“Rocky Shades’ Wrathchild” (also known as “R.S.W.”) was founded by former lead vocalist Rocky Shades in 2006. They recorded a demo called Dead Good , which was featured on their Myspace website for a short time. At this point, the band’s line-up included guitarist Clem Dallaway. The next R.S.W. featured…
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A Wrathchild reunion began to be arranged in 2005. Although the other bandmembers initially had plans to reunite with Rocky Shades, this led to a few rehearsals, but he had pre-existing tour commitments with his tribute band, “The Birmingham Blues Brothers”, so he was obliged to put any involvement in…
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In the 1990s and early 2000s, several members of Wrathchild continued to perform in various bands. Marc Angel played bass in an underground alternative rock band called Bang Bang Machine, whilst Rocky Shades performed with a Blues Brothers tribute band, and then fronted The Handsome Beasts (between 2007 and 2013).
The band’s third studio album, Delirium , was released shortly afterwards, in 1989. It featured Grim Reaper ‘s Steve Grimmett on backing vocals. Soon after the release, Rocky Shades left to join the punk band Discharge and with the onset of grunge , Wrathchild broke up in 1991. A fourth…
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After settling the dispute with Heavy Metal Records, in 1988 (nearly four years later) the band released their second album, The Biz Suxx . This album spawned a single, “Nukklear Rokket”, which had a promotional video that was produced by Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden . Dickinson played a protester…
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Just as Wrathchild became moderately successful, they became embroiled in contractual problems with their label, Heavy Metal Records. RCA Records , a major label, unsuccessfully attempted to sign the band from Heavy Metal Records in an effort to free them from their contract. Meanwhile, in 1984 the group released a…
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After releasing a string of demos, such as Classical Mayhem / Mascara Massacre in 1982, the band was offered a record deal by Bullet Records . On this label the group put out their first official release in 1983: an EP called Stackheel Strutt . In 1984, the band recorded…
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Prior to the band’s third and most well-known line-up, the band recruited Kevin Kozak on guitar for a short time in 1982, although this was only a temporary measure until a permanent guitar player had been hired.
Wrathchild was formed in October 1980 in Evesham , Worcestershire , by Marc Angel and Philip Vokins (who were both formerly in a band called Sinner). They recruited Robert Barclay – known as Rocky Shades – for lead vocals, with Brian Parry on drums. Phil Vokins left in 1981 to…
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