Steel is an alloy made by combining iron and another element, usually carbon. When carbon is used, its content in the steel is between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Other alloying elements sometimes used are manganese, chromium, vanadium and tungsten. Carbon and other elements act as a hardening agent, preventing dislocations in the iron atom crystal lattice from sliding past one another. Varying the amount of alloying elements and the form of their presence in the steel (solute elements, precipitated phase) controls qualities such as the hardness, ductility, and tensile strength of the resulting steel. Steel with increased carbon content can be made harder and stronger than iron, but such steel is also less ductile than iron.

Alloys with a higher than 2.1% carbon content are known as cast iron because of their lower melting point and good castability. Steel is also distinguishable from wrought iron, which can contain a small amount of carbon, but it is included in the form of slag inclusions. Two distinguishing factors are steel's increased rust resistance and better weldability.

Though steel had been produced by various inefficient methods long before the Renaissance, its use became more common after more efficient production methods were devised in the 17th century. With the invention of the Bessemer process in the mid-19th century, steel became an inexpensive mass-produced material. Further refinements in the process, such as basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS), lowered the cost of production while increasing the quality of the metal. Today, steel is one of the most common materials in the world, with more than 1.3 billion tons produced annually. It is a major component in buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships, automobiles, machines, appliances, and weapons. Modern steel is generally identified by various grades defined by assorted standards organizations.

Material properties

Iron is found in the Earth's crust only in the form of an ore, usually an iron oxide, such as magnetite, hematite etc. Iron is extracted from iron ore by removing the oxygen and combining the ore with a preferred chemical partner such as carbon. This process, known as smelting, was first applied to metals with lower melting points, such as tin, which melts at approximately and copper, which melts at approximately . In comparison, cast iron melts at approximately . All of these temperatures could be reached with ancient methods that have been used since the Bronze Age. Since the oxidation rate itself increases rapidly beyond , it is important that smelting take place in a low-oxygen environment. Unlike copper and tin, liquid iron dissolves carbon quite readily. Smelting results in an alloy (pig iron) containing too much carbon to be called steel. The excess carbon and other impurities are removed in a subsequent step.

Other materials are often added to the iron/carbon mixture to produce steel with desired properties. Nickel and manganese in steel add to its tensile strength and make austenite more chemically stable, chromium increases hardness and melting temperature, and vanadium also increases hardness while reducing the effects of metal fatigue. To prevent corrosion, at least 11% chromium is added to steel so that a hard oxide forms on the metal surface; this is known as stainless steel. Tungsten interferes with the formation of cementite, allowing martensite to form with slower quench rates, resulting in high speed steel. On the other hand, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus make steel more brittle, so these commonly found elements must be removed from the ore during processing.

The density of steel varies based on the alloying constituents but usually ranges between , or .

Even in the narrow range of concentrations which make up steel, mixtures of carbon and iron can form a number of different structures, with very different properties. Understanding such properties is essential to making quality steel. At room temperature, the most stable form of iron is the body-centered cubic (BCC) structure α-ferrite. It is a fairly soft metallic material that can dissolve only a small concentration of carbon, no more than 0.021 wt% at , and only 0.005% at . If steel contains more than 0.021% carbon at steelmaking temperatures then it transforms into a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure, called austenite or γ-iron. It is also soft and metallic but can dissolve considerably more carbon, as much as 2.1% carbon at , which reflects the upper carbon content of steel.

When steels with less than 0.8% carbon, known as a hypoeutectoid steel, are cooled from an austenitic phase the mixture attempts to revert to the ferrite phase, resulting in an excess of carbon. One way for carbon to leave the austenite is for cementite to precipitate out of the mix, leaving behind iron that is pure enough to take the form of ferrite, resulting in a cementite-ferrite mixture. Cementite is a hard and brittle intermetallic compound with the chemical formula of Fe₃C. At the eutectoid, 0.8% carbon, the cooled structure takes the form of pearlite, named after its resemblance to mother of pearl. For steels that have more than 0.8% carbon the cooled structure takes the form of pearlite and cementite.

Perhaps the most important polymorphic form is martensite, a metastable phase which is significantly stronger than other steel phases. When the steel is in an austenitic phase and then quenched it forms into martensite, because the atoms "freeze" in place when the cell structure changes from FCC to BCC. Depending on the carbon content the martensitic phase takes different forms. Below approximately 0.2% carbon it takes an α ferrite BCC crystal form, but higher carbon contents take a body-centered tetragonal (BCT) structure. There is no thermal activation energy for the transformation from austenite to martensite. Moreover, there is no compositional change so the atoms generally retain their same neighbors.

Martensite has a lower density than austenite does, so that transformation between them results in a change of volume. In this case, expansion occurs. Internal stresses from this expansion generally take the form of compression on the crystals of martensite and tension on the remaining ferrite, with a fair amount of shear on both constituents. If quenching is done improperly, the internal stresses can cause a part to shatter as it cools. At the very least, they cause internal work hardening and other microscopic imperfections. It is common for quench cracks to form when water quenched, although they may not always be visible.

Heat treatment

There are many types of heat treating processes available to steel. The most common are annealing and quenching and tempering. Annealing is the process of heating the steel to a sufficiently high temperature to soften it. This process occurs through three phases: recovery, recrystallization, and grain growth. The temperature required to anneal steel depends on the type of annealing and the constituents of the alloy.

Quenching and tempering first involves heating the steel to the austenite phase, then quenching it in water or oil. This rapid cooling results in a hard and brittle martensitic structure.

Steel production

When iron is smelted from its ore by commercial processes, it contains more carbon than is desirable. To become steel, it must be melted and reprocessed to reduce the carbon to the correct amount, at which point other elements can be added. This liquid is then continuously cast into long slabs or cast into ingots. Approximately 96% of steel is continuously cast, while only 4% is produced as cast steel ingots. The ingots are then heated in a soaking pit and hot rolled into slabs, blooms, or billets. Slabs are hot or cold rolled into sheet metal or plates. Billets are hot or cold rolled into bars, rods, and wire. Blooms are hot or cold rolled into structural steel, such as I-beams and rails. In modern foundries these processes often occur in one assembly line, with ore coming in and finished steel coming out. Sometimes after a steel's final rolling it is heat treated for strength, however this is relatively rare.

History of steelmaking

Ancient steel

Steel was known in antiquity, and may have been produced by managing bloomeries, or iron-smelting facilities, in which the bloom contained carbon.

The earliest known production of steel is a piece of ironware excavated from an archaeological site in Anatolia (Kaman-Kalehoyuk) and is about 4,000 years old. Other ancient steel comes from East Africa, dating back to 1400 BC. In the 4th century BC steel weapons like the Falcata were produced in the Iberian Peninsula, while Noric steel was used by the Roman military. The Chinese of the Warring States (403–221 BC) had quench-hardened steel, while Chinese of the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) created steel by melting together wrought iron with cast iron, gaining an ultimate product of a carbon-intermediate steel by the 1st century AD. The Haya people of East Africa invented a type of high-heat blast furnace which allowed them to forge carbon steel at nearly 2,000 years ago.

Wootz steel and Damascus steel

Evidence of the earliest production of high carbon steel in the Indian Subcontinent was found in Samanalawewa area in Sri Lanka. Wootz steel was produced in India by about 300 BC. Along with their original methods of forging steel, the Chinese had also adopted the production methods of creating Wootz steel, an idea imported into China from India by the 5th century AD. In Sri Lanka, this early steel-making method employed the unique use of a wind furnace, blown by the monsoon winds, that was capable of producing high-carbon steel. Also known as Damascus steel, wootz is famous for its durability and ability to hold an edge. It was originally created from a number of different materials including various trace elements. It was essentially a complicated alloy with iron as its main component. Recent studies have suggested that carbon nanotubes were included in its structure, which might explain some of its legendary qualities, though given the technology available at that time, they were produced by chance rather than by design. Natural wind was used where the soil containing iron was heated up with the use of wood. The ancient Sinhalese managed to extract a ton of steel for every 2 tons of soil, a remarkable feat at the time. One such furnace was found in Samanalawewa and archaeologists were able to produce steel as the ancients did long ago.

Crucible steel, formed by slowly heating and cooling pure iron and carbon (typically in the form of charcoal) in a crucible, was produced in Merv by the 9th to 10th century AD. In the 11th century, there is evidence of the production of steel in Song China using two techniques: a "berganesque" method that produced inferior, inhomogeneous steel and a precursor to the modern Bessemer process that used partial decarbonization via repeated forging under a cold blast.

Modern steelmaking

Since the 17th century the first step in European steel production has been the smelting of iron ore into pig iron in a blast furnace. Originally using charcoal, modern methods use coke, which has proven to be a great deal cheaper.

Processes starting from bar iron

In these processes pig iron was "fined" in a finery forge to produce bar iron (wrought iron), which was then used in steel-making.

The production of steel by the cementation process was described in a treatise published in Prague in 1574 and was in use in Nuremberg from 1601. A similar process for case hardening armour and files was described in a book published in Naples in 1589. The process was introduced to England in about 1614. It was produced by Sir Basil Brooke at Coalbrookdale during the 1610s. The raw material for this were bars of wrought iron. During the 17th century it was realised that the best steel came from oregrounds iron from a region of Sweden, north of Stockholm. This was still the usual raw material in the 19th century, almost as long as the process was used.

Crucible steel is steel that has been melted in a crucible rather than being forged, with the result that it is more homogeneous. Most previous furnaces could not reach high enough temperatures to melt the steel. The early modern crucible steel industry resulted from the invention of Benjamin Huntsman in the 1740s. Blister steel (made as above) was melted in a crucible or in a furnace, and cast (usually) into ingots.

Processes starting from pig iron

The modern era in steelmaking began with the introduction of Henry Bessemer's Bessemer process in 1858. His raw material was pig iron. This enabled steel to be produced in large quantities cheaply, thus mild steel is now used for most purposes for which wrought iron was formerly used. The Gilchrist-Thomas process (or ''basic Bessemer process'') was an improvement to the Bessemer process, lining the converter with a basic material to remove phosphorus. Another improvement in steelmaking was the Siemens-Martin process, which complemented the Bessemer process.

These were rendered obsolete by the Linz-Donawitz process of basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS), developed in the 1950s, and other oxygen steelmaking processes. Basic oxygen steelmaking is superior to previous steelmaking methods because the oxygen pumped into the furnace limits impurities. Now, electric arc furnaces (EAF) are a common method of reprocessing scrap metal to create new steel. They can also be used for converting pig iron to steel, but they use a lot of electricity (about 440 kWh per metric ton), and are thus generally only economical when there is a plentiful supply of cheap electricity.

