Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard rock music was produced by the Kinks, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Cream, Vanilla Fudge, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In the late 1960s, bands such as Blue Cheer, the Jeff Beck Group, Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, Golden Earring, Steppenwolf, Grand Funk, Free, and Deep Purple also produced hard rock.
Kingdom Come is a Germany-based hard rock band formed in 1987. The band was originally fronted by Lenny Wolf, until their hiatus in 2016. While there have been no constant Kingdom Come members throughout the band's history, their most recent lineup features three original members who, along with drummer James Kottak, left the band in 1989 and returned in 2018. Wolf was replaced by Keith St. John in 2018, and he remained until 2024, when Ezekiel "Zeke" Kaplan replaced him. Kottak remained in Kingdom Come until his death in January of the same year and was replaced by Matt Muckle. The band's 1988 debut album, Kingdom Come, is to date their most internationally popular and biggest selling recording and features their most notable hit "Get It On".
Turbo is the tenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in the UK on 7 April 1986 by Columbia Records. The album is notable for the band's change to a commercial glam metal sound, that had them using synthesizers for the first time.
Britny Fox is an American glam metal band from the Philadelphia area, initially active from 1985 to 1992 then subsequently reforming from 2000 to 2003, again in 2006 to 2008 and final time reforming in 2015 to 2016. They are best known for their music video for "Girlschool" and their minor hit "Long Way to Love". Bassist Billy Childs has been the only band member to be a part of each of the band's many lineups.
James Kottak was an American drummer, best known for his work with the German hard rock band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996. At the time of his firing from the band in 2016, he was their longest-serving drummer. Kottak was also an original member of Kingdom Come, of whom he was their drummer from 1987 to 1989 and again from 2018 to his death in 2024, and he had his own band Kottak, formerly known as KrunK. Other bands Kottak played for were Montrose, Warrant, Wild Horses, the McAuley Schenker Group, and Buster Brown.
Montrose was an American hard rock band formed in 1973 and named after guitarist and founder Ronnie Montrose. The band's original lineup featured lead vocalist and frontman Sammy Hagar, who later found greater success as a solo artist and as a member of Van Halen. Rounding out the original foursome were bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi. The band experienced moderate success before disbanding in early 1977. The 1973 debut album Montrose eventually proved to be an international sleeper hit, selling in excess of one million copies and attaining platinum status in 1986.
Ronald Douglas Montrose was an American musician and guitarist who founded and led the rock bands Montrose and Gamma. He also performed and did session work with a variety of musicians, including Van Morrison, Herbie Hancock, Beaver & Krause, Boz Scaggs, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, The Beau Brummels, Dan Hartman, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Marc Bonilla and Sammy Hagar.
John Douglas Edwards is an American rock singer who sang for the bands Buster Brown, Montrose, King Kobra, Wild Horses, Northrup, Royal Jelly and is best known as the second lead singer of the rock band Foreigner.
Gamma was an American hard rock band formed by guitarist Ronnie Montrose and singer Davey Pattison in San Francisco in 1979. They released four albums: Gamma 1 (1979), Gamma 2 (1980), Gamma 3 (1982) and Gamma 4 (2000). Their biggest hit was 1982's "Right the First Time", which was a minor chart entry in the US, but a top 40 hit in Canada. Some of their other best known songs include "Fight to the Finish" from their first album, and "Meanstreak" and "Voyager" from the second album.
Montrose is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Montrose, released in October 1973 by Warner Bros. It was produced by Ted Templeman. Montrose marks the career debut of singer-guitarist Sammy Hagar, who would later achieve significant success as a solo artist and as a member of Van Halen.
Paper Money is the second studio album by the American hard rock band Montrose, released on October 11, 1974, by Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Ted Templeman and is the band's final recording with original vocalist Sammy Hagar. It marks the arrival of new bass player Alan Fitzgerald, replacing original bassist Bill Church.
Gamma 2 is Gamma's second album, released in 1980. On this album Ronnie Montrose keeps his streak of not having the same personnel on two albums in a row, changing the line-up once again. Davey Pattison (vocals), Montrose (guitar), and Jim Alcivar (synthesizer) remain from Gamma 1. Glenn Letsch replaces Alan Fitzgerald on bass and old Montrose bandmate Denny Carmassi replaces Skip Gillette on drums.
Wild Horses was an American hard rock band that originally featured former Buster Brown and Montrose members Johnny Edwards and James Kottak. The band also featured James Kottak's former Kingdom Come bandmate Rick Steier. The band went through at least two bassists: Chris Lester and Jeff Pilson.
"Get It On" is the first single by hard rock/glam metal band Kingdom Come from their self-titled debut album. It reached number four on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
In Your Face is the second album by the hard rock band Kingdom Come, released in 1989. This is the band's final album to be recorded with the original lineup of vocalist Lenny Wolf, lead guitarist Danny Stag, rhythm guitarist Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank and drummer James Kottak.
Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! is the third studio album by American hard rock band Montrose, released on Warner Bros. Records on 26 September 1975.
Jump on It is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Montrose.
Buster Brown was an American glam metal band from Louisville, Kentucky. Members included lead vocalist Johnny Edwards, guitarist Allan Phelps, and bassist Kevin Downs.
Glenn Letsch is an American bass guitarist. He was in a Los Angeles band with Mitchell Froom called "Bullet Park". After Ronnie Montrose produced their demo, he asked Letsch to join his band Gamma, where Letsch became friends with singer Davey Pattison. When Gamma disbanded in 1982, Pattison became Robin Trower's principal vocalist and Letsch continued with several of Ronnie Montrose projects and session work including playing bass on Sims computer games. He joined Trower's touring band in 2008 reuniting with Pattison.
The Very Best of Montrose is the only compilation album by American hard rock band Montrose. It was released in 2000 by Rhino Records. The album contains songs from the group's five albums, the first four in consecutive years in the mid-seventies and another from 1987.
