Hardcore Funny

Psychostick is a band from Tempe, Arizona, known for their silly image and usage of extreme humor in their songs and lyrics. Their style is referred to by themselves and some online album review sites as "humorcore". Around the 1990s in Odessa, Texas, Psychostick existed under the name Asinine, with Josh Key on vocals, Steve W. on guitar, Marvin S. on bass, and Bozzy C. on percussion. In 2000, Key ended Asinine and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he met vocalist Rob Kersey. They found drummer Alex Priess, through an ad in the "musicians wanted" section of a local paper and through Alex, found bassist Hunter Alexander and played shows under the new name, Psychostick. Alexander departed from the band in December 2001 and was replaced by Mike Kocian.

In 2003, the band self-released their debut album, We Couldn't Think of a Title,  The album contained the song "BEER!!", which would go on to be one of their most well-known songs. The album was re-released when they signed with an actual record label. The band, with additional guitarist Vince "V" Johansen, commenced touring nationally on June 13, 2006, playing alongside Bobaflex, as well as Indorphine, for the first few weeks. Johansen left the band in late 2006.

 In September of 2007, the band released their holiday EP, The Flesh Eating Roller Skate Holiday Joyride. It was originally intended as a split album with Indorphine, but the other half of the album was never completed, explaining the album's shortness. The holiday EP was mildly successful, but bassist Kocian parted ways with the band in fall 2007. Around the time of Kocian's departure, Indorphine disbanded after touring with Psychostick on the Holiday Hate 2007 tour in December. Needing a new bassist, the band contacted Indorphine vocalist Jimmy Grant to fill in the vacant bass slot, to which he reluctantly agreed. The band also recruited rhythm guitarist Jake McReynolds, figuring "they would do it all at once" since they were going through a line-up change. The band then embarked on their first tour with the 5-piece lineup, entitled the "Holy Crap We're Touring" tour in early 2008.

In late 2008, the band went into the studio to record their second album, Sandwich. It was the band's first studio album since their 2003 debut album. The album finished was released on May 5, 2009 or, what the band calls "Psycho de Mayo". The band then toured in celebration of the album's release, sharing select dates with 9mm Solution, Screaming Mechanical Brain, Severed Nerve, Saved By Ruin, and Diabase. On December 2009, after the Holiday Hate Tour: Season 3 tour, Jimmy Grant left the band for reasons unknown, followed by Jake McReynolds later in April 2010.

 The band recruited Matty "Moose" J. to play bass then started the Parental Advisory Tour, playing with Green Jelly and Nashville Pussy. A new album, Space Vampires VS Zombie Dinosaurs in 3D, was released in 2011. It features a song called "Numbers (I Can Only Count To Four)" which is a parody of Drowning Pool's "Bodies" that Psychostick has been playing live for some time.

Psychostick uses goofy props like rubber chickens and stuffed animals at shows and in their videos. Vocalist Rawrb has been known to use a Guitar Hero guitar and a tennis racket during performances. Although lyrically rich in humor, unlike many bands who tend to use a lot of comedy, the instrumental portions of the songs are not neglected and are very serious. Psychostick takes their music and lyrical content as seriously as a comedian takes their comedy. They are comedic musicians that take every part of their band very seriously. Psychostick is serious about being dumb.

They are currently working on a new album, utilizing a platform that invites the fans to help fund the album.

Quite Right

Quiet Riot were one of the more successful hard rock acts in Los Angeles in the mid to late 1970s. Quiet Riot was unable to land a recording contract in the United States. In 1977 they were able to secure a deal with Sony, but their records were only released in Japan. The original four members, guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni with lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow and drummer Drew Forsyth, recorded their debut album Quiet Riot, or QR I, in 1977. DuBrow and Garni did not get along. They hated each other and it put a lot of stress on the other members to remain neutral. Their second album Quiet Riot II, or QR II, was recorded at The Record Plant and released in Japan in 1978. Once recording was completed, Garni left the band. He was replaced by Rudy Sarzo.

In 1979, upon the recommendation of future Slaughter bassist Dana Strum, Rhoads auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne's band and was hired immediately. Sarzo also left Quiet Riot for Osbourne's band a short time later. Since no one expected Quiet Riot to reform at this point, a few of the Quiet Riot songs ended up on the Osbourne albums under different titles. The Osbourne song "Suicide Solution" originated as a Quiet Riot demo called "Force of Habit".

Rhoads' departure from Quiet Riot didn't derail the band, it ended it. DuBrow and Forsyth continued on with the addition of guitarist Greg Leon and bassist Gary Van Dyke. The band changed its name to 'DuBrow' and also played shows with drummer Skip Gillette. By 1982 guitarist Carlos Cavazo and drummer Frankie Banali had also been recruited by DuBrow.

Randy Rhoads died in a plane crash while on tour with Ozzy Osbourne in March 1982, after which Rudy Sarzo quit Osbourne's band. DuBrow contacted Sarzo to play on a track called "Thunderbird", which was a tribute to Rhoads. The lineup of DuBrow, Sarzo, Cavazo, and Banali had so much fun recording the track that they wound up recording half of an album in the process. The previous bassist was sacked to make room for Sarzo. There was some uncertainty over if the band should be named DuBrow or Quiet Riot; but in the end they decided on Quiet Riot.

In March 1983, with help from producer Spencer Proffer, they released the album Metal Health. This was Quiet Riot's American debut, as their two previous albums have still not been released in North America, despite the band's subsequent success. The album contained the hits "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" and "Cum On Feel the Noize" (a cover of the 1973 hit by Slade,)  Helped in no small part by Mtv's heavy rotation of both videos from the album, Quiet Riot became the first heavy metal band to have a top 5 hit and No. 1 album in the same week. The album Metal Health would ultimately sell over six million copies in the United States.

The group's follow-up, Condition Critical, was released on July 7, 1984, selling only 3 million units and reaching only No. 15 on the Billboard album chart. This release included yet another Slade cover, the single "Mama Weer All Crazee Now". Frustrated over the album's lack of success, DuBrow ran his mouth to the heavy metal press that many bands in the metal scene owed their success to Quiet Riot. At one point he even compared his band to The Beatles. DuBrow's verbal assaults angered many of Quiet Riot's musical contemporaries and alienated fans.

DuBrow's tirades led to fan backlash and clashes in the media with several other Los Angeles-based metal bands, resulting in Rudy Sarzo quitting. Sarzo was replaced in Quiet Riot by Chuck Wright (formerly of Giuffria) and the group temporarily added keyboardist John Purdell for their 1986 tour. That year the album QR III was released and became another commercial disappointment.

Fed up with DuBrow's antics, the rest of Quiet Riot fired DuBrow from his own band in February 1987, while still on tour. They replaced him with former Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino, leaving no original members in the band. Chuck Wright left shortly thereafter and the group recruited Sean McNabb for the bassist slot. The revamped band released their second self-titled album, Quiet Riot. The album failed to return the band to its commercial glory. In April 1989 the band members went their separate ways. Frankie Banali resurfaced on the W.A.S.P. album The Headless Children. Sean McNabb joined House of Lords in 1991, where he ironically replaced Chuck Wright, the bass player whom he also replaced in Quiet Riot.

 Kevin DuBrow subsequently fought in court to keep control of the band's name. Having won the rights to the band's name, DuBrow teamed up with 21 year-old English born blues guitarist Sean Manning, bassist Kenny Hillery, and drummer Pat Ashby to reform Quiet Riot. DuBrow and Manning compiled songs for a new album and played venues throughout the United States until 1990 when Manning left to join the band Hurricane. By the early 1990s tempers had cooled between former bandmates Carlos Cavazo and Kevin DuBrow. Adding bassist Kenny Hillery and drummer Bobby Rondinelli, Cavazo and DuBrow  reverted to the name Quiet Riot and released Terrified in 1993 with Banali rejoining on drums. Chuck Wright then rejoined on bass for a 1994 tour in support of Terrified. That same year, DuBrow released The Randy Rhoads Years, a compilation featuring remixed tracks from Quiet Riot's two Japan-only releases along with previously unreleased material, many of which featured newly recorded vocals.

 The band released the album Down to the Bone in 1995 and a Greatest Hits album in 1996. Former bassist Kenny Hillery, who had left the group in 1994, committed suicide on June 5, 1996. Rudy Sarzo rejoined the band in 1997, reuniting the Metal Health lineup.

 In 1999 the band released Alive and Well, which featured new songs and several re-recorded hits. The same lineup released Guilty Pleasures in 2001. In September 2002, the band teamed up with director Jack Edward Sawyers to shoot a concert video at the Key Club in Los Angeles. The live DVD Live in the 21st Century was released November 11, 2003.

 Quiet Riot officially broke up again in September 2003.

Kevin DuBrow released his first solo album, In for the Kill, in May 2004, which was followed by the announcement of a Quiet Riot reunion in October 2004. The line-up included Kevin DuBrow, Frankie Banali, Chuck Wright, and new guitarist Alex Grossi. In December 2005, guitarist Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns briefly joined Quiet Riot but he left after one rehearsal due to musical differences.

Wright and Grossi left in early 2006. During this period Quiet Riot also included guitarists Billy Morris and Neil Citron, and bassists Sean McNabb and Wayne Carver. Quiet Riot worked on a new studio album and bassist Tony Franklin worked with the band in the studio. Quiet Riot finally released the album Rehab on October 3, 2006; featuring a lineup of DuBrow, Banali, Franklin, and Citron. Former Deep Purple bassist and singer Glenn Hughes made a guest vocal appearance on the album. By the end of 2006, Wright and Grossi were back and touring with the band.

On November 25, 2007, Kevin DuBrow was found dead in his Las Vegas apartment and was later determined to have died of a cocaine overdose approximately six days earlier.

Frankie Banali stated shortly after DuBrow's death that he had no interest in trying to resurrect the Quiet Riot name without vocalist Kevin DuBrow. But less than 3 years later, Banali announced a new version of Quiet Riot in September 2010 with himself on drums, Chuck Wright on bass, Alex Grossi on guitar, and newcomer Mark Huff  on vocals. On January 12, 2012, whilst Huff was awaiting brain surgery, Quiet Riot announced that they had parted ways with Huff, replacing him for upcoming dates with Keith St. John. Huff found out about his firing online. 3 months later, Banali hired new unknown vocalist Scott Vokoun as the third Quiet Riot singer in a year and a half.

So God Bless Chuck Wright for standing on stage and proudly proclaiming himself to be the bass player for Quiet Riot. He has been the bass player for QR for more years than anyone else, even though Sarzo is thought of as the "official" bassist.

But fuck Frankie Banali !!  For touring with absolutely no original members and still calling the band Quiet Riot. For firing Mark Huff while he was in the hospital awaiting brain surgary. But most of all,  for being an insufferable prick who had his head stuck so far up his own ass that he wouldn't sign autographs for the fans waiting outside in Cincinnati, Ohio when he toured with WASP during the Headless Children tour. Johnny Rod hung out with the fans and carved his name into someones bass with a bottle opener, but you were too much of a prick to even sign one autograph.

Jerk!

Update Nov 2013

Quiet Riot has replaced their vocalist again. Scott Vokoun is out (amiciably, according to the rest of the band) and has been replaced by Jizzy Pearl, who has previously replaced the singers in Ratt and LA Guns. Quiet Riot is currently in the studio working on material for a new album due to be released early in 2014. Good luck to Jizzy Pearl, who will most likely be looking for a new gig before the end of next year. But he's got a new album coming out with his band Love/Hate, so maybe he'll be able to go back to that.

Rokken With Dokken

Dokken was first formed when Don Dokken teamed up with Greg Pecka (drums) and Steven R. Barry (bass). Prior to this Don had been playing club shows in the Los Angeles area billed as Airborn, but had to change the band because another band with the same name had already acquired a record deal. In 1981 Don Dokken flew to Germany to sing background vocals on the Scorpions album Blackout to help the band's vocalist Klaus Meine who was suffering from a vocal ailment. While there, Accept was recording in another studio and its manager was able to secure Don a record deal on a German record label. Shortly thereafter Don met up with George Lynch and Mick Brown, playing in a band called Xciter at the time. With the addition of Juan Croucier, Dokken finally had a steady line-up and Breaking the Chains was released. Juan Croucier left Dokken  prior to the release of the "Breaking the Chains" video to join Ratt. He was replaced by Jeff Pilson, who joined in time to film the video (without having played the song). Meanwhile in the United States, manager Cliff Bernstein got the band signed in the United States. The band did an arena tour, but when the tour ended the band was left with little money and was nearly dropped from their label,

