SHAZAM

An English metal band founded in 1981 by vocalist Dave Wall, guitarists Robin Brancher and Keith Sharp, and bassist Joe Larner, Desolation Angels apparently took their name (in rather numskull heavy metal fashion) from the Bad Company album -- not the Kerouac novel. Adding further legitimacy to their metallic Spinal Tap-ness was the fact that they also cycled through over a dozen drummers before finding one Brett Robertson to complete the lineup which recorded 1983's self-financed "Valhalla" single. By this time, the group had nevertheless established itself as a solid club draw throughout London's East End, often playing alongside other late arrivals to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal such as Chariot and Elixir. They'd also gained the support of independent Bullet Records, but the same unfortunately went bankrupt in early 1985, on the eve of releasing the band's eponymous debut. This would eventually see the light of day a year later (through another independent label, Thameside), by which time the exploding drum stool had been handed over to one Adam Palfrey, and the band's doomy brand of melodic metal had gone from refreshing to "tedious," according to know-it-all Kerrang Magazine. Oh well. At least Desolation Angels managed to forge ahead through a few more years (and drummers!), even winding up in Los Angeles for a short spell before finally calling it quits, sometime in the early '90s. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi