Compilation - Maple Metal

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Apple Viper - Get Up	03:22
	2	Galleon - What D'ya Want	03:31
	3	Harlott - Angel in the Dark	04:20
	4	Havoc - The Warning	02:52
	5	Jade - Legends of a Time	05:06

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Kid Wikkid - Take a Look at Me	04:21
	2	Titan - Burnt by the Flame	04:29
	3	Tzar - One Ticket to Paradise	04:25
	4	Rue Morgue - Goin' Down' Rockin'	05:10
	5	Vigilants - Run for Cover	03:09

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

Apple Viper was a Toronto-based hard rock band active in the early to mid-1980s. The lineup featured Cat Smith (lead guitar, lead vocals), Moira Connelly (keyboards, guitar, lead vocals), Patti Burns (drums, vocals), and Tessa Kimmel (bass, vocals). Their song “Get Up” appeared on the 1985 compilation Maple Metal (Viper Records / Attic), produced by Tim McCauley and The Enforcer and published through Chainsaw Music. Recorded during a brief wave of Canadian independent metal releases, the track remains the group’s only known recording.
-Robert Williston

Apple Viper - Get Up
Written by Cat Smith
Published by Chainsaw Music
Cat Smith: lead guitar, lead vocals
Moira Connelly: keyboards, guitar, lead vocals
Patti Burns: drums, vocals
Tessa Kimmel: bass, vocals
Produced by Tim McCauley & The Enforcer

Galleon were an Ottawa-based hard rock and metal band active through the first half of the 1980s. Fronted by guitarist and vocalist Rob Labarge, the group also featured Rick Tremblay (guitar), Fred Nasrallah (bass, vocals), and Rick Vatour (drums). Emerging from the city’s bar and club circuit, Galleon built a steady following in Eastern Ontario and Québec with a mix of original material and polished live performances that often drew comparisons to Rush and Triumph.

Their song “What D’ya Want” appeared on the 1985 compilation Maple Metal (Viper / Attic), produced by Les Howe and the band, marking their only official release of the decade. Another track, “Wasting Time,” was included on the companion compilation Moose Molten Metal the same year. Both recordings captured the band’s melodic but muscular sound, combining accessible songwriting with tight musicianship.

Although Galleon entered discussions with several labels, including Solid Gold Records, no full-length album materialized before the band dissolved in the mid-1980s. In later years, members reunited for local shows, reflecting on their role in Ottawa’s vibrant 1980s hard rock scene.
-Robert Williston

Galleon - What D’ya Want
Written by Galleon
Published by Galleon Tunes
Rick Tremblay: guitar, vocals
Rob Labarge: guitar, lead vocals
Rick Vatour: drums
Fred Nasrallah: bass, vocals
Produced by Less Howe & Galleon

Harlott were a Toronto-based metal band active in the mid-1980s. The group evolved out of an earlier outfit called Metallion, co-founded by guitarist Stan Cowan and bassist Peter Dove. The early lineup featured Tony De La Hunt (vocals), Cowan (guitar), Russell “Gong” Fayette (guitar), Dove (bass), and Steve Cribar (drums).

By 1984, Dove was replaced by Mark “Sparky” Kawano on bass, and Burt Bartoletti joined on guitar following Fayette’s departure. Harlott recorded several demos between 1983 and 1985, including “Running All Night,” “Don’t Need Your Love,” and “Sweet Innocence,” and performed regularly around Toronto, sharing bills with Canadian acts such as Lee Aaron and Helix. They were also scheduled to open for Anthrax and Raven, though the show was cancelled.

Their track “Angel in the Dark” appeared on the 1985 compilation Maple Metal (Viper Records / Attic), recorded at Phase One Studios in Toronto and engineered by Robin Brouwers. Another song, “There for the Taking,” surfaced on the 1986 compilation Moose Molten Metal.

Vocalist Tony De La Hunt died in 1988. Though Harlott never released a full album, their recorded output remains a strong example of Toronto’s 1980s independent metal scene.
-Robert Williston

Harlott - Angel in the Dark
Written by Harlott
Published by Harlottunes
Stan Cowan: guitar
Tony Delahunt: vocals
Burt Bartoletti: guitar
Steve Cribar: drums
Sparky Kawano: bass
Produced by Harlott
Engineered by Robin Brouwers at Phase One Studios

Havoc were a Hamilton, Ontario heavy metal band active in the mid-1980s. Their song “The Warning” was issued on the Canadian compilation Maple Metal (Viper/Attic, 1985).

The same track was later reissued on Metallic Assault: Toronto 80s Underground Metal (2021), a companion LP to the book Eve of Darkness: Toronto Metal in the 80s, placing Havoc within the broader southern-Ontario/Toronto scene.

“The Warning” was cut at Wexford Studios in Toronto with producer/engineer Tom Atom—a facility and producer closely tied to Toronto’s ’80s metal recordings (e.g., Rapid Tears), further anchoring Havoc in that local network.
-Robert Williston

Havoc - The Warning
Written by Rod Patterson, Scott Wallace
Published by Takia Publishing
Rod Patterson: bass
Scott Wallace: vocals
Mike Murphy: drums
Al Boni: guitar
Rick Jones: lead guitar
Produced by Tom Atom at Wexford Studios

Jade was a Canadian heavy metal band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1982 by guitarist Pat “Buzz” Belrose and his brother, manager John Belrose. After touring the western club circuit, the band relocated to Ottawa in 1983 and recorded their debut album Teasing Eyes (Zaphia Records, 1984). The record reached #8 on the Kerrang! UK charts and attracted the attention of Roadrunner Records, leading to a multi-album deal—the first ever signed between the Dutch label and a Canadian act.

Following the departure of original vocalist Roxy Lyons and drummer Ben Michaels, the Belroses recruited Sweet Marie Black (vocals) and Dave “Big Beat” Samson (drums), joining Pat Belrose and bassist Terry Rudd. This lineup recorded If You’re Man Enough (Attic / Roadrunner, 1985) at Quest Studios in Oshawa with producer Robert Connolly (Exciter, Lee Aaron, Santers). Their track “Legends of a Time,” from the same sessions, appeared on the Maple Metal compilation that year.

Jade toured extensively across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, developing a strong following in Québec and abroad. After Black’s departure in 1987, the band continued briefly with male vocalists Peter Rieker and Jamie Lee Saint, releasing a final EP on the Last Music label before disbanding. Teasing Eyes was reissued in 2009 by Maple Metal Records.

Guitarist Pat Belrose later relocated to California, where he formed the band World Jungle.
-Robert Williston

Jade - Legends of a Time
Written by Pat Belrose (music) and Fernand McNabb (lyrics)
Published by Roadster Music
Pat Belrose: guitars, vocals
Sweet Marie Black: lead vocals
Terry Rudd: bass
Dave Samson: drums
Personal manager: John Belrose for Rock Power Management, Toronto, Ontario
Produced by John Belrose & Greg Holmes
Engineered by Paul Lachapelle
Recorded at Quest Studios, Oshawa, Ontario
Produced by Jade

Kid Wikkid were a Toronto glam metal band formed in the early 1980s and best remembered as the first professional group to feature future Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach. Still a teenager when he joined, Bach fronted the lineup of Bill Sax (guitar), Andre Rytch (guitar), Kenny Foxx (bass), and Brian Williams (drums). The band’s mix of flashy image, melodic hooks, and hard-edged riffs placed them among Canada’s rising contenders in the post-Van Halen era.

Their song “Take a Look at Me” appeared on the 1985 compilation Maple Metal (Viper / Attic), produced by Greg Holmes and the band, and published through Sticky Wikkid Music. Recorded while Bach was still in his mid-teens, the track captures the band’s raw stage energy and radio-ready sound.

Kid Wikkid also circulated a self-titled cassette featuring tracks like “Fire in Her Eyes,” “Reckless and Free,” and “Lady Squeeze.” Though they disbanded not long after their Maple Metal appearance, their brief run left a mark on Toronto’s 1980s metal scene. Bach would go on to international fame with Skid Row, while Kid Wikkid’s recordings remain a sought-after glimpse of his explosive early years.
-Robert Williston

Kid Wikkid - Take A Look At Me
Written by Kid Wikkid
Published by Sticky Wikkid Music
Sebastian Bach: lead vocals
Bill Sax: guitar, vocals
Andre Rytch: guitar, vocals
Kenny Foxx: bass, vocals
Brian Williams: drums, vocals
Produced by Greg Holmes & Kid Wikkid

Rue Morgue were a Canadian metal band active in the mid-1980s. Their song “Goin’ Down Rockin’” appeared on the 1985 compilation Maple Metal (Viper / Attic). The recording is their only known release. Guitarist Max Fodero later resurfaced in the Toronto melodic-rock band Izod.
-Robert Williston

