Vader

 Today in 1992 Vader released there debut album The Ultimate Incantation

Olsztyn,Poland Death/Thrash Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 1983-present

One of the earliest death metal bands from behind the Iron Curtain, Vader was formed in 1986 and is still going strong today, making them unquestionably the most well-known Polish death metal band in existence. Their style is of the old school of brutal, heads-down death metal, with their albums being of a consistent style and quality. September 2004 sees the release of their newest album, The Beast.

Earache Records

Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek − rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar,[lead vocals, lyrics

Krysztof "Doc" Raczkowski − drums(R.I.P. 2005)

Jacek "Jackie" Kalisz − bass guitar (credited, did not perform)

Jaroslaw "China" Labieniec − rhythm guitar, lead guitar (credited, did not perform)

1. Creation (Intro) (1:29)

2. Dark Age (4:40)

3. Vicious Circle (2:53)

4. The Crucified Ones (3:36)

5. The Final Massacre (4:54)

6. Testimony (4:00)

7. Reign - Carrion (6:48)

8. Chaos (4:27)

9. One Step to Salvation (3:48)

10. Demon's Wind (4:27)

11. Decapitated Saints (2:27)

12. Breath of Centuries (4:51)

Total Time: 48:24

Lyrics by Vader.

Music by Vader.

Originally recorded at the Sunlight Studio with Thomas Skogsberg, but neither the record label or Vader was pleased with the outcome (supposedly due to only a drum machine being available), so it was decided to try another studio.

The Ultimate Incantation is the debut album by Polish death metal band Vader. It was released in 1992 by Earache Records. A music video was shot for the song "Dark Age", which was directed by Kimmo Kuusniemi and Tanja Katinka. The cover art was drawn by Dan Seagrave. The album was originally recorded at Sunlight Studios with Thomas Skogsberg, but neither the record label or Vader was pleased with the outcome and decided to use another studio because of technical issues. The new studio that they recorded at was Rhythm Studios in England with producer Paul Johnson. Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek commented on Decibel magazine about recording album at Sunlight Studios, saying:

“[...]It was rather an opportunity to record our debut album at the famous Sunlight. We knew many fabulous LPs [had been] recorded in this studio, so the whole of Vader was more than happy. [...] There was no real acoustic drum kit in the studio. Not one of us was expecting or had worked before on such equipment. We had nothing to say, but had to keep recording on what we had available. We owned no professional equipment yet. [...] We had to use rented stuff and what was provided to play in the studio. My guitar was maybe good enough for live performances, but far from being studio-ready. Doc brought some cymbals and pedals and that was it. [...] All we had in-studio were electronic drum pads and a combo amp for guitar. Vader was all about blastbeats… and that electronic drum kit was not made for that"

Stigmata

 Today in 1990 Stigmata released there debut EP Strength in Hate

Troy, New York Hardcore Punk (early), Hardcore Punk/Metalcore/Groove Metal (later)

Status:On Hold

Years active: 1989-2016

New York metal unit Stigmata was formed in 1989 by singer Bob Riley, guitarist Mike Maney, and bassist Dan Walsh, all of whom previously teamed in the short-lived Cranial Abuse. Lineup changes regularly plagued the group during their formative years, and after the completion of their first two albums, The Calling of the Just and The Heart Grows Harder, second guitarist Jason Sunkes signed on in late 1992, with drummer Jason Bittner recruited in early 1994. Following the third Stigmata LP, Hymns for an Unknown God, Maney left the group, which continued on as a four-piece. Bassist Buddy Armstrong replaced Walsh for the Redemption Songs EP, and in 1997 Bittner went on a leave of absence to tour with Crisis. After a live album, Pain Has No Boundaries, both Maney and Bittner returned to Stigmata for 2000's Do Unto Others...

Cfy Records

Bob Riley Vocals

Jay Bourdeau Guitars

Mike Maney Guitars

Dan Walsh Bass

Pat O'Reilly Drums

Side A

1. Thawing

Side B

2. Fed Up

3. Trenchmouth

Recorded at The House of Faith, South Bay Area, Palo Alto, California.