Steel industry

It is common today to talk about "the iron and steel industry" as if it were a single entity, but historically they were separate products. The steel industry is often considered to be an indicator of economic progress, because of the critical role played by steel in infrastructural and overall economic development.

In 1980, there were more than 500,000 U.S. steelworkers. By 2000, the number of steelworkers fell to 224,000.

The economic boom in China and India has caused a massive increase in the demand for steel in recent years. Between 2000 and 2005, world steel demand increased by 6%. Since 2000, several Indian and Chinese steel firms have risen to prominence like Tata Steel (which bought Corus Group in 2007), Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation and Shagang Group. ArcelorMittal is however the world's largest steel producer.

In 2005, the British Geological Survey stated China was the top steel producer with about one-third of the world share; Japan, Russia, and the US followed respectively.

In 2008, steel began trading as a commodity on the London Metal Exchange. At the end of 2008, the steel industry faced a sharp downturn that led to many cut-backs.

Recycling

Contemporary steel

Modern steels are made with varying combinations of alloy metals to fulfill many purposes. Carbon steel, composed simply of iron and carbon, accounts for 90% of steel production. High strength low alloy steel has small additions (usually < 2% by weight) of other elements, typically 1.5% manganese, to provide additional strength for a modest price increase. Low alloy steel is alloyed with other elements, usually molybdenum, manganese, chromium, or nickel, in amounts of up to 10% by weight to improve the hardenability of thick sections. Stainless steels and surgical stainless steels contain a minimum of 11% chromium, often combined with nickel, to resist corrosion (rust). Some stainless steels, such as the ferritic stainless steels are magnetic, while others, such as the austenitic, are nonmagnetic.

Some more modern steels include tool steels, which are alloyed with large amounts of tungsten and cobalt or other elements to maximize solution hardening. This also allows the use of precipitation hardening and improves the alloy's temperature resistance. Tool steel is generally used in axes, drills, and other devices that need a sharp, long-lasting cutting edge. Other special-purpose alloys include weathering steels such as Cor-ten, which weather by acquiring a stable, rusted surface, and so can be used un-painted.

Many other high-strength alloys exist, such as dual-phase steel, which is heat treated to contain both a ferritic and martensitic microstructure for extra strength. Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) steel involves special alloying and heat treatments to stabilize amounts of austentite at room temperature in normally austentite-free low-alloy ferritic steels. By applying strain to the metal, the austentite undergoes a phase transition to martensite without the addition of heat. Maraging steel is alloyed with nickel and other elements, but unlike most steel contains almost no carbon at all. This creates a very strong but still malleable metal. Twinning Induced Plasticity (TWIP) steel uses a specific type of strain to increase the effectiveness of work hardening on the alloy. Eglin Steel uses a combination of over a dozen different elements in varying amounts to create a relatively low-cost metal for use in bunker buster weapons. Hadfield steel (after Sir Robert Hadfield) or manganese steel contains 12–14% manganese which when abraded forms an incredibly hard skin which resists wearing. Examples include tank tracks, bulldozer blade edges and cutting blades on the jaws of life.

Most of the more commonly used steel alloys are categorized into various grades by standards organizations. For example, the Society of Automotive Engineers has a series of grades defining many types of steel. The American Society for Testing and Materials has a separate set of standards, which define alloys such as A36 steel, the most commonly used structural steel in the United States.

Though not an alloy, galvanized steel is a commonly used variety of steel which has been hot-dipped or electroplated in zinc for protection against rust.

Uses

Iron and steel are used widely in the construction of roads, railways, other infrastructure, appliances, and buildings. Most large modern structures, such as stadiums and skyscrapers, bridges, and airports, are supported by a steel skeleton. Even those with a concrete structure will employ steel for reinforcing. In addition, it sees widespread use in major appliances and cars. Despite growth in usage of aluminium, it is still the main material for car bodies. Steel is used in a variety of other construction materials, such as bolts, nails, and screws. Other common applications include shipbuilding, pipeline transport, mining, offshore construction, aerospace, white goods (e.g. washing machines), heavy equipment such as bulldozers, office furniture, steel wool, tools, and armour in the form of personal vests or vehicle armour (better known as rolled homogeneous armour in this role).

Historical

Before the introduction of the Bessemer process and other modern production techniques, steel was expensive and was only used where no cheaper alternative existed, particularly for the cutting edge of knives, razors, swords, and other items where a hard, sharp edge was needed. It was also used for springs, including those used in clocks and watches. With the advent of speedier and thriftier production methods, steel has been easier to obtain and much cheaper. It has replaced wrought iron for a multitude of purposes. However, the availability of plastics in the latter part of the 20th century allowed these materials to replace steel in some applications due to their lower cost and weight.

Long steel

As reinforcing bars and mesh in reinforced concrete

Railroad tracks

Structural steel in modern buildings and bridges

Wires

Input to reforging applications

Flat carbon steel

Major appliances

Magnetic cores

The inside and outside body of automobiles, trains, and ships.

Stainless steel

Cutlery

Rulers

Surgical equipment

Wrist watches

Low-background steel

Steel manufactured after World War II became contaminated with radionuclides due to nuclear weapons testing. Low-background steel, steel manufactured prior to 1945, is used for certain radiation-sensitive applications such as Geiger counters and radiation shielding.

