Around the turn of the millennium, vocalist Ralph Saenz, performing as Michael Starr, joined forces with drummer Darren Leader as Stix Zadinia, bassist Travis Haley as Lexxi Foxxx, and guitarist Russ Parrish as Satchel to launch a tongue-in-cheek hair-metal act first called Metal Shop. The outfit later adopted the names Metal Skool and ultimately Steel Panther, playing the Sunset Strip club circuit with exaggerated spiky wigs, leather jackets, zebra-striped spandex, and the chops the members had honed in a Van Halen tribute band. Their over-the-top celebration of sex, drugs, and rock & roll quickly drew packed houses and unexpected mainstream attention, especially once Hollywood regulars began dropping in and occasionally joining them onstage. Those visits opened doors to a Discover Card commercial in which the group portrayed the fictional metal band Danger Kitty, an appearance as themselves on The Drew Carey Show, and placement of their track “FF” as the theme for MTV’s Fantasy Factory.
Universal Republic signed the band in 2008, and after issuing the singles “Death for All But Metal” and “Community Property,” Steel Panther delivered their debut full-length, Feel the Steel, in October 2009. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 98 and reached number 48 on the rock chart. The group kept momentum going with 2011’s Balls Out, which included guest spots from comedian Dane Cook and Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. All You Can Eat followed in 2014, led by the single “Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World” and sporting cover art that parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. In 2016 the quartet issued its first live album, Live from Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage, released alongside a full-length feature film that intercut comedic sketches with footage from the glam-folk garage concert.
Late that year Steel Panther previewed its fourth studio album, Lower the Bar, with a cover of Cheap Trick’s “She’s Tight”; the record arrived in March 2017. After worldwide touring in support, the band mounted the Sunset Strip Live tour, mixing originals with classic metal covers. Producer Jay Ruston helmed the fifth album, Heavy Metal Rules, released in late 2019 behind the single “All I Wanna Do Is Fuck (Myself Tonight).” Following a short touring hiatus, Lexxi Foxxx announced his departure in 2021, prompting open auditions that ultimately brought in Joe “Spyder” Lester, who had already filled in on bass. The revamped lineup self-produced the sixth studio effort, On the Prowl, which arrived in early 2023 preceded by the tracks “Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight)” and “Friends with Benefits.”
