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Vinny Appice

From Alfawiki
Vinny Appice
Born
Vincent Samson Appice

(1957-09-13) September 13, 1957 (age 69)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
OccupationDrummer
Years active1970s–present
Known forDio, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Kill Devil Hill, Last in Line

Vincent Samson Appice (born September 13, 1957) is a distinguished American drummer specializing in rock and metal genres, celebrated for his contributions to Dio, Black Sabbath, and Heaven & Hell. Of Italian heritage, he is the younger sibling of fellow drummer Carmine Appice.

Before Joining Black Sabbath

Appice started playing drums at age nine, training under the same instructor as his brother. At sixteen, his group BOMF supported John Lennon during sessions at Record Plant Studios, including Lennon's final live appearance. Subsequently, he collaborated with Rick Derringer on the albums Derringer (1976), Sweet Evil (1977), and Derringer Live (1977). Following this period, he formed the band Axis, releasing It's A Circus World in 1978.

Tenure with Black Sabbath

In 1980, Appice stepped in as drummer for Black Sabbath midway through their tour promoting Heaven and Hell, after longtime drummer Bill Ward departed due to personal challenges. Initially approached to join Ozzy Osbourne’s new ensemble, he declined based on advice from his brother Carmine. Tony Iommi, impressed by Appice's work with Axis, invited him to rehearse with Black Sabbath in Los Angeles. Although originally intended as a temporary replacement, Ward’s exit became permanent.

Appice made his live debut with Black Sabbath at Hawaii’s Aloha Stadium, initially relying on notes to perform unfamiliar tracks. His playing grew more confident over time, leading to his role as full-time drummer. He contributed to the 1981 release Mob Rules and the 1982 live album Live Evil.

Collaboration with Dio

In late 1982, vocalist Ronnie James Dio left Black Sabbath and invited Appice to join a new band. Although still officially with Black Sabbath, Appice—residing in New York like Dio—opted to remain stateside and work alongside him. The band Dio was assembled with members Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain. Appice performed on several albums including Holy Diver (1983), The Last in Line (1984), Sacred Heart (1985), Intermission (1986), and Dream Evil (1987). He departed from Dio in December 1989 and briefly collaborated with ex-Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson in Flesh & Blood.

Post-Dio Activities

Ronnie James Dio reunited with Black Sabbath in 1992 for the album Dehumanizer. Due to an injury sustained by drummer Cozy Powell, Appice was called upon for rehearsals and recording sessions. Tony Iommi commended his musicianship, noting that Appice had previously declined to continue with Sabbath in 1982.

Appice returned to Dio for the albums Strange Highways (1994) and Angry Machines (1996). Prior to the 1996 tour, he recorded drums for Las Vegas guitarist Raven Storm’s album The Storm Project, which involved longtime Dio engineer Angelo Arcuri.

In 2005, Appice contributed to recordings by rap group Circle of Tyrants and worked with guitarist Alex Skolnick. He also performed live with the Sin City Sinners in Las Vegas during 2009. The following year, he reunited with former Dio members under the name Heaven & Hell, embarking on tours and releasing the album The Devil You Know before Dio's passing in 2010.

That same year, Appice recorded the album Dinosaurs alongside Carl Sentance, Carlos Cavazo, and Jeff Pilson, produced by Andy Menario of Martiria, featuring lyrics penned by Italian poet Marco Roberto Capelli.

Currently, he performs "Drum Wars" shows together with brother Carmine and vocalist Paul Shortino.

Appice established the band Kill Devil Hill, featuring bassist Rex Brown, guitarist Mark Zavon, and vocalist Dewey Bragg. Their self-titled debut released in 2012 achieved No. 9 on Billboard HeatSeekers, No. 41 on Top Hard Music, and No. 50 on Independent Album charts.

Following Ronnie James Dio's death in 2010, Appice reunited with original bandmates Jimmy Bain, Vivian Campbell, and Claude Schnell, along with vocalist Andrew Freeman, performing Dio covers. This ensemble eventually developed into the band Last in Line.

On November 25, 2013, Appice launched the project WAMI with singer Doogie White, bassist Marco Mendoza, and guitarist Iggy Gwadera. Their debut album Kill the King was slated for release in spring 2014.

On March 10, 2014, Appice departed from Kill Devil Hill; former Type O Negative drummer Johnny Kelly succeeded him.

In April 2014, Last in Line commenced recording original material; their album Heavy Crown, produced by former Dio bassist Jeff Pilson, came out in early 2016. The band has since released further albums.

In early 2014, Appice joined hard rock ensemble Hollywood Monsters, contributing drums to eight tracks on their album Big Trouble, released via Mausoleum Records. The record featured artists such as Steph Honde, Tim Bogert, Don Airey, and Paul Di'Anno. That year also saw him guest on Eli Cook’s album Primitive Son and record R-Evolution with Italian group Martiria, continuing collaboration with Andy Menario and Marco Roberto Capelli.

In 2015, Appice appeared on Australian progressive rock band Toehider’s EP "Mainly Songs About Robots." He also joined Joel Hoekstra's project Joel Hoekstra's 13 for their album Dying to Live, released October 16.

On September 30 of that year, the formation of the band Resurrection Kings was announced; it includes Appice alongside former Dio guitarist Craig Goldy, bassist Sean McNabb, and vocalist Chas West.

On January 18, 2017, Appice received induction into the Hall of Heavy Metal History in recognition of his impact on heavy metal drumming.

In 2023, Vinny put together a new touring ensemble named Sabbath Knights dedicated to performing music from Black Sabbath and Dio.

John Lennon

  • Walls and Bridges (provided uncredited hand claps on "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night") (1974)

Rick Derringer

  • Derringer (1976)
  • Sweet Evil (1977)
  • Derringer Live (1977)

Axis

  • It's A Circus World (1978)

Ray Gomez

  • Volume (1980)

Black Sabbath

Dio

Hear 'N Aid

World War III

  • World War III (1990)

War & Peace

  • The Flesh & Blood Sessions (1999 / 2013)

Raven Storm

  • The Storm Project (2001)

Mark Boals

Power Project

  • Dinosaurs (2006)

3 Legged Dogg

  • Frozen Summer (2006)

Heaven and Hell

Kill Devil Hill

Suncrown

Hollywood Monsters

WAMI

  • Kill the King (2014)

Martiria

  • Revolution (2014)

Toehider

  • Mainly Songs About Robots (2015)

Dunsmuir

  • Dunsmuir (2016)

Ian Ray Logan & Serpent's Ride

  • Between Lights and Shadows (2016)

Joel Hoekstra's 13

Stonehand

  • When the Devil Comes (2015)

Resurrection Kings

Last in Line

Ian Ray Logan & King of Twilight

  • Reaching Dreams ("Success Is to Live") (2017)

Adrian Raso

  • Frozen in Time (2017)

The One Man Electrical Band

  • Symptom of the Universe (2017)
  • Dark Things (2018)

Appice

Stagma

  • Stagma (2018)

Concreto (Brazilian Band)

  • Lama EP (2018)

Leviathan Project

  • MCMLXXXII (2024)

External links

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