A stoic Thrash act from Bristol, ONSLAUGHT stayed the course and had the major labelss running around after them for quite a while in an embarrassing period when major labels seemingly snapped up any old British Thrash act. However, ONSLAUGHT actually pre-dated the UK Thrash wave by a good many years with their 'Power From Hell' debut having emerged in 1985. Ultimately, ONSLAUGHT established an underground following, including across the West Coast of the USA, but once in the grip of London Records resorted to commercialism, ending their career.

The first ONSLAUGHT formation counted founders guitarist Nige Rockett and drummer Steve Grice, singer Jase Pope and bass player Paul Hill. This combo cut demos at Sam's Studios in Bristol hosting the tracks 'Thermonuclear Devastation', 'Black Horse Of Famine', 'Overthrow Of The System' and 'Rape'. Restructuring, singer Roger Davies and bassist Paul "Dickie" Davies were enrolled as the group set about cementing a live following in the Avon area, performing numerous gigs at Bristol's Trinity venue alongside punk outfits such as THE VARUKERS, ONE WAY SYSTEM and THE EXPLOITED. This second version of Onslaught recorded a demo tagged 'What Lies Ahead'.

ONSLAUGHT had demoed heavily throughout 1983, distributing three cassettes of material, the last of which included a full live set. Another change in the membership saw the inclusion of vocalist Paul Mahoney and four-stringer Jase Stallard. The band cut tracks for an intended EP, to be branded 'Foxhole', but this also surfaced in cassette format. The band had initially been picked up upon by the magazine 'Metal Forces' after releasing the debut album 'Power From Hell' on the normally Punk handling Children Of The Revolution label. Indeed, the group initially started life as a Punk outfit in 1983, but as they veered into thrash territory much of the earlier song catalogue from the demo days would be discarded as Power From Hell took on a pseudo-Satanic stance.

Onslaught's first, stable line-up settled on vocalist Sy Keeler, guitarists Nige Rockett and Jason Stallard and drummer Steve Grice with Mahoney having switched to bass, although the rawly produced debut album, 'Power From Hell', had been cut with Stallard on bass. Despite bearing a infamous song title 'Death Metal', 'Power From Hell' delivered a strong blend of proto-Thrash with vestiges of Punk. It was a record that was acknowledged at the time to have sold over 11'000 copies.

The exposure through 'Metal Forces' magazine prompted Mark Palmer at Music For Nations to sign the group to their newly established Under One Flag imprint. Acknowledging the help given to them by the magazine, ONSLAUGHT would record the track 'Metal Forces' on second album, spring 1986's 'The Force' recorded at Matrix studios in London with producer Dave Pine, in appreciation. Live campaigning had the band opening for the likes of GIRLSCHOOL, ANVIL and EXCITER. That same year ONSLAUGHT featured on the stage of the prestigious 'Dynamo' festival in Holland, marking the group's only outdoor performance. Matters became confusing as during 1986 bassist Paul Mahoney left, enabling Jason Stallard to resume bass duties. In November ONSLAUGHT drafted in bassist James Hinder, moving Stallard back to guitar once more.

1987 opened strongly, ONSLAUGHT conducting a lightning dash across the Low Countries as headliner before jumping onboard the MOTȪRHEAD 'Orgasmatron' European tour in March, commencing in Switzerland and closing in Norway. As part of the Bristol Community Festival, the group performed at the city's historic Colston Hall venue. Unfortunately over enthusiastic moshing by fans resulted in serious damage to the venue's seating but this adverse publicity was countered somewhat by positive response from Polygram A&R representatives in attendance. ONSLAUGHT featured on a further high profile gig on June 20th 1987, backing AGENT STEEL, NUCLEAR ASSAULT and ATOMKRAFT at London's Hammersmith Odeon. The band's set, the first to include their rendition of AC/DC's 'Let There Be Rock', was broadcast on Radio 1 on Tommy Vance's 'Friday Rock Show'.

A second guitarist, Rob Trotman, was added but, prior to releasing their first studio version of the AC/DC cover 'Let There Be Rock', the band sacked Stallard after supposedly recording him at a gig in Bristol and citing this as evidence he could not play well enough. A disgruntled Stallard refuted the claims and went on to form Militia, reverting to drums, with guitarists Darren Keeler (brother of Sy) and John Hinder, brother of Jim.

To close 1988 the band embarked on a winter UK tour in alliance with CRUMBSUCKERS and SLAMMER. ONSLAUGHT eventually signed to London Records after being chased by a host of major labels, including A&M and CBS. However, the intended title of 'Blood Upon Ice' was scotched when BATHORY issued an album of the same title at the same juncture.

The group's debut for the new label arrived in 1989. 'In Search Of Sanity' was originally recorded at West Side, Smokehouse and Eden studios in London with vocalist Sy Keeler, but producer Stefan Galfas decided the man simply could not sing well enough, a fact that ended up prompting London to demand a change of vocalist. This naturally begged the question why had London's A&R department signed a band with a vocalist they held little faith in.

