Alcatrazz is a traditional American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. In 1985, Malmsteen will be replaced by the famous guitarist Steve Vai time of a disc and a tour. Graham Bonnet describes the musical style of the group under the term Thinking Man's Heavy Metal (heavy metal of the thinking man). The group has notably interpreted God Blessed Video. Note that it is broadcast in the fictional V-Rock radio station of the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. the group also collaborated with the singer Esther Galil.
Alcatrazz was formed in 1983 by singer Graham Bonnet. Initial members include Graham Bonnet (former Rainbow singer), Yngwie J. Malmsteen (guitar, former Steeler member), Gary Shea (bass, formerly New England), Jimmy Waldo (keyboard, former New England), and Jan Uvena (drums, ex-Alice Cooper and Pointer Sisters).
The band's first album, No Word From Rock 'N' Roll, was released in late 1983 on the Rocshire Records label. The album is supported by MTV which broadcasts the video of the single Island in the Sun, largely inspired by Rainbow. The album spends 18 weeks in the Billboard standings and reaches 128> place. A second video released in 1984 for Hiroshima Mon Amour is popularized in Japan. Creative divergences between Malmsteen and Bonnet surface on tour. Since that time, and having revealed that he wanted to devote himself to a solo career, Malmsteen left the group in 1984 to record his first solo album, Rising Force, and signed with Polydor Records.
The band released the album "Disturbing the Peace" in the spring of 1985. The album was produced by Eddie Kramer who collaborated with Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Triumph, among others. God Blessed Video is the first single. The album reaches the place of the Billboard for 16 weeks. Alcatrazz, however, curtails his tour because of financial problems. Steve Vai left to join David Lee Roth's band in 1986. He was replaced by guitarist Danny Johnson (former Axis, Rod Stewart, and Alice Cooper), who recorded Alcatrazz's latest studio album, Dangerous Games, released at the end of 1986.
