Yngwie Johan Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning over 40 years. In 2009, Time magazine rated Malmsteen as number 9 among the 11 greatest electric guitar players of all time.
Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with KK's Priest, Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and A New Revenge. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest and then Iced Earth. He took the nickname "Ripper" from the Judas Priest song "The Ripper" during his time in the tribute band British Steel.
Paul Andrews, better known by his stage name Paul Di'Anno, is a British heavy metal singer who was the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981. In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno has issued numerous albums over the years, as both a solo artist and as a member of such bands as Gogmagog, Di'Anno's Battlezone, Praying Mantis, Killers, and Rockfellas.
G.I.S.M. was a Japanese punk metal band formed in Tokyo in 1981. Although the guitar style resembled heavy metal in many aspects, GISM was one of the first Japanese hardcore bands, while at the same time drawing influence from the early industrial/avant-garde music scene—something uncommon in punk bands at that time. The acronym GISM has many different variations; they include: "Guerrilla Incendiary Sabotage Mutineer" (original), "God In the Schizoid Mind", "Grand Imperialism Social Murder", "Genocide Infanticide Suicide Menticide", "Gay Individual Social Mean", "Gothic Incest Sex Machine", "Grubby Incest Stripper Mastitis", "Gravity Impel Slaying Machine", "Get Incinerated Sorrow Mass", "Gore Impromptu Suicide Mine", "Grim Iconic Sadistic Mantra" and "Gnostic Idiosyncrasy Sonic Militant".
Barry Graham Purkis, more commonly known as Thunderstick, is an English drummer who wore various masks and used to perform on-stage closed in a cage. He was in the cult-band Samson, with whom his name is most associated.
Animetal was a Japanese heavy metal band who specialized in metal covers of theme songs from classic and modern Japanese anime and tokusatsu television series.
Hi-Standard is a Japanese punk rock band formed in 1991 by bassist and lead vocalist Akihiro Nanba, guitarist and vocalist Ken Yokoyama, and drummer Akira Tsuneoka. The release Making the Road sparked sold-out Japan shows and U.S./European tours with punk bands such as NOFX, No Use for a Name, and Wizo. Although the members of Hi-Standard are Japanese, all of their major releases are sung in English. Tsuneoka died in February 2023, with Nanba and Yokoyama continuing the band as a two-piece.
Doom is a Japanese thrash metal band by former Zadkiel members Koh and Jouichi. Formed in Tokyo in 1985, the first line up included Takashi "Taka" Fujita (vocals/guitar), Koh "Pirarucu" Morota and Jouichi "Joe" Hirokawa (drums).
V8 was an Argentine heavy metal band formed in 1979, one of the first notable Argentine and Latin America bands of that genre. After its dissolution former members have continued their careers starting other heavy metal bands, Hermética, Horcas, Rata Blanca, Logos and Almafuerte.
Iron Angel is a German heavy metal band from Hamburg.
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.
Head Phones President is a Japanese metal band formed in Tokyo in 1999. Their sound has been described as alternative metal, progressive metal, avant-garde metal, and nu metal.
Outrage is a Japanese thrash metal band, formed in Nagoya in 1982. They made their debut in 1987 with a lineup of Yosuke Abe on guitar, Yoshihiro Yasui on bass, Shinya Tange on drums and Naoki Hashimoto on vocals. Hashimoto left the band in 1999, but the group continued as a three piece and he returned in 2007. With a career spanning four decades, Outrage are one of few Japanese metal bands to have never disbanded or paused activities.
Syu is a Japanese musician, best known as leader and guitarist of the power metal band Galneryus. He also performs guitar and lead vocals in Spinalcord and was formerly a member of Animetal. Under his own name, Syu has released one studio album, one cover album and one instrumental album, each featuring collaborations with many guest musicians. He was voted Best Guitarist in online music magazine Beeast's music awards four years in a row, from 2015 to 2018. His work on Galneryus' song "Emotions" was named the 73rd best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019.
The Soldier's Just Came Back is the fifth live album by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 2001 only in Japan and recorded during the successful Spiritual Canoe tour with the original line-up. At the same time a VHS with the videotape of the concert was released by Nippon Columbia.
Rockshocks is an album of self-covers by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. The album, released in Japan in 2004, contains tracks taken from the first five studio album of the band from the 1980s, played again with a more modern sound and different musical arrangements than the originals. The album was published in the USA in 2006 by Crash Records, with three bonus tracks taken from the album Racing: "Exultation", "Lunatic" and "R.I.P.".
Vulcano is a Brazilian extreme metal band from Santos, São Paulo. Founded in 1981, it is one of the first Brazilian heavy metal bands of note; with reference to their influence on the Latin American black metal scene, Terrorizer reported that "many believe that Vulcano not only kick-started musical blasphemy in Brazil, but throughout the whole of Latin America". Vulcano is noted as an influence on Sepultura.
Savage Grace is an American power and speed metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by Chris Logue and Brian East, initially active between 1981 and 1993. They reformed in 2009, and subsequently released an EP entitled The Lost Grace. In 2010, they performed at the Up the Hammers, Bang Your Head!!! and Keep It True festivals.
Beast in Black is a Finnish power metal band that was founded in 2015 in Helsinki by lead guitarist and songwriter Anton Kabanen.
Detestation is the debut LP by Japanese hardcore punk band G.I.S.M. Released on Dogma Records in 1984, the record displays a unique blend of musical influences that the band would become notable for, ranging from industrial to glam metal guitar work. The album has had a very large impact across numerous musical scenes, and its songs have been covered by many notable hardcore punk and extreme metal bands, including Poison Idea, Integrity, and Extreme Noise Terror. Due to the cult status and the scarcity of the original record, it was up until 2020 one of the most bootlegged records of all time, and had only seen one official reissue in 1992 on Compact Disc on Sakevi Yokoyama's label Beast Arts. It was also released as an extended compilation in 2015 by Beast Arts on Compact Disc.