Autumn's Ruin

 Today in 1990 Autumn's Ruin released there self titled debut EP

Akron, Ohio Heavy/Power Metal

Status:Split-up

Years active: ?-1990, 1990-? (as Winters Bane)

An Akron, Ohio based band who, after their 1990 breakup, would be reformed into Winters Bane. They recorded/released one cassette EP earlier in 1990. Their songs (besides the 4 on the tape) included "Corridor Of Bones", "Token (Of Misery)", "The Pale Moon", "Good Day Gone Bad", "The Drifter", "Twilight Eyes", "Who Knew?", "Torment & Agony", and several more. They changed bass players in May 1990, and by their September 22 1990 show at Flash's in Cleveland, Ohio they had written and completed all the songs listed above and numerous more. They are also thanked in the credits of several other Ohio area Demo-Bands such as Silent Knight, Ludaci, and a few others. In late 1990 they split up, with Lou St. Paul continuing the band with a new lineup as Winters Bane. Most of the original members would return to the band in the following years as Winters Bane, and some Autumn's Ruin material would be remade and appear on Winters Bane's "Season Of Brutality" promo cassette in 1995.

Independent

Jackie "Blade" Livengood Bass

Todd Bertolette Drums

John "Doomsday" Stevens Guitars

Lou St. Paul Guitars

Jeff Caudill Vocals

Side A

1. Widow Of The Web 04:21

2. Second To None 04:06

Side B

3. Dice (With Death) 04:25

4. Tower Of Pain 03:26

16:18

Recorded at Gattusos Studio, Akron Ohio. 1990.

Dokken

 Today in 1988 Dokken released the Live album Beast From The East

Los Angeles, California Heavy Metal, Hard Rock

Status:Active

Years active:1977-1989, 1993-present

At a time when the charts were ruled by pop-metal acts, Dokken was a major attraction throughout the 1980s. With vocalist Don Dokken's captivating stage presence and guitarist George Lynch's high-energy style, the band combined rockers such as "Kiss of Death" and power ballads such as "Alone Again" in order to create a number of best-selling albums.

Elektra Records

Don Dokken Vocals (lead)

George Lynch Guitars

Jeff Pilson Bass, Keyboards, Vocals

Mick Brown Drums, Vocals

1. Unchain the Night 05:38

2. Tooth and Nail 03:18

3. Dream Warriors 04:09

4. Kiss of Death 05:21

5. When Heaven Comes Down 03:44

6. Into the Fire 05:02

7. Mr. Scary 07:00 instrumental

8. Heaven Sent 05:12

9. It's Not Love 06:14

10. Alone Again 05:34

11. Just Got Lucky 05:02

12. Breaking the Chains 05:21

13. In My Dreams 05:02

14. Walk Away 04:30

01:11:07

Recorded live in Japan, 1988. Except track 14 is a studio recording.

The 2 LP US version as well as the Japanese version contains three bonus tracks: Standing in the Shadows, Sleepless Nights and Turn on the Action.

Official video: 'Walk Away'.

Also released on tape in 1988.

Death

 Today in 1988 Death released the album Leprosy

Altamonte Springs, Florida Death Metal (early), Death/Progressive Metal (later)

Status:Split-up

Years active: 1983-1984 (as Mantas), 1984-2001

One of the more storied bands in metal, the band known simply as Death is recognized as one of the most influential bands in the field of death metal. Their origins date back to 1983, with the first incarnation of the band, then known as Mantus, featuring guitarists Chuck Schuldiner and Rick Rozz along with drummer Kam Lee. Lee and Rozz would leave to form Massacre in 1985, though Rozz would return, along with other ex-Massacre members, in 1987. Schuldiner eventually moved to San Francisco and teamed up with drummer Chris Reifert (who would later form Autopsy) and it was this duo who recorded the legendary debut, Scream Bloody Gore. A raw, primitive affair, bearing quite a similarity to another death metal pioneer in Possessed, Gore created quite a buzz at the time, and the seeds of the infamous Floridian death metal scene had thus been planted. Schuldiner then moved back to Florida, hooked up with the aforementioned Massacre members, and two more landmark albums, Leprosy and Spiritual Healing, were released, with the band's popularity steadily increasing.

