In late 1983, early 1984, one of the biggest metal bands in the US was Quiet Riot. Their album, Metal Health, had topped the charts (over Michael Jackson‘s Thriller and other now-classic mega-sellers), their single Cum on Feel the Noize was a top five smash, the album’s title track became an instant anthem for headbangers, they were all over MTV and the covers of rock mags, and were a highly-sought after opening act (by the likes of Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, the Scorpions, ZZ Top, and Judas Priest). Heck, they even opened the now-famous US Festival’s “Heavy Metal Day,” headlined by Van Halen.
But most importantly, the success of Metal Health could be pinpointed as the beginning of the soon-to-be-widespread hair metal movement, which would result in such bands as Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Poison, and Dokken scaling the charts and rocking arenas. However, Quiet Riot‘s stay atop the metal heap would be fleeting for a variety of reasons – but tops probably being singer Kevin DuBrow‘s candid interviews.
Comprised of quotes from interviews past and present and featuring many rare vintage photos, Bang Your Head, Feel the Noize: The Quiet Riot Story examines all eras of the band: their ’70s period which featured guitar legend Randy Rhoads in their line-up, through the blockbuster Metal Health time, and all the way to the modern day version of the group. To order the book, written by Greg Prato, please click here.
To read excerpts from the book, click on the highlighted headlines:
Behind The Video: Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health”
Bang Your Head, Feel the Noize: The Quiet Riot Story – Book Excerpt