Black Steel

Band members

• Current line-up
  • Matt Williams (vocals)
  • Dave Harrison (bass)
  • Jamie Page (guitar)
  • Damien Pitrelli (drums)

• Former members
  • Adrian Petrache (guitar) (2006 - 2007)
  • Simon Wasnuski (drums) (2003 - 2004)
  • Andrew DiStefano (guitar) (2001 - 2003)
  • Emanuel Rudnicki (guitar) (2002 - 2003)

Website

myspace.com/blacksteelaustralia

Formed

Perth, WA, 1999

Band information

Black Steel was a power metal band from Perth which grew out of a covers band called Black And Blue featuring Williams and Page (ex-Black Alice, Angus McDeth). When former Allegiance member Harrison joined the band became Black Steel with a style reminiscent of contemporary European power metal such as HammerFall and Primal Fear. Drummer Damien Pitrelli was from Syzygy. The 'Battle Call' EP picked up considerable praise worldwide after its release in mid-2000 and the band opened for Deep Purple and Judas Priest in 2001. A full-length album was then released.

Destructor was to be followed up with a Metal for the Brain showing and east coast tour, but the collapse of Ansett Airlines sunk the idea.

Jamie Page left Black Steel in March 2002 and was replaced by Emanuel Rudnicki of Voyager. Black Steel signed to Adrenalin Records sub-label SteelHeart for worldwide release in July 2002 and Page then rejoined the band in April 2003, replacing original guitarist Andrew DiStefano and Pitrelli made way for Wasnuski at the same time. Late in 2003, Rudnicki left the band to concentrate on Voyager.

Black Steel appeared at the Perth Big Day Out in 2004 and in the middle of the year issued the single 'Relentless Force' as a precursor to the next album. In the meantime, however, Wasnuski left Black Steel and Petrilli rejoined, at first temporarily although it could be that he is now a permanent member of the band once again.

Black Steel's album Hellhammer was released in November 2005. Adrian Petrache joined the band as a second guitarist in July 2006. The band supported Testament in February 2007 and was to tour nationally with Vince Neil a few months later but that tour was cancelled. The band seemed to have decided to split up during 2007 but in mid-2008 was back in action, supporting Judas Priest.

Discography

Albums:

	2001	Destructor	self release
	2005	Hellhammer	Steelheart

Single:

	2005	Relentless Force	self release

EP:

	2000	Battle Call	self release

Compilation tracks:

	Year	Track Title	Album Title	Label
	2000	"Dirty Deeds"	AC/DC: Hometown Tribute	Oracle
	2002	"Bonded by Steel"	Left of Centre 2	Sic Squared
	2002	"Time Marches On"	Full Metal Racket 2	ABC/EMI
	2004	"The Power and the Glory"	A Tribute to the Glory of 80s Metal	Steelheart
	2006	"Heavy Metal Rules"	The Art of Shredding: A Tribute to Dime	DarkStar