Biography
After parting ways with Kiss in 1984—accounts differ on whether the split was voluntary—guitarist Vinnie Vincent quickly assembled his own group, the Vinnie Vincent Invasion. Dana Strum took the bass chair; the Los Angeles metal veteran had previously scouted talent for both Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss, securing Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee for Osbourne while also bringing Vincent into Kiss and later recommending Mark St. John as his replacement. Muscle-bound drummer Bobby Rock completed the initial lineup.
Still seeking a frontman, the musicians were struck by an audition tape from an unidentified newcomer who had supplied no name or contact details. With a Chrysalis deal already in place, they recruited former Journey vocalist Robert Fleischman to replicate the mystery singer’s style, which strongly echoed Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. Promotional photographs soon revealed that Fleischman’s appearance clashed with the band’s heavily styled image.
The self-titled debut arrived in autumn 1986, spotlighting Vincent’s rapid-fire solos within a glam-inflected pop-metal sound shared by acts such as Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Ratt. Shortly afterward, the previously elusive vocalist—Mark Slaughter—reached the group and was installed as Fleischman’s successor. The record moved briskly, approaching gold certification, while the quartet supported Alice Cooper across the United States.
Interest had cooled by the arrival of the 1988 follow-up, All Systems Go. Internal friction grew as bandmates struggled to work with Vincent, who increasingly regarded the project as an extension of his solo career. The Vinnie Vincent Invasion dissolved in 1989. Strum and Slaughter later found commercial success with their new band Slaughter, and Rock joined Nelson; Vincent’s own output remained modest, limited to the independent 1996 EP Euphoria—a four-song release that reunited him with Fleischman on vocals. He also co-wrote material for Kiss’s 1992 album Revenge before filing a royalty-related lawsuit against the group.
Still seeking a frontman, the musicians were struck by an audition tape from an unidentified newcomer who had supplied no name or contact details. With a Chrysalis deal already in place, they recruited former Journey vocalist Robert Fleischman to replicate the mystery singer’s style, which strongly echoed Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. Promotional photographs soon revealed that Fleischman’s appearance clashed with the band’s heavily styled image.
The self-titled debut arrived in autumn 1986, spotlighting Vincent’s rapid-fire solos within a glam-inflected pop-metal sound shared by acts such as Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Ratt. Shortly afterward, the previously elusive vocalist—Mark Slaughter—reached the group and was installed as Fleischman’s successor. The record moved briskly, approaching gold certification, while the quartet supported Alice Cooper across the United States.
Interest had cooled by the arrival of the 1988 follow-up, All Systems Go. Internal friction grew as bandmates struggled to work with Vincent, who increasingly regarded the project as an extension of his solo career. The Vinnie Vincent Invasion dissolved in 1989. Strum and Slaughter later found commercial success with their new band Slaughter, and Rock joined Nelson; Vincent’s own output remained modest, limited to the independent 1996 EP Euphoria—a four-song release that reunited him with Fleischman on vocals. He also co-wrote material for Kiss’s 1992 album Revenge before filing a royalty-related lawsuit against the group.
Albums
