Alcatrazz

Formed in Los Angeles in 1983 around Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea, Alcatrazz developed an American hard rock sound tinged with heavy metal, featuring melodic choruses, prominent keyboards and a strong emphasis on lead guitarists. The original line‑up included Yngwie Malmsteen, who was replaced in 1984 by Steve Vai and subsequently by Danny Johnson — three tenures that strongly shaped Alcatrazz’s musical identity without altering its core, which sits between stage-ready hard rock and the melodic metal of the 1980s. The group’s first era produced the albums No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll (1983), Disturbing the Peace (1985) and Dangerous Games (1986), before disbanding in 1987. Alcatrazz later reappeared as Alcatrazz featuring Graham Bonnet between 2006 and 2014, notably performing in Japan and the United States. Relaunched in 2019 with Joe Stump on guitar, Alcatrazz released Born Innocent (2020) and then split the same year into two separate formations. The version led by Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea has continued under the name Alcatrazz, issuing V (2021) and Take No Prisoners (2023), and has featured Giles Lavery on vocals since 2024.