Bad Axe -

Bad Axe was an American hard-rock band from Los Angeles that made a test-press album in 1976 on Earth Breeze Productions, followed by a 1977 standalone single on Progrezzive Records. Bad Axe gained cult status after a 2004 reissue on Hexamon Records.

Members: Stacy Moreland (vocals), Dave Carruth (guitar), Dana Strum (bass), Steve Ward (drums)

Background

Bassist Dana Strum (b. December 13, 1957; Washington, D.C.) grew up in Pasadena, California. His father was a neurobiology scientist and psychiatry researcher, and his mother worked on developing cling-free nylon. Strum began playing bass at age eight despite his parents’ disapproval, and by sixteen he was performing professionally on the Los Angeles club circuit. Early influences included Black Sabbath and Grand Funk Railroad; his first concert was a Black Sabbath/Captain Beyond show in Hollywood.

Strum formed Bad Axe in Los Angeles in 1976 with singer Stacy Moreland, guitarist Dave Carruth, and drummer Steve Ward. The band developed through the LA circuit scene, performing alongside acts such as Van Halen and Quiet Riot. They gained attention for a heavy sound drawing on Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and in November 1976 recorded a test-press album.

Bad Axe (1976)

Bad Axe printed ten copies of their self-titled promo album in 1976 on Earth Breeze.

The album presents a raw, aggressive sound with moments of expansive guitar interplay and driving rhythm, foreshadowing styles later associated with mid-1980s progressive metal. The record combines tightly wound riffs with surging tempo shifts, showcasing the band’s command of dynamic contrasts and instrumental intensity.

Bassist Dana Strum wrote the majority of the songs, with guitarist Dave Carruth co-writing select tracks. All compositions are originals, and the band performed them as a quartet with singer Stacy Moreland and drummer Steve Ward.

Bad Axe alternates between urgent, riff-driven pieces and expansive mid-tempo tracks. “Cities of Rage” opens with tight, ascending guitar lines and rapid percussive pulses, while “Blues L.A.” extends into layered guitar textures over a slower, contemplative rhythm. Other songs, like “Stray” and “Do What We Please,” emphasize rhythmic shifts and angular phrasing, and “Take Your Time” closes the record with a more deliberate, forceful pacing.

A1. “Cities of Rage”
A2. “Stray”
A3. “Do What We Please”
A4. “What Did I Do”
A5. “Set Me Free”

B1. “Vacation”
B2. “Blues L.A.”
B3. “Foggy Morning”
B4. “Road to Makin’ It”
B5. “Take Your Time”

Sessions occurred in November 1976 at Stronghold Studios, Van Nuys, CA, also used for the 1977 one-off by psychsters Universe.

In 2004, Hexamon Records reissued Bad Axe on black vinyl and translucent orange vinyl, each in limited editions of 500 copies.

“Cry for Me” / “All You Can Stand”

In 1977, Bad Axe returned with “Cry for Me”, a standalone single backed with “All You Can Stand”, issued as a one-press 7″ on Progrezzive Records.

The single captures the band refining their mid-1970s hard-rock style with expanded arrangements and tighter instrumental interplay. Bassist Dana Strum and guitarist David Carruth anchor the rhythm and lead lines, while lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Bobby Gaudreau contributed guitar, keyboards, and primary songwriting. “Cry for Me” emphasizes driving keyboard lines and contoured vocal phrasing, whereas “All You Can Stand” blends angular guitar riffs with layered rhythmic accents.

Lead vocalist Bobby Gaudreau wrote “Cry for Me”, and co-wrote “All You Can Stand” with guitarist David Carruth. Dana Strum performed bass on both tracks, with Steve Ward on percussion. Richard Peters added keyboards on “Cry for Me”.

A. “Cry for Me” (3:18) – written by Bobby Gaudreau, featuring propulsive keyboard lines and dynamic vocal phrasing.
B. “All You Can Stand” (3:40) – written by Bobby Gaudreau and David Carruth, accented by layered guitar textures and rhythmic variation.

Sessions occurred at Dirk Dalton Studios, Santa Monica, CA, with Bad Axe producing. Engineering was handled by Dana Evans and Dirk Dalton, and mastering by Rick Collins at Kendun Recorders.

The single was pressed in very limited quantities and distributed by Festival Records, Inc. It received a recommendation from Billboard magazine and helped secure the band a recording deal for a follow-up album, which was completed at Dalton Studios but remains unreleased due to internal conflicts.

Postlude

Dana Strum left Bad Axe in the summer of 1979 to audition for Ozzy Osbourne, introducing Randy Rhoads to Osbourne in the process.

From 1981 to 1983, Strum played with Modern Design, performing on their unreleased sessions while collaborating with Ron Mancuso, Louie Merlino, and Joey DePompeis.

Between 1983 and 1985, he worked with Danny Spanos, contributing bass and songwriting to Looks Like Trouble (1984) and performing live on the RKO Radio Network broadcast. He also played on Rod Falconer’s Rules of Attraction (1984).

From 1985 to 1988, Strum co-founded Vinnie Vincent Invasion, appearing on their self-titled debut (1986) and All Systems Go (1988) as bassist, co-producer, arranger, and engineer, touring North America and featuring in MTV videos.

After departing Vinnie Vincent Invasion in August 1988, Strum co-founded Slaughter with Mark Slaughter, recruiting Tim Kelly and Blas Elias, and began writing and recording material under a Chrysalis Records deal.

David Carruth surfaced in Bitch, a hard-rock band with singer Betsy Weiss (formerly of the ska-punk Boxboys). On Metal Blade Records, Bitch released the 1982 single “Damnation Alley” and the 1983–87 albums Be My Slave and The Bitch Is Back.

Bob Gaudreau surfaced in punk rockers The Queers.

Discography: