Out of the ashes of Q5, a phoenix would rise in the form of a new band called… Nightshade. …..Rick Pierce and Jonathan K. formed the band so they could return to the metal roots that made the Q5 sound so memorable. They formed Nightshade, snagging a young drummer named Jeff McCormack and bass player Anthony Magnelli. Rehearsals began with the anticipation of recording in the near future.
The band began to play live. The first Nightshade show was with Love/Hate. Even the formidable Jizzy Pearl was