Max Havoc

• Genres: Rock

Biography

Although their unremarkable career only yielded a single album (and a thoroughly unsuccessful one at that), Los Angeles hard rockers Max Havoc have managed to evade complete historical oblivion thanks to the fame achieved elsewhere by many of its musicians. Originally founded in 1981 by singer Pat McKeon and drummer Bill Ward -- then on "medical" leave (rock star code for rehab) from Black Sabbath -- Max Havoc's ever-shifting lineups also saw brief cameos from the likes of guitarists Robbin Crosby (later of Ratt fame), Phil Vokins (Wrathchild, Persian Risk), and Carlos Cavazo (future Quiet Riot), plus, when Ward returned to Sabbath, drummers Tony Richards (W.A.S.P.) and David Alford (Rough Cutt). As you may have guessed by now, only Ward's reputation and music business connections kept the band afloat through all of these in-and-outs, yet his involvement had been reduced to an associate producer's credit by the time Max Havoc's eponymous album -- boasting run of the mill '80s metal and hard rock brewed from a combination of Priest, Van Halen, and the Scorpions -- finally found release in 1983. Although some of the above-cited musicians still contributed to said long-player, by the time of its release, Max Havoc's lineup consisted (ostensibly) of longstanding vocalist McKeon, bassist Jim Hudgins, guitarist Scott Lane, and drummer Khurt Maier -- the latter pair bound to start bluesy hard rockers Salty Dog, a few years down the line. As for Max Havoc, their record's commercial failure seems hardly surprising, given their checkered history, and it's therefore no small wonder that they were still trying to make a go of it as late as 1987, before finally breaking up. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide