History & Biography Lizzy Borden is a quintessential Los Angeles hard rock and heavy metal band, which was formed by brothers Lizzy Borden [Gregory Charles Harges] and Joey Scott Hargess in 1983. The band was named after Lizzie Andrew Borden who was accused of killing her father and stepmother in Massachusetts in the 19th century. The group adopted a dangerously glamourized look and a shocking stage show and soon contributed the song Rod Of Iron to the Metal Massacre Vol. IV sampler. Drummer Joey was a student of Carmine Appice. With a Metal Blade contract in hand, the group issued the Give 'Em The Axe EP. The risqué-looking Love You To Pieces followed up the theme as the first full-length of the group.
Alex Nelson replaced Tony Matuzak for the live The Murderess Metal Road Show. Visual Lies was the pinnacle of the band's commercial appeal and sound. The band incorporated a socially conscious message into its cover artwork and lyrics and surprisingly experienced some chart success and played Reading festival in the UK in 1987. The single Me Against The World was featured in the horror film Black Roses, which also featured King Kobra and Hallow's Eve. This did not stop the band from undergoing a battery of line-up changes, however, with Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera contributing to Lizzy again. The group hit Europe with UK's Tigertailz. The group's momentum had suffered sadly, alongside the metal scene in general, and Lizzy formed Diamond Dogs. With that band not working Lizzy Borden packed his axe and faded out of the spotlight.
With metal's commercial return underway the band reappeared in 1997 and issued an album in 2000. American shows would follow. Lizzy Borden was running a contest to reshape its logo in 2001. Contestants were asked to go to the Metal Blade web site for all the details, as well as a list of all the prizes associated with the contest. Guitarist Alex Nelson would die in 2004 following a car accident. The band surprised everyone by rebranding itself without fanfare as Starwood and issuing an album through Metal Blade in 2004. The new band's identity was soon revealed however. Moreover, the band failed to garner attention - a lesson the band and Metal Blade should have learnt years ago with Bitch's transformation to Betsy and back. Of course, the group was back as Lizzy Borden in 2007. Lizzy Borden was a part of Metal Blade Records 25th Anniversary Showcase in 2007. In July of 2008, Lizzy Borden managed to sneak in two shows in one day at Germany's Bang Your Head festival. The group not only played its own slot, but also took the place of another band, which had cancelled its appearance. Lizzy Borden and Lordi announced a tour of the US for November 2008. The latter band was supporting its Deadache album. In early 2009, Guitarist Ira Black quit and would concentrate on Prophesy. Following Ira Black's departure the band made live guitarist Dario Lorina permanent following three shows. Former guitarist Corey James died in a car accident in 2009. Metallic Arch Angel Records was releasing a Lizzy Borden covers album in 2009. It featured bands like Ligeia and Tomorrow's Outlook. Lizzy Borden had three California dates in February of 2010 in San Diego, Santa Clara and Santa Rosa. These first of the New-Year shows was to be a 'best of Lizzy Borden' set incorporating songs from the entire catalogue including the latest record Appointment With Death. The American hard rockers Lizzy Borden recruited guitarist AC Alexander (Warrior and Hatetimesnine) for its European tour including Wacken Open Air festival in Germany in 2010. Lizzy Borden was planning on celebrating its 30th anniversary by embarking on the 30 Years Of American Metal tour in 2013. Lizzy Borden guitarist Dario Lorina would release his solo album, Dario Lorina, through Shrapnel Records. Black Label Society replaced guitarist Nick Catanese with Lizzy Borden's Dario Lorina. Elsewhere, Lizzy Borden's Appointment With Death line-up - Lizzy, Ira Black, Joey Scott and Marten Andersson - reunited for a special show at the Epiphone party at NAMM at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, California on Friday January 24th, 2014. Lizzy Borden, the man, signed a solo contract with Metal Blade Records. Lizzy Borden’s first album in a decade was called My Midnight Things and out through Metal Blade Records in June. Best of Lizzy Borden, Vol. 2 followed its predecessor of 1994 in 2020. Tony Matzuk had a heart attack and died in 2021. Warrior reunited for one show in California in July 2021 to celebrate the life of its dead bassist Rob Farr. Mike Davis was on bass. Lizzy Borden had a digital single and video called Death Of Me in 2023. The band was booked for Life After Death Horror Fest in Mexico in December and Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2024. Metal Blade Records had Lizzy Borden of the eponymous band at its Las Vegas, Nevada-based heavy metal museum every Saturday in April 2024. The band, alongside the likes of Satan, Grave Digger, Sacred Rite, Tower Hill, Midnight, Helstar, Haunt and Century, was booked for 2 Minutes To Tulsa in 2025.
Lizzy Borden was featured in the film The Decline Of Western Civilization II.
Reviews LIZZY BORDEN - DEAL WITH THE DEVIL - METAL BLADE
Lizzy Borden, the man (ie Mr. Harges) and the band (a collection of different musicians), is back and it might or might not be me but I believe it's lasted three years for this album to appear since a very public resurrection, signing party and showcase. I have personally never been a big Lizzy fan. I picked up the Visual Lies LP in 87/88 more to satisfy my curiosity regarding the band's sound than complete my band discography and found a satisfying, yet average US metal combo. Nothing has changed. That, though, is usually a good thing for as bands 'progress' or 'mature' the metal gets relegated behind other motivations. Deal With The Devil sees Lizzy continue as a melodic heavy metal band with clear Iron Maiden (Hell is for Heroes), early Queensryche, Alice Cooper, etc. influences with the high pitched vocals being the focus of attention, even if tracks like Zanzibar introduce a more diverse musical aspect to the offering. It's not brilliant, but it is vintage stuff not diluted by the kerrap espoused by the music industry. - Ali "The Metallian"
LIZZY BORDEN - APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH - METAL BLADE 
Most metal fans know Lizzy Borden from the '80s metal scene and the early Metal Blade albums. Whether the catchy hooks of the band’s commercial breakthrough, 1987’s Visual Lies or the unforgettable cover picture of the band’s debut full-length Love You to Pieces, Lizzy Borden has always been a little under-appreciated and underexposed despite standing for pure hard rock and heavy metal. In recent years, the band has not done itself any favours by going absent for years - the group’s last album was 2000’s Deal With Devil - or pulling a Bitch/Betsy routine and reincarnating itself as Starwood.
Appointment With Death is the band outdoing itself. Creating another concept album that actually works and flows, Lizzy’s latest deals with the omnipresent ”˜death’ and has artwork and lyrics to match. Even more impressive is the solidly heavy music. Song after song, riff after riff and solo after guitar solo delivers a melodic punch to the listener the likes of which nary a band matches nowadays. One hates to say it, but nine times out of ten when a glam or hard rock band goes heavy the results are dubious at best. Lizzy Borden’s gradual indoctrination into heavier metal has seen the band lose none of its edge or natural flow and even created a monster American metal band. Nearly every song is entertaining, brash and catchy negating the need to call out specific songs despite there being several very choice cuts on the album. Nevertheless, the production favours the high end at the expense of the bass and the drums. Lizzy’s vocals are multi-layered and as versatile as ever. The backing tracks augment his lead vocals and further prove age has not affected the singer’s pipes. This is even more surprising given the above-mentioned fact that it is unlikely that the man works his larynx out at the same time.
Not to be forgotten is the presence of several guests which unusually seem to have been chosen for their diverse backgrounds. The guitar solos on the album are, therefore, remarkable. George Lynch (solo and Dokken), Erik Rutan (Morbid Angel and Hate Eternal) and Dave Meniketti of Y&T all put in appearances. It all works. - Ali “The Metallian”
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