See also

Global steel industry trends

Iron in folklore

Knife metal

Machinability

Pelletizing

Rolling

Rolling mill

Rust Belt

Second industrial revolution

Silicon steel

Steel abrasive

Steel mill

Tamahagane, used in Samurai swords.

Tinplate

References

Bibliography

.

Gernet, Jacques (1982). ''A History of Chinese Civilization''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Further reading

Duncan Burn; ''The Economic History of Steelmaking, 1867–1939: A Study in Competition''. Cambridge University Press, 1961.

Harukiyu Hasegawa, ''The Steel Industry in Japan: A Comparison with Britain''. 1996.

J. C. Carr and W. Taplin, ''History of the British Steel Industry''. Harvard University Press, 1962.

H. Lee Scamehorn, ''Mill & Mine: The Cf&I; in the Twentieth Century''. University of Nebraska Press, 1992.

Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China'': Volume 4, Part 1 & Part 3. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.

Warren, Kenneth, ''Big Steel: The First Century of the United States Steel Corporation, 1901–2001''. University of Pittsburgh Press, 2001.

External links

World Steel Association (worldsteel)

steeluniversity.org: Online steel education resources from worldsteel and the University of Liverpool

Extensive picture gallery of iron and steel production methods in North America and Europe

Interactive knife steel composition chart and comparison graph builder

Huge archive on steels, Cambridge University

Steel classification chart

Category:Building materials

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name	Steel Panther
background	group_or_band
alias	Danger KittyMetal ShopMetal Skool
origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
genre	Glam metal, heavy metal, hard rock, comedy rock
years active	2000–present
label	Universal Republic
associated acts	L.A. Guns, Fight
website
current members	Michael StarrSatchelLexxi FoxxxStix Zadinia }}

Steel Panther is a band from Los Angeles, California mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated on-stage personas that reimagine and parody the glam metal music and lifestyle of the 1980s. Formed in 2000, the band has formerly been known as Danger Kitty, Metal Shop and Metal Skool.

The Aldo Nova song "Fantasy" was remade by the band into a faster paced song for the MTV original series ''Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory''. The remake was released on iTunes on December 8, 2009 and their album ''Feel the Steel'' was released in June 2009.

Biography

Metal Skool

The quartet began to gain popularity in the Sunset Strip at the beginning of the new millennium under the name Metal Shop (soon changed into Metal Skool, then into Steel Panther). Their lineup consists of vocalist Ralph Saenz ("Michael Starr"), drummer Darren Leader ("Stix Zadinia"), bassist Travis Haley ("Lexxi Foxxx"), and guitarist Russ Parrish ("Satchel"). The band did weekly shows on Monday nights at the Viper Room, playing covers of 1980s hair metal hits while parodying the bands that made the songs famous. Despite presenting themselves under different stage names, two members of the band were already in other heavy metal acts. Frontman Michael Starr, using his name Ralph Saenz, had been in glam metal band L.A. Guns between 1997 and 1998, publishing the 6 tracks EP Wasted. Before this, Saenz was the frontman of a Van Halen tribute band called Atomic Punks. Guitarist Satchel was part of War & Peace, founded by ex Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson and the band Fight, founded by Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford. He was also a member of Atomic Punks together with Saenz. Years before, he played in the band Electric Fence with Racer X members Paul Gilbert and Jeff Martin.

The band, under the name Danger Kitty, published in 2002 the promotional single "Love Rocket". Steel Panther jokingly claims to be a glam metal band which had failed to gain mainstream success during the '80s. This is why their official biography claims they have been active since 1988. Thanks to the use of hair-sprayed looks, leather jackets and zebra spandex and to their experience in the Van Halen tribute band, they finally managed to gain some success. In 2003 Steel Panther published Hole Patrol, their auto-produced debut. The band appeared in a Discover Card advertisement as Danger Kitty and in the sitcom Drew Carey Show as themselves. Also in 2003, their song "Death to All But Metal" was included in a compilation CD called ''Hey, That's What I Call Sludge! Vol. 1'' put out by the Metal Sludge web site. Their cover of the song "Fantasy" by Aldo Nova was used as the opening musical theme for the MTV program ''Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory''. On November 27, 2007 Metal Skool played original songs as well as covers of KISS songs at the Gene Simmons roast, they can be seen in the background of Gene Simmons' reality show ''Gene Simmons Family Jewels''. That year, they also appeared as themselves on ''Las Vegas'' in the episode "The High Price of Gas".

Steel Panther

In April 2008 the band decided to change their name from Metal Skool to Steel Panther, making a new debut at The Rockin' Saddle Club in Redlands, California. In May 2008, the band signed a contract with Republic Records (owned by record label Universal Records) announcing plans for a new studio album. The first single, an updated version of "Death to All but Metal", first appeared on iTunes on 27 January 2009, whereas the album, entitled ''Feel the Steel'' and produced by Jay Ruston, was published on 9 June, during the same year. A promotional video, directed by actor Dean Cameron, was shot for the song "Fat Girl (Thar She Blows)".

