PRESS GUIDE

[published]: 2019, July 8
[in]: Might As Well Blog About It
[article]: Often Forgotten Canadian Hard Rock/Metal Bands: KICK AXE
[by]: Danny Fournier

I grew up listening to hard rock and metal music. Often when people discuss or reminisce about those genres, they talk about the big American bands. Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses, Poison, Metallica, etc.

Rarely do I hear people talk about some of the great Canadian hard rock and metal bands that were rocking just as hard. So this year, I decided to post about one of these Canadian bands on a weekly basis. One new post about an old band a week, till I run out of bands to post about.

If you're just starting to follow this now, I just created an archive section featuring the previous posts, where you'll find artists like SLIK TOXIC, SVEN GALI, KILLER DWARFS and more! This week's feature is... KICK AXE

You learn something new every day. I always assumed KICK AXE was from Vancouver and did not know that they actually started out in Regina, Saskatchewan! The band started in 1976 but moved to Vancouver in 1978.

After securing George Criston as their new lead-singer, the band signed with Pasha Records and released Vices. The following year was spent touring with the likes of Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Scorpions and Quiet Riot.

Their follow up album "Welcome to The Club" strayed away from their anthem rock sound and veered more toward more of a radio friendly sound. Despite breaking into Billboard's Top 200 and having a slew of guest appear on the album, longtime fans felt disappointed.

During this time, the band also had two songs appear on the Transformers: The Movie Soundtrack but under the band name Spectre General.

Guitarist Raymond Harvey left 1986 and after trying to continue without the second guitarist, the band was dropped by their label in 1988 and disbanded soon afterwards.

In 2003 the band reunited with original lead singer Gary Langen and "Kick Axe IV" was released the following year.

In 2008 Langen was replaced by fellow Regina native, Daniel Nargang, formerly of Into Eternity. The 2008 line up continues to play and tour to this date.