Alcatrazz

Alcatrazz is a US heavy metal group formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by Graham Bonnet. The band is associated with heavy metal, hard rock, AOR and rock, and its classic lineup centres on Bonnet alongside guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, bassist Gary Shea, keyboardist Jimmy Waldo and drummer Jan Uvena. Early in the group’s history, Clive Burr briefly plays drums before Uvena joins.

Early recordings and line-up changes

The first Alcatrazz songs are largely written by Bonnet and Malmsteen, with Waldo contributing to several tracks. Their debut album, No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll, appears in 1983 on Rocshire Records. It includes the single “Island in the Sun”, which receives MTV support, and the album also charts in the US. In 1984 the band releases Live Sentence, a live album recorded from shows in Japan, including material from the Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo. That record includes Rainbow covers such as “Since You Been Gone” and also charts in the US.

During this period Malmsteen leaves after internal tensions, and Jimmy Waldo brings in former Frank Zappa guitarist Steve Vai. The band signs to Capitol Records after Rocshire closes. Vai records Disturbing the Peace, which appears in 1985 and is produced by Eddie Kramer. Its lead single, “God Blessed Video”, receives little MTV play. Vai then leaves to join David Lee Roth’s solo band.

Later 1980s activity

Alcatrazz continues with guitarist Danny Johnson and records Dangerous Games. The album includes covers of The Animals’ “It’s My Life” and Marbles’ “Only One Woman”, the latter being a song associated with Bonnet from his time in Marbles in the late 1960s. Dangerous Games does not chart, and the group splits up in 1987 after a period of changing guitarists and falling sales.

Reunions and later releases

The band’s catalogue is later revisited on The Best of Alcatrazz, issued by Renaissance Records in 1998. Bonnet revives the name in 2006 as Alcatrazz featuring Graham Bonnet, with Howie Simon on guitar, Glen Sobel on drums and Tim Luce on bass, and the group tours Japan in 2007 alongside Joe Lynn Turner. The act continues to perform sporadically until 2014.

In 2017, Bonnet, Waldo and Shea reunite for three shows in Japan with Conrado Pesinato on guitar and Mark Benquechea on drums. Those performances are issued as Parole Denied - Tokyo 2017 (Live) in 2018. In 2019 Bonnet again revives Alcatrazz with Waldo and Benquechea, plus Joe Stump on guitar and Beth-Ami Heavenstone on bass; Gary Shea returns on bass in 2020. That same year the group releases Born Innocent, its first studio album in 34 years.

Recent line-ups

In 2020 the band parts ways with Graham Bonnet and recruits Doogie White on vocals. A Bonnet-led version continues separately, with Jeff Loomis later added on guitar and the name Graham Bonnet’s Alcatrazz used for that line-up. The White-fronted Alcatrazz issues the singles “Turn of the Wheel” and “Sword of Deliverance” in 2021, with Joe Stump, Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea remaining key members, and releases V later that year. In 2023 the line-up of Waldo, Shea, White, Stump and drummer Larry Paterson releases Take No Prisoners.

By 2025 Alcatrazz is fronted by Giles Lavery, with Joe Stump, Jimmy Waldo, Gary Shea and Mark Benquechea, and the group announces Prior Convictions for 2026.

Notable media appearance

“God Blessed Video” later appears on the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the fictional rock station V-Rock.