Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1967. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, but their musical approach has changed over the years. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.
Ronald James Padavona, known professionally as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal singer. He fronted and founded numerous bands throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell.
Rainbow are a British rock band formed in London and Los Angeles in 1975 by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Established in the aftermath of Blackmore's first departure from Deep Purple, they originally featured four members of the band Elf, including their singer Ronnie James Dio, but after their self-titled debut album, Blackmore fired these members, except Dio, recruiting drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Jimmy Bain and keyboardist Tony Carey. This line-up recorded the band's second album Rising (1976), while Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978) saw Bob Daisley and David Stone replace Bain and Carey, respectively. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll was also the last album with Dio before he left the band to join Black Sabbath in 1979.
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is the debut studio album by American/British rock band Rainbow, released in 1975.
Kerry Ray King is an American musician, best known for being the co-lead guitarist and songwriter of thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and was one of two members to stay with the band for its 38-year existence, along with lead singer and bassist Tom Araya. After Slayer's disbandment in 2019, King went on to pursue a solo career, with his first album intended for a 2024 release.
Rex Robert Brown is an American musician. He is the longtime bassist for heavy metal band Pantera, having joined the band in 1982. Following the band's reunion in 2022, Brown is the longest-serving member of the band. He is also a former member of the supergroup Down (2001–2011) and a former bassist for Kill Devil Hill. He released his debut solo album Smoke on This… in 2017. For the first time in Brown's career, the work features him not only as a bassist but also as lead vocalist and guitarist.
Vandenberg is a Dutch–American hard rock band from Amsterdam and Los Angeles, formed in 1981. The group is named after guitarist Adriaan "Adje" van den Berg.
Douglas "Doogie" White is a Scottish rock vocalist who currently sings for La Paz and Alcatrazz. He has also notably sung for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Praying Mantis and Tank.
Axel Rudi Pell is a German hard rock guitarist.
Richard Hugh Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter. He was a founding member and the lead guitarist of Deep Purple, playing jam-style hard rock music that mixed guitar riffs and organ sounds. He is prolific in creating guitar riffs and has been known for playing both classically influenced and blues-based solos.
Craig M. Gruber was an American rock bassist, best known as the original bassist in Rainbow. He also played in Elf, consisting of vocalist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Mickey Lee Soule, drummer Gary Driscoll and guitarist David Feinstein.
Sunstorm is an American AOR musical project, originally featuring lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, bassist/vocalist Dennis Ward, keyboardist Jochen Weyer, as well as guitarist Uwe Reitenauer and drummer Chris Schmidt, both members of the band Pink Cream 69. The albums also featured artists such as Dann Huff and Jim Peterik as additional songwriters. The first album called Sunstorm was released in 2006, followed in 2009 by their second album House of Dreams. Emotional Fire is the third release, out in 2012.
"Stargazer" is a song by the British-American rock supergroup Rainbow, released as fifth track from the band's second studio album Rising (1976). It is an epic song narrating the story of a powerful wizard whose attempt to fly by constructing a mystical tower to the stars leads to the enslavement of vast numbers of people. "Stargazer" is notable for its musical complexity, with the guitar, lyrics, and drum intro cited as significant examples of the talents of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, singer Ronnie James Dio, and drummer Cozy Powell.
Magnus Karlsson is a Swedish heavy metal musician, songwriter and producer. He is currently a session musician and songwriter of the band Primal Fear, as well as for other projects like his own Free Fall.
Rising is the second studio album by the British-American rock band Rainbow. It was released on 17 May 1976.
Lords of Black is a Spanish heavy metal band formed in Madrid in 2014 by guitarist Tony Hernando and singer Ronnie Romero.
"I Surrender" is a song written by former Argent guitarist and singer Russ Ballard and first released by Head East as a single in October 1980 from their sixth album U.S. 1. It is better known for being a hit for Rainbow the following year, reaching number 3 on the UK Singles Charts.
Intelligent Music Project is a Bulgarian supergroup founded in 2012 by Bulgarian businessman Milen Vrabevski. They represented Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with their song "Intention", but failed to qualify from the semi-final on 10 May.
Elegant Weapons is a heavy metal supergroup composed of guitarist Richie Faulkner from Judas Priest, vocalist Ronnie Romero of Rainbow and MSG, drummer Christopher Williams from Accept, and bassist Dave Rimmer from Uriah Heep. The band announced their formation on 25 October 2022, originally with bassist Rex Brown of Pantera and drummer Scott Travis of Judas Priest.
