Real Steel is out of Cleveland - New Philadelphia, Ohio. They have a record label with Retrospect Records. Their influences are Rainbow, U.F.O., Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Kiss, Van Halen, Deep Purple, and Savatage. Real Steel emerged from the incredibly fertile Cleveland Ohio Metal Scene of the eighties. Real Steel was actually put together in rural Tuscarawas County by Dave Hasselbach, Scott Smalley, and Bobby Stocker. After a year of trying different people in the other guitar spot, the final piece of the puzzle was found in the form of Parma High School Sophomore Paul Klaff! These four musicians had an incredible chemistry together from the first note they ever played, and also an incredibly intense work ethic that bordered on obsession! Songs came together quickly, and the classic Real Steel Sound of melodic virtuoso guitars, catchy riffs, leather lunged lead vocals, soaring three part harmonies, and a driving rhythm section, were now in place and ready to be taken to the masses. Real Steel opened two shows for good friends and Cleveland's then number one metal band, Shok Paris and the response was so overwhelming, that in the course of just two shows, Real Steel went from the rehearsal room, to being one of the most popular bands in the city! Real Steel was asked to contribute a song to Auburn Records Heavy Artillery Compilation Album. The song I Rule The Radio, became a popular tune on Metal and on college radio, which then lead them to Beachwood Studios to record a full length album. By this time Real Steel were drawing huge crowds of up to one thousand people to their shows, and opening for almost every national act that came trough town, like Bullet Boys, Bang Tango, Blue Murder, Savatage, Trouble, and Russia's Gorky Park! Also at about the same time, a song from one of the first Beachwood Sessions called Never Mind The Money beat out 675 other bands to become song 1 on the first ever WMMS North Coast Buzzard Tracks, this was a huge accomplishment considering at the time WMMS was voted by Rolling Stone Magazine as the 1 rock radio station in the country. Never Mind The Money would go on to become the most requested song on WMMS for 2 weeks running, beating out the 1 single in the country, Extreme's More Than Words. The future looked very bright when that same year Real Steel won US Rocker Magazine's Best Unsigned Band Contest over thousands of bands across 17 states! With Major label interests at a fever pitch, it seemed that all of the bands hard work and dreams were about to be recognized but with the release of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, it was only a matter of weeks till the whole Melodic Metal Scene would be a thing of the past. If you had big hair and could play no label would touch you. After living together for four years and working, literally seven days a week to make it, this was a bitter pill to swallow. Real Steel soldiered on for a little while, but the reality of their situation sunk in and they finally called it quits. Fast forward 16 years...suddenly there is again interest in the music of Real Steel, and that long ago recorded album is going to finally be released. The four members all still play music for a living. Dave Hasselbach and Paul Anthony in St. Petersburg Florida, Scott Smalley and Bobby Stocker in Tuscarawas County Ohio. There are now plans for a live show, and also some new material! The response has been overwhelming and inspiring!
So tune into God's Forsaken Radio to hear more of Real Steel!!!!!