Thanks to their increased popularity their live performances began to be attended by a growing number of fans. Some celebrities also appeared on stage during their concerts, including Criss Angel, Kenny Loggins, Paul Stanley, Kip Winger, Corey Taylor, David Draiman, Hal Sparks, David Bryan, Vince Neil, Sebastian Bach, Tony Romo, Dane Cook, Chris Jericho, Corey Feldman, Evan Seinfeld, Tera Patrick, Sully Erna, Drew Carey, Mike Starr, Chad Kroeger, Ryan Cabrera, Jerry Cantrell, Justin Hawkins, Kelly Clarkson, Ryan Key, Phil Anselmo, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom Morello, P!nk, Scott Ian, Justin Parks, M Shadows and Avril Lavigne in February 2009. Steel Panther succeeded in becoming one of the most popular cover bands in California, winning the contest of "Best Tribute Band in the Universe". After a several month run at the House of Blues Sunset Strip, Steel Panther returned to its weekly Monday night shows at the Key Club in Hollywood.

According to a recent interview with RockSource360, the band is currently recording songs for their next album. They performed their new song "Critter" at the UK Ozzfest 2010 and have posted footage of rehearsals in the studio for a new song, under the working title of "If You Really, Really, Really Love Me." In December 2010 their website offered a free download of their new Christmas song "Sexy Santa". In January 2011 Michael Starr confirmed the songs, "Tigerwoods", "Tongue Punch in the Fart Box", "Summertime", "I Like Drugs", "Supersonic Sex Machine", "Do You Wanna Do Me" and "17 Girls in a Row" for the new album in 2011.

Lexxi Foxxx mentioned that guests on the new Steel Panther record would be Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Gene Simmons (KISS), Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), and Scott Ian (Anthrax).

In July, 2011, Steel Panther wrote on their Facebook page "IT'S CUMMING! ROCKTOBER 18TH!", and their YouTube page "COCKTOBER 18TH" which implied that the new album would be released on October 18, 2011. The release date was later pushed back to October 31. Soon after, Michael Starr wrote on the Steel Panther app that the new album would be called ''Balls Out''.

On August 22, 2011, they released a single from ''Balls Out'' titled "If You Really Really Love Me".

On August 27, 2011, Freddie Wong released a YouTube video homage to the Crossfire board game which featured Steel Panther covering the Crossfire theme.

Sometime collaborator Dean Cameron, also credited with co-writing "Supersonic Sex Machine" on "Balls Out", directed and co-wrote a pilot presentation in an attempt to land Steel Panther their own television program.

On December 6, 2011, Steel Panther announced their second solo UK tour in support of their newest album ''Balls Out''. The band are set to play at the O2 Academy Birmingham (March 27, 2012), O2 Academy Glasgow (March 28, 2012), Manchester Academy (March 30, 2012), O2 Academy Brixton (March 31, 2012). Tickets for the shows went on sale on December 9, 2011, with many ticket providers selling out their allocations within a month.

Steel Panther will be playing on the main stage at the legendary Download Festival in 2012.

History

''Feel The Steel'' (2009)–(2010)

Steel Panther released their major record label debut (Universal Republic), ''Feel the Steel'' on June 8, 2009 in the UK and on October 6, 2009 in North America. ''Feel the Steel'' debuted at #1 on the Billboard Comedy chart, #123 on the Billboard 200 chart and would eventually peak at #98 on the Billboard 200 chart. The record features hit singles, ''Community Property'' and ''Death To All But Metal'' as well as notable guest performances from Corey Taylor (vocals), Justin Hawkins (vocals), and M. Shadows (vocals).

The record's success also caught the attention of the Grammys, making it onto the "Best Comedy Album" ballot in October 2010, yet failing to reach a nomination.

The track ''Eyes of a Panther'' from ''Feel the Steel'' is featured on the sound track for the video game ''Skate 3''.

''Balls Out'' (2011)–(present)

Steel Panther continued their revival of the 80's heavy metal genre with their sophomore effort titled ''Balls Out'' released through major record label, Universal Republic on October 31, 2011 in the UK and on November 1, 2011 in North America. ''Balls Out'' debuted at #1 on the UK iTunes Rock chart surpassing Megadeth's TH1RT3EN and Lou Reed's and Metallica's'' Lulu''. ''Balls Out'' also debuted at #4 on the US iTunes Rock chart, #40 on the Billboard 200 chart and at #1 on the Billboard Comedy chart with first-week sales of 12,000 copies in the US.

Tours

UK Arena tour w/Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe

Due to their growing popularity, Steel Panther were invited by Def Leppard to join them and co-headliners Mötley Crüe as "Special Guests" on the Mirrorball Tour tour in December 2011.

Steel Panther opened for Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe on the following dates:

December 6, 2011 - Birmingham, UK at LG Arena

December 8, 2011 - Nottingham, UK at FM Arena

December 9, 2011 - Glasgow, UK at SECC Hall 4

December 11, 2011 - Manchester, UK at MEN Arena

December 13, 2011 - Sheffield, UK at Arena

December 14, 2011 - London, UK at Wembley Arena

The Forum w/Guns N' Roses

Exactly one week after ending the UK arena tour in London with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe, Steel Panther opened for Guns N' Roses at the Forum in Los Angeles, CA on December 21, 2011.