 The Tooth and Nail album released in September 1984. The album contained several hit songs including "Just Got Lucky", "Alone Again", and "Into The Fire", and sold over one million copies in the US alone, and selling another estimated one million copies worldwide. In November of 1985 the band's third album Under Lock and Key was released. It also sold over one million copies with the singles "In My Dreams", "The Hunter", and "It's Not Love". During this time, Dokken opened for Judas Priest, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Dio among others. In 1986, Heavy Metal Parking Lot, a documentary about concert goers before a Dokken and Judas Priest concert, was filmed and released.

Following a successful tour with Scorpions, Dokken returned to the studio in December 1986 to record "Dream Warriors", a song for the movie soundtrack A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. The track brought the band to the attention of many UK hard rock fans. The song was released as a single on February 10, 1987. After this release, the band took nearly 6 months off before recording Back for the Attack, released in November of 1987, with the singles "Burning Like a Flame", "Heaven Sent" and "Prisoner". (Ironicly, the album didn't feature the song "Back For The Attack' didn't appear on the album, only as the B-side to the 'Dream Warriors' single.) Back for the Attack became Dokken's third record to reach platinum status, reaching no.13 on US charts, making it the band's most successful release. They released a video for "Dream Warriors" that featured the band members interacting with the film's characters.

After releasing "Back for the Attack", the band toured as part of the Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 festival in the summer of 1988 along with Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, and Kingdom Come. Recordings from their tour in Japan led to the release of live album Beast from the East. The album contained one new studio recording, titled "Walk Away". Shortly after the album's release Dokken broke up in March 1989, due to creative and personal differences between Don Dokken and George Lynch.

 During this split Lynch and Brown formed Lynch Mob. The first Lynch Mob album was released in 1990, titled Wicked Sensation, and it is highly regarded as the group's best work. Many feel that the album would have done very well in the 80's hair metal scene. However, with the waning popularity of "hair metal", the album didn't make much of an impact. Vocalist Oni Logan was fired shortly after the tour, as his life style had negatively impacted his performance. The next album Lynch Mob fared even worse upon its release due to the explosion of grunge. Despite attempts to re-unite with Oni Logan, the album features the vocals of new vocalist Robert Mason. Lynch Mob disbanded after the tour for the album, and eventually Lynch and drummer Mick Brown reunited with Dokken.

Bassist Jeff Pilson, switching to lead vocals and guitar, formed Flesh & Blood in 1989 and recorded a 5-song demo. Further War & Peace recordings surfaced as Time Capsule in 1993, by which time the group had already disbanded. Pilson joined the McAuley Schenker Group for their 1992 album, M.S.G.. Afterwards, Pilson joined Dio for the Strange Highways album, reuniting with former Flesh & Blood band mate Vinny Appice.

Lynch also recorded a solo effort, 1993's Sacred Groove, reuniting him with Don Dokken (who co-wrote the track "We Don't Own This World"). Don Dokken was also supposed to sing lead on the track, but he never made it to the studio and was replaced by Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. Jeff Pilson also collaborated with Lynch on the album, co-writing the lyrics to "Flesh and Blood" and playing bass on "We Don't Own This World."

 Also during the split, Don Dokken recorded a solo album very much in the vein of previous Dokken efforts, titled Up from the Ashes. It featured unknown guitarist Billy White, ex-Europe guitarist John Norum, Accept bassist Peter Baltes, and ex-King Diamond drummer Mikkey Dee. After releasing Up from the Ashes, Don Dokken wrote another solo album in 1993. Titled Dysfunctional, the album was recorded and produced in Don's studio. However John Kalodner suggested that George Lynch be brought back into the band so that the album could be marketed as a Dokken album, and not another solo effort. Despite the fact that the tension between Lynch and Don Dokken was the cause of the band's 1989 split, the two agreed to put their problems behind them for the time being. The band re-united in 1994 along with Mick Brown and Jeff Pilson, with Lynch re-writing and re-recording the guitar solos on the album. During the tour supporting Dysfunctional, old tensions between George and Don had resurfaced and the band began to split apart. During a radio appearance  during which the band was scheduled to play live, Lynch unexpectedly left the studio and refused to re-enter. The record company dropped Dokken four days later, presumably because of this and other incidents of Lynch's irrational behavior. One Live Night, a live acoustic album available also as a DVD was released in 1996 and was followed with Shadowlife in 1997. Don Dokken was dissatisfied with Shadowlife, an album in which George Lynch took total control and even replaced the original Dokken logo on the album. Don alleges that George intended to destroy the band with this album, reciting the following quote from Lynch in an interview: "This is the perfect record. This is gonna be the end of Dokken, and that is what I wanted to accomplish."

In late 1997, Lynch left the band. Needing a guitarist, Dokken looked to John Norum who had previously played on his solo album and was familiar with the band's catalog, to help him finish the tour. Lynch tried to re-join the group just days before the tour began, but was told that he was "out" by the rest of the group. A lawsuit followed in which Lynch sued the band for $1 million, but the band prevailed.

 Consequently, Lynch attempted to reform the original Lynch Mob line-up. The band broke-up again after a single writing session. The fruits of this session was a three song demo released as Syzygy. A Lynch Mob tour of 13 U.S. cities was realised in 1998 featuring vocalist John West, and returning bassist Anthony Esposito. Lynch then formed the third incarnation of the group, with all new unknown members taking the music into a rap metal direction. Smoke This was released to disappointed fans and critics. Disappointed fans referred to the  album as "Lynch Bizkit". A tour followed but the group disbanded again.

 After the European tour, guitarist John Norum was unable to continue with Dokken, as he had previously committed to a solo record. The band then hired former Winger guitarist Reb Beach, and recorded Erase the Slate. Dokken released another live album titled Live from the Sun in 2000, also available on DVD. Beach, who wanted to work on some other projects and could not commit to Dokken long term, was replaced by John Norum, who was now in between projects and able to participate in the band's touring schedule. Bassist Jeff Pilson also left the band, and was replaced by Barry Sparks. Of the original members, only Dokken and Mick Brown remained. This line-up released the album Long Way Home, but Norum suffered a hand injury and had to be replaced by Alex De Rosso, previously of Dark Lord.  After the tour guitarist Alex De Rosso lost his visa and had to return to Italy. Don Dokken called Jon Levin who formerly played guitar on Doro's Force Majeure, and also had previously met with the band and played a single show in 1998. Levin joined the band, and the line-up of Dokken, Brown, Levin, and Sparks would remain through 2008.

Meanwhile in 2003, George Lynch was reforming Lynch Mob with original bassist Anthony Esposito and second vocalist Robert Mason. Mick Brown stayed with Dokken and Michael Frowein was hired as the drummer. to record. The band recorded modernized Lynch Mob and Dokken material for the album titled REvolution that were heavier and faster than the originals. Frowein was replaced by Chas Stumbo (ex-Earshot) for the 2003 REvolution Tour. A live CD/DVD package of the final show of that tour was later released, strangely the audio was from a different performance and often does not match the images.

George Lynch toured Europe in 2006 under his own name. In 2007, George and his solo band performed a marathon 26 show/30 day tour. The line-up was: George Lynch - guitars, Andrew Freeman - vocals, Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath/Dio) - drums and Marten Andersson (Lizzy Borden) - bass. Lynch also started a new band, Souls of We.

 Dokken released Hell to Pay in 2004, a modern approach to the band's style. The band continued touring in 2005 and 2006. 2007 saw the release of both a live CD and a compilation DVD. The CD, titled From Conception: Live 1981, is a previously unreleased live recording from the band's early years which Don found, The DVD release titled Unchain the Night was first released on VHS in 1986 and is a compilation of the band's music videos along with interviews and other footage. The band also performed at the glam metal festival Rocklahoma in both 2007 and 2008.