Nevertheless, Keeler departed to form MIRROR MIRROR with erstwhile PREYER drummer Lloyd Coates. Former GRIM REAPER singer Steve Grimmett, who importantly had made his mark in North America with three chart albums, joined the band to re-record the vocals on the album, injecting a much needed dose of class to the band. 'In Search Of Sanity', mixed at Atlantic studios in New York, found the group tackling AC/DC's 'Let There Be Rock' once again, backing this as a single with a promotional video. A further single, the power ballad 'Welcome To Dying', was backed by a further brace of covers, in VAN HALEN's 'Atomic Punk' and the STRANGLERS 'Nice n' Sleazy'. Regrettably, it was all a hideous mismatch and after a low key European tour in alliance with ANNIHILATOR and UK dates with HORSE, Grimmett decamped.

The band drafted in Canadian born vocalist TONY O'HORA, previously with the much mellower LARRAKIN and TORINO. An album was announced for release to be billed 'When Reason Sleeps', but was never to see issue. ONSLAUGHT's proposed material for this record witnessed a radical swing away from their Thrash roots. However, in the midst of these sessions, London Records dropped the band. The independent FM Revolver announced they were to issue 'When Reason Sleeps', although this never eventuated.

The group undertook an extensive UK headline tour throughout November and December 1990, supported by New Yorkers DEAD ON and Keeler's MIRROR MIRROR, but upon conclusion of this trek both Hinder and Trotman quit. The best days of the group were behind them and ONSLAUGHT would ultimately perish, with Grice and Rockett later forming the Funk Rock outfit FRANKENSTEIN, managed by producer Pete Hinton. FRANKENSTEIN comprised of the two ex-ONSLAUGHT men plus former RHODE ISLAND RED vocalist Tony Bryan, ex TOKYO ROSE bassist Bod Presley and ex-MIRROR MIRROR guitarist Alan Jordan. FRANKENSTEIN achieved little beyond supporting SAXON on their poorly attended 1993 British tour.

Steve Grimmett, on the other hand, found a great deal of success in Japan with the more traditional Hard Rock delivered by his new group LIONSHEART. Following a run of three LIONSHEART albums the singer would then would front PRIDE and SEVEN DEADLY SINS.

Rockett turned up on the HORA-KANE 1999 album 'Eternal Infinity' fronted by ex-ONSLAUGHT and subsequently PRAYING MANTIS vocalist Tony O'Hora. During 2003 O'Hora was fronting fabled 70s Glamsters SWEET and in September of 2004 joined STATETROOPER, not as a singer but as a bassist.

Greek Black Metal band THOU ART LORD included a cover version of 'Power From Hell' on their May 2005 album 'Orgia Daemonicum'. Surprisingly, ONSLAUGHT resurrected itself in 2005, announcing a touring partnership as part of the December 2005 'X-Mas' festivals in Europe ranked alongside EXODUS, OCCULT, KATAKLYSM, UNLEASHED, BEHEMOTH, and PRIMORDIAL. Joining guitarist Nige Rockett, drummer Steve Grice, vocalist Sy Keeler and bassist Jim Hinder would be guitarist Alan Jordan, ex-MIRROR MIRROR, RHODE ISLAND RED and FRANKENSTEIN. A debut gig for the rejuvenated act was put in for 25th November at their old haunt the Fleece & Firkin in Bristol.

Meantime, ex-singer TONY O'HORA issued his debut album, 'Escape Into The Sun', through the Italian Frontiers label in January 2006. Acting as guitarist and producer for the project would be Swedish Magnus Karlsson of STARBREAKER and RUSSELL ALLEN / JORN LANDE repute. On the live front, ONSLAUGHT acted as support to VENOM in the UK during March and commenced recording of a new album, entitled 'Killing Peace', in April. They would sign to Candlelight Records in June, cutting their album 'Killing Peace' at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire with former SABBAT guitarist Andy Sneap as producer the following month.

ONSLAUGHT was forced to pull out of two festival appearances, 'Metal Mania Open Air' festival in Slovenia on August 11th and the 'Brutal Assault' festival in the Czech Republic on August 12th, due to a terrorist alert in the UK. The band announced a two day "Thrash Domination" stint at Tokyo's famed Club Citta on September 16th and 17th ranked alongside DEATH ANGEL, SODOM and DRAGONLORD. A final mix down of 'Killing Peace' was conducted at Backstage Studios between October 16th and 18th.

That same month Thrashing Rage Productions put out an extremely limited release with a 10" vinyl single combining 'Power From Hell/Angels Of Death' medley recorded from the soundboard at Bristol's Colston Hall in 1987. Authorised by the band, only ten copies were pressed, each individually handnumbered with a certificate of authenticity.

ONSLAUGHT toured South America in October 2009.

Garry Sharpe-Young