Kick Axe

Did someone know about this Hair Metal band? I like them, but lost them, do somebody know what they are doing now and if they have the project to release a new album soon??

They made a new aalbum in '04. But I dont know of anything else recent

KICK AXE "Vices" is one of the best metal albums ever.....oh yeah!!!

LOVE Kick Axe!

Vices was a really good trad. metal album, but I liked Welcome to the Club even more. Really high production values and a songwriting prowess that few bands can hope to attain. Perfect from start to finish.

Unfortunately, CBS dropped them after those two albums, so the follow up, Rock The World, did not have the big budget anymore. Still a good album, but not as good as Welcome To The Club.

They are on the Transformers (1986) soundtrack, but do to legal troubles, they are called Spectre General. Good stuff on there. Peace.

I have one album by them in a box someplace ? Amazing how treasures can be buried and forgotten about. I dig this place more and more on a daily basis.

I envision a heart of metal t-shirt or perhaps a kewl lil vinyl sticker for the back window of a vehichle or a drum case.

James B. wrote:
I envision a heart of metal t-shirt or perhaps a kewl lil vinyl sticker for the back window of a vehichle or a drum case.

the sentinel wrote:

They are on the Transformers (1986) soundtrack, but do to legal troubles, they are called Spectre General. Good stuff on there. Peace.

I heard about that, but never heard the songs.

I just listened to the metal band Lion and they the song called Transformers.

Man, considering that I try to get something by just about every Canadian hard/glam rock band from the 70s or 80s, it's weird that I don't have anything by these guys yet.

Yeah, they did contribute a couple of tracks to the Transformers movie under the 'Spectre General' name (reportedly because the movie co. who produced Transformers felt that 'Kick Axe' was too suggestive of a name for a soundtrack aimed at kids). One of those tracks was 'Hunger', a song that would be sold out from underneath the band and given to King Kobra (it appeared on their 'Ready To Strike' album).

Ahhh, Kick Axe. Nothin' fancy, just good ol' fashioned early 80s cheesy hard rock/metal. If I get a minute to hit YouTube I'll try and find their video for "On The Road To Rock" -- it's one of the most hilariously bad videos in history.

If memory serves, their VICES album was produced by Spencer Proffer, who also worked on Quiet Riot's METAL HEALTH.

Fat Freddy wrote:

AI'll try and find their video for "On The Road To Rock" -- it's one of the most hilariously bad videos in history.

I'm surprised the talking vice didn't catch on.

spectrefate wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

AI'll try and find their video for "On The Road To Rock" -- it's one of the most hilariously bad videos in history.

I'm surprised the talking vice didn't catch on.

Thanks Spec. Yea, that talking vice guy was one of the worst band mascots ever!!

Shiney wrote:

KICK AXE "Vices" is one of the best metal albums ever.....oh yeah!!!

Yep, an underrated favorite of mine. Saw them open for Priest on the DOTF tour in 84 and picked up Vices shortly after that. I wouldn't call them hair metal, but they have one of the best metal ballads of all time with "Dreamin' About You"

...but the cover art for Vices (save for the band logo) is just plain awful:

Kick Axe are similar to Helix in that they really aren't hair metal, but really don't fall comfortably in any metallic subgenre.

Thanks again for posting that "On the Road To Rock" video, Spec...just watched it and laughed till tears of joy were running down my face... soooooo much CHEEEEZ!!!

That video is too goofy for words, I heard of them thru Martin Popoff's 500 Greatest metal albums of all time, and they managed to squeeze this album onto the list, I only knew the name not the music, but album covers and the bands name made me think of a real life Spinal Tap so I never gave them a chance but I check the other songs on You Tube before I dismiss again after only one listen.

HellRaiser wrote:

Man, considering that I try to get something by just about every Canadian hard/glam rock band from the 70s or 80s, it's weird that I don't have anything by these guys yet.

Yeah, they did contribute a couple of tracks to the Transformers movie under the 'Spectre General' name (reportedly because the movie co. who produced Transformers felt that 'Kick Axe' was too suggestive of a name for a soundtrack aimed at kids). One of those tracks was 'Hunger', a song that would be sold out from underneath the band and given to King Kobra (it appeared on their 'Ready To Strike' album).

Ahhh. That's what it was. Sorry to mislead everyone. Thanks for watchin'my back, HellRaiser.

I love the Vices album!!

Reviving this thread mainly for Trog's Cave-Orange font-color.

But also cuz Vices really IS one of the best Canadian metal albums of the 80's. Personally I love alot of Canadian rock/metal. Especially Helix, Killer Dwarfs, and Kick Axe. And, of course, to go straight to my heart, Sacrifice, Slaughter, Annihilator, Overthrow, Exciter, etc. Still think Anvil sucks though.

Got the band's first three albums from Amazon recently. Really enjoyable. Was playing welcome to the club this morning and loved the song hellraisers. A great addition to my collection.