The popular lineup of Dokken was set to reunite to play Rocklahoma 2008 in and tour during the summer, however those plans fell apart. George used this chance to reunite Lynch Mob (with vocalist Oni Logan) to play at Rocklahoma. As of January 2010, Oni Logan and George Lynch have tried another incarnation of the Lynch Mob. Releasing Smoke and Mirrors in 2009, featuring Marco Mendoza on bass. A tour followed, with Fred Coury and then Brian Tichy on drums. Bassist James Lomenzo joined Lynch Mob in late July 2010, replacing Marco Mendoza.Two shows during a Canadian tour saw Marq Torien (Bullet Boys) handle the vocal duties. Keith St. John (Montrose and Burning Rain) replaced Marq Torien on vocals for the last two US dates on the tour. Bassist Robbie Crane of Ratt joined the touring line up of Lynch Mob for the band's fall of 2010 European tour and become the permanent bassist of Lynch Mob thereafter,

Former Lynch Mob bassist Anthony Esposito tours with former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and plays on his 2009 release Anomaly. Former Lynch Mob vocalist Robert Mason is currently Warrant's lead singer.

On May 13, 2008, Dokken released their first studio album in four years titled Lightning Strikes Again, which was a commercial success and the band's highest-charting album in 13 years, debuting at No. 133 in the United States. The album was a return to the band's signature sound and the songs follow the classic Dokken formula. Jon Levin was the bandmate who wanted the band to make an album with the classic sound in mind.

During the summer of 2008, Dokken toured with Sebastian Bach and Poison. Sparks and Brown were not part of the summer 2008 touring line-up. Brown signed on to play with Ted Nugent before Dokken was offered the slot on the Poison tour, making him unavailable to tour with Dokken. Sparks was in Asia performing with a stadium act and was unable to tour with Dokken. Chris McCarvill from House of Lords played bass. Jeff Martin of Racer X and Badlands played drums for the tour until he was fired by Don Dokken. Chris McCarvill's House of Lords bandmate B.J. Zampa filled in as drummer for the remainder of the tour.

Since then Dokken have toured extensively with Mick Brown back on drums (BJ Zampa filling in when Mick is busy touring with Ted Nugent). Sean McNabb (ex-Quiet Riot) is playing bass, along with Jon Levin on guitar and Don Dokken on vocals. On November 29, 2009 during an encore at The House Of Blues in Anaheim, George Lynch and Jeff Pilson joined Mick Brown and Don Dokken for two songs, their first time on stage together in 12 years.

Dokken released a new studio album in the fall of 2012. Broken Bones was released on September 25 2012 and is rumored to be the last Dokken album. Which is just as well because Don's voice is shot. He sings in a much lower register now and can't hite the high notes that he sang in classic Dokken songs. Don Dokken is said to be working with guitarist Michael Schenker following the current tour.

During a taping for "That Metal Show" George Lynch mentioned a reunion of the four members of Dokken. This didn't come to fruition and the blame, according to Lynch, Pilson, and Brown, is Don Dokken. The trio, calling themselves Tooth & Nail, after the Dokken album, began work on a new recording of several Dokken tunes with guest vocalists (Doug Pinnick of King's X, Robert Mason, Sebastian Bach, and Tim "Ripper" Owens), and Pilson singing on the new material. After changing their name to T&N, the band released Slave To The Empire.

In July of 2013, Lynch Mob released  Sound Mountain Sessions  with the first single, "Slow Drag"

To purchase any of the music mentioned in the article, click on the yellow links.

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Bad Boy John Sykes

John James Sykes (born 29 July 1959) is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. Sykes joined Tygers of Pan Tang in 1980, and played guitar on the albums Spellbound (1981) and Crazy Nights (1982), as well as participating on two tracks for their 1983 release, The Cage.

In 1982, John Sykes was recruited by former Uriah Heep frontman John Sloman, for his new band Badlands, alongside his future Whitesnake bandmate Neil Murray. Badlands broke up shortly after formation and no music has ever been officially released, although bootlegs of rehearsals do exist. Sykes also auditioned, unsuccessfully, for Ozzy Osbourne's band following the death of Randy Rhoads.

