Wolfbane

Distinct from the Rick Rubin–backed Wolfsbane that drew heavy attention as a late-’80s hard-rock act, Wolfbane operated as a little-known New Wave of British Heavy Metal group. The trio formed in March 1980 and remained active only until 1984, never completing a full-length studio album. Vocalist and guitarist Gramie Dee, bassist Dale Lee, and drummer Syd Mercury assembled a four-song demo in 1981 that circulated among record companies and reportedly sparked interest at MCA. Subsequent personnel shifts—including several drummers and two brief lead singers—hampered momentum while the band played low-profile shows across the United Kingdom and Germany. A second demo followed in April 1982. Even after securing a measure of continuity by adding drummer Rick Henshaw in 1983, the group’s prospects collapsed when its tour van and gear were destroyed under suspicious circumstances. That incident prompted the members to disband. Dee and Lee later resurfaced in the thrash-metal outfit Blood Money, and the long-unreleased Wolfbane recordings finally surfaced on CD via Shadow Kingdom in 2010, granting the band belated visibility.