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Impellitteri is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles formed and led by guitarist
Chris Impellitteri Chris Impellitteri (born September 25, 1964) is the American lead guitarist and founder of the heavy metal band Impellitteri. Impellitteri is heralded as one of the greatest guitar shredders. He has won Best Rock Guitarist awards on several ma ...
, vocalist
Rob Rock Robert Rock (born June 29, 1959) is an American heavy metal singer who is best known as the longtime frontman of Impellitteri, a position he has held from 1987 to 1988, 1992 to 2000, and now from 2008 to the present day. Rock has also released ...
, and bassist James Amelio Pulli. The band has sold millions of albums worldwide.


History

Chris Impellitteri Chris Impellitteri (born September 25, 1964) is the American lead guitarist and founder of the heavy metal band Impellitteri. Impellitteri is heralded as one of the greatest guitar shredders. He has won Best Rock Guitarist awards on several ma ...
formed Impellitteri together with vocalist
Rob Rock Robert Rock (born June 29, 1959) is an American heavy metal singer who is best known as the longtime frontman of Impellitteri, a position he has held from 1987 to 1988, 1992 to 2000, and now from 2008 to the present day. Rock has also released ...
in Los Angeles, California. They first released an EP simply titled ''Impellitteri'' in 1987. The EP features heavy metal with classically influenced shredding
guitar solos A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular mus ...
, screaming vocals,
speed metal Speed metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It ...
drumming and aggressive bass. It features songs like "Lost in the Rain" and "Burning" of which quickly gained the attention of heavy metal fans and musicians around the world. During the release of the EP, many major Media outlets began to cover Impellitteri in their magazines including ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'', ''
Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
'', ''
Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
'', and ''
Burrn! is a monthly Japanese magazine for fans of heavy metal music, published since September 1984. It is the major publication on heavy metal music in the country. As of 2013, it is published by Shinko Music Entertainment in Tokyo. The magazine's c ...
''. After the release of the EP, Impellitteri regrouped, this time with British vocalist
Graham Bonnet Graham Bonnet (born 23 December 1947) is an English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri.Pr ...
as lead singer, and released an album titled '' Stand in Line'' in 1988.
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
played Impellitteri's music video for "Stand in Line" in its rotation, and Chris Impellitteri was a guest host on MTV's ''
Headbangers Ball ''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consisted of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obs ...
''. Fans voted Impellitteri a "Smash" on MTV's ''Smash or Trash'' show. The album charted in
Billboards A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Top 100 and remained there for over five months. To date, the song "Stand in Line" has become a fan favorite globally. After touring in support of the ''Impellitteri'' EP and "Stand in Line", the band returned to the studio and reunited with original vocalist Rob Rock. They quickly recorded and released another EP titled ''Victim of the System'' (1993), which was produced by Mike Tacci who was the assistant engineer on
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 ...
's Black Album (1991). ''Victim of the System'' was highly influenced by the band
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
. Following ''Victim of the System'', they released ''
Answer to the Master ''Answer to the Master'' (1994) is the third full-length studio album by Impellitteri. Track listing *All lyrics by Rob Rock, except where noted. All music by Chris Impellitteri. # "The Future Is Black" — 3:42 # "Fly Away" — 4:03 # "Warrior" ...
'' in late 1994. To date, this album features many fan-favorite songs like "Warrior", "Fly Away", and the album title track "Answer to the Master". In 1996, Impellitteri released ''Screaming Symphony'', with Chris Impellitteri winning the ''
Burrn! is a monthly Japanese magazine for fans of heavy metal music, published since September 1984. It is the major publication on heavy metal music in the country. As of 2013, it is published by Shinko Music Entertainment in Tokyo. The magazine's c ...
'' magazine Readers Poll Award for "Best Rock Guitarist". The record was mixed by
Michael Wagener Michael Wagener (born 25 April 1949) is a German former music producer, mixer, and engineer from Hamburg, best known for his work with many top glam metal and heavy metal bands in the late 1980s. He is particularly renowned for his multi-amping an ...
who had produced Metallica and
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 ...
before. The ''Screaming Symphony'' features songs such as "Rat Race" and "17th Century Chicken Pickin", which are played frequently during live concerts. In 2000, Impellitteri released the album ''Crunch''. Crunch was the first record where the band started to occasionally use
drop tunings Guitar tunings are the assignment of pitches to the open strings of guitars, including acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and classical guitars. Tunings are described by the particular pitches that are made by notes in Western music. B ...
in combination with their brand of shred metal. The album featured songs like "Beware of the Devil", "Slay the Dragon", and "Speed Demon". In addition, the band recorded a ballad titled "Forever Yours". Shortly after ''Crunch'', Rob Rock decided to pursue a solo career. Impellitteri again recruited
Graham Bonnet Graham Bonnet (born 23 December 1947) is an English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri.Pr ...
and began working on their next album titled ''System X'', released in 2002. The album was mixed by
Andrew Murdock Andrew Murdock (born January 24, 1962), also known as Mudrock, is an American record producer specializing in rock and metal genres. He is best known for producing Godsmack's ''Godsmack'' and ''Awake'' albums. More recently, Murdock has produc ...
. That year they also released a compilation of hits called ''The Very Best of Impellitteri: Faster Than the Speed of Light'' (2002). In May 2008, it was announced that Rob Rock was, once again, back with Impellitteri. They collaborated on a new album called ''
Wicked Maiden Impellitteri is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri, vocalist Rob Rock, and bassist James Amelio Pulli. The band has sold millions of albums worldwide. History Chris Impellitteri f ...
'' (2009) with a working title of ''Good and Evil''. ''Wicked Maiden'' was released in Japan and Europe on February 24, 2009, with the intent of releasing the new album in the United States in 2011, followed by the Impellitteri Shredfest tour. In 2015, Impellitteri recorded, released, and toured behind their next album ''
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 ...
''. They performed on the headlining stage at Rock Fest Barcelona alongside bands such as
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 ...
. They also headlined shows such as the Busan Rock Festival in South Korea. In 2018/2019, Impellitteri released their newest album ''The Nature of the Beast''. The album features songs like "Run for Your Life", "Masquerade", and "Wonderworld", as well as two cover songs (
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 ...
's "Symptom of the Universe" and
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
's "
The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...
").


Beliefs

As far as
Christian metal Christian metal, also known as white metal, Jesus metal or heavenly metal, is heavy metal music distinguished by its Christian themed song lyrics and the dedication of the band members to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by ...
ties, Impellitteri (the band) does not consider themselves to be a
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
band. Rob Rock said the following in an interview:


Band members

Current *
Chris Impellitteri Chris Impellitteri (born September 25, 1964) is the American lead guitarist and founder of the heavy metal band Impellitteri. Impellitteri is heralded as one of the greatest guitar shredders. He has won Best Rock Guitarist awards on several ma ...
– guitars (1987–90, 1992–present), bass (1987) *James Amelio Pulli – bass (1992–present) *
Rob Rock Robert Rock (born June 29, 1959) is an American heavy metal singer who is best known as the longtime frontman of Impellitteri, a position he has held from 1987 to 1988, 1992 to 2000, and now from 2008 to the present day. Rock has also released ...
– lead vocals (1987–1988, 1992–2000, 2008–present) *Patrick Johansson – drums (2018-present, touring 2016) Former *
Graham Bonnet Graham Bonnet (born 23 December 1947) is an English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri.Pr ...
– lead vocals (1988–1990, 2000–2002) *Mark Weitz – lead vocals (1990) *Curtis Skelton – lead vocals(2003–2008) *Ted Days – bass (1987–1988) *
Chuck Wright Chuck Wright (born September 13, 1959) is an American bassist, best known as a member of the hard rock/heavy metal band Quiet Riot. He originally joined Quiet Riot in 1982, playing bass on the tracks " Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" and "Don' ...
– bass (1988, 1992) *
Dave Spitz Dave "The Beast" Spitz (born February 22, 1958) is an American musician best known for having played bass guitar for the heavy metal group Black Sabbath from 1985 to 1987, appearing on the albums ''Seventh Star'' and being credited for (but not ...
– bass (1988–1990) *Loni Silva – drums (1987–1988) *
Pat Torpey Patrick Allan Torpey (December 13, 1953 – February 7, 2018) was an American drummer and singer, best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Mr. Big. As well as playing for other various singers and artists such as; John ...
– drums (1988; died 2018) *
Stet Howland Stet Howland (born August 14, 1960) is an American drummer. Early life Howland graduated in 1978 from Duxbury High School. He started playing drums at age seven and has been teaching and playing for a living since age 13. His influences are Bud ...
– drums (1988–1990) *
Ken Mary Ken K Mary is an American musician who has worked as a drummer, producer, engineer, singer, record executive and writer on over thirty-five albums that combined have sold over five million copies worldwide. He has worked in genres from heavy roc ...
– drums (1992, 1994–1999) *Mark Bistany – drums (1992–1994) *Phil Wolfe – keyboards (1988–1990) *
Claude Schnell Claude Schnell (born May 17, 1955) is an American keyboardist who has been a member of the bands Magic, Rough Cutt, Dio, and Last in Line. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in France, when he was six years old his family move ...
– keyboards (1990, 1993) *Ed Roth – keyboards (1995–2007) *
Glen Sobel Glen Sobel is an American drummer who has performed and recorded in many different genres. Mainly known for being the drummer for Alice Cooper since 2011, Sobel has worked with other musicians/groups, including Mötley Crüe, Hollywood Vampire ...
– drums (1999–2009) *Brandon Wild – drums (2009–2012) *Jon Dette – drums (2012–2018) Timeline


Discography


References

* *


Footnotes


External links

* Impellitteri biography by Steve Huey, discography, album reviews, credits & releasesat
AllMusic.com AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Impellitteri discography, album releases & credits
at
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Impellitteri albums to be listened
as stream at Play.Spotify.com {{Authority control Heavy metal musical groups from California Musical groups established in 1987 Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Musical groups reestablished in 1992 Musical groups from Los Angeles Musical quintets Frontiers Records artists