H-Bomb -

H-Bomb was a French hard-rock/metal band behind the 1983 Coup de Métal EP, followed by the 1984 Race-On release Attaque and the 1985 Axe Killer single “To Feel Is Pain.”

Members: Philippe “Philty” Garcia (bass), Gerhard “Metal” Michel (drums), Armando “Mando” Ferreira (guitars), Christian “Kriss” Martin (guitar, 1982-84), Didier “Dizzy” Izard (vocals 1982-85), Paul Fereirra (guitar, 1984-86), Patrick Diamond [David Potter] (vocals, 1985-86)

Background

H-Bomb formed in June 1982 in Draveil, Essonne, when guitarist Armando Ferreira and bassist Philippe Garcia assembled a quintet with singer Didier Izard, drummer Gérard Michel, and guitarist Christian Martin.

Ferreira played with Garcia in Cyanure, a French group that opened for Rose Tattoo on May 12, 1981, at the Salle des Fêtes in Melun. The pair left Cyanure in 1981 and rehearsed late that year with Michel as a trio. Martin joined in May 1982 as second guitarist; Izard completed the lineup in June as lead singer.

Izard used the French hard-rock band Trust as a model for French vocals. He rehearsed high notes against Judas Priest singer Rob Halford and taped his vocals over the 1979 live album Unleashed in the East. The quintet wrote original songs and played small halls at Maisons des Jeunes et de la Culture, the French youth and cultural centers.

H-Bomb opened for Def Leppard on March 15, 1983, in Melun and played on June 4 in Évry. The musicians promoted a demo through independent radio stations and mailed between 100 and 150 cassettes to record companies. Jack Hustinx, the head of Dutch label Rave-On Records, signed H-Bomb at the same time as Sortilège, another French metal band. Hustinx produced the six-song EP Coup de Métal for a 1983 release on Rave-On.

H-Bomb opened for Anvil on September 3, 1983, in Eindhoven and headlined a week later at the Dynamo club. The musicians also supported Accept and Trust that December. Paul Ferreira, the brother of Armando Ferreira, replaced Martin in January 1984 as second guitarist. The quintet wrote new songs and played another Dutch tour that January. Hustinx renewed the Rave-On contract for the first full-length album, Attaque.

Discography:

Coup de Métal (EP, 1983)
Attaque (1984)
“To Feel Is Pain” / “Can’t Stop Lovin'”/ “Stop the Lights” (1985)

Sources

Enfer Magazine No. 5 — September 1983, page 20. Contemporary account of the Cyanure connection, late-1981 trio, May–June 1982 additions, youth-center concerts, and dated Melun and Évry appearances. (France Metal Museum)
Rock Hard No. 208 — April 2020, page 10. Photographer Marc Villalonga identifies the May 12, 1981 Rose Tattoo concert at the Salle des Fêtes in Melun and recalls Cyanure as the support group. (Scribd)
Didier Izard interview — April 21, 2006. First-person account of vocal practice, the French-language decision, the 100–150 demo cassettes, and the agreement with Jack Hustinx. (Troyan Forge)
Metal Attack No. 2 — November 1983, page 17. Interview with Ferreira, Garcia, Martin, and Michel. Confirms the cassette submissions, simultaneous H-Bomb and Sortilège signings, and successive Eindhoven concerts. (France Metal Museum)
H-Bomb biography and discography. Supports the first EP production credit, September Anvil date, December support appearances, January guitarist replacement, and renewed Rave-On agreement. (France Metal Museum)
H-Bomb band entry. Cross-checks Draveil as the home town and identifies the personnel and earlier Cyanure affiliations. (Encyclopaedia Metallum)