The Oz>>OZ - FINLAND

The Oz/Heavy Metal Heroes – 1982 - Tyfon Grammofon/Kräk!/Finnlevy
Fire In The Brain – 1983 – Tyfon/Combat
III Warning – 1984 - Combat
...Decibel Storm... – 1986 – RCA
Roll The Dice – 1991 – Black Mark
Burning Leather – 2011 – AFM
Transition State – 2017 – AFM
Forced Commandments – 2020 – Massacre

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Members
Vocals
Eero "The Oz" Hamalainen [Ape De Martini] [Tapani Hämäläinen] - VINCE KOIVULA

Guitar
Kari Elo – Speedy Foxx [Jari Koski] – Noitawaimo>>Spooky Wolff [Jyrki Taipale] – Gotham City>>Michael Lundholm>>Mud & Blood – Popeda, Solo, Sleepy Sleepers, Hanoi Rocks>>Costello Hautamäki>>Popeda, Solo – Yö, Popeda, Pate Mustajärvi>>Markku Petander – Rust N’ Rage>>JOHNNY CROSS>>Rust N’ Rage – Pharaoh Overlord, Dragonwing>>JUSSI ‘JUZZY’ KANGAS>>Pharaoh Overlord, Dragonwing

Bass
Tauno Vajavaara – Yö, Sarcofagus, Solo>>Jay C Blade [Jukka Homi]>>Princess Pang, Jay Lewis, Solo – Fredrik Thörnblom>>Lizard Eye, Denied - PEPPY PELTOLA

Drum
MARK RUFFNECK [PEKKA MARK]

Keyboard
Jörgen Schelander>>Mercury Fang, Misth




History & Biography
This early Finland-based heavy metal band was active between 1977 and 1991 before disbanding and, per regulations of the heavy metal scene, reformed in 2010. Ape De Martini, Jay C Blade and Mark Ruffneck were back. Heavy Metal Heroes was issued in 1982 by a Finnish label under license from Tyfon and then re-released by Black Mark (the follow-up to Tyfon) in 1998. The Swedish version was called Heavy Metal Heroes. Finland called it The Oz. Like many other bands oz would later claim they were ripped off by Tyfon/Black Mark. The debut was supported by shows in Finland and an appearance on Finnish TV playing Hey You and Second-Hand Lady. Jay C Blade, who joined in 1982, became the main songwriter. The band moved to Sweden – possibly to emulate Hanoi Rocks - after Fire In The Brain feeling a dearth of opportunities in Finland. The band’s label was also based in Sweden. Quorthon Of Bathory had a hand on the album’s cover. Turn the Cross Upside Down was a 1984 EP. According to the band, the first royalty payment Jay received for the EP was for the sum of 666 SEK. Jay took it as a sign and decided to cut down on the “satanic” lyrics. The band appeared on Black Mark Productions’ Scandinavian Metal Attack next. III Warning was supposed to be supported by a US/Canadian tour supporting Venom, but fell through. Mr. Blade played several US shows with something called Princess Pang and duly quit Oz upon his return to Europe. Spooky and Speedy had already spooked the rest of the members by speedily leaving. Roll The Dice featured a piano player.

The group signed to Germany’s AFM records upon reformation. Nicke Andersson of Entombed produced Burning Leather. It featured rerecordings and new material and was initially supposed to be called Greatezt Blitz. Spooky Wolff died in 2013. That year the band played a couple of shows in the USA. The band played at Helsinki’s The Ultimate Revenge Of Heavy Metal festival in February 2016. Vince Koivula took over the vocals for Transition State. The band played at the Considered Dead festival in Québec, Canada in 2017.

The band members have a knack for misspellings and using an extra letter in their aliases. The monicker was suggested by a friend of Ruffneck mistakenly believing it was the name of a mythical Greek god.


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