At the age of 23, Phil Lynott asked Sykes to join Thin Lizzy, filling the spot left by guitarist Snowy White. He participated in the recording of the band's final studio album Thunder and Lightning, and contributed the track "Cold Sweat". Sykes toured with the band until the autumn of 1983 to promote Thunder and Lightning, from which the live album Life was recorded. Following the tour, Thin Lizzy disbanded but Sykes joined Phil Lynott for Lynott’s solo tour of Europe in a band dubbed The Three Musketeers featuring Lynott, Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, Darren Wharton, and Sykes.

David Coverdale hired Sykes to join Whitesnake following the release of Slide It In in 1984. He re-recorded some guitar tracks for the US release, and toured in support of the album, culminating with the 1985 Rock in Rio festival. Sykes co-wrote the majority of the songs on Whitesnake's 1987 self-titled album Whitesnake with David Coverdale, and recorded the guitar as well as some backing vocal tracks. Near the end of the 1987 sessions Coverdale fired the entire band (allegedly because of personality clashes and matters of ego) and brought in Adrian Vandenberg to record the solo on "Here I Go Again" (one of the few songs on the album that wasn't co-written by Sykes.) This was Whitesnake's most successful album, selling over eight million copies in the United States alone. Although I'm sure Sykes made stacks of cash for playing on this album, I don't feel that he gets nearly enough credit for his contributions to Whitesnake.

After Coverdale fired the 1987-era band, Sykes went on to form Blue Murder with Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice and The Firm bassist Tony Franklin. In the early stages of the band, drummer Cozy Powell -  who Sykes played with in Whitesnake - was attached to the project. Ray Gillen, who had previously sung for Black Sabbath, sang for an early version of Blue Murder, and the band recorded demos with him. Upon comparing the original demos with Sykes singing to the demos with Ray Gillen, A&R executive John Kalodner encouraged Sykes to handle the vocal duties himself, though Tony Martin (who, ironically, replaced Gillen in Black Sabbath) briefly worked with the band. Blue Murder released two studio albums: Blue Murder in 1989 and Nothin' but Trouble in 1993. A live album, Screaming Blue Murder was released in Japan only in 1994, but has since been released elsewhere via iTunes.

 The band was dropped by their label, at which point Sykes, the only consistent member of Blue Murder, recorded Out of My Tree in 1995 with Blue Murder band mates Marco Mendoza and Tommy O'Steen, effectively transforming Blue Murder into a Sykes solo project. In the years following Blue Murder, Sykes recorded several solo albums: Out of My Tree (1995), Loveland (1997), 20th Century (1997) and Nuclear Cowboy (2000).  In 2004, the live album Bad Boy Live! was released, covering a number of "greatest hits" from Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, and his solo work.

In 1996, he reformed Thin Lizzy with Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, and Darren Wharton. Sykes, as well as taking on the role of lead guitarist, handled the lead vocals due to the death of Phil Lynott years earlier.Touring occasionally with Thin Lizzy, a live recording One Night Only was released in 2000. On 7 July 2009, Sykes parted ways with Thin Lizzy, stating "I feel it's time to get back to playing my own music"

In 2011, Sykes started working with ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy and Mr Big bassist Billy Sheehan. But widely different work ethics (Sykes is very conservative and takes his time, while Portnoy wants everything done yesterday) caused Portnoy and Sheehan to replace Sykes with Richie Kotzen. (Their Debut cd, The Winery Dogs, was released in 2013.)

 John Sykes has announced that his fifth solo album is due for release in 2013, and he has written over 30 new tracks. The album has not yet been released.

In 2006 Gibson Guitars began producing a Gibson Les Paul modeled after Sykes' 1970s-era Les Paul Custom. There were two versions available; an "aged" look (recreating the exact looks of John's Les Paul) and a "standard" model. This was a limited edition run, with 66 aged look models created, and just over 100 standard models created. His amplifiers include several modified Marshall amps he's used since the early 1980s. He took a break from Marshall in the late 1980s when he started using Mesa/Boogie amplifiers.He once again started using his marshall amps when he began touring solo and for the Thin Lizzy "reunion" tours. Although rarely, he can also be seen using Roland Jazz Chorus combos for his clean tones.

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