Opinions on Z-Rock bands that we never talk about

thejokeriv wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Headbanger Man wrote:

WTF is Z-Rock ?

Z-Rock was an American radio network that broadcasted hard rock and metal 24-7 during the late 80s/early 90s.

As for the list of bands Unc posted: I heard most of those bands in my travels, but the only one I ever owned anything by was Fastway (the Trick or Treat soundtrack album).

Z-Rock was awesome....sadly only lasted 9 months where I lived at the time..... then the station switched to salsa music......

I was in Florida for about a year...I remember it being on the whole time I was there. I used to crank it up in my driver's ed car in school!   

Quote :

Z-Rock was awesome....sadly only lasted 9 months where I lived at the time..... then the station switched to salsa music......

Yeah, Z-Rock never caught on in the NY/NJ area either.... they lasted maybe a year. Their biggest hurdle was that they broadcasted over an AM station here, and it was a pain in the ass to get it to come in clearly.  

They tried really hard to attract an audience, though. I remember seeing posters advertising the station on the sides of buses and in the NY subways... and they sponsored a couple of gigs I went to at L'amour in Brooklyn. One of their DJs would get onstage between bands and throw Z-Rock stickers, t-shirts, etc. into the crowd.

...New York/New Jersey already had a radio station that catered to hard rock/metal, though (WSOU-FM at Seton Hall University), so another one wasn't really necessary. Therefore I wasn't really surprised when I tried to tune in Z-Rock one day in my dorm room and heard a Spanish newscaster instead.

The name is vaguely familiar. Probably read the name in mags of the time. If it was ever broadcast in the Philly area, I never heard it.

We had Z-Rock in the Cincinnati market for a couple of years. It was successful enough that the suck-ass local FM station (WEBN) was forced to start a sister station called "Power Pig" that was an all Hard Rock/Metal format. Eventually, Jacor Communications (owner of WEBN) drove Z-Rock out of business. Jacor was based in Cincinnati but eventually were absorbed by Clear Channel.

Z-Rock was really great while it lasted.

I don't think (and am just about positive) that Z Rock was never broadcast in the Pittsburgh market. However, doing a little research, I came across one of their programs,Mandatory Metallica, which seems to sound familiar to me. I'm almost positive I heard that show before,probably during my days of working on the road back in the day.

Z-Rock was short lived here during the heyday of our local rock station. Once that station became the locally infamous KRZR (THE WILD HAAAARE) they syndication stopped, so when I discovered rock in '92 it was too late. I've only heard about the kind of bands they used to play. Interestingly enough, 007, KRZR aired a Mandatory Metallica night, although my guess is that it was a common theme across the states. Still was a neat idea.

Did anyone list Zebra yet?

brokentulsa wrote:

how about ..killer dwarfs and spread eagle..both very good bands

Absolutely love Spread Eagle!I have both their albums but the s/t is still awesome.

Yeah, the first Spread Eagle album is so good. The follow-up was solid as well, but didn't quite have songs as memorable as "Scratch Like A Cat" or "Back On The B*tch." I have an unreleased album they recorded after that--and after the hair metal and sleaze scene had been obliterated--which is in a completely different style.

SLave Raider HAHAHAHA. That band is so terrible that its funny.

Anyways, I don't know what Z-Rock is so I'll leave this one alone.

Lurideath wrote:

SLave Raider HAHAHAHA. That band is so terrible that its funny.

You were still a disgruntled pup when they would hit Bismarck, Shannon. They were fun as hell as a live band!!

By the time they would have started coming to North Dakota, I was already in CA bro. I only knew of them from the video shown on MTV or something like that.

I don't doubt they were a great live band, but on CD its a different story. hahaha.

They were on the Circuit from '86 on. When did you move to Cali?

I've heard some of the bands listed here. Some were cool, some should have been bigger. And a few others? Well, let's just say they were lucky to be one-hit wonders.   

The official radio station for the class of 1987: WCZR 107.3

I moved to CA in October of 85

Dirty Looks is one of my favorite bands from that list. Still listen to them quite frequently. Have all their stuff on CD and most of their stuff on vinyl as well. Have a small collection of 8x10 promo photos and the last handwritten note that Henrick sent me before his passing.

Yee-haaaaaa!! I just scored a copy of Salty Dog on ebay. Let's hope it holds up after all this time. I haven't hear that album in 15+ years since my old tape gave out. Always loved this song...


This was another band that I remember hearing at a strip club and went out the next day to Tower Records to get this album.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Yee-haaaaaa!! I just scored a copy of Salty Dog on ebay. Let's hope it holds up after all this time. I haven't hear that album in 15+ years since my old tape gave out. Always loved this song...


This was another band that I remember hearing at a strip club and went out the next day to Tower Records to get this album.

Great album!

ultmetal wrote:

Dirty Looks is one of my favorite bands from that list. Still listen to them quite frequently. Have all their stuff on CD and most of their stuff on vinyl as well. Have a small collection of 8x10 promo photos and the last handwritten note that Henrick sent me before his passing.

Big fan of Dirty Looks. I need more of their stuff on vinyl. I think I only have Turn Of The Screw.

Witchfinder wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Yee-haaaaaa!! I just scored a copy of Salty Dog on ebay. Let's hope it holds up after all this time. I haven't hear that album in 15+ years since my old tape gave out. Always loved this song...


This was another band that I remember hearing at a strip club and went out the next day to Tower Records to get this album.

Great album!

That was a good album; I remember hearing it debut on KRZR when it came out and then boom they disappeared. I also thought the name was hilarious.

corplhicks wrote:

Witchfinder wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Yee-haaaaaa!! I just scored a copy of Salty Dog on ebay. Let's hope it holds up after all this time. I haven't heard that album in 15+ years since my old tape gave out. Always loved this song...


This was another band that I remember hearing at a strip club and went out the next day to Tower Records to get this album.

Great album!

That was a good album; I remember hearing it debut on KRZR when it came out and then boom they disappeared. I also thought the name was hilarious.

I think they only released that one album. Another band just lost in the shuffle of too many hair bands and grunge wiping the slate clean.

007 wrote:

However, doing a little research, I came across one of their programs,Mandatory Metallica, which seems to sound familiar to me. I'm almost positive I heard that show before,probably during my days of working on the road back in the day.

The local classic rock station here used to do a Mandatory Metallica show, in the late 90s/early 2000s. For 30 minutes or so every night they'd play Metallica tunes, both radio hits from the 90s and the 80s jams. I didn't really listen to it, since I owned all the Metallica I liked, but I did appreciate the fact that in 1999 or so, you could hear something like "Trapped Under Ice" on the local crappy rock station.

Our local rock station did the 'Mandatory Metallica' thing too for awhile. It wasn't associated with Z-Rock or anything. Just an idea they stole and used themselves.

The classic rock station did the same idea with Led Zeppelin and their "Get the Led Out" nightly feature. I think they did it with the Rolling Stones too, but I can't recall the name.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Our local rock station did the 'Mandatory Metallica' thing too for awhile. It wasn't associated with Z-Rock or anything. Just an idea they stole and used themselves.

The classic rock station did the same idea with Led Zeppelin and their "Get the Led Out" nightly feature. I think they did it with the Rolling Stones too, but I can't recall the name.

We had Get the Led Out too. Maybe this was like a Clear Channel thing.