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Vicious Rumors are an American
power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...
band, originally formed in 1979 in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
. The band was conceived by founder and guitarist/vocalist Geoff Thorpe, and has been actively recording and touring worldwide since their full-length recording debut in 1985. They are signed to the Germany-based label
SPV/Steamhammer SPV GmbH (short for ''Schallplatten Produktion und Vertrieb GmbH'', "Vinyl Production and Distribution Company") is a German independent record label. Founded on 1 January 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors ...
.


History


Foundation and full-length debut ''Soldiers of the Night'' (1979–1986)

Guitarist and composer Thorpe began his musical career as a teenager in
Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
. He had set out to start forming the band in the San Francisco Bay Area during the summer of 1979. Other Bay Area-based bands like
Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...
, Anvil Chorus,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
were also starting out during that era. These bands were playing the same local venues and establishing the
Bay Area thrash metal Bay Area thrash metal (also known as Bay Area thrash) referred to a steady following of heavy metal bands in the 1980s who formed and gained international status in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Along with Central Florida, the scene ...
scene—which in a few years would become very popular worldwide. While working towards a stable lineup, early incarnations of Vicious Rumors played live extensively within California's Bay Area between 1980 and 1985. Their first studio recordings appeared on compilations such as
KMEL KMEL (106.1 FM) is an urban contemporary radio station that is licensed to San Francisco, California, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned and operated by iHeartMedia. KMEL has studios located in the SoMa district, and broadcasts ...
's ''New Oasis'' and ''U.S. Metal'' vol. III and IV in 1982, 1983 and 1984. These recordings helped the band obtain their first record deal with the legendary
Shrapnel Records Shrapnel Records is an American record label group founded by record producer Mike Varney. The group principally uses the ''Shrapnel Records'' record label, a guitar-oriented label which features shred guitar, hard rock, metal and progressive ...
. The band's first full-length album ''
Soldiers of the Night ''Soldiers of the Night'' is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Vicious Rumors, released in 1985 through Shrapnel Records in the US and Roadrunner Records in Europe; a remastered edition was reissued in 2010.
'' was released in 1985, it featured Geoff Thorpe, Gary St. Pierre, Vinnie Moore, Dave Starr, and Larry Howe. It quickly began to establish VR's worldwide reputation. This release is classed as a milestone and a classic in
power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...
. The lineup at that time included a young guitarist named
Vinnie Moore Vincent Moore (born April 14, 1964) is an American guitarist and a former member of the British hard rock band UFO (band), UFO. Biography Moore was born in New Castle, Delaware. He began his professional career at age 12 after receiving a ...
. (Vinnie originally lived in Delaware, but was recommended to the band by Shrapnel Records founder
Mike Varney Michael Varney (born 1958) is an American record producer and music publisher. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records, and Blues Bureau International. He also owns 50% of Magna Car ...
).


The classic Vicious Rumors: from ''Digital Dictator'' to ''Word of Mouth'' (1987–1994)

Late 1986 saw bassist Dave Starr bring in vocalist
Carl Albert Carl Bert Albert (May 10, 1908 – February 4, 2000) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 46th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977 and represented Oklahoma's 3rd congressional district as a ...
(Villain, Ruffians) and guitarist Mark McGee (Overdrive, Starcastle, and later with
Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman B ...
) to replace St. Pierre and Moore respectively—prior to the recording of the band's second album, ''
Digital Dictator ''Digital Dictator'' is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Vicious Rumors, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records (United States) and Roadrunner Records (Europe); ''Digital Dictator'' was the year's No. 1 album in one of Europe's top metal magazines, RockHard. The album sold well in Japan, the US, and the rest of Europe. Vicious Rumors became an international live act at this point: they were invited to appear at the Dutch Aardschok Festival (alongside Megadeth, Testament, and Nuclear Assault), the
Dynamo Open Air Dynamo Open Air is a festival in the Netherlands that was held (almost) every year between 1986 and 2005. It was reborn in 2008 as Dynamo Outdoor and in 2015 as Dynamo Metal Fest. History Originally held to celebrate the fifth anniversary of th ...
Festival (where they played in front of 40,000 people), and at live festivals with
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 ...
and Forbidden. An increase in popularity began to generate interest in the band from major record labels, and in 1989 they signed a deal with the legendary major label
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
(Led Zeppelin, AC/DC,...). Their first Atlantic release was the self-titled ''
Vicious Rumors Vicious Rumors are an American power metal band, originally formed in 1979 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was conceived by founder and guitarist/vocalist Geoff Thorpe, and has been actively recording and touring worldwide since their ...
'' in 1990. The band subsequently began their first full US tour—which lasted for over three months and shot their first official video, "Don't Wait for Me", directed by
Gore Verbinski Gregor Justin "Gore" Verbinski (born March 16, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing ''Mouse Hunt'', '' The Ring'', the first 3 ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, and '' Rango''. For '' ...
. This tour was quickly placed in rotation on MTV's ''
Headbangers Ball ''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consists 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 obsc ...
''. 1991 saw the release of Vicious Rumors' fourth album, ''
Welcome to the Ball ''Welcome to the Ball'' is the fourth album by the American heavy metal band Vicious Rumors, released in 1991. It was produced by Michael Rosen and Geoff Thorpe. The band supported the album with a North American tour. ''Welcome to the Ball'' wa ...
''. This recording received
Bay Area Music Awards ''BAM'' (short for ''Bay Area Music'') was a free bi-weekly music magazine founded and published by Dennis Erokan in the San Francisco Bay Area from January 1976 until June 1999. History ''Bay Area Music'' magazine was first published in Janu ...
nominations for "Best New Metal Album" and "Outstanding Metal Album" (other nominees included Metallica and Tesla). Their second MTV video, "Children", went beyond the exposure normally limited to metal bands on ''Headbangers Ball''. It received regular daytime air play. The band finished the year with a one-month European tour—with
Savatage Savatage () is an American heavy metal band founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1979 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The band was first called Avatar, but, shortly before the release of their debut album '' Sirens'' (1983), they changed t ...
—and four months worth of live US performance dates. After a 1992 tour with label-mates Savatage and the release of the
live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...
'' Plug In and Hang On: Live in Tokyo'', guitarist Thorpe was diagnosed with
carpal tunnel syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a nerve compression syndrome associated with the collected signs and symptoms of Pathophysiology of nerve entrapment#Compression, compression of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel in the wrist. Carpal tunn ...
. He was forced to undergo surgery. During the year-long hiatus for Vicious Rumors, the band parted company with both Atlantic Records and bassist Dave Starr. After Thorpe recovered, new bass player Tommy Sisco (ex-Villain with Carl Albert) was recruited. The band's sixth album, 1994's ''
Word of Mouth Word of mouth is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others a ...
'', was recorded and released on the Rising Sun label. The CD included the song "Thunder and Rain" (parts 1 and 2), which was dedicated to the memory of
Criss Oliva Christopher Michael Oliva (April 3, 1963 – October 17, 1993) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal band Savatage. During his lifetime, he released seven studio albums and one EP with the band. ...
of Savatage. Sales of "Word of Mouth" were strong, the reception was positive, and the band resumed touring to support the release. Vicious Rumors were now becoming increasingly popular in Europe; they were invited back to the Dynamo Open Air Festival in the Netherlands. They also joined forces with Accept for several summer festival dates. The band returned to Europe later that year for more live shows, this time with
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 ...
,
Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction were a British hard rock group, which was formed in 1985. Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction play a sleazy style of commercial hard rock featuring big riffs and choruses, as was the trend in the band's ...
, and
Paul Di'Anno Paul Andrews (17 May 1958 – 21 October 2024), better known by his stage name Paul Di'Anno, was an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal singer who was the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981. In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno ...
's Killers.


Death of Carl Albert and subsequent releases (1995–2003)

