Lȧȧz Rockit was an American
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
band formed in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, in 1981.
The band is most notable for its association with the
Bay Area thrash metal scene of the 1980s, and is considered a member of the region's so-called Big Six, along with
Exodus,
Testament
A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament.
Testament or The Testament can also refer to:
Books
* ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book
* ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
,
Death Angel
Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. They have released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone thr ...
,
Forbidden and
Vio-lence.
History
Initial career and split (1981–1992)
Originally called Depth Charge,
Lȧȧz Rockit was formed in 1981 in the hills of
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...
, by vocalist Michael Coons and guitarist Aaron Jellum. Coons was 17, about to graduate high school, and Jellum was 18, busy attending college and riding motorcycles. They knew what musical direction they wanted to pursue. After performing with various members, Coons and Jellum came across guitarist Phil Kettner and drummer Victor Agnello in late 1982 or early 1983. By the time bassist Willy Lange joined in 1983 to complete the lineup of the band, Depth Charge had changed its name to Lȧȧz Rockit.
Its first recording was the ''Prelude to Death'' demo, which was released that year.
The band later signed with Target Records to release its debut album, ''City's Gonna Burn'', in 1984, followed one year later by ''
No Stranger to Danger''. This period saw Lȧȧz Rockit play with a wide variety of bands, such as the Big Four of thrash metal—
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
,
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
and
Anthrax
Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
—as well as
Exodus,
Ratt
Ratt (stylized as RATT) was an American glam metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum and multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA. ...
,
W.A.S.P.,
Girlschool,
Y&T,
Leatherwolf,
Kix,
Dark Angel,
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice, California, by vocalist Mike Muir. The band has undergone various lineup changes, with Muir as the only remaining original member. Their current lineup includes ...
,
Stryper
Stryper is an American Christian metal and heavy metal music, heavy metal band from La Mirada, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass), and Robert Sweet (musician), ...
and
Armored Saint. The band made its first appearance in Europe in 1986, supporting
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
.
Its presence helped forge a new, heavier musical direction for the band and formed a unique relationship with European fans.
Lȧȧz Rockit released its next two albums, ''
Know Your Enemy'' in 1987 and ''
Annihilation Principle'' in 1989, under the labels
Roadrunner/
Enigma Records
Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.
History
Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/d ...
. Both albums were well received by fans and critics. The band shared the stage with the likes of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax,
Overkill,
Testament
A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament.
Testament or The Testament can also refer to:
Books
* ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book
* ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
,
M.O.D.,
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost () was a Swiss metal music, heavy metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several metal subgenres, particularly extreme metal,Bukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal' ...
,
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen Reil, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli- ...
,
Voivod,
Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault was an American thrash metal band formed in New York City in 1984. Part of the mid-to-late 1980s thrash metal movement, they were one of the main bands of the genre to emerge from the East Coast along with Overkill, Whiplash, ...
,
Vio-lence,
Forbidden,
Metal Church
Metal Church is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1980. Originally based in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, they relocated to Aberdeen, Washington the following year and briefly called themselves Shrapnel. Led ...
,
D.B.C., Suicidal Tendencies, the
Cro-Mags
The Cro-Mags are an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band, which has garnered a strong cult following, has released six studio albums, with the first two considered the most influential. With a Hare Krishna background, they ...
,
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
and
L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns are an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1983. The lineup currently consists of Tracii Guns (lead guitar), Phil Lewis (musician), Phil Lewis (lead vocals), Ace Von Johnson (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Mar ...
.
Later in 1989, Lange, Kettner and Agnello left the band for various reasons, leaving Coons and Jellum as the only remaining members. The two soon recruited guitarist Scott Sargeant, bassist Scott Dominguez and drummer
Dave Chavarri. In 1991, the band's fifth album, ''
Nothing's Sacred'', was released. After touring in the United States and Europe from 1991 to 1992 and appearing in Japan in 1992, the band split up. Most of the members then formed the short-lived
groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
-oriented thrash metal band Gack, replacing Chavarri with
Defiance drummer Matt Vander Ende.
Reunion (2005–present)
In 2005, Lȧȧz Rockit reformed with the original lineup, performing a return show at the
Dynamo Open Air in May of that year. On July 9, 2005, the band teamed up with other bands to perform in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
for a benefit concert dubbed ''Thrash Against Cancer''. In September 2005, the band returned to Japan. Later, Lȧȧz Rockit announced that they would not record a new album. However, after the response to its shows in April 2007 and the sales of its ''Live Untold'' DVD, released in 2006, it announced that it would undertake a project intended to result in a new album for release in 2007 or early 2008. In 2007, new drummer Sky Harris joined the band. On May 27, 2008, Lȧȧz Rockit posted two new songs from its then-upcoming release ''
Left for Dead'' on its official
Myspace
Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
page. The album was released on July 25, 2008, on the German label
Massacre Records
Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany, specializing in bands from the heavier genres of metal.
The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. Associated with Massacre Records are the marketing and music ...
. The band also announced that its back catalogue would be re-released and remastered; however, ''Nothing's Sacred'' was not mentioned for a re-release.
On December 9, 2011, the band opened for
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
on the third concert of its 30th anniversary party at
The Fillmore.
On June 1, 2014, drummer Victor Agnello died at the age of 50 after battling
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
for over a year. On October 23, 2018, bassist Willy Lange died at the age of 57 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
Although no official breakup or hiatus was announced, the band has been inactive since opening for Metallica in 2011. By 2016, there were reports of the band writing a follow-up to 2008's ''Left for Dead''.
The band's official website had ceased to exist by March 2017.
Members
;Current members
* Michael Coons – lead vocals (1981–1992, 2005–2011)
* Aaron Jellum – guitars (1981–1992, 2005–2011)
* Phil Kettner – guitars (1981–1989, 2005–2011)
* Sky Harris – drums (2007–2011)
;Past members
* Scott Weller – guitars (1989–1990)
* Scott Sargeant – guitars (1990–1992)
* Dave Starr – bass (1981–1983)
* Willy Lange – bass (1983–1989, 2005–2011; died 2018)
* Jon Torres – bass (1989–1990; died 2013)
* Scott Dominguez – bass (1991–1992)
* Victor Agnello – drums (1983–1989, 2005–2006; died 2014)
* Sven Soderlund – drums (1989–1990)
*
Dave Chavarri – drums (1990–1992)
Timeline
Discography
;Studio albums
*''City's Gonna Burn'' (1984)
*''
No Stranger to Danger'' (1985)
*''
Know Your Enemy'' (1987)
*''
Annihilation Principle'' (1989)
*''
Nothing's Sacred'' (1991)
*''
Left for Dead'' (2008)
;Singles
*"Leatherface" (1990)
*"Holiday in Cambodia" (1990)
;Demos
*''Prelude to Death'' (1983)
;Live albums
*''Taste of Rebellion – Live in Citta'' (1992)
;Videos
*''European Meltdown'' (1988)
*''Taste of Rebellion – Live in Citta'' (1992)
*''Live Untold'' (2006)
References
External links
*
*
Laaz Rockit interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laaz Rockit
Musical groups established in 1981
Thrash metal musical groups from California
Musical groups from San Francisco
1982 establishments in California