Helix

Biography

The Canadian heavy metal band Helix formed in 1974 in Kitchener, Ontario; comprising singer Brian Vollmer, guitarists Brent Doerner and Paul Hackman, bassist Keith Zurbrigg, and drummer Brian Doerner, the group debuted in 1979 with Breaking Loose. White Lace & Black Leather followed two years later, and was the first Helix release to feature new bassist Mike Uzilac and drummer Leo Nebudeck; with 1983's No Rest for the Wicked, the group signed to Capitol, substituting Nebudeck for another new drummer, Greg "Fritz" Hinz. Bassist Daryl Gray replaced Uzilac in time for the follow-up, Walkin' the Razor's Edge, which spawned the hit "Rock You"; 1985's Long Way to Heaven, meanwhile, topped the charts in Sweden. After touring in support of 1987's Wild in the Streets, Brent Doerner quit Helix, and the remaining quartet resurfaced with Back for Another Taste. In 1992, Hackman was killed when the group's van rolled down a 40-foot embankment after a concert in Vancouver; Helix forged on, however, with Brent Doerner returning to the lineup long enough to record 1993's It's a Business Doing Pleasure, which also featured guitarist Greg Frazer. In 1998, Helix -- now comprising Vollmer, Gray, Hinz, and guitarists Mark Chichkan and Gary Borden -- issued Half Alive. A collection of B Sides arrived in 2002, followed by the full-length Rockin' in My Outer Space in 2004. Power of Rock N Roll arrived in 2007. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide