WARLORD Vinyl Records and CDs

... Music Connection. Furthermore, Warlord was receiving continual FM radio play in major US markets. Adding further intrigue to the growing Warlord mystique was the band members' use of pseudonyms such as 'Destroyer' / 'The Raven' (Tsamis), 'Thunderchild' (Zonder), 'Damien King' (vocalist Jack Rucker), and 'Sentinel' (keyboardist Diane Kornarens) as well as Warlord's refusal to become just another LA club act, opting to present themselves on a grander scale instead. To that end, the band rented The Raymond Theater to stage what would turn out to be the only Warlord live performance in the USA until now (August 2013). It was filmed and recorded for the group's first full-length release, "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun...," issued in October 1984 and accompanied by a VHS home video release of the same name (now in DVD). The album featured 2 brand new tracks, "Soliloquy" and "MCMLXXXIV", as well as both cuts from the "Lost And Lonely Days" / "Aliens" 12" single released earlier that same year. Tsamis, Zonder, and Kornarens were joined by bassist Dave Watry ('Archangel') and new vocalist Rick Cunningham ('Damien King II'). A third vocalist worked shortly afterwards with the band (even if just in studio-recording and never on a stage): Rick Anderson, also known at the time as "Damien King III". The prevalence of “hair metal," "rap music," and the inability to retain a live lineup that could be up to Tsamis' and Zonder's high standards led to the cessation of band operations in 1986. The band's label, Metal Blade, would issue "Thy Kingdom Come", a quasi Best-Of, in December of that year. An extended version, including the whole Deliver Us album, followed in 1989, titled "Best of Warlord." Unbeknownst to Tsamis and Zonder, however, the music of Warlord had already taken off in Europe, and the band amassed a cult-like following. This was largely due to rave magazine reviews, continuous radio play, and the circulation of many demos via "tape trading," as well as positive word-of-mouth promotion among metal fans. With the onset of the internet, the music of Warlord spread worldwide and thus helped secure Warlord a place in the history of heavy metal as one of the greatest metal bands of all time for both artistic integrity as well as their unique melodic style. Post 1986, found Tsamis recording first an acoustic demo under the name “Lordian Winds” as part of a sprawling project based on John Milton's "Paradise Lost" (released in 2012 by NoRemorse records) and then launching an apocalyptic-themed female-fronted band called Lordian Guard. In the meantime, Zonder joined Prog Metal pioneers Fates Warning and went on to release numerous albums with them as well as other bands since (due to his universally recognized talent) his skills were -and still are- in high demand. It was during one of Fates Warning's tours that Zonder realized that Warlord's following had grown considerably with fans approaching him to sign Warlord albums and demanding new music from the band. Zonder contacted Tsamis and, as soon as schedules permitted, Warlord was once again converted to active status. Vocalist duties were assigned to Hammerfall vocalist (and big Warlord fan) Joacim Cans. Thus, in 2002, a new album, "Rising Out Of The Ashes," was recorded and released worldwide to rave reviews. And this was followed by the first ever Warlord live performance at the Wacken Open Air festival. A string of mishaps and very serious family health issues plagued Warlord after these performances and Warlord was once again, put on a hiatus which lasted for almost 9 years. With these issues resolved and considerable pressure by fans and promoters alike, Warlord returned to active status formally i