Headbanger's Ball and Other Lost Metal Havens

I used to love the Box, but it always seemed like such a scam that you had to pay to put in a request and then wait forever till it played. I had a friend do it once and let him discover that the wait for the video was probably the same as hoping it would cycle back through.

There was a local station 97.7 that would play all the syndicated shows- Metal Shop, Pirate Radio USA, Rock Over London. I think they also gave the DJs somewhat of a free format because you could hear or request just about anything on there. One guy had a killer Sunday night metal show. Of course it then went to classic rock (which wasn't too bad) then quickly jumped on the country format .

Another station that was great in the Balt/Wash area for about the two years it lasted was 103.1 The Underground. Of course starting a metal station in 1991 didn't mean you were going to be in it for the long haul unfortunately. They held on as long as they could though before they went modern rock then sold.

My local metal station (KNAC) suffered the same fate in the early 90's to a mexican station. So i definately relate to your story. As far as HB, i was actually a viewer when they still had Adam Curry as the vj so i was pretty pissed when they went off the air. The Nu Headbanger's Ball is more about Metalcore than real metal so i don't even watch the thing.

troublezone wrote:

My local metal station (KNAC) suffered the same fate in the early 90's to a mexican station. So i definately relate to your story. As far as HB, i was actually a viewer when they still had Adam Curry as the vj so i was pretty pissed when they went off the air. The Nu Headbanger's Ball is more about Metalcore than real metal so i don't even watch the thing.

Good old KNAC.

I watched the show a few times in 88 but mainly started in 89 from 90 to the last show I rarely missed one.I was so pissed they cancelled it.

I use to tape them and still have some today and have put them on dvd and building a collection but I'am looking for more.

I started watching in 88 and loved it.

I watched always the english HEADBANGER´S BALL with VANESA WARWICK (she was married with the singer of THE ALMIGHTY) and it was a great show, at least the first years. Later it was more grunge then good old heavy metal.

It was a great show. It is missed. The current form on MTV2 doesn't cut it!

I always watched HB in the eighties and early nineties. But no more now. I remember a show that MTV had around 86 or so called the Hard 30. It was on after school and was 30 minutes of hard rock (Dokken, Whitesnake, Vanhalen, Crue, etc.) and was my first introduction to Tesla. My favorite though, was "The Metalzone" on local station 94HJY. It was on Saturday nights from midnight til 2am and was hosted by DR. Metal. Sadly, he died in the station nightclub fire 5 years ago. I met him once or twice when a comic book store I worked in one summer about 12 years ago did some advertising on the radio; he was a really cool and normal guy. Anyway, that show ruled my HS years. It was great to be coming home from work, a party, or a buddy's house at 1 or 2 in the morning and hear Savatage, Testament, or Pantera on the radio! Good times.

Good ol' KNAC indeed!!

Anyone remember Z-Rock (The nationally syndicated Z-ROCK that is)? Another great haven!!!

We use to have rock 102.1 in the early 90s here in San Diego.Then in 95 they changed it Rock 105.3 and it's been going pretty strong ever since.I usualy don't listen to the radio unless I was at work,I prefer to listen to cds in my car or know in the age of new technology my ipod.

As far as The us headbangers Ball from the 80s and 90s I'am looking for full episodes on VHS(I can transfer them or dvd)If anyone wan'ts to trade if you have stuff here is my link and you can pm me or email me my address is on the link.

www.tapetrader.com/gatomike26

I have over classic 100 hbbs on dvd.

I live in the Bay Area & we had 2 Rock stations Kome & KSJO That lasted around 35 years each. Both are gone now & yes one became a "Mexican Radio" Station.
Like we needed another one here.....

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Anyone remember Z-Rock (The nationally syndicated Z-ROCK that is)? Another great haven!!!

DallasBlack wrote:

While I was miffed about losing HB, I was still happy to have a metal radio station. It was Z-Rock 99.1 and they played plenty of metal/hard rock to sait my appetite (less CDs and tapes, which at that time I didn't have a whole lot). Also every year during New Year's Eve and New Year's day, they would play their top 500. If I was willing to suffer tieredness, I would stay up past midnight on Sunday nights to hear it when they had a show called The Underground were they would play stuff they wouldn't normally play during the day. This was were I was first introduced to Fear Of God (Beyond The Veil), Hellowen (I Want Out-first I mistook them for Maiden with a different vocalist), Iron Maiden with DiAnno (Murders In The Rue Morgue), Testament playing a thrash song (Souls of Black which at first I thought was Metallica due to me thinking Chuck sounded like Hetfield-the one I heard on HB was Return To Serinity), and other more extreme bands (the only band I can remember by name is Oppressor).

In my freshman year of HS shortly after HB being cancelled, I heard on the radio that Z-Rock was shutting down. This also ticked me off. I remember listening to the last hours of the station to this day. I heard many good songs by Maiden and others and got my first introduction to Fates Warning (Shelter Me-sill love that song to this day). The last song they played was Metallica-Fade To Black then of course, it did (dead air). The next morning I found out it was replaced with a Tejano station (this REALLY ticked me off because there were plenty of those around and only one other good rock station (who wouldn't play anything heavier than Maiden or Savatage-and only once in a blue moon-for about a year and then mostly alternative and modern and now even that station is gone).

I really wanted to get the Z-Rock dogtag but never got around to doing it, wish I had though.

DallasBlack wrote:

Quote :

Anyone remember Z-Rock (The nationally syndicated Z-ROCK that is)? Another great haven!!!

DallasBlack wrote:

While I was miffed about losing HB, I was still happy to have a metal radio station. It was Z-Rock 99.1 and they played plenty of metal/hard rock to sait my appetite (less CDs and tapes, which at that time I didn't have a whole lot). Also every year during New Year's Eve and New Year's day, they would play their top 500. If I was willing to suffer tieredness, I would stay up past midnight on Sunday nights to hear it when they had a show called The Underground were they would play stuff they wouldn't normally play during the day. This was were I was first introduced to Fear Of God (Beyond The Veil), Hellowen (I Want Out-first I mistook them for Maiden with a different vocalist), Iron Maiden with DiAnno (Murders In The Rue Morgue), Testament playing a thrash song (Souls of Black which at first I thought was Metallica due to me thinking Chuck sounded like Hetfield-the one I heard on HB was Return To Serinity), and other more extreme bands (the only band I can remember by name is Oppressor).

In my freshman year of HS shortly after HB being cancelled, I heard on the radio that Z-Rock was shutting down. This also ticked me off. I remember listening to the last hours of the station to this day. I heard many good songs by Maiden and others and got my first introduction to Fates Warning (Shelter Me-sill love that song to this day). The last song they played was Metallica-Fade To Black then of course, it did (dead air). The next morning I found out it was replaced with a Tejano station (this REALLY ticked me off because there were plenty of those around and only one other good rock station (who wouldn't play anything heavier than Maiden or Savatage-and only once in a blue moon-for about a year and then mostly alternative and modern and now even that station is gone).

I really wanted to get the Z-Rock dogtag but never got around to doing it, wish I had though.

Unfortunately, they only lasted 10 months in the area I lived (Va Beach). But, it was a great 10 months of radio!

I still watch the new HB from time to time.You can catch a few goods ones on there.

thrasher73 wrote:

I still watch the new HB from time to time.You can catch a few goods ones on there.

I can't stand the new HB. If I want to be shouted at, I'll piss on the carpet.

spectrefate wrote:

thrasher73 wrote:

I still watch the new HB from time to time.You can catch a few goods ones on there.

I can't stand the new HB. If I want to be shouted at, I'll piss on the carpet.

Haha,yeah its alot of that on there.But occasionally they'll throw on a classic.

thejokeriv wrote:

Anyone remember Z-Rock (The nationally syndicated Z-ROCK that is)? Another great haven!!!

I flipped when my area got this! I had just discovered a rock station while I was a delivery driver back in the early 90's. One monday I got in the truck and went on my route. I noticed they were playing Danizig's "Mother" and was like huh? And then Metallica's "Harvester of Sorrow" came on and I was like COOL! That's when the station ID came on and I thought I had died and gone to an alternate universe! LOL

I loved Z-Rock! I still have my Zrock Dog Tags somewhere. I almost won tickets to a show once. My digits were lacking in one number. Too bad that only lasted a few years.

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the Hard 30.

I remember this all too well! As soon as I got home the channel was on MTV and I was happy!

[quote="zombiewalkin"]

thejokeriv wrote:

Anyone remember Z-Rock (The nationally syndicated Z-ROCK that is)? Another great haven!!!

I flipped when my area got this! I had just discovered a rock station while I was a delivery driver back in the early 90's. One monday I got in the truck and went on my route. I noticed they were playing Danizig's "Mother" and was like huh? And then Metallica's "Harvester of Sorrow" came on and I was like COOL! That's when the station ID came on and I thought I had died and gone to an alternate universe! LOL

I loved Z-Rock! I still have my Zrock Dog Tags somewhere. I almost won tickets to a show once. My digits were lacking in one number. Too bad that only lasted a few years.

quote]

They network actually lasted 10 years, just some areas only had it for a short time. Then, I got in the car one day and Zrock was gone - I thought I died and went to a evil, bad alternate universe. I live in the VA Beach area so we all blamed it on pat robertson (where he lives). Funny thing, most of the other christians I knew blamed it on him too!

I remember working nights and getting of at 11.00 and running home to watch HBB, and they cancelled it without notice. It just was gone, just like that. Weird.

I had a Z Rock tshirt that said 'if it's too loud you're too old'. Loved the station but it was on AM here and so the quality of sound was not so good.

Well I remember when Night Flight was airing on the USA Network on television back in the early-mid 80's. That was always cool to watch. They always had killer stuff at the time like Loudness, Krokus, Grim Reaper, Dio and more. I sorta miss that show!