Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
A long-lost video from the classic heavy metal pioneers Hades has been found! The clip for the song, “Rogue’s War“, dates back to 1983 when the song was included on the Megaforce Records compilation ‘Born To Metalize’.
At the time of its recording, Hades was in the early stages of its existence, a long way from establishing the legacy that the band is known for now. The band’s line-up at that point consisted of founding guitarist Dan Lorenzo (Vessel Of Light, Non-Fiction, The Cursed), vocalist Paul Smith, and drummer Tom Coombs. Also in the ’83 lineup were guitarist Joe Casilli and bassist Lou Ciarlo, who would go on to play in the band Attacker.
The video is being shared here today, though it suffers from a bit of deterioration in its quality, is a must-see item for fans of Hades and those that appreciate the origins of U.S. metal. Hades would go on to release several full-length albums and other items, over time becoming a trailblazing band within the U.S. and global music scenes.
The band’s lineup would change throughout those years with only Dan Lorenzo being the ever-present constant within the band. Riff Relevant interviewed Lorenzo in 2017 (here) where we discussed Hades and much more.
Hades‘ very first studio full-length, ‘Resisting Success‘, was recently re-issued by Dark Symphonies Records and includes a second CD of bonus material. That added content includes the band’s original demos with singer Paul Smith, also quite the rarity.
