Ruffians

San Francisco’s Ruffians fuse the catchy riffs and melodies of classic hard rock with the sheer force of heavy metal. In 1985 the band chased wider recognition through an internationally charting debut EP that earned them opening slots alongside UFO, Alice Cooper, Saxon, Y&T, and Slayer. After breaking up in 1988 they returned in 2004 for a festival performance and later returned to the studio, issuing the full-length Desert of Tears in 2006.

The group was founded in 1983 by vocalist Carl Albert, guitarists Craig Behrhorst and Chris Atchison, bassist Dan Moura, and drummer Luke Bowman. After cutting several demos and supporting touring headliners, they tracked a six-song self-titled mini-album issued on Victory Records in 1985; the EP also appeared via SPV Records in Europe and FEMS Records in Japan. Their track “Run for Cover” was included on Restless Records’ Eastern Front: Live at Ruthie’s Inn compilation, while “Wasteland” featured in the film American Ninja II and resurfaced decades later in the 2024 horror movie MaXXXine.

Following their 1988 split, Ruffians reconvened in 2004 to appear at Germany’s Bang Your Head Festival. The following year Helion Records put out There & Back, a collection of studio material augmented by live cuts and previously unreleased demos. Their first original recordings since 1985, Desert of Tears, surfaced in 2006 on the German imprint Metal Heaven.