Vicious Rumors aren't exactly a new name in metal circles. This San Francisco based quintet first unleashed their high-octane sound in 1986 with their debut LP, Soldiers of the Night, was released on an independent label. Two years later, they followed with another indie release, Digital Dictator, that helped turn the band into a major sales and concert force in Europe. While guitarists Geoff Thorpe and Mark McGee, vocalist Carl Albert, drummer Larry Howe and bassist Dave Starr were little more than a club attraction in their native land, on the other side of the Atlantic they could fill theaters and arenas.

"It's really kind of strange the way things have broken for us over the years," Thorpe said. "We toured throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, but for the last few years, our biggest success has been in places like West Germany and Holland. We've played in front of crowds of 10,000 people over there, and to see thousands of them jump to their feet singing your lyrics along with you is really phenomenal."

Sensing that Vicious Rumors was about to enjoy similar success in America, last year Atlantic Records signed the group to a multi-album deal. The first product of this new union is the groups latest LP, simply called Vicious Rumors. With fast and furious rockers like "On the Edge" mixing with eclectic instrumental pieces like "Electric Twilight", Vicious Rumors display a wide ranging style that marks them as heavyweight contenders in the rock sweepstakes.

"This album captures all the energy of our live show," Thorpe explained. "That's what we set out to do when we went into the studio. We have an animal delivery in this group - pure, raw, power. We like to get into peoples faces and just blow them away when we play live, and that's the same attitude that we brought to the album. As heavy as the songs are, we don't feel that we're locked into being a thrash metal band. We have diversity, and we hope that will work to our advantage."