After returning from the European Ultimate-Power-Force-Tour with Metal Church and Paul Di'Anno's Killers, singer Carl Albert was killed in a California Bay Area car accident on April 22, 1995. Around the same time, Mark McGee left the band.
Steve Smyth Steve Smyth (born November 28, 1970) is an American musician who is currently the guitarist for metal band One Machine. He has previously played guitar with many metal bands including Vicious Rumors, Testament, Nevermore and Forbidden. Bio ...
(future member of
Nevermore Nevermore is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992. The band was formed after three of its members — vocalist Warrel Dane, bassist Jim Sheppard and guitarist Jeff Loomis — ended their prev ...
,
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 ...
and Forbidden) was recruited as his replacement. Upon Albert's death, the band released '' A Tribute to Carl Albert'' (culled from non-soundboard recordings taken from the ''Word of Mouth'' European tour), and their first home video '' The First Ten Years''. Additionally Mark McGee composed and recorded the song "Find Your Way Home" for one of his solo projects (currently unpublished) and dedicated it to the memory of Albert. The band decided not to replace Albert at that time, and Thorpe assumed the role of vocalist for the band's next album: '' Something Burning''. This album was released in 1996 on the
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 ...
label. The song "Perpetual", included on the album, was the last track written with Albert. The resulting reviews of the new release were favorable, and VR subsequently undertook a European tour with Accept to support it. '' Cyberchrist'', their next studio album, was recorded and released in 1998 with newcomer Brian O'Connor on vocals. The band was invited by Blind Guardian to join them for 30 tour dates on their highly successful "Nightfall in Middle-Earth" European tour. The band then took some time off from touring and recording primarily to recruit new personnel. They recruited a new bass player, Cornbread, who replaced Tommy Sisco, and Ira Black (ex Heathen—later with Lizzy Borden) filled the spot left by departing guitarist Smyth. Session players Atma Anur, Dan Lawson and Will Carroll (later with
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 ...
) briefly sat in for drummer Larry Howe—who at the time wanted to take some time off from touring and recording. The new lineup recorded and released '' Sadistic Symphony'' with vocalist Morgan Thorn in 2001, but O'Connor re-joined the band for live dates in the US and Europe in support of the new album. These three albums had a more
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 sound. There were no new releases by Vicious Rumors in 2002 or 2003. During this period, band leader Thorpe was asked by longtime friend Daniel Jones of
rock & roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
band 7th Order to take part in recording sessions, alongside veteran British guitarist
Martin Pugh Martin John Pugh is a British guitarist who came to prominence after joining blues-rock band Steamhammer in 1968, staying with that band through 5 years and 4 albums. The debut Steamhammer album, also known as '' Steamhammer'', was released i ...
(of Steamhammer, the first Rod Stewart solo album and
Armageddon Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
) and drummer Tim Kelliher (of
Randy Hansen Randy Hansen (born December 8, 1954) is an American guitarist best known for his "Rock Tribute Act" honoring Jimi Hendrix.The Lake of Memory'' album (released on the Big Island Sounds label in 2007). Several tracks prominently featured Thorpe, and the album enjoyed a great deal of worldwide radio airplay.


Return to a traditional sound (2004–2012)

From 2004, in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the band's "Word of Mouth" release, there were some reunions (Thorpe, Howe, Sisco, plus McGee and Ira Black alternating on guitar and O'Connor on vocals). 2005 saw the release of the band's ''Crushing the World'' DVD, which featured both current and historical Vicious Rumors lineups, and included several previously unreleased tracks: "Poveglia", "Broken Wings", "Fight", and "Immortal". The album '' Warball'' (co-produced by Juan Urteaga) was recorded and released on the
Mascot Records Mascot Records is a record label and rock music subsidiary of Mascot Label Group. Artists * 10 Years * King Falcon *Agent Steel *Black Country Communion * Black Label Society * Black Stone Cherry *Bootsy Collins * Calva Louise * Crobot * Conque ...
label in early 2006. Members Cornbread and O'Connor left the band prior to its recording, but original members Dave Starr (bass) and Larry Howe (drums) returned. Vocalist
James Rivera James Rivera (born April 15, 1960) is an American singer, best known as the frontman for the heavy metal band Helstar. He was also the singer for Seven Witches between 2002 and 2005. Biography Rivera got his start singing with power metal act ...
(Helstar) and guitarists
Brad Gillis Bradley Frank Gillis (born June 15, 1957) is an American guitarist most famous for playing with the band Night Ranger. He grew up in Alameda, California. He was in the band Rubicon during the 1970s before Night Ranger. Since forming in 1979, Gi ...
(
Night Ranger Night Ranger is an American hard rock band from San Francisco, California. The band formed in 1982 and experienced a surge of popularity during the 1980s with the release of several successful albums and hit singles. Guitarist Brad Gillis and ...
,
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
) and Thaen Rasmussen (Heathen, Anvil Chorus) contributed to the recordings of the new album. Worldwide sales were excellent and reviewers universally saw the ''Warball'' album as a genuine "return to form" of a more traditional Vicious Rumors sound after the more experimental releases of the post-Carl Albert incarnations of the band. 2007 Stephen Goodwin stepped in to serve as bassist, and the band played several dates in Europe, including shows with
Agent Steel Agent Steel is an American speed metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1984 by vocalist John Cyriis with drummer Chuck Profus. The band released two full-length albums and one EP before disbanding in 1988. They were most notable for Cyriis' ...
,
HammerFall HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band from Gothenburg. The band was formed in 1993 by ex- Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak. They have released thirteen studio albums. History Early days (1993–1996) HammerFall was formed when g ...
,
Girlschool Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 ...
,
Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...
, and Heaven & Hell. Upon the band's return to the US, Ronnie Stixx (Divine Ruins, Blood Redskies, Shadowkeep) took over as an interim replacement for the a departing Rivera. Rasmussen was replaced by Kiyoshi Morgan as second guitarist. Stixx was eventually replaced by Brian Allen (Last Empire, Wild Dogs). In 2009, Thorpe and Howe (alongside Allen, Goodwin and Morgan) acknowledged the 30th Anniversary of the inception of Vicious Rumors, by performing songs from their debut album, ''
Soldiers of the Night ''Soldiers of the Night'' is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Vicious Rumors, released in 1985 through Shrapnel Records in the US and Roadrunner Records in Europe; a remastered edition was reissued in 2010.
'', with former singer Gary St. Pierre. at the Headbangers Open Air Festival. In 2011, Mark McGee, Tommy Sisco and Kevin Albert (the son of late vocalist Carl Albert) sat in with the band for their performance at the Keep It True Festival, also in Germany. The band signed to SPV Records, and their tenth album '' Razorback Killers'' was released on March 28, 2011. Several guests joined them for the sessions: Mark McGee, Brad Gillis, and Testament guitarist Eric Peterson. The album also marked the recording debuts of Goodwin, Morgan and Allen. The band then departed for an extensive European summer tour, headlining 60 shows and supporting
HammerFall HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band from Gothenburg. The band was formed in 1993 by ex- Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak. They have released thirteen studio albums. History Early days (1993–1996) HammerFall was formed when g ...
on 30 shows. In early 2012, the band took part in the first heavy metal sea cruise,
70000 Tons of Metal 70000 Tons of Metal (officially stylized as 70000TONS OF METAL) is an annual heavy metal music festival that takes place on board a cruise ship. The event is a five-day festival, including one shore day at a select Caribbean destination. His ...
. In late 2012, after a series of summer festival performances in Europe with new entry Bob Capka on second guitar, the band released a live album, recorded on tour with HammerFall in 2011 – engineered by Pontus Norgren (HammerFall guitarist and FOH engineer for King Diamond, Candlemass) – titled ''Live You to Death'' in November 2012.


Rotating more members and recent events (2013–present)

A new studio album, ''Electric Punishment'', was recorded and released on the SPV label in 2013. For their subsequent European tour, James Rivera returned temporarily to replace vocalist Allen. The Slovenian instrumentalist Tilen Hudrap took over for the departing Stephen Goodwin on bass and became the first European member of Vicious Rumors. Thaen Rasmussen and Bob Capka will alternate in those years the second guitar role. The band had played more than 70 shows in 2013, including several metal festivals (Alcatraz festival, Metaldays, Stonehenge festival, Bang Your Head festival, Headbanger's Open Air, Turock Summerfest), and a pre-show performance for the Bang Your Head!!! event in Germany, which again featured a special guest appearance by Kevin Albert. For the band's American tour, Dutch singer Nick Holleman took over as vocalist. The band continued touring into 2014: again playing the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise (playing their ''Digital Dictator'' album in its entirety for the first time); as well as several big European summer festivals (headlining in Belgium, Croatia, Holland, Slovenia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic) and numerous live club dates. A live album titled ''"Live You to Death 2: American Punishment'' was released in June 2014, the first official release by the new VR lineup with European members Hudrap and Holleman. According to the band's web site, their first live dates in South America took place in December 2014. The band played in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Negrinho, Buenos Aires, and Curitiba. The band embarked in new American and European Tours. In Germany, at Keep It True Festival, Vicious Rumors are once again joined onstage by Keven Albert. Pre-production for the 12th studio album, ''Concussion Protocol'', began in late 2014. It was released August 2016 on
SPV/Steamhammer SPV GmbH (short for ''Schallplatten Produktion und Vertrieb GmbH'', "Vinyl Production and Distribution Company") is a German independent record label. Founded on 1 January 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors ...
, followed by the singles "Chasing the Priest" and "Take It or Leave It", and a full-scale tour of Europe in November. In May 2017 the band announced a new line up with the return of vocalist Brian Allen and guitarist Gunnar DüGrey replacing Holleman and Rasmussen respectively. This lineup of Vicious Rumors performed several live dates in Europe, as well as the US (California) in the summer of 2017. In 2018 and 2019, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of ''
Digital Dictator ''Digital Dictator'' is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Vicious Rumors, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records (United States) and Roadrunner Records (Europe);Greg Christian Gregory Christian (born April 29, 1966) is an American musician who is the former bassist for thrash metal band Testament. He left the band in 1996, but rejoined in 2004 and left again in 2014. In addition to Testament, Christian has also playe ...
on bass and Cody Green on guitars, while the band's new live bassist was the Swedish Robin Utbult. In July 2022, the band announced that former
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 ...
vocalist
Ronny Munroe Ronny Munroe (born November 22, 1965) is an American singer, most noted as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Metal Church from 2003 until the band broke up in 2009. His second tenure with the band lasted from 2012 when the group reunite ...
had joined the band. On July 24, 2023, Munroe announced his departure for medical reasons. He would be replaced with Brian Allen once again. The band tours once again worldwide, including the long awaited return to Japan. Longest standing member beside Geoff Thorpe, drummer Larry Howe, suddenly announces his departure from the band in May, 2024. For the following gigs is replaced by Gunnar Coston from the band Wicked. One month later also singer Brian Allen and guitarist Gunnar DuGrey step out from Vicious Rumors. Larry Howe anyway returns behind the drumkit very soon, while a new guitarist is found in Denver Cooper. Brian "Chalice" Betterton is announced as new vocalist. Vicious Rumors' first studio album in five years, ''The Devil's Asylum'', is due for release on August 29, 2025.


