Formed 1974, Canada
Albums:
1979
Breaking Loose
1982
White Lace & Black Leather
1983
No Rest For The Wicked
1984
Walkin' The Razors Edge
1985
Long Way To Heaven
1987
Wild In The Streets
1989
Over 60 Minutes With...Helix
1990
Back For Another Taste
1991
The Early Years
1993
It's A Business Doing Pleasure
1998
Half Alive
1999
Deep Cuts: The Best Of Helix
1999
B-Sides
2002
Live! In Buffalo
2004
Rockin' In My Outer Space
2006
Get Up!
2007
The Power Of Rock And Roll
History:
The quintessential Canadian metal band, Helix has been rocking audiences around
the world for over three decades with varying degrees of success. A party band for all
seasons, chances are Helix will continue to release music until their dying days.
Helix was formed in Kitchener, Ontario and had numerous line-up
changes and limited success before signing to Capitol records. For their first major
label release, No Rest For The Wicked, the group consisted of Brian
Vollmer (vocals), Brent Doerner (guitar), Paul Hackman (guitar),
Mike Uzelac (bass) and Greg Hinz (drums). The album reached the Billboard
charts behind the hit single "Heavy Metal Love". Daryl Gray became the bassist
on Walkin' The Razors Edge, which comprised Helix's classic line-up
and most successful release. The album contained the hit anthem "Rock You" as
well as a controversial video for "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'", which included a topless
and underage Traci Lords (the same woman that would throw the pornographic film
industry into chaos). Long Way To Heaven offered more of the same, but it was
becoming obvious that the group's commercial and creative peaks were behind them.
After Wild In the Streets the band would lose guitarist Brent
Doerner and their major label deal, their best days were clearly behind them.
Denny Balicki would join on guitar for the Back for Another Taste tour,
but they went unnoticed outside their home country. In 1991 Paul Hackman would
tragically pass away when the group's tour bus plunged off an embankment, and Helix
became little more than a Brain Vollmer side project after this tragedy.
Vollmer's solo album would be released under the Helix name in 1993 and
it's change in style confused fans.
Helix continued to release albums and tour sporadically throughout
the late 90s and Vollmer would release his first solo album in late 1999.
The group soldiered on with members of the Killer Dwarfs and Harem Scarem
joining at various times. In 2004 a revamped line-up consisting of Vollmer,
long time drummer Archie Gamble and some new recruits recorded the first new
Helix material in years. Helix is one of those bands that will never go
away, taking their energetic live show to fans in smoke filled bars across America.
Links:
The Official Helix Page
No Rest For The Wicked