In 1991, Schuldiner decided to take the band to another level. With an all-new lineup, 1991's Human presented a different view of death metal, mixing advanced technical musicianship with brutal riffing. As influential as the early material was on early death metal bands, Human and the later Death albums have proven equally influential on a host of 90's technical death metal bands. Now with regularly shifting lineups, Death continued progressing in the technical death metal field until 1996, when Schuldiner decided on another change. Dissatisfied with his own vocals, and desiring a less death metal style, he disbanded the group and started the project later to be known as Control Denied. After some dabblings with that project, Schuldiner decided to record one more album as Death, that being The Sound Of Perseverance, after which he formally revived Control Denied.

In 1999 Chuck was diagnosed with a brainstem tumor, and he spent much of the next two years battling cancer. Though it was reported in 2001 that he might be improving, eventually the disease took over, and sadly he passed away on December 13, 2001. Almostly universally reported as a truly nice guy, he will be missed by all metal fans, but his legacy will live on.

Combat Records

Chuck Schuldiner(R.I.P. 2001) – Guitar, Bass (uncredited), Vocals

Rick Rozz – Guitar

Terry Butler – Bass (did not play on the album, but was credited for it)

Bill Andrews – Drums

1. Leprosy (6:20)

2. Born Dead (3:27)

3. Forgotten Past (4:36)

4. Left to Die (4:37)

5. Pull the Plug (4:26)

6. Open Casket (4:55)

7. Primitive Ways (4:33)

8. Choke on It (5:54)

Recorded at Morisound Recording, Tampa.

Mastered at Fullersound, Miami.

Trivia: Despite being both credited and pictured on this album, Chuck Schuldiner said that he handled the bass parts not Terry Butler, who only joined the band right after the recording sessions of "Leprosy" were completed. So, this means that "Spiritual Healing" was Butler's only proper recording with Death.

Re-issued by Century Media in 1998.

2008 Century Media Records digipack reissue bonus tracks:

9. Open Casket (Live) (4:49)

10. Choke on It (Live) (5:50)

11. Left to Die (Live) (4:35)

12. Pull the Plug (Live) (4:26)

13. Forgotten Past (Live) (4:33)

Re-issued in 2007 by Back on Black Records as gatefold LP.

Leprosy is the second album by death metal band Death, released in 1988. Notably different in tone and quality from the 1987 debut, it is the first example of Scott Burns' work heard on many of the death metal and grindcore albums of that era. The cover is featured in Metal: A Headbanger's Journey.

The title track "Leprosy" was covered by the blackened death metal band Akercocke on their 2007 album Antichrist. Dutch melodic death metal band Callenish Circle covered "Pull the Plug" as a bonus on their Flesh Power Dominion album. Finnish thrash metal band Mokoma covered the track "Open Casket", with lyrics in Finnish and titled "Avoin Hauta", on their EP Viides Vuodenaika. "Pull the Plug" was also covered by American band Revocation.

In a death metal special by the German "Rock Hard" Magazine, Leprosy was voted the no. 1 of the 25 most important death metal albums of all time.

The Damned

 Today in 1987 The Damned released the single In Dulce Decorum

London, England Punk rock, Gothic rock, Post-punk

Status: Active

Years active :1976-Present

They were rarely cited as the most important of the first wave of British punk bands, nor one of the most influential, but in many respects, the Damned can honestly claim to be first. They released the first U.K. punk single (1976's "New Rose" b/w "Help"), the first U.K. punk album (1977's Damned Damned Damned), and were the first British punks to tour the United States. They were also one of the first major bands on the scene to break up, and were later ahead of the pack when they reunited. And few of their peers have had a longer or more interesting career path. Playing music that was dark but playful at the same time, the Damned started out as a loud, hell-bent-for-leather punk quartet. They soon began adding psychedelic and garage rock influences into their music (1979's Machine Gun Etiquette), detoured into epic-scale pop with a dash of prog (1980's The Black Album), and embraced a tuneful but muscular take on goth (1985's Phantasmagoria), all within their first ten years. While the strong, mannered but witty vocals from Dave Vanian remained a constant, the band's personnel and style was in flux as the group broke up and reunited with remarkable frequency. They finally found a relatively stable lineup in the 2000s, led by Vanian and co-founder Captain Sensible, delivering a slick but enthusiastic fusion of pop, rock, and goth on latter-day albums such as 2008's So, Who's Paranoid? and 2018's Evil Spirits. Throug it all, the band's ability to take their music seriously without taking themselves seriously endeared them to a tremendously loyal fan base.