Members

Current members *Geoff Thorpe – guitars, backing and additional lead vocals *Larry Howe – drums, backing vocals *Robin Utbult – bass *Denver Cooper – guitars *Chalice – lead vocals


Discography

;Studio albums * ''
Soldiers of the Night ''Soldiers of the Night'' is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Vicious Rumors, released in 1985 through Shrapnel Records in the US and Roadrunner Records in Europe; a remastered edition was reissued in 2010.
'' (1985) * ''
Digital Dictator ''Digital Dictator'' is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Vicious Rumors, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records (United States) and Roadrunner Records (Europe);Vicious Rumors Vicious Rumors are an American power metal band, originally formed in 1979 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was conceived by founder and guitarist/vocalist Geoff Thorpe, and has been actively recording and touring worldwide since their ...
'' (1990) * ''
Welcome to the Ball ''Welcome to the Ball'' is the fourth album by the American heavy metal band Vicious Rumors, released in 1991. It was produced by Michael Rosen and Geoff Thorpe. The band supported the album with a North American tour. ''Welcome to the Ball'' wa ...
'' (1991) * ''
Word of Mouth Word of mouth is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others a ...
'' (1994) * '' Something Burning'' (1996) * '' Cyberchrist'' (1998) * '' Sadistic Symphony'' (2001) * '' Warball'' (2006) * '' Razorback Killers'' (2011) * ''Electric Punishment'' (2013) * ''Concussion Protocol'' (2016) * ''Celebration Decay'' (2020) * ''The Devil's Asylum'' (2025) ;Extended plays * ''The Voice'' (1994) ;Live albums * '' Plug In and Hang On: Live in Tokyo'' (1992) * '' A Tribute to Carl Albert'' (1995) * ''Live You to Death'' (2012) * ''Live You to Death 2: American Punishment'' (2014) ;Compilation appearances * "I Can Live Forever" (from the KMEL compilation ''New Oasis'') (1982) * "Ultimate Death" (from ''US Metal Vol. III'') (1983) * "One Way Ticket" (from ''US Metal Vol. IV'') (1984)


Videography

* 1996: '' The First Ten Years'' (VHS) * 2005: '' VR – Crushing the World'' (DVD) * 2018: ''40th Anniversary – Live in Germany'' (DVD)


References


External links

* (defunct website) *
Rock Detector's Vicious Rumors Biography


Vicious Rumors' Geoff Thorpe & Armageddon/Steamhammer's Martin Pugh sit in on 7th Order sessions

Vicious Rumors in Argentina, Dec 2014 {{Authority control 1979 establishments in California American power metal musical groups Atlantic Records artists Heavy metal musical groups from California Massacre Records artists Musical groups established in 1979 Musical quintets from California Roadrunner Records artists Shrapnel Records artists