About Me
The band was formed by Guitarist Wylum Pearson (Bill). Bill had the vision, resources and funding to form Taist of Iron. Bill wrote most of the music and was the creative mind inspiring the band. Bill Wylum was lead singer for the band Allexis with a Bon Scott vocal style. He decided to put down the microphone and focus on playing guitar. Bill would hold battle of the bands at Midland, Washington where he searched for the best musicians. Lorraine Gill (singer) and Mark Glabe (bassist) were recruited from the local band Ruzscullen. Jeff Massey (drummer) had played with Bill previously and Mark Bakke (guitarist) was later recruited to the band through a series of auditions held for local guitar players. Steve Gale is now replacing Bill on guitar to round out the 5 piece original band.
In 1983 Taist of Iron would headline at the Battle of the Bands at Midland Hall located in Midland, Washington near Tacoma. Most of the songs for the first album were created while rehearsing and performing there. The Album Resurrection was recorded in 1984 and released. The album was distributed around the Seattle and Tacoma area for sale. Mark Bakke left the band to venture out on a new project with Jeff Moss, Mike Burt, and Russ Bevel to form the rock band 4-Play.
As a four piece the band Taist of Iron headed to Los Angeles, California in 1984 to shop their album around to record labels and perform at Hollywood clubs like The Whiskey a Go Go, and Trubador. Bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns and Roses, and Dokken were launching their careers playing the same circuit.
In 1986 the band was 90% complete on a second album, living out of an 18 foot box van, surviving off sales of the album to local fans. Scheduled to play a show at the Trubador the band decided to call it quits. Lorraine left for Tacoma, Washington and Jeff followed soon after. Mark Glabe and Bill Wylum stayed and worked construction with hopes of reforming the band, but that day has never come.
The Talent! Lorraine has an incredible voice, classically trained; she had the looks and spirit of a true artist. Her strong Janis Joplin vocal style soared perfectly over the heaviest metal sound our band could dish out. Lorraine is a true talent.
Mark Bakke in the early years would listen to and play Jimmy Page, Ted Nugent, Tony Iommi, Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, and in the Taist of Iron era Edward Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Matthias Jabs, Michael Schenker, Gary Moore, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Glenn Tipton, and KK Downing.
There were new songs written, but they never made it to the album because the band broke up. There is some rare amateur video of Taist of Iron playing at the Midland Hall located on www.youtube.com.
Taist of Irons live show featured a grim reaper on stage opening the show while Lorraine was lowered from the ceiling to the stage. Two lighted 10 foot white crosses outlined a brick back drop with a brick archway leading the Jeff on drums. We ran two Marshall Stacks on Each side of the stage with an extra speaker cab for Jeff on drums coming from Mark and Bill’s guitar amps. The staging, lights, backdrops were all created to feature Taist of Iron in concert and was portable with a road crew of 5 people. When I played live I had my friend and guitarist Doug Myla back stage running all my effects pedals so I could just jam.
Due to personal reasons the final split was made between Bill, Mark, Jeff, and Lorraine.
I am talking with the members from the band Lorraine, Mark, Jeff and now Steve Gale to see if we can actual record new versions of all the music and make it available through the internet and perform a reunion show in Seattle, Washington.
I would have to say Cross of Fire was a song we wrote that was my favorite with an original style and sound. It’s great to play live in concert and Lorraine’s vocals were perfect.
Lorraine, Mark G, Jeff, Steve, and Mark B recently had a jam session resurrecting all the great songs of Taist of Iron. Keep checking back for announcements of up and coming shows!!!
Taist of Iron fans appreciate great heavy metal and the members of the band share that same passion. It was always about the live performance and playing in front of our fans that motivated us. Play it Loud and Keep it Metal!!!
You can find some photo’s at web sites like http://www.metalpage.de/index2.htm or http://www.metal-archives.com/index.php.
Mark Bakke..
