American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1982 by vocalist/bassist Blackie Lawless. Long associated with the controversies that fueled the 1985 PMRC Senate hearings on rock-music labeling. Known for their over-the-top stage presentation in the early 1980s.
Sixteen studio albums starting with the self-titled 1984 debut. Commercial peak: The Last Command (1985), Inside the Electric Circus (1986), and the concept album The Crimson Idol (1992). Lawless has been the only continuous member through frequent lineup changes.