MCA Records

Dave Vanian − vocals

Rat Scabies − drums

Roman Jugg − guitar, keyboards

Bryn Merrick − bass

Paul Shepley - keyboards on live track

"In Dulce Decorum" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick) - 4:47

"Psychomania" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick) - 4:03

Bonus tracks on 12" single: -

"In Dulce Decorum (Extended Version)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick) - 5:58

"In Dulce Decorum (Dub)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick) - 4:41

"In Dulce Decorum" was a single by the Damned, released 16 November 1987 on the MCA label.

The song was originally recorded for the Anything album, but was issued as a single to promote MCA's Damned retrospective Light at the End of the Tunnel. MCA also issued the single in Germany.

The single, the Damned's last to break into the UK charts, hit No. 72. It was featured in the Miami Vice third-season episode "Walk Alone", and an instrumental version was included in the Miami Vice II soundtrack.

The track was inspired by Wilfred Owen's poem Dulce et Decorum Est, and began with an excerpt from a speech by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons as the Battle of Britain began on 18 June 1940: Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour

UFO

 Today in 1985 UFO released the album Misdemeanor

London, England Hard rock, heavy metal

Status:Active

Years active 1969–present

Beginning (1969–1972):

UFO is one of the standout British metal bands of the 70's, now celebrating over forty years in the business. It took a few years for them to get off the ground (the first three albums are not highly regarded), but once the classic Way/Mogg/Schenker/Parker lineup was in place, the band put out some great metal tunes such as "Lights Out", "Doctor Doctor", and (personal favorite) "Rock Bottom". By the mid-eighties their major success was behind them, but an endless array of revolving lineups and albums have surfaced over the years, keeping the name alive. Enigmatic guitarist Michael Schenker has been in and out countless times, in betwen stints with his own band (Michael Schenker Group), as well as a couple of turns with his brother in Scorpions.

Chrysalis

Phil Mogg - vocals

Tommy McClendon (Atomik Tommy M) - lead guitar

Paul Raymond - keyboards, guitar

Paul Gray - bass

Jim Simpson - drums

Side one

1"This Time" (Paul Gray, Phil Mogg) — 4:36

2"One Heart" (Gray, Mogg, Tommy McClendon) - 4:09

3"Night Run" (Gray, Mogg, McClendon) - 4:32

4"The Only Ones" (Gray, Mogg) - 5:16

5"Meanstreets" (McClendon, Mogg) - 4:17

Side two

6"Name of Love" (McClendon, Mogg) - 4:37

7"Blue" (Gray, Mogg) — 5:18

8"Dream the Dream" (Paul Raymond, Mogg) - 4:32

9"Heaven's Gate" (McClendon, Mogg) - 4:15

10"Wreckless" (McClendon, Mogg) — 4:59

Japan CD bonus tracks

11"Night Run" (U.S. Remix) - 4:24

12"This Time" (U.S. Remix) - 4:39

13"Heaven's Gate" (U.S. Remix) - 4:15

Misdemeanor is the twelfth studio album by the British hard rock band UFO. After the disastrous tour supporting Making Contact, UFO disbanded, with Phil Mogg spending time in Los Angeles, where he contacted through Mike Varney guitarist Atomik Tommy M. Mogg decided to start a new band, involving the new American guitarist and Paul Gray, who had played bass guitar in the last UFO tour. The three of them recruited former UFO keyboard player Paul Raymond and drummer Robbie France and started writing new material. Chrysalis Records signed the new band as UFO and assigned experienced producer Nick Tauber for the recording process of a new album. France resigned before the recording started and was replaced by former Magnum drummer Jim Simpson. Paul Raymond quit the band during their US tour in August 1986 and was replaced for the rest of the tour by David Jacobson