France

Briefly active during the mid-'80s, French heavy metal band Blaspheme was formed in 1981 by Marc Fery (vocals), Pierre Holzhaeuser (guitar), Philippe Guadignino (bass), and Regis Martin (drums), who borrowed heavily from Iron Maiden to concoct their eponymous 1983 debut and its 1985 follow-up, Desir de Vampyr. Unfortunately, the group's insistence on singing in French hampered their international prospects and did them little good within the very small local scene, as well. By all accounts, Blaspheme were history by 1987, and although rumors of a re-formation surfaced in 1999, it never came to pass. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia