Motley Crue is a legendary band that became not only one of the biggest bands of the 80s but one of the biggest bands in heavy metal history. However, not every Motley Crue album was created equal. With this list,

SHOW-YA has been sitting on the throne of the Japanese female metal scene. With their national hit songs, TV appearances, and Japan’s biggest female band event held by SHOW-YA themselves, they are one of the most well-known heavy metal acts

Guitar Virtuoso Gus G has returned with a brand new instrumental album called “Quantum Leap”. We caught up with Gus in our latest interview where we discuss the new album, Firewind, dealing with touring during a pandemic and of course,

KISS released 8 studio albums during the 1980s. These albums cover a lot of territory including the albums that most likely saved and re-invigorated their career as well as the ones that almost ended the bands’ career altogether. So keep

Australia…the land down under provided some really good metal and hard rock bands during the 1980s. While one of these bands went on to superstardom, most flew under the radar. The five listed below are all worth your time to

Legendary vocalist Jeff Scott Soto sat down with XS ROCK and discussed his new album along with many aspects of his career and his thoughts on his work with previous artists like Yngwie Malmsteen and Journey. About Jeff Scott Soto

Canada has produced some great metal bands over the years. This list is based on what was considered heavy metal during the 80s. Today, a few of these bands are often classified as hard rock or mainstream rock, but during

Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy performed a solo show in Houston Texas on September 3, 2021, and Carlos Live Metal TV on YouTube has uploaded the concert for everyone’s enjoyment. Check it out below: The concert setlist: “You’re in Love”“Lay It

#15 Aion Formed in 1983 by guitarist Izumi Ochiai, Aion started out as a thrash band but would later develop into more of a power metal-sounding entity. . Along with X Japan, Aion was one of the creators of the

# 15 Rage Rage actually formed in Germany in 1984 under the name Avenger but changed their name to Rage in 1985 after another band was also using the name. The band has had a large album output over the

Jizzy Pearl’s Love/Hate is releasing a new album called Hell, CA and I got the chance to sit down with vocalist Jizzy Pearl (Love/Hate, Quiet Riot, Ratt, L.A. Guns) and talk about the new album as well as new happenings

Metal has been around for over half a century. Many stars have risen during that time. From the new wave of British heavy metal to American power metal, until today, screams have become a part of the genre. Not just

Sure, everyone who’s a true metal fan knows about “The Big 4” of Thrash, but do you know the other 46 bands that make up the “Top 50 Thrash Metal Bands”? Check out the entire list below counting down from

DORO Pesch of Warlock will celebrate the 35th anniversary of her hit album Triumph And Agony with the release of the spectacular live album Triumph And Agony Live. XS ROCK had the chance to sit down and talk about the new album as well

(Editor’s Intro) For some people, the world of Christian rock and the world of music outside that realm are two completely spaces. It’s surprising when you hear that someone who listens to metal and rock has ignored Christian rock bands

GRINDER BLUES are a hard rock blues trio featuring dUg Pinnick (King’s X) on bass and vocals, guitarist and vocalist Jabo Bihlman, and Scot “Little” Bihlman on drums, percussion, and vocals. They offer a high-energy, bone-crushing sound and from-the-gut songwriting,

The Importance of Stryper In Metal A lot of people just assume Stryper was only big for Christian music. Yes, they paved the way for bands like Skillet, P.O.D., and arguably Paramore and Evanescence. Sure they helped turn the Contemporary

Who says loud music is demonic? Besides the church. And parents. And the black metal fans. And the PMRC. Okay, okay. But the Bible does encourage loud, passionate music with stringed instruments. It also mentions dinosaurs (Job) and outlaws slavery

Some of the greatest pioneers of music have been metal artists, ever since the inception of the genre. Black Sabbath, widely credited with creating heavy metal started as a blues band called Earth. Their self-titled debut album, with a song

For the first time in his 35+ year history as the lead singer and frontman of KIX, Steve Whiteman has released his first-ever solo album, You’re Welcome.  The 12-song album was co-produced by Whiteman along with his trusted collaborators Brad Divens, Jimmy Chalfant, Dean Cramer,

Check out this great playlist of some of Ozzy’s greatest hits over the years.

From the early 2000s to the 2010s emo culture seemed to take over. For some, it was the next big thing. Some considered it diet goth. Others looked at emo as a joke. Oftentimes it would even be confused with

Check out this YouTube playlist of Quiet Riot’s greatest video hits.

For this list, I will be counting down the best double-stringed assaulters of our parent’s ears in heavy metal. This also includes sub-genres such as speed and power metal with a bit of glam. Some are here more for their

Check out this YouTube playlist of Def Leppard’s greatest video hits hand-picked by our staff at XS ROCK.

Michael Sweet, lead vocalist and guitarist for Christian metal band Stryper has posted the following on his thoughts about the “Christian” music industry on his Facebook page: You can read the whole article and more on Michael Sweet’s Facebook page:

Quiet Riot was around for a long time before they made it big. Originally with the legendary Randy Rhoads at guitar, they released two albums for Japan. By the time they broke into the scene, their original bassist had planned

For those who like their rock n’ roll sleazy…there’s no one better than Faster Pussycat. Mainstay and vocalist Taime Downe has delivered the goods since day one and the band continues to tour and release new material. Check out the

Hurricane started out in 1983-84 with the original lineup of lead vocalist Kelly Hansen (vocals/rhythm guitar), Robert Sarzo (guitar), Tony Cavazo (bass), and Jay Schellen (drums). Robert Sarzo is the brother of Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake) and

Check out this great YouTube playlist of the greatest music videos by RATT.

Check out this great YouTube playlist of the greatest music videos by Cinderella.

Check out this YouTube playlist of the best videos by Guns N’ Roses.

Dokken quickly built a following during the 80s with their debut album and first single, “Breaking The Chains”. With powerful vocals by Don Dokken, guitar work by George Lynch who is considered one of the top all-time rock guitarist, bassist

Skid Row took full advantage of the exposure that MTV and other video channels offered them in the 1980s and beyond. Check out our specially curated YouTube playlist of the best Skid Row music videos! Check out the latest happenings

Motley Crue took full advantage of the exposure that MTV and other video channels offered them in the 1980s and beyond. Check out our specially curated YouTube playlist of the best Motley Crue music videos! Check out the latest happenings

Sure, we all know John Waite’s # 1 hit song “Missing You”, but did you know it was written about former MTV VJ, Nina Blackwood. During a new interview where he discusses his brand new album, Wooden Heart Acoustic Anthology

In the music world, you’ll find lots of entertainers. You’ll also find some great songwriters, musicians, and singers. These days it’s extremely rare for any one person to have all of these qualities. However, singer/songwriter John Waite is one of

XS ROCK: Hey, man. Thanks for taking the time out to talk to us today. You’re one of the busiest guys I think there is in rock. Jeff Pilson: Then how come I feel lazy? (Laughs) XS ROCK: Well, I

I don’t know about everyone else, but I for one, am sick of seeing interview after interview with former Judas Priest guitarist, K.K. Downing complaining about his exit from the band. Now, before all of K.K.’s fans attempt to crucify

Mudvayne–one of the most creative and distinctive bands in the aggressive music world–has announced that they’re reuniting after a 12-year hiatus, and will be performing at all four Danny Wimmer Presents U.S. festivals in 2021: Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival (a headlining performance) in

  Black ‘N Blue was formed in 1981 and released four successful and critically acclaimed albums through Geffen Records including their self-titled debut (1984), “Without Love” (1985), “Nasty Nasty” (1986), and “In Heat” (1987), with the latter two albums produced

What if Stephen Pearcy had auditioned for Motley Crue when Vince Neil left and had become their new singer instead of John Corabi? I know, I know… of course that didn’t happen, but there were actually a lot of things

Grunge music exploded commercially with the first riff of Nirvana’s “Smell Like Teen Spirit”. The scene became huge very quickly with bands like Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam becoming successful and elevating the scene to

With their unique mixture of Hardcore, Metal and Groove/Rap, BIOHAZARD crested the Mount Olympus of the international Hardcore and Metal scene at the beginning of the 90s. What started out with »Biohazard« (1990) found its worthy continuation in »Urban Discipline«

The XS ROCK Featured Artist Holy Mother simply has to be heard to be believed. The band is a great mix of traditional metal with some modern touches. Fans of classic bands like Dio, Judas Priest, and Whitesnake should love

Review: I absolutely love it when an album comes across my desk that surprises me with how good it is. As rock a journalist I receive a lot of stuff for review on a daily basis and honestly only about

The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal, and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no

Multiple news outlets are now reporting that former Children Of Bodom Guitarist/Vocalist Alexi Laiho has died at the age of 41. He died at his home in Helsinki Finland after battling “long-term health issues.” Laiho was highly respected for guitar

The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no

White Lion was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist/guitarist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. The band had two top 10 hits with the songs “Wait” and When The Children Cry” both from the album

Back before COVID-19 shut down almost everything, we spoke with MSG singer Robin McAuley about the new album he recently recorded with Reb Beach, Jeff Pilson and Matt Starr called “Black Swan”. The interview has been delayed being published until

The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal, and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no

The idea for THE BANISHMENT has been years in the making for LYNCH to further push his creativity into darker, subliminal and chaotic territories. To accomplish this, he teamed up with HAZE over five years ago, who in addition to being the live guitarist for Lords of

It’s always a pleasure to speak to the Queen Of Metal, Doro Pesch and in our latest interview with her, she opens up about her new box set that features almost 4 hours of music. Listen to our interview with

Seduce is a heavy metal/power trio formed in Detroit in the 1980s. Seduce is best known for their appearance in Penelope Spheeris’ cult film “The Decline and Fall of Western Civilization Part II”, where they were the only band not

2020 has been one hell of a year so far.  But if you’re looking for something positive to help get through the madness, Armored Saint’s latest album “Punching The Sky” is exactly what the doctor ordered. We talk with Armored

Pretty Maids vocalist Ronnie Atkins has announced the following update about his current battle with cancer: As promised a week ago here’s a little update on my current health situation. I’m not gonna go into details, but just state that

This is the highest quality Official promo video for Van Halen’s 1980 song, “Loss Of Control”. The video was aired only outside of the U.S., so it is somewhat rare. Mayday! I checked it out. I think you ought to

Multiple outlets are reporting the sad news of Edward Van Halen’s death.  It appears that Eddie’s battle with cancer had taken a turn for the worse approximately 72 hours ago with cancer spreading to other organs.  His death has been

As the Earth of 2020 continues to revolve in a puzzling singularity, three of the world’s most powerful men have harnessed their collective capabilities for nuclear and musical power into a quest for world peace. On October 30th, this trio

Former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing has started his own band called KK’s Priest.  The band featuring Downing on guitars, AJ Mills on guitar, Tony Newton On bass, Les Binks on drums, and former Judas Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens