Late 1986 saw bassist Dave Starr bring in vocalist Carl Albert

Late 1986 saw bassist Dave Starr bring in vocalist Carl Albert (Villain, Ruffians) and guitarist Mark McGee (Overdrive, Starcastle, and later with Gregg Allman ) to replace St. Pierre and Moore respectively—prior to the recording of the band’s second album, Digital Dictator . This release with Shrapnel Records helped define Vicious Rumors’ classic US power metal sound. Digital Dictator was the year’s No. 1 album in one of Europe’s top metal magazines, RockHard. The album sold well in Japan, the US, and the rest of Europe. Vicious Rumors became an international live act at this point: they were invited to appear at the Dutch Aardschok Festival (alongside Megadeth, Testament, and Nuclear Assault), the Dynamo Open Air Festival (where they played in front of 40,000 people), and at live festivals with Death Angel and Forbidden .