Soundwave/Revolution

On May 11, 2011 Steel Panther announced that they would be playing the main stage (same stage as Van Halen) at Soundwave Revolution, however, the spin-off festival would be canceled due to poor ticket sales. In fact, drummer Stix Zadinia was responsible for breaking the story via his Twitter account on August 9: "Soundwave revolution is cancelled. I am bummed." The news shocked Soundwave fans and caused a huge debacle resulting in Steel Panther trending on Twitter and fans accusing Steel Panther as the reason for the cancellation which was entirely inaccurate.

Though Steel Panther were disappointed by the news knowing that they wouldn't be sharing the main stage with Van Halen, the Soundwave Revolution cancellation ended up being a blessing in disguise for it allowed the band to finish recording their second major release, ''[Balls Out]''.

The band then proceeded to play the 2012 edition of the main festival, sharing a stage with System of a Down, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson and Limp Bizkit.

Controversy

In January 2011, a promotional poster featuring album artwork from ''Balls Out'' was banned in the UK after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed it to be "overtly sexual" and was likely "to cause serious and widespread offense."

Awards

Best Debut: ''Feel the Steel'' - Metal Hammer Germany

Members

Michael Starr (Ralph Saenz) – lead vocals, acoustic guitars

Satchel (Russ Parrish) – rhythm, lead and acoustic guitars, backing vocals

Lexxi Foxxx (Travis Haley) – bass, backing vocals

Stix Zadinia (Darren Leader) – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chartpositions
		! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"
2003		* as band name Metal Shop / Metal Skool	* Release date: 2003	* Label: self-released	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2009		* Release date: October 6, 2009	* Label: Universal Records	98	42	3	1	52	38	—
2011		* Release date: October 31, 2011	* Label: Universal Records	40	12	—	1	37	85	50

Singles

! Year	! Single	! Album
2002
2003
2010

Videography

''Fat Girl (Thar She Blows) – The Video'' (2005) – home DVD featuring the music video for the title track and behind-the-scenes footage.

''Behind the Music: Steel Panther'' (2009) – iTunes podcast featuring a fake ''Behind the Music'' story for Steel Panther. (Features stars like Matt Sorum, Kat Von D, Jani Lane, Dee Snider and Dave Navarro)

Music videos

"Fat Girl (Thar She Blows)" (2005 and 2009)

"Death to All but Metal" (2009)

"Community Property" (2009)

"If You Really Really Love Me" (2011)

References

External links

Steel Panther's fan site

Interview with Satchel on Maximum Threshold Radio

Category:Glam metal musical groups Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles, California Category:Musical groups established in 2000 Category:Heavy metal musical groups from California Category:Comedy rock Category:Steel Panther

de:Steel Panther es:Steel Panther fr:Steel Panther it:Steel Panther nl:Steel Panther ja:スティール・パンサー pl:Steel panther pt:Steel Panther ru:Steel Panther fi:Steel Panther sv:Steel Panther

Name	Zakk Wylde
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Alias	Ghode, The Ghost of Rock Past, The Idol
Birth date	January 14, 1967
Birth place	Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.
Instrument	Guitar, vocals, bass, banjo, piano, keyboards, mandolin, harmonica, organ, mellotron
Genre	Heavy metal, southern metal, groove metal, southern rock
Occupation	Musician, songwriter, actor, producer
Years active	1987–present
Label	Geffen, Spitfire, InsideOut Music, Artemis, Roadrunner, Epic, Sony
Associated acts	Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, Pride & Glory, Steel Dragon, Britny Fox
Website	zakkwylde.com
Notable instruments	Zakk Wylde Signature Les Paul,Zakk Wylde Signature Gibson Flying V }}

Zachary Phillip "Zakk" Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt, January 14, 1967), is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory, who released one self-titled album in 1994 before disbanding. As a solo artist he released ''Book of Shadows'' in 1996.

Biography

Early life

Wylde was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. Wylde started playing the guitar at the age of 14 and worked at Silverton Music in Silverton, New Jersey. He grew up in Jackson, New Jersey, and went to Jackson Memorial High School, where he graduated in 1985. Wylde has stated that he would practice playing the guitar as much as 12 hours per day and would often play the guitar almost non-stop between coming home from school and leaving for school the next morning, then sleeping through the school day. He is of German and Irish descent.

Music career

Wylde played locally with his first band Stone Henge, then later with local Jersey band Zyris. Later, he landed the role as lead guitarist and co-writer for Ozzy Osbourne. He sent Ozzy a demo tape in 1987 and was hired to replace Jake E. Lee, who had replaced the deceased Randy Rhoads. Rhoads remains Wylde's foremost guitar-playing and stagecraft influence.

Wylde gravitated toward a particular Les Paul guitar, which has become known as "The Grail"; his infamous bullseye-painted Gibson Les Paul custom. Wylde lost the guitar after it fell from the back of a truck transporting equipment as he was travelling between gigs in Texas. Rewards were offered to anyone that had information about the guitar. Wylde and The Grail were reunited years later when a fan bought it at a Dallas pawn shop and saw the initials "Z.W." carved into the humbucker pickups backs. He contacted Wylde's former webmaster Randy Canis to arrange its return to Wylde. He bartered for it, in exchange for two other Les Pauls.

Osbourne has maintained a flexible attitude with regard to his backing band, leaving his band members free to leave as they wish, but Wylde has remained faithful to Osbourne. Wylde was replaced in Osbourne's band by Joe Holmes from 1995 until his return in 2001. On January 17, 2006, Zakk Wylde was recognized at the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame, featuring his handprints and signature, in recognition of his successful career as a musician and his contribution to the music industry. The event was open to the public and many rock celebrities were present, including Ozzy Osbourne.

After auditions in 2005/2006, Ozzy Osbourne announced Wylde as the official guitarist for his upcoming album, ''Black Rain'', which was released in 2007. On stage with Osbourne, Wylde has been credited for lending a high level of energy and passion to performances. Black Label Society's album ''Shot To Hell'', was released on September 11, 2006 in the UK, and September 12, 2006 in the U.S. through Roadrunner records, with production by Michael Beinhorn. Black Label Society headlined the second stage at the 2006 Ozzfest, with Wylde playing double duty with Ozzy on certain dates. Ozzy Osbourne's album Black Rain, was released in May 2007.

Black Label Society released 'The Song Remains Not the Same' on May 10, 2011 on E1. As reported by Alternative Press, Zakk Wylde will be contributing a guitar solo to Black Veil Brides' upcoming cover of Kiss' "Unholy," slated to appear on the band's upcoming Rebels EP due out December 2011.

Personal life

Wylde lives with his wife, Barbaranne, and his three children: Hayley Rae, Hendrix, and Jesse—who is godson to Ozzy Osbourne. Wylde was a close friend of Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott before he was murdered in 2004. As of 2011, he is in partnership with Blair's Sauces and Snacks to produce "Berserker" Hot Sauce and several variations. Wylde is Irish Catholic and has spoken about his faith, calling himself as a "soldier of Christ". Wylde's health has come under scrutiny for several years. Wylde was asked by Sharon Osbourne to attend rehab, but left early on. In August 2009, Wylde was hospitalized due to blood clots. He was forced to cancel his tour with Mudvayne and Static-X due to an embolism.

Equipment

He is known for his use of Gibson Les Paul Custom model guitars with a "bulls-eye" graphic on them, a design he used to differentiate himself visually from Randy Rhoads - who was also frequently identified by his white Les Paul Custom. One of Wylde's favorite stage guitars is a replica of Rhoads' Flying V. The "bulls-eye" paint job was originally supposed to look like the spiral from the movie ''Vertigo'', but when it came back incorrect from the luthier, he liked the result and stuck with it. He was sometimes criticized by viewers and media for taking the idea of the "bulls-eye" from Eddie Ojeda from Twisted Sister, however, both Eddie and Zakk deny it and suppose it to be coincidence.

Wylde's signature Les Pauls include a red flame-maple bulls-eye model, a black and antique-white bulls-eye model, an orange "buzz-saw" model, the pattern on which was inspired by a design on a Zippo lighter, and a "camo" bulls-eye model with mother of pearl neck inlays and a green camouflage paint scheme. His original bulls-eye Les Paul was purchased from one of the owners of Metaltronics Amplification. Metaltronics was building a one-off live rig for Wylde that was designed around one of the owner's guitars, a creamy white Les Paul Custom with EMG pickups, which would later become known as "The Grail". Wylde has a custom Dean Splittail with a mud splatter bulls-eye graphic, as well as a signature Splittail shaped Gibson model called the "ZV". Another Dean in his collection is a Dime series Razorback with custom Bulls-eye graphics ordered for him specially by Dimebag Darrell shortly before his death; since receiving the guitar, he has only ever used it on stage to play "In This River," Zakk's personal tribute to Dimebag.

In practice, Wylde uses Marshall MG Series practice combos ranging in wattage levels from 10-30W during tour/private use especially in hotels and buses. Wylde has an extensive relationship with Marshall Amplification due to his love for their amplifiers, both solid state and valve powered. Live, Wylde exclusively uses Marshall JCM 800's with twin 4 X 12 Cabinets loaded with EVM12L 300W Black Label Speakers. His usual signal path consists of his guitar > (on stage pedal board) Dunlop Wylde Wah > Dunlop Rotovibe > MXR EVH Phase 90 (soon to be replaced by the new MXR Wylde Phase) > MXR Wylde Overdrive > MXR Carbon Copy Delay Delay > (to a back stage pedal board) > MXR EVH Flanger > MXR Black Label Chorus > split signals, one to each distorted amp into the High Gain input.

Media appearances

Music

Wylde has made guest appearances on various albums, such as Damageplan's debut album, ''New Found Power'', as guest vocalist and guitarist on the tracks "Soul Bleed" and "Reborn".

He played guitar solos on Dope's single "Addiction" from their newest album, ''No Regrets''.

He plays a solo on Fozzy's 2005 release "All That Remains" on the song, Wanderlust.

He has also worked on five of Derek Sherinian's solo albums: ''Inertia'', ''Black Utopia'', ''Mythology'', ''Blood of the Snake'' and ''Molecular Heinosity'' alongside Yngwie Malmsteen and others.

Wylde was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards. His contributions helped assist independent artists' careers. In 2010 he played lead guitar on My Darkest Days first single "Porn Star Dancing", along with guest singers Chad Kroeger and Ludacris.

In 1993 Ozzy Osbournes double album Live and Loud was released. Wylde is the guitarist.

In 2011 he featured in Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed's new project, "Jasta" in the song "The Fearless must Endure".

Zakk Wylde will be featured as a guest guitarist on Black Veil Brides cover of the Kiss song "Unholy" on their upcoming EP, ''Rebels''.

