Slaughter

Rising out of the ashes of Vinnie Vincent Invasion, members Mark Slaughter (lead vocals/rhythm guitar) and Dana Strum (bass) brought in Tim Kelly (lead guitar) and Blas Elias (drums) to form Slaughter in 1988. The band quickly got to work developing their sound, fusing catchy pop melodies with their driving metal in the hope that they could find crossover appeal between rock fans and pop fans alike.

Success was not long awaited for Slaughter, with their debut album becoming a huge breakthrough hit. Bolstered by three hit singles, “Fly to the Angels,” “Up All Night” and “Spend My Life,” the debut recording went on to be certified double-Platinum in the US. Having been requested by Orion Pictures, the band then recorded the single “Shout it Out,” which appeared in the film, “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey,” gaining heavy airplay and finding new fans from this exposure.

Their second effort, “The Wild Life,” appeared in 1992, achieving moderate success through the hit, “Real Love,” becoming certified Gold. Plans to return to the studio for a third album were set back by Kelly’s arrest for drug trafficking, as well as a motorcycle accident that prevented Strum from being gable to play due to his injuries. The album was finally completed in 1994 but by then it was released upon a changing musical market and the band were soon dropped from their label.

Signing to CMC Records, they returned with 1995’s “Fear No Evil,” a commercial failure in the US but the band had found a huge market in Japan. After releasing 1997’s “Revolution,” a more psychedelic affair, the band were struck with tragedy, following the sudden death of guitarist Kelly. Despite being deeply affected by the loss, Slaughter continued, releasing 199’s “Back to Reality,” which found commercial success once again through a number of successful singles.

Whilst not returning to the studio, the band have since toured extensively alongside the likes of Mötley Crüe member Vince Neil, Skid Row, Quiet Riot and Firehouse amongst others, helping to keep the hair metal fandom alive.