Sweet Savage

One of the more obscure bands that was part of the late-'70s/early-'80s New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement was Sweet Savage, although they hailed from Ireland. The band was the first to feature guitarist Vivian Campbell, who would go on to greater success with such metal outfits as Dio and Def Leppard (the other members included singer/bassist Ray Haller, drummer David Bates, and guitarist Trevor Fleming). Formed in 1979, the quartet never issued a full-length album in its original carnation, just a single titled "Killing Time." The song would be covered a few years later by Metallica on one of their early demos, later on as a B-side, and on their 1998 all-covers collection, Garage Inc. The band (sans Campbell) would reunite in the late '90s, with newcomer Simon McBride lending his six-string talents, resulting in the full-length releases Killing Time (1996) and Rune (1998). ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide