Axe

Biography

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Axe (1979-2012): a Hard Rock band from Gainesville, Florida, USA.

ot to be confused with the Polish band of the same name who released only one demo, this Axe formed in 1979 as Babyface before assuming the present name, with Edgar Riley (vocals), Bobby Barth (guitar/vocals), Mike Turpin (bass), Teddy Mueller (drums) and Mike Osbourne (guitar) they would release a trio of superbly crafted albums on 'MCA' and 'Atco' in the form of Axe (1979), Living On The Edge (1980) and Offering (1981). In 1984 the cracks in their armor was beginning to show when vocalist Riley was killed in a car crash causing the band to dissolve. Barth then joined Blackfoot for a short time in 1985 before reforming Axe in 1989 with ex-U.F.O. drummer Andy Parker but this reformation was short lived and Barth left for Australia to work with ex-Rose Tattoo frontman Angry Anderson.

Upon Barth's return in 1991, Denver, Colorado based Caught in the Act came to his attention and, persuading to take the band under his wing, he set to work producing demos. The ensuing debut album, eventually released on the Swedish 'Empire' label featuring covers of two Axe classics, Silent Soldiers and Steal Another Fantasy. Barth continued to work with the group on their second record. Caught in the Act had to later revert to the C.I.T.A. name due to the existence of a Dutch 'boy band' with a prior claim to the name.

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Due to Barth's connections with the Japanese label 'Zero' and German company 'MTM Music', he felt there was interest in Axe to make a new effort to reform the group with the revised line-up of himself with Bob Harris (keyboards/lead vocals; ex-Frank Zappa), Edgar Riley, Jr. (keyboards/backing vocals), Teddy Mueller (drums; R.I.P. 2012) and Rob Lowe (keyboards/backing vocals), and the release of brand new albums, aptly titled Five, and the compilation Axe (Twenty Years From Home) featuring re-recorded versions of choice tracks from each of the first four album, plus two from the recently released Five; 1997 both. For their 2000 album, The Crown, the group inducted new guitarist Danny Masters and drummer Christian Teele.

Brad Banhagel assumed guitar and lead vocals in 2004, that same year David Landes assumed the second guitar. Scott Misner took drums in 2007, Gerald Berger took over bass in 2006 and Paul Byron assumed keyboards in 2010. Ted Mueller died on June 29, 2012, at the age of 57.

Final Offering would be released in 2019.

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