Live performances

On August 1, 1993, at Great Woods Amphitheatre in Mansfield, MA, Wylde appeared on stage with the Allman Brothers on lead guitar since Dickey Betts was unable to make the show, and they needed a guitarist at the last minute. This show is documented on the bootleg "Zakk Goes Wylde".

Wylde is a New York Yankees fan. He performed the National Anthem on the electric guitar during a New York Rangers game in October 2005. He has also played the anthem at Los Angeles Kings and Dodgers games. A video of a Kings performance is included as an extra feature, on the DVD ''Boozed, Broozed, and Broken-Boned''.

On February 1, 2007 Wylde and Nick Catanese began a tour of acoustic shows at the Hard Rock Cafe in various cities across North America. Although Catanese had to leave mid-tour due to unspecified personal reasons, Wylde continued to play shows alone. He performed several songs, on both the acoustic guitar and keyboard. The tour was eventually canceled due to unspecified reasons.

On April 13, 2011 he was the guitarist for James Durbin on American Idol, during Durbin's performance of "Heavy Metal", by Sammy Hagar.

On May 14, 2011 he performed the National Anthem at Rockfest in Kansas City, Missouri.

Wylde appeared on stage December 8, 2011 in Indianapolis, IN, to play a cover of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" with Guns N' Roses while Black Label Society opened for Guns N' Roses during a leg of the US Tour. Wylde also did this on subsequent shows before BLS finished their run on the tour.

Film and television

On June 5, 2011, he appeared on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' and performed with ''The Roots''

Wylde's film credits include ''Rock Star'' (As "Ghode", guitarist of the fictitious band Steel Dragon)

Wylde also appeared on the TV show ''Angel'' in the season four episode "The Magic Bullet" where he plays acoustic on the song "Mandy" while Angel and Conner sing along.

Wylde has also appeared as a guest star on the TV show ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. In it, he plays guitar on a track produced by Master Shake that is supposed to become the next big birthday song, which is called "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary." Wylde becomes irate when he finds out that Shake cannot pay him for his input on the project. Later in the show, Wylde is killed when caught between the crossfire of two robotic banjo-playing scorpions.

On September 26, 2003, Wylde appeared on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' and sat in with the house band. During the course of the night he repeatedly made fun of and threatened to beat up Fred Durst, the front man for Limp Bizkit.

On January 30, 2007, Wylde, alongside Black Label Society, were the musical guests for MTV's Wrestling Society X debut episode. He worked the night as a guest commentator as well.

On February 2, 2007, Wylde guest hosted on Seattle's 99.9 KISW on the afternoon program ''The Men's Room''.

On the May 18 edition of ''WWE Smackdown!'', Wylde appeared with Ozzy Osbourne to perform the song "I Don't Wanna Stop", at the First Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

Wylde performed alongside Osbourne on the 2007 ''VH1 Rock Honors'' broadcast.

On October 18, 2009, Zakk Wylde performed the National Anthem on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's biggest PPV, Bound for Glory, before the matches officially started.

He appears as a guest in ''Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage''.

He appears in the Pantera episode of ''Behind the Music''.

He appears as a music store worker in a scene from the TV show Californication on Showtime, Season 4 Episode 2.t

He was on tour with Black Label Society in 2010 on the Ozzfest Tour that also had Ozzy and Mötley Crüe, among many others.

He performed "Heavy Metal" by Sammy Hagar with James Durbin during season 10 of American Idol.

Video games

Wylde recorded a guitar duel for the video game ''Guitar Hero: World Tour''. He also appears as a playable character performing the songs Stillborn and, along with Ozzy Osbourne, Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley.

Some of Wylde's signature guitars have been for sale to play with throughout the ''Guitar Hero'' series. These include "The Grail", "The Camo Grail", and "The Buzzsaw".

Wylde was featured in the first Guitar Hero with the studio version recording of Fire it Up.

He was the guitarist in the remix of "Bring The Noise" called "Bring The Noise 20XX" that appeared in Guitar Hero 5 as a playable track

Discography

;With Black Label Society

1999: ''Sonic Brew''

2000: ''Stronger Than Death''

2001: ''Alcohol Fueled Brewtality Live!! +5''

2002: ''1919 Eternal''

2003: ''The Blessed Hellride''

2004: ''Hangover Music Vol. VI''

2005: ''Mafia''

2006: ''Shot to Hell''

2009: ''Skullage''

2010: ''Order of the Black''

2011: ''The Song Remains Not The Same''

;With Ozzy Osbourne

1988: ''No Rest For The Wicked''

1990: ''Just Say Ozzy (live album)''

1991: ''No More Tears''

1993: ''Live & Loud (live album)''

1995: ''Ozzmosis''

2001: ''Down to Earth''

2002: ''Live At Budokan (live album)''

2007: ''Black Rain''

;Pride & Glory

1994: ''Pride & Glory''

;Solo

1996: ''Book of Shadows''

References

External links

Black Label Society official website

Zakk Wylde Video Workshop (Videos in engl.) Source: Bonedo.de

Zakk Wylde Interview Source: Bonedo.de

Source: Alternative Press

Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:The Ozzy Osbourne Band members Category:People from Bayonne, New Jersey Category:People from Jackson Township, New Jersey Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Lead guitarists Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:American musicians of Irish descent

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