Tokyo Blade are an English
heavy metal band, active since 1982. Tokyo Blade is one of the many acts considered part of the
new wave of British heavy metal
The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term i ...
(NWOBHM) movement, which lasted from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Tokyo Blade have been through many changes of formation and have disbanded twice, often changing their musical style during their years of activity. However, the band is still active (as of 2020), with most of the original members in the lineup.
History
NWOBHM (1978-1985)
The band was formed in
Salisbury
Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath.
Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
in the late 1970s, under the moniker White Diamond (changed to Killer in 1981 and then changed again, to Genghis Khan). The original lineup consisted of Alan Marsh (vocals), Andy Boulton (guitar), Ray Dismore (guitar), Andy Robbins (bass), and Steve Pierce (drums). After a final change of name to Tokyo Blade, the band signed with the British
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
Powerstation Records and recorded their first album. This album was self-titled in all regions, except in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and Canada, where it came out under the title ''
Midnight Rendezvous
''Midnight Rendezvous'' is an EP by the British heavy metal music, heavy metal band Tokyo Blade, released in 1984 through the UK independent record label Powerstation Records. The songs were recorded in early 1983 when the band was called Geng ...
'' on the
Combat Records
Combat Records was an American independent record label founded in 1983 and based in New York City.
The label specifically was for heavy metal and punk rock acts, Notable artist include: Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, OZ, Deat ...
label, in 1984. In fact, this was a compilation of four earlier recordings, dating from when the band were called Genghis Khan, plus four songs from the original Tokyo Blade album. Also in 1984, the band shared the stages of clubs and festivals with notable acts such as
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/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 ...
and
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
.
Like many other acts from that era, Tokyo Blade was plagued by frequent changes of band members. By the time their second album was released, vocalist Alan Marsh had been replaced by Vick Wright. The album, ''
Night of the Blade'' was issued in 1984 with Wright on vocals. However, in 1998, an edition of the album featuring Marsh's original vocals was eventually released, as ''Night of the Blade... The Night Before''. In that period, Tokyo Blade took part in tours and festival packages with the likes of
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American Rock music, rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla ( ...
,
Dio,
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
and
Scorpions
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
.
The band's third record, ''
Black Hearts & Jaded Spades
''Black Hearts & Jaded Spades'' is the third album by English hard rock band Tokyo Blade. It was originally released in 1985 on Tokyo Blade own record label and in the same year reissued by SPV/Steamhammer. The keyboard-laden compositions of ...
'' was released in 1985 on the band's own label in Europe; it was available in the United States as an import. The band filmed a concert at
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
's
Camden Palace
Camden may refer to:
People
* Camden (surname), a surname of English origin
* Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer
* Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor
Places Australia
* Camden, New South Wales
* Camden, Rosehill, a heritage resi ...
, which was shown on TV in the UK on
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
in 1985, and has since made its way onto multiple bootleg DVD releases. By the end of the year, Tokyo Blade had disbanded, with all members subsequently dedicating their time and efforts to other projects.
Andy Boulton's Tokyo Blade (1985-1989)
Original vocalist Alan Marsh formed another Far East-influenced band called Shogun, alongside former Chinatown guitarist Danny Gwilym. They released two albums, and worked with noted producer
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan Ezrin (born March 25, 1949) is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, best known for his work with Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Kiss, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Andrea Bocelli and Phish. As of 2010, Ezrin' ...
. Shogun eventually worked with Tokyo Blade bandmates Steve Pierce, Andy Wrighton and Andy Robbins.
Guitarist John Wiggins (Deep Machine, Slam) would go on to play in the first edition of
Battlezone with ex-
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
vocalist
Paul Di'Anno
Paul Andrews (born 17 May 1958), better known by his stage name Paul Di'Anno, is a British/Brazilian heavy metal singer who was the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981.
In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno has issued numerous albu ...
.
Original bassist Andy Robbins would be a part of the bands Jagged Edge and Taste, who recorded a single with Iron Maiden's
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stage ...
and later became the
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
band
Skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...
.
Vocalist Vick Wright formed the band
Johnny Crash; this being the first project related to Tokyo Blade to appear on a major label in the United States, with the release of the album ''
Neighbourhood Threat
''Neighbourhood Threat'' is the first album released by the heavy metal band Johnny Crash, released in 1990. Recorded at Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles and mixed at Battery Studios, London. The album features guest appearances by Kingdom Come ...
''. A revamped line-up of Johnny Crash, including future
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
members
Dizzy Reed
Darren Arthur Reed (born June 18, 1963), better known by his stage name Dizzy Reed, is an American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the keyboardist for the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he has played, toured, and recor ...
and
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum (born November 19, 1960) is an American drummer. He is best known as both a former member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he recorded three studio albums, and as a member of the supergroup Velvet Revolver. S ...
, recorded a second album, originally called ''Damnation Alley'', which saw release in 2008 on
Suncity Records
Suncity Records is an Australian record label that specialized in releasing melodic rock and hard rock CDs. The label mostly focused on previously recorded, but unreleased, material. Suncity Records went out of business (off-line) in late 2010.
...
. This album was later re-released under the title ''
Unfinished Business''.
Original guitarist Andy Boulton continued recording under the name "Andy Boulton's Tokyo Blade", with an entirely new lineup in place. This new incarnation of Tokyo Blade released the album ''
Ain't Misbehavin''' in 1987 and toured on the festival circuit, playing on the same stages as bands such as
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
. Vocalist Pete Zito then went on to front a band called Inside Out.
In 1988, Andy Boulton recruited members of the German band The Dead Ballerinas (featuring former
Kin Ping Meh vocalist Michael Pozz) to record the album ''
No Remorse'', which was issued on the GAMA International sub-label Hot Blood Records. Like the debut, this album has since been reissued with multiple covers. Following the album's release, Tokyo Blade disbanded once again, with Boulton returning to work with Alan Marsh.
Mr. Ice and reformation (1989-1998)
Following record company problems which caused Shogun to disband, Alan Marsh formed a group called Mr. Ice, which eventually included guitarist Andy Boulton. As this group now featured two key members from Tokyo Blade, a move from the band's management to resurrect the old name for a European tour with
Uriah Heep led to additional issues. Boulton exited the group and was replaced by guitarist Steve Kerr. At the conclusion of the tour, both Kerr and the management team exited. Some of the tracks from the Mr. Ice project were released as a Tokyo Blade record in the mid-1990s.
By 1994, Marsh and Boulton were playing together again and creating new music. They released the album ''
Burning Down Paradise'' on
SPV in 1996. Certain tracks were also released as a Tokyo Blade record in the mid-to-late 1990s.
The band's early albums were reissued in 1997 on the High Vaultage label, and the latter-period recordings were gathered together by Zoom Club. A live album, entitled ''Live in Germany'' was released in 2009.
Solo projects and new activities (2008-present)
Andy Boulton went on to be in the band XFX, later concentrating his efforts on a solo album and on teaching electric and bass guitar.
For a while, Alan Marsh joined the cast of a musical based on the story of
Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
.
Second vocalist Vick Wright wrote a number of screenplays and a novel called "South of the Pole", worked on the production of a comedy show, and pursued a publishing deal.
Bassist Andy Wrighton (Deep Machine, Shogun) and guitarist John Wiggins (Deep Machine, Slam) joined the reformed
Deep Machine
Deep Machine were an English heavy metal band from the East London, England, that first came into existence in 1979. Founded by lead guitarist Bob Hooker, the band's music was influenced by other NWOBHM bands such as Iron Maiden and in partic ...
in 2009, with guitarist Bob Hooker, singer Lenny Baxter (ex-Gangland) and drummer Chas Towler (Slam). Deep Machine split up in October 2015.
After more than twelve years of inactivity, a new version of Tokyo Blade was rebuilt by guitarist Bryan Holland, including Andy Boulton alongside new members: singer Chris Gillen, drummer Lorenzo Gonzalez, and bassist Frank Sapardi. This lineup of the band successfully toured throughout Europe during 2008-2009.
Andy Boulton quit the band just prior to the band's Autumn 2009 European tour, citing health reasons; he gave Bryan Holland his blessing to continue without him. The remaining members of the band therefore carried on, to fulfil their touring contracts and commitments.
Following the conclusion of the 2009 tour and the release of the ''Live in Germany'' album, the band's previous lineup dissolved. Andy Boulton subsequently re-enlisted four members of the band's classic lineup: John Wiggins, Andy Wrighton and Steve Pierce, with vocalist Chris Gillen remaining on board. However, Gillen did not perform or record with the band again and was soon replaced by
Domain
Domain may refer to:
Mathematics
*Domain of a function, the set of input values for which the (total) function is defined
**Domain of definition of a partial function
**Natural domain of a partial function
**Domain of holomorphy of a function
* Do ...
singer Nicolaj Ruhnow.
The band recorded their next album ''Thousand Men Strong'' with producer
Chris Tsangarides
Christopher Andrew Tsangarides (17 August 1956 – 6 January 2018) was a British Grammy-nominated record producer, sound engineer, and mixer of Greek Cypriot origin. He was best known for his work with many heavy metal artists, including G ...
, and it was released in March 2011. Tokyo Blade was a live attraction at metal festivals in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
In early 2012, former member Ray Dismore formed a band called Innovator, alongside vocalist Mike Vickers. They have since released several albums of original material.
Nicolaj Ruhnow left Tokyo Blade abruptly in 2014, citing a fallout with Andy Boulton,
and Chris Gillen then returned to the band as lead vocalist.
A reformation of Tokyo Blade's classic lineup occurred in 2016, when vocalist Alan Marsh rejoined Andy Boulton, John Wiggins, Andy Wrighton and Steve Pierce in the band. This lineup recorded the albums ''Unbroken'' (released in 2018) and ''Dark Revolution'' (released in 2020).
Members
Current members
* Andy Boulton - lead guitar (1982–present)
* John Wiggins - Lead guitar (1983-1986; 2010–present)
* Andy Wrighton - bass guitar (1984-1986; 2010–present)
* Steve Pierce - drums (1982-1986; 1987; 2010–present)
* Alan Marsh - lead vocals (1982-1984; 1990-1991; 1995-1996; 2016-present)
Former members
* Vick Wright - lead vocals (1984-1986; 2016)
* Bryan Holland - lead guitar (2007-2010)
* Michael Pozz - lead vocals (1989)
* Pete Zito - lead vocals (1986-1988)
* Brian George - lead vocals (1987)
*
Carl Sentance - lead vocals (1986)
* Danny Gwilym - rhythm guitar (1990-1991)
* Sean Cooper - rhythm guitar/keyboards (1986)
* Ray Dismore - rhythm guitar (1982-1983)
* Steve Kerr - lead guitar
* Andy Robbins - bass guitar (1982-1984)
* Dave Donaldson - bass guitar (1987)
* Dave Sale - bass guitar (1989)
* Colin Riggs - bass guitar (1990-1991;1995-1996)
* Frank 'Sapardi' Kruckle- bass guitar (2008-2010)
* Ace Finchum - drums
* Alex Lee - drums (1987)
* Marc Angel - drums (1990-1991; 1995-1996)
* Lorenzo Gonzalez - drums (2008-2010)
* Martin Machwitz - keyboards (1989)
* Nicolaj Ruhnow - lead vocals (2010–2014)
* Atilla - keyboards (1990)
* Chris Gillen - Vocals (2008-2010, 2014–2016)
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Tokyo Blade
Tokyo Blade are an English heavy metal band, active since 1982. Tokyo Blade is one of the many acts considered part of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) movement, which lasted from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Tokyo Blade hav ...
