point of American thrash metal, crossover thrash and death metal.
Eternal Nightmare is the debut album by the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Vio-lence. It was released on June 27, 1988 through MCA Records' Mechanic sublabel. A limited 10" promo single was released, featuring two tracks, 'Eternal Nightmare' and 'Phobophobia.'; the release was quite unique, as it came in a "vomit pack", a sealed plastic cover containing fake vomit. Shortly after, thrash metal innovators Slayer released a single in a similar format but with fake blood, and rock band The Revolting Cocks released a single with fake semen.
KUSF is an online-only radio station owned by the University of San Francisco and operated by its students. From 1963 until 2011, the station was a non-commercial radio station licensed to San Francisco, California, broadcast at 90.3 FM MHz.
Epidemic was an American death/thrash metal band which was part of the Bay Area thrash scene.
Attitude Adjustment is an American crossover thrash band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Their debut album, American Paranoia, is considered to be an early "crossover" between hardcore punk and thrash metal.
Lȧȧz Rockit was an American thrash metal band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1981. It is most notable for its association with the Bay Area thrash metal scene of the 1980s and is considered a member of the region's so-called Big Six, along with Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Forbidden and Vio-lence.
Jenifer McKitrick is a songwriter. She was born in Defiance, Ohio. McKitrick was a founding member of bands including the Bettys, Swingin' Doors, Spank the Eggman, the Outskirts, Orange Sunshine, and Some Girls. Currently living in Ohio, she finished work on a new electronic/soundtrack album, Digitosis, released on August 30, 2022 and an album including new songs and unreleased archival tracks, Road Call, released on December 1, 2022. She is planning a re-issue of Glow on vinyl and CD in 2023. She is currently producing self-directed music videos and "Killer" has been chosen as an Official Selection in the Five Continents International Film Festival in Venezuela. "Killer", along with "I'm Ready " are official selections in the Marilyn Monroe Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Thrash of the Titans was a benefit concert held on August 11, 2001, at the Maritime Hall in San Francisco, California. The concert was a co-benefit for Testament vocalist Chuck Billy, who was diagnosed with germ cell seminoma ; and Chuck Schuldiner, leader of the death metal band Death, who was also battling cancer. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was S.O.D. vocalist Billy Milano. The concert was organized by Walter Morgan. The show was announced in May 2001, and all 2300 tickets quickly sold out.
Oppressing the Masses is the second album by San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Vio-lence. It was originally released in July 13, 1990 via Megaforce Records. The original print (20,000) contained the song "Torture Tactics" but all copies were destroyed because of Atlantic Records' objection to the lyrical content. However, that song can be found on the Japanese version of the album. The re-release version contains the tracks from Torture Tactics EP. As of 2023, this is one of the two Vio-lence studio albums to have never been made available on digital services worldwide.
Torture Tactics is an EP recorded by the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Vio-lence in 1991. It was released originally on Megaforce Records and the studio tracks are old songs from the demo times of Vio-lence.
Nothing to Gain is the third and most recent full-length studio album by San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Vio-lence. The album was recorded in August 1990 but was not released until 1993, and is the last to feature rhythm guitarist Robb Flynn and bassist Deen Dell. This was also their last work as a band to contain new material for over 28 years, until the release of Let the World Burn in March 2022. Nothing to Gain was re-released in 1997 with a different cover. As of 2023, this is one of the two Vio-lence studio albums to have never been made available on digital services worldwide.
Torque was an American groove/thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area, that was formed in 1994. The band consisted of Phil Demmel on lead guitar and lead vocals, Ray Vegas on rhythm guitar, bassist Deen Dell and drummer Mark Hernandez.
Murder in the Front Row is a documentary film which chronicles the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene. The documentary premiered on April 20, 2019. Directed by Adam Dubin and produced by Jack Gulick and Rachèle Benloulou-Dubin, the film contains over fifty interviews with various metal stalwarts, and is told through a mix of first-person interviews, animation and narration by comedian Brian Posehn. The film was released on DVD and digitally on April 24, 2020.
Let the World Burn is an EP by the American thrash metal band Vio-Lence, released on March 4, 2022, by Metal Blade Records. It is the band's first material of any kind since their initial disbandment in 1994, and their first EP since Torture Tactics (1991). The EP is also Vio-lence's first studio recording to feature a different lineup, with bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and rhythm guitarist Bobby Gustafson replacing Deen Dell and Robb Flynn respectively, and three-fifths of the Eternal Nightmare lineup – lead guitarist Phil Demmel, vocalist Sean Killian and drummer Perry Strickland – remaining. This is also the only recording to feature Gustafson, whom the band parted ways with in 2022, and their final recording to feature Strickland and Demmel before their departures from the band in January 2023 and February 2024, respectively.
