Alcatrazz
Alcatrazz were an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, which was the mid-1980s active. In addition to vocalist Graham Bonnet, the guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen and former Frank Zappa guitarist Steve Vai was the most famous musicians in the band.
History
Alcatrazz was launched in 1983 by former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet to life. Shrapnel Records (Mike Varney ), the band in the same year under contract and also made contact with the Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen ago, who played at this time in the under contract also at Shrapnel band Steeler with Ron Keel. Was completed the line-up of bassist Gary Shea, keyboardist Jimmy Waldo and former Alice Cooper drummer January Uvena.
The band's debut album was released the same year with the title No Parole from Rock N ' Roll. January 28, 1984 at Nakano Sun Plaza Alcatrazz took in Tokyo, their first live album Live Sentence on, which came on the market in the same year. Also in 1984 left Yngwie Malmsteen the band to begin a solo career. Malmsteen became in the years to become one of the most influential guitarists in the metal genre.
As a replacement for the former Malmsteen Frank Zappa guitarist Steve Vai joined the band. With him, the group recorded their second album Disturbing the Peace and the Home Video Power Live '85, both of which appeared in 1985. But Vai it did not last long with the band. In the same year he went into the solo band of former Van Halen singer David Lee Roth before he launched a successful solo career after an interlude with Whitesnake. How Malmsteen Steve Vai is regarded today as one of the greatest guitarists in rock music.
In 1986 came Danny Johnson (including Rick Derringer, ex - Blackfoot and Alice Cooper) as a replacement for Steve Vai in the band. The album Dangerous Games was published in 1986 and thus a year before the band split up for the time being.
Published in 1998 a greatest hits compilation called The Best of Alcatrazz, contains the songs from all albums. The band's name moved again in 2002 something in the spotlight when the song God Bless Video (of Disturbing the Peace ) as part of the soundtrack of the PlayStation 2 game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was used.
2007, reformed the group and announced a new album.