On This Day in Metal – December 23rd

Album Release

December 23rd 1989

“Black Mass” is the second studio album by the Italian heavy metal band Death SS. “In the Darkness” emerges as the standout track from “Black Mass”.

Single Release

December 23rd 1983

Ozzy Osbourne – “So Tired”

“So Tired” is a song by English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. Released as second single from the third studio album “Bark at the Moon”.

Metal Birthdays

December 23rd 1946

Ray Tabano – Aerosmith

Ray Tabano known as Crazy Raymond is an American musician, who was a founding member of the hard rock band Aerosmith.

December 23rd 1956

Dave Murray – Iron Maiden

David Michael Murray is an English guitarist, best known as a member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden.

December 23rd 1961

Dane Petersen – Bloodbath

Dane Petersen is a session vocalist who briefly contributed to the Swedish death metal supergroup Bloodbath.

December 23rd 1966

Michael Hoffmann – Sodom

Michael Hoffmann was a guitarist for the German thrash metal band Sodom, known for his contribution to their classic album “Better Off Dead”.

December 23rd 1977

Jari Mäenpää – Wintersun

Jari Mäenpää is a Finnish musician known as the singer-guitarist of the metal band Ensiferum and for his own solo project named Wintersun.

December 23rd 1990

Roxana Herrera – Cobra Spell

Roxana Herrera is the bassist for the international glam metal band Cobra Spell, known for her energetic stage presence and tight bass grooves.

Legends We Lost

December 23rd 2012

Mike Scaccia – Ministry

Michael Ralph Scaccia (June 14, 1965 – December 23, 2012) was an American musician, known as a guitarist for several heavy metal bands, including Rigor Mortis, Ministry.

Metal Memory

December 23rd 1985

Judas Priest fans shot themselves

Raymond Belknap (18) and James Vance (20), after a long alcohol and drug binge, made a suicide pact to kill themselves with a shot gun. Judas Priest faced a lawsuit claiming their music contained subliminal messages encouraging suicide. The band testified, joking that if they used subliminal messages, it would be to sell more records.

December 23rd 1987

Nikki Sixx’s Near Death

Nikki Sixx overdosed on heroin and was reportedly declared clinically dead for two minutes before a paramedic revived him with two syringes full of adrenaline.