Griffin (American band)
| Griffin | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| origin | San Francisco , California , United States |
| Genre (s) | Power metal , speed metal |
| founding | 1982, 2011 or earlier |
| resolution | 1986 or later |
| Current occupation | |
| Jay Novorolsky | |
| Rick Wagner | |
| Rick Cooper | |
| William Roderick McKay | |
| former members | |
Electric bass |
Thomas "Hawk" Sprayberry |
Electric guitar |
Mike Jastremski |
Electric bass |
Dan Levitan |
Electric guitar |
Henry Hewitt |
Griffin is an American power and speed metal band from San Francisco , California that was formed in 1982, split up around 1986, and came back together around 2011.
history
Singer McKay had previously played with Rick Cooper and Rick Wagner in a band called Sinister Angel in 1980. After about two years, however, the project fell apart. Rick Wagner and McKay then played for a few months at Metal Church until they founded Griffin in 1982. The group consisted of singer William Roderick McKay, drummer Rick Wagner and guitarist Rick Cooper. A short time later Dan Levitan joined the band as bass player. After a first demo was released in 1982, Henry Hewitt joined the band as another guitarist. A second demo followed in 1983. Through these demos, the band attracted the attention of Shrapnel Records and signed a contract with this label in 1984, about which the debut album Flight of the Griffin was released in February 1985 , where it had been recorded in August 1984. The publication was delayed because there were problems with the photos and the cover, as well as with the pressing. The band consisted of singer McKay, guitarist Michael "Yaz" Jastrembski, bassist Thomas "Hawk" Sprayberry, guitarist Rick Cooper and drummer Rick Wagner. The second album Protectors of the Lair followed in 1986, after which McKay played the vocals, Wagner the drums and Cooper played the bass and the electric guitar. The album was released on the band's own label Griffin Records and was distributed via Steamhammer . The band broke up a little later.
In 2011 the band played on the Keep It True .
style
On their debut Flight of the Griffin the band played classic speed metal, with slow, melodic passages interspersed. The songs on Protectors of the Lair have a progressive character. The band sounds a bit like Flotsam and Jetsam , with influences from Thrash Metal also being audible.
Discography
- 1982: First Demo (demo, self-published)
- 1983: 12 song demo (demo, self-release)
- 1985: Flight of the Griffin (Album, Shrapnel Records )
- 1986: Protectors of the Lair (album, Griffin Records / Steamhammer (distribution))
- 2011: Live '82 (single, Nuclear War Now! Productions )
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Oliver Klemm: Griffin . In: Metal Hammer , July 1986, p. 118 f.
- ↑ Griffin (10) - Flight Of The Griffin , accessed July 17, 2013.
- ↑ a b Hucky: Griffin . In: Metal Hammer , May 1985, p. 64.
- ↑ Garry Sharpe-Young : AZ of Thrash Metal . Cherry Red Books, London 2002, ISBN 1-901447-09-X , pp. 180 f .
- ^ Eduardo Rivadavia: Griffin , accessed July 17, 2013.
- ↑ Matthias Herr: Matthias Herr's Heavy Metal Lexicon Vol. 4 . Verlag Matthias Herr, 1994, p. 78 f .
- ↑ Siegfried Wehkamp: Keep It True XIII , accessed on July 17, 2013.
- ↑ Metal Harry: Hexx . No escape . Griffin . Flight of the Griffin . Chastain . Mystery of Illusion . Trauma . Scrath and Scream . In: Metal Hammer , April 1985, p. 72.
- ↑ Mike Blim: Griffin . Flight of the Griffin . In: Metal Hammer , April 1985, p. 102.
- ↑ Buffo: Griffin . Protectors of the Lair . In: Metal Hammer Collector Special, January 1987, p. 8.
- ↑ Holger Stratmann: ReviewAlbum , accessed on July 17, 2013.