Sound Barrier

A

rare example of an all African-American act, Sound Barrier was along the rare same lines as Black Death (USA). Forming in the early eighties with Bernie K. (vocals), Tracey Singleton (guitar), Dave Brown (drums) and Stanley E. (bass), they signed to 'MCA' to release Total Control (1983), a competent if dated slice of hard rock/Metal. Despite positive reviews, it failed to sell and the label dropped the band. They pushed off to manage the self-financed Born to Rock EP in 1984 under their own 'Pit Bull' label, and later a second full-length album Speed Of Sound (1986) with 'Metal Blade', by which time they were no longer an all-black band as they had recruited Romanian bassist Emil Lech. Some time after that release, Italian guitar prodigy Alex Masi joined the band (facilitated 'Metal Blade'), and through a series of subsequent line-up changes, Sound Barrier effectively ceased to exist and Masi the band was born with two Sound Barrier members, Dave Brown and Bernie K., appeared on the first Masi release Fire In The Rain in 1987).