'' (1983)
*''
Night of the Blade'' (1984)
*''
Black Hearts & Jaded Spades
''Black Hearts & Jaded Spades'' is the third album by English hard rock band Tokyo Blade. It was originally released in 1985 on Tokyo Blade own record label and in the same year reissued by SPV/Steamhammer. The keyboard-laden compositions of ...
'' (1985)
*''
Ain't Misbehavin''' (1987)
*''
No Remorse'' (1989)
*''
Burning Down Paradise'' (1995)
*''
Pumphouse'' (1998)
*''Mr. Ice'' (1998)
*''
Eye of the Storm'' (2008, re-release of ''No Remorse'')
*''Thousand Men Strong'' (2011)
*''Unbroken'' (2018)
*''Dark Revolution'' (2020)
*''Fury'' (2022)
EPs
*''Lightning Strikes'' (1984)
*''
Midnight Rendezvous
''Midnight Rendezvous'' is an EP by the British heavy metal music, heavy metal band Tokyo Blade, released in 1984 through the UK independent record label Powerstation Records. The songs were recorded in early 1983 when the band was called Geng ...
'' (1984)
*''Madame Guillotine'' (1985)
*''Camp 334'' (2012)
*''Stick it ...'' (2012)
Live albums
*''Live in Germany'' (2009) CD and DVD
Related releases
*Shogun - ''Shogun'' (Alan Marsh)
*Shogun - ''31 Days'' (Alan Marsh / Andy Wrighton / Steve Pierce)
*
Johnny Crash - ''
Neighbourhood Threat
''Neighbourhood Threat'' is the first album released by the heavy metal band Johnny Crash, released in 1990. Recorded at Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles and mixed at Battery Studios, London. The album features guest appearances by Kingdom Come ...
'' & ''
Unfinished Business'' (Vick Wright)
*Battlezone - ''
Fighting Back'' (John Wiggins)
*Battlezone - ''
Children of Madness'' (John Wiggins)
*Battlezone - ''
Feel My Pain'' (John Wiggins / Colin Riggs / Marc Angel)
*12 Apostel - ''12 Apostel'' (Martin Machwitz)
*Dead Ballerinas - ''Dead Ballerinas'' (Michael Pozz)
*
Kin Ping Meh - ''Kin Ping Meh'' (Michael Pozz)
*
Skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...
- Multiple albums (Andy Robbins)
*Innovator - Multiple albums (Ray Dismore)
*Reverence - ''When Darkness Calls'' (2012) (Bryan Holland)
*Reverence - ''Gods of War'' (2015) (Bryan Holland / Lorenzo Gonzalez)
*Reverence - ''Live'' (2016) (Bryan Holland / Lorenzo Gonzalez)
*Nick Hellfort - ''The Mask Within'' (2013) (Nicolaj Ruhnow)
*Irony - ''2K5'' (2005) (Nicolaj Ruhnow)
*Irony - ''In the Beginning .. Echoes from the Past'' (2007) (Nicolaj Ruhnow)
*Irony - ''Black For More'' (2019) (Nicolaj Ruhnow)
*Domain - ''The Chronicles Of Love, Hate And Sorrow'' (2009) (Nicolaj Ruhnow)
*Mojo Blizzard - ''Lost In Space II'' (2020) (Nicolaj Ruhnow)
See also
*
List of new wave of British heavy metal bands
The late 1970s–early 1980s period in the United Kingdom introduced a movement of young musicians, generally identified as the new wave of British heavy metal (often abbreviated as NWOBHM). The movement spawned more than a thousand hard rock and ...
References
External links
Official HomepageOfficial Facebook PageOfficial Fan SiteOfficial MySpace Page
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 1983
Musical groups disestablished in 1997
English heavy metal musical groups
Musical groups reestablished in 2008
New Wave of British Heavy Metal musical groups