BLACKSMITH Featured In HEAVEN AND HELL RECORDS' 'Lost Relics' Series

Cult U.S. metal band BLACKSMITH will be the fifth release in the Heaven And Hell Records' "Lost Relics" series. Entitled "Strike While The Iron's Hot", the effort will contain both the BLACKSMITH self-titled EP from '86, as well as the full-length "Fire From Within" from 1989. Enhanced-CD material will include photo gallery of never-before-seen rare photos, lyric sheets, and an extensive history and bio.

Formed in New York City by guitarist David Smith and vocalist Heidi Black in the early '80s, BLACKSMITH quickly became widely known throughout the metal underground worldwide. The band toured up and down the East Coast in 1985, headlining and supporting many of the times best-known metal acts. In 1986 they released their debut self-titled EP. More touring, radio airplay and media coverage followed. But just as quickly as they arrived, so too did they divide and fall. By the spring of 1987 the original lineup was over. However, mainman David Smith was not ready to lay BLACKSMITH to rest and quickly recruited new players and picked up where the first version of the group left off. Several gigs and demos later, BLACKSMITH signed with Tropical Records in late 1988. "Fire From Within" came out in early 1989 and was supported by a number of live appearances. Once again BLACKSMITH caught worldwide press attention along with appearances on MTV and many regional cable access programs. The group even had some of its music featured in several Fox syndicated television programs. With so much exposure, attention, and product endorsements it seemed BLACKSMITH was on a roll. But as the decade drew to a close, so did interest in heavy metal, or so it seemed. As the '90s began, Dave put BLACKSMITH to rest. Over the next 20 years, as the interest in true heavy metal began to rise again, mostly due to European collectors, so did the interest in BLACKSMITH. Fan requests, interviews, and festival offers steadily poured in for the New York metallers. All the while, Smith was waiting for the right time strike and now in 2010 the iron is hot.