Hellion (US heavy metal band)

Hellion is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1982. The band's original lineup included Ann Boleyn (vocals), Ray Schenck (guitar), Sean Kelley (drums) and Peyton Tuthill (bass). Hellion continues to perform today with different band members. The band started as a cover group, covering songs by the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions and AC/DC. The group's first performances (or "Mega-Parties") were held at a mansion in Tujunga, California which was occupied by Ann Boleyn. While residing at the mansion, Hellion recorded a homemade demo cassette, which resulted in the band gaining attention in both underground and mainstream music magazines. In late 1982, Hellion was approached by Mystic Records, a Hollywood-based punk label, who wanted to include "Nightmares in Daylight" on a compilation album. Several weeks prior to the recording session, Peyton Tuthill left the band, citing Ann Boleyn's involvement in the occult arts as his reason. Tuthill has since become a minister. Following Tuthill's departure, bass player Rik Fox (who was a founding member of W.A.S.P.) was a number of top musicians who auditioned for Hellion, and was invited to return for a second round of auditions. A few days later, however, Fox, was offered a gig with Steeler. At the last minute Brian West of London, who had played in the Seattle-based band, Power Program, with Ann Boleyn, was brought in for the recording session which took place on New Year's Eve. Mystic Records released Hellion's first single, which included "Black Night" by Deep Purple in addition to a Hellion original entitled "Driving Hard For You" in early 1983. Another Hellion song, "Nightmares In Daylight", was recorded for inclusion on Mystic Records' compilation LP entitled, The Sound of Hollywood Girls. After Hellion's single gained positive reviews, Mystic Records offered Hellion a full record deal. When Hellion refused, Mystic Records released "Nightmares in Daylight", on a split single with another female-fronted band, Bitch, who had also decided against signing a full record deal with Mystic. By 1983, Hellion had solidified their line-up with the addition of bassist Bill Sweet and a second lead-guitarist, Alan Barlam. During the summer of 1983, Hellion was voted by readers of L.A. Street Scene Magazine as the Best Local Heavy Metal Act. America's major record companies were in the process of signing dozens of hard rock and metal bands. Although Hellion frequently headlined shows at The Troubadour, The Whiskey, and other Los Angeles venues and frequently opened for national acts, the major record labels ignored Hellion. Van Halen's manager, Ed Leffler, and others, however offered to make singer Ann Boleyn into "the next Pat Benatar" on the condition that she have cosmetic surgery and leave Hellion. In an attempt to gain a major label recording contract the group entered Fiddler's Studio in Hollywood to record a demo. The band recorded the basic tracks in one evening and recorded the guitar solos, vocals, and mixed on the following night. After destroying two separate cassette recorders while making multiple copies of the demo to sell at shows, Hellion decided to press the recording onto vinyl and formed Bongus Lodus Records. After Hellion's self-titled 12-inch made its way onto the import charts in Kerrang!, Sounds and Aardschok magazines, London-based record company Music for Nations offered the band a recording contract and gave the band money to record two more songs which were added to the earlier recording to make the six-song Hellion Mini-LP. Tracks No. 2 through No. 5 are from that release. The Hellion Mini-LP was released in January 1984 and climbed to No. 6 on the UK rock chart in Kerrang! and Sounds. The record was voted No. 2 EP of the Year by the journalists at Kerrang! magazine. Hellion thereafter performed in England and performed a number of concerts in the US supporting Alcatrazz, which featured former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnett and Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. In mid-1984, after hearing a live recording of one of Hellion's concerts with Alcatrazz, Ronnie James Dio and his wife Wendy Dio, along with her business partner Curt Lorraine, offered to produce and manage Hellion. In July 1984, Hellion entered Sound City Recording Studios in Van Nuys, California, with famed engineer, Angelo Arcuri, and with Ronnie James Dio producing. One song from those sessions, "Run For Your Life", was later released on Roadrunner Records, and received substantial radio airplay on KMET and KNAC, as well as abroad. Throughout 1984, through 1985, Hellion performed as a support act with Dio, Whitesnake, W.A.S.P., Rough Cutt, and other national acts. The band, however, failed to attain a record deal in the United States. In early 1985, Hellion's male members decided to split from vocalist Ann Boleyn and replace her with a male singer, Richard Parrico. After Boleyn threatened to sue, Hellion's male members and Parrico adopted the moniker Burn. Both Burn and Hellion continued to be managed by Wendy Dio and Curt Lorraine of Niji Management. Soon after the split Dana Strum produced a demo for the newly formed band Burn, with the financial assistance of Curt Lorraine. In addition to writing new music, Burn also performed and recorded songs that had been previously sung by Ann Boleyn, but changed Boleyn's lyrics and melodies. Boleyn soon gathered a new Hellion line-up featuring ex-Romeo guitarist Chet Thompson, ex-Lion bassist Alex Campbell, and ex-Dokken drummer Greg Pecka. After insisting on releasing a new record with or without a major record label, Hellion was dropped from Niji Management in about 1986. A few months later, the new Hellion began recording demos at Brian Elliot Studios in North Hollywood. One song from those sessions, entitled "The Hand", appears on the California's Best Metal compilation album, which was released by Greenworld Records. A few months later, Hellion entered Total Access Recording Studios in Redondo Beach, California, with record producer Ken Scott. Ken Scott's then-wife, Patience Scott, acted as Hellion's manager. Before the demo was fully completed, marital problems surfaced between Hellion's manager Patience Scott, and producer Ken Scott. Due to the split, Ken and Patience Scott were unable to continue working together. Ken Scott's memories of recording with Hellion are chronicled in his book entitled From Abbey Road To Ziggy Stardust which was released in 2012. Tracks from Hellion's demo sessions with Ken Scott have been released in various forms as bootlegs. After working with Ken Scott, Hellion entered Baby O recording studios with engineer, Mikey Davis, whose credits include W.A.S.P., Kiss, The Plimsouls, and more, to record their Screams in the Night album. Screams in the Night was released in the UK on Music For Nations Records, as well as on Roadrunner Records in Europe. Unable to land a record deal in America, Ann Boleyn began her own record company, New Renaissance Records. A video for the song "Bad Attitude", from Screams in the Night, gained Hellion substantial radio airplay in the United States as well as a video on MTV, VH1, and Sky Channel. With the exception of The Plasmatics, Hellion's video marked the first time a female-fronted metal band was featured on MTV. In addition to performing music, Ann Boleyn is also a marathon runner, and ran and acted as a recognized "paceleader" for the Los Angeles Roadrunners in ten consecutive Los Angeles Marathons. Boleyn also was listed several times as a sanctioned runner in the Boston Marathon. Although Screams in the Night gained substantial national and international radio airplay and television appearances, by the end of 1986, the new (Mark II) line-up began fighting about the band's musical direction. Members blamed Ann Boleyn's insistence on a European-style heavy metal direction, that included occult and antisocial themes in her lyrics, as the reason for their failure to secure a major-label