On August 14th, we lost a heavy metal voice that doesn’t get nearly enough recognition. Randall Desmond Archibald, better known by his infamous stage name Randy Rampage, had one of the most subtle impacts in the hardcore punk world as well as the thrash metal scene.
Beginning in an underground Canadian punk band, D.O.A., he would unknowingly launch the genre into a successful trend by the early 80’s. Debuting his career with their first release titled Something Better Change, he followed in the footsteps of legendary pioneers such as Dee Dee Ramone and Captain Sensible. By the time D.O.A. put out their follow up album, the band had received credit for coining the term ”hardcore punk” with their appropriately named sophomore effort: Hardcore ‘81. After a falling out with the group, Rampage would not return until 2010 for Win The Battle.
But that wasn’t the end of his musical legacy…
Once he left D.O.A., he quickly revitalized his career with another Canadian band looking for a lasting impression: Annihilator. Guitarist Jeff Waters admits his vocals weren’t anything special, considering his musical background or lack thereof, but he admired the punk rock attitude that came with his personality.
In 1989, their debut album Alice In Hell exploded onto the late 80’s thrash metal community and gained instant notoriety. Overtime, it has sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide and Rampage is a key component of what makes the record so damn amazing.
Who knows how he trained for the album in question, but one thing is for certain. The man’s voice was an absolute powerhouse from start to finish. Back in the early 80’s, Rampage was just a bassist and by the end of the decade he was front and center for a leading force in the thrash metal movement.
From his iconic performance on the fan favorite Alison Hell to the underrated deep cuts including W.T.Y.D. and Ligeia. Needless to say, he fit the band like a glove with his vicious delivery from Wicked Mystic to the rapid-fire closer known as Human Insecticide.
After embarking on a killer tour with Testament, Onslaught, and Wrathchild America, Rampage was yet again exiting another iconic band. However, he returned a few years later along with the other members in the Alice In Hell lineup for the brutally overlooked album: Criteria For A Black Widow.
Rampage kept himself busy throughout the 90’s with numerous side projects including Stress Factor 9 and Fake It Big Time. Experimenting with traditional and alternative metal, he always excelled with his unique voice matching the tone and direction of each band definitively.
Recently, longtime band member and friend Joey Keithley from D.O.A. came out with a eulogy for his fallen brother, detailing the wildest experiences and proud moments spent alongside Rampage. If anybody is going to do him justice, it’s going to be someone he worked with when his main goal was, “Set out to conquer the world.”
https://www.punknews.org/article/67755/doas-joe-keithley-writes-eulogy-for-randy-rampage
On that note, I’ll proudly salute the legacy of Randy Rampage for his contribution to punk and thrash metal. As stated by Joe Keithley, “Anybody who had the chance to hang out with him were always overwhelmed at his unmatched knack for recounting amazing tales of his rock n’ roll lifestyle.”
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