Saxon　

Saxon was one of the early leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, alongside Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, even outdistancing them at the onset, only to see their career slide into com ..more

Gary Moore　

One of rock’s most underrated guitarists (both from a technical and compositional point of view), Gary Moore remains relatively unknown in the U.S., while his solo work has brought him substanti ..more

Sebastian Bach　

The one-time frontman for hair metal hitmakers Skid Row, singer Sebastian Bach was born Sebastian Bierk in the Bahamas on April 3, 1968. A veteran of short-lived, little-known bands including He ..more

Blue Oyster Cult　

Blue Oyster Cult was the thinking man’s heavy metal group. Put together on a college campus by a couple of rock critics, it maintained a close relationship with a series of literary figures ( ..more

DragonForce　

U.K.-based power metal sextet DragonForce formed in 1999 around the twin-guitar assault of Herman Li and Sam Totman, keyboard player Vadim Pruzhanov, and the powerful vocals of ZP Theart ..more

Scorpions　

Known best for their 1984 anthem Rock You Like a Hurricane and the 1990 ballad Wind of Change, German rockers Scorpions have sold over 22 million records, making them one of the most successful ..more

Dio　

For a brief spell during the mid-’80s, the heavy metal quintet Dio were one of the top U.S. concert attractions, boasting one of the most over the top stage acts of its time loaded with props an ..more

Rainbow　

The brainchild of former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Rainbow quickly developed into one of the ’70s most successful heavy metal bands behind charismatic front man Ronnie James ..more

Tommy Bolin　

It’s hard to listen to the music of Tommy Bolin and not wonder what could’ve been if the exceptionally talented (and versatile) guitarist hadn’t succumbed to a senseless drug overdose at the age of ..more

Magnum　

Hard rockers Magnum got their start in Birmingham, England, in the mid-’70s. The band’s first album, Kingdom of Madness, came out in 1978, right in the midst of the punk rock musical revolution. ..more

Helloween　

Alongside Switzerland’s Celtic Frost and Sweden’s Bathory, Germany’s Helloween were possibly the most influential heavy metal band to come out of Europe during the 1980s. By taking the hard-r ..more

Within Temptation　

Goth metal stars Within Temptation marry the guitar-driven force of hard rock with the sweep and grandeur of symphonic music, and the results have made them one of the most popular bands ever ..more

Rage　

The German heavy metal outfit, Rage, originally formed in the early ’80s, and although the group has issued albums on a steady basis ever since, lead singer/bassist Peter Peavey Wagner is t ..more

Zakk Sabbath　

Alcatrazz　

Alcatrazz was originally formed as a vehicle for vocalist Graham Bonnet, but became famous for introducing budding guitar heroes instead, namely Swedish phenom Yngwie J. Malmsteen and ex-Fr ..more

Megadeth　

After he left Metallica in 1983, guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine formed the thrash metal quartet Megadeth. Though Megadeth followed the basic blueprint of Metallica’s relentless attack ..more

Amaranthe　

Sweden’s Amaranthe is a metalcore band known for its mix of melodic pop and death metal. Formed in 2008, Amaranthe features several vocalists, with Elize Ryd and Jake E handling most of th ..more

Ace Frehley　

Along with Eddie Van Halen, Kiss’ Ace Frehley inspired numerous up-and-coming rockers to pick up the guitar in the 1970s -- and come the ’90s, he was listed by just about every contemporary r ..more

RATT　

Ratt’s brash, melodic heavy metal made the Los Angeles quintet one of the most popular rock acts of the mid-’80s. The group had its origins in the ’70s group Mickey Ratt, which had evolved ..more

Revolution Saints　

Hard rock three-piece Revolution Saints feature the talents of former Ozzy Osbourne, Journey, and Bad English drummer/vocalist Deen Castronovo, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees bassi ..more