Slave Raider was an American heavy metal band formed in 1985 that was known for its over-the-top antics, heavy

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and glam song lyrics. In the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...

, Slave Raider had a sizeable following that were known as "The Raid". They opened for such 1980s bands as

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and

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with the original lineup. The lead singer, Mike Findling, performed under the persona Chainsaw Caine (wielding and operating a

chainsaw A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable gasoline-, electric-, or battery-powered saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. It is used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, Log bucking, bucki ...

on stage as part of the act). Due to an injury in his youth he had a wandering eye that he felt was a distraction to the audience when he performed, so he began to wear an eye patch. As eye patches are often associated with pirates, the band took the name "Slave Raider" from the history of pirate lore. Other members of the band performed under the names Lance Sabin (guitar), Nicci Wikked (guitar), Letitia Rae (bass), and Rock (drums). In 1986, Slave Raider won all four Heavy Metal honors at the Minnesota Music Awards; that year

Prince A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

performed at the ceremony and

Soul Asylum Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The band was originally called Loud Fast Rules, with a lineup consisting of Dav ...

won for Best New Band. The band recorded three albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but were never able to make much of a dent in the

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam ...

scene of the time, due to the beginning of the grunge movement that has been attributed to the influence of their fellow Minnesotans, the Replacements. The band was dropped by its record label following their third album release in 1990 and broke up soon after that, with the band members going on to solo projects, with front man Chainsaw Caine forming the band U.K.I. (The Unstoppable Kamikazee Idiots). The original line up has periodically reunited since then to perform the occasional reunion show that is always "standing room only". The song "Youngblood", written by Slave Raider members and performed by Slave Raider, appeared in the 1994 movie entitled ''

The Paper ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speak ...

'', which was nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

. Slave Raider's "Make Some Noise" (written by Slave Raider and D. Nagel) appeared in 1988's '' License to Drive''.

Band members

*Chainsaw Caine (Mike Findling), lead vocals *Lance Sabin, guitar *Nicci Wikkid (David Hussman), guitar *Letitia Rae, bass *The Rock (Patrick Williams), drums

Discography

*'' Take The World By Storm'' - 1986 *'' What Do You Know About Rock 'N Roll?'' - 1988 *''Bigger, Badder and Bolder'' - 1990

References

{{Authority control American glam metal musical groups Heavy metal musical groups from Minnesota Musical groups established in 1985 Musical groups disestablished in 1990 1985 establishments in Minnesota