Rue Morgue - Goin’ Down Rockin’
Written by Dave Ferguson
Published by Songs From The Morgue Publishing
Brian Maguire: drums
Dave Ferguson: vocals
Max Fodero: guitar
Paul Formosa: guitar
Keith Lewis: bass

Titan were a Canadian metal band active in the mid-1980s. Vocalist Ernie Gruhn had previously recorded with the Winnipeg band Lawsuit on their 1983 EP Bad Boys of Rock and later performed with Fury, Labyrinth, and UndeRAGE. Drummer Ron Ezako was formerly a member of the Manitoba group Barnabus. No other recordings by Titan are known beyond their contribution to Maple Metal.
-Robert Williston

Titan - Burnt by the Flame
Written by Tony Stadler, Ernie Gruhn, Ron Ezako, Wayne Zelinsky
Published by Titan Songs
Tony Stadler: lead guitar
Ernie Gruhn: vocals
Ron Ezako: drums
Wayne Zelinsky: bass
Ralph Kramer: lead guitar
Produced by Brian Griffin

Tzar were a melodic hard rock and metal band from Orléans, Ontario, active between 1983 and 1986. Formed directly from the earlier group The Teasers, the lineup featured brothers Pete “Le Grand” Tahan (bass, vocals), Frankie D. Tahan (guitar, vocals), and John Tahan (lead guitar), with drummer Ludwig “Von Guy” Morin.

After several years performing as The Teasers — whose single “Love Me Like You Did Last Night” gained regional airplay and television exposure — the band redefined their sound, shifting from New Wave toward melodic heavy metal. Rebranding as Tzar, they began writing new material and performing across Eastern Ontario and Québec.

In 1985, the group released their lone album Players of the Game on Racer Records, recorded at Studio Propulsion in Sherbrooke, Québec, and written and produced by the band. The album featured nine original tracks, including “One Ticket to Paradise,” which also appeared that year on the national compilation Maple Metal (Viper / Attic). Mixing twin-guitar harmonies, anthemic choruses, and polished production, the record reflected the band’s transition from bar rock to fully developed melodic metal.

Tzar disbanded by the late 1980s as members pursued other careers, but Players of the Game became a sought-after collector’s album and was reissued in 2009 by Lost Realm Records with bonus material and liner notes by Pete Tahan. The Tahan brothers have remained active in music and have occasionally discussed the possibility of a reunion.
-Robert Williston

Tzar - One Ticket to Paradise
Written by Pete Le Grand Tahan
Published by Tzar Publishing
Pete Le Grand Tahan: bass, lead vocals
Frankie D. Tahan: guitar, vocals
John Tahan: lead guitar
Ludwig Von Guy: drums
Produced by Tzar
Recorded at Studio Propulsion, Sherbrooke, Quebec
From the album 'Players of The Game, Racer Record

Vigilants - Run for Cover
Written by Mike DiFelice, G. Furniss, Mark Martorano, Pete Wright
Published by W. Seip Publishing and No Escape Music
Mike DiFelice: guitars, lead vocals
Mark Martorano: guitars, vocals
Pete Wright: drums, vocals
Dave "Boges" Yates: bass
Produced by Gary Furniss & Eric Gillespie
William Seip Management

I’d like to thank all the bands, road crews, and managers that helped to pull this album off. Maxell, our sponsor, has notified me that they would like to sponsor next year’s compilation album — so it looks like this is the beginning of an annual event. Let’s hope that all the bands can benefit from this exposure. As to all those new metal bands forming out there, send me those songs (on Maxell tapes of course), you could be on next year's Maple Metal Volume II.

Robert Connolly
Producer
Tube Productions
325 Jarvis St., #10
Toronto, Ontario
M5B 2C2

Special thanks to Ted Vance, Ralph Alfonso, Gerry Roos, Keith Elshaw, David Persaud, Rod Hickman, Lenny Stout, Val Bulger and Flash Caddilac, Nick Bogle and Lee Jeans, Bill (King Billy) Kallinteris and all at the GASWORKS, Keith, Conny, and everyone at Metallion Magazine, Al Mair and the Viper Crew, Eric Gillespie, Sandra Dezeil, and especially “the Girls” — Lee Aaron and Walter Zwol — for their appearance in the “Run For Cover” video!

Cover photographed at United Media Recording Studios by Douglas Brown. Design by Garnet Giesbrecht

Cover photographed at United Media Recording Studios by
Douglas Brown. Design by Garnet Giesbrecht.

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