• Heavy Metal

Founded firmly in the JUDAS PRIEST camp, MALICE was a highly impressive Los Angeles based Metal band noted for strenuous live work. Not only did MALICE sound like JUDAS PRIEST by warrant of their heavy European guitar riffing but vocalist James Neal, a practising Buddhist, sounded uncannily like JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford and guitarist Jay Reynolds was a deadringer for JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing. MALICE's insistence on wearing studded black leather only compounded the comparisons.

Formed by Portland emigrees, bassist Mark Behn had previously played in FIRE EYE and had also played in another local outfit, KHARMA, who also included Pete Holmes, better known in later years for his role in BLACK N' BLUE. Guitarist Mick Zane had started out with the 1978 act RUDE AWAKENING, fronted by Matt McCourt later of WILD DOGS infamy. Zane and McCourt, alongside WILD DOGS guitarist Jeff Horton and BLACK N' BLUE man Pete Holmes, would share a later band, DMZ, in 1981. Jay Reynolds was part of the same club scene, coincidentally appearing in the Matt McCourt fronted acts 1979's Punk band the VIOLATORS and THE RAVERS...