American heavy metal band
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| Brocas Helm | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Heavy metal, power metal |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Members |
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Brocas Helm is an American heavy metal band from San Francisco, California, founded in 1982. It is named after the medieval Brocas helm displayed in London's Rotunda, Woolwich.
History
Brocas Helm was founded in 1982 by Bobbie Wright, James Schumacher, Jack Hays and John Grey. In 1983, the band released their first demo. In 1984 they released their first album Into Battle on First Strike Records. Soon following the album was licensed to Steamhammer for distribution in Europe.
After some disagreements (for example, the cover of Into Battle was determined without the consent of the band) Brocas Helm and First Strike Records agreed to end their relationship.
The Black Death album with Tom Behney on guitar was created over five years of hard work. The main aim of the recording was to catch the interest of a high-quality record label. However, after a long fruitless search, the band founded Gargoyle Records and released the record themselves. After a brief break, Brocas Helm recorded and released the demo Ghost Story. Subsequently, they licensed the "Time of the Dark" (1997) and "Blood Machine"/"Skullfucker" singles.
In 2001, Brocas Helm played in Athens where a show was recorded. In 2003, they agreed to let Eat Metal Records release the official unabridged bootleg live album Black Death in Athens (2004). Also in 2004, the band released the third album Defender of the Crown.
The songs "Cry of the Banshee" and "Drink the Blood of the Priest" were used in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend.
Members
Current members
- Bobbie Wright - Guitars, Vocals (1982–present)
- Jim Schumacher - Bass (1982–present)
- Jack Hays - Drums (1982–present)
Past members
- John Grey - Guitars (1982-1984)
- Tom "T-Bone" Behney - Guitars (1988)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
- Into Battle (1984)
- Black Death (1988)
- Defender of the Crown (2004)
Live albums
- Black Death in Athens (2004)
EPs
- Ghost Story (1994)
Singles
- "Time of the Dark" (1997)
- "Blood Machine"/"Skullfucker" (2000)
Splits
- (split with Manilla Road) Clash of Iron Vol. I - Live at Keep It True (2007)
Demo records
- Demo I (1983)
- Black Death (1987)
- Helm's Deep (1989)
References
- Artist Biography by Eduardo Rivadavia – AllMusic
- The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Volume 1, Colin Larkin, 2006, p. 847: "Brocas Helm Influenced by the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Brocas Helm were formed in 1983 and comprised vocalist/guitarist Robbie Wright, bassist Jim Schumacher and drummer Jack Hays. Drawing inspiration from Iron Maiden, ..."
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 67. ISBN 0-85112-656-1.
- "Double Fine and EA Announce Super-Charged Soundtrack for Brütal Legend" (Press release). BusinessWire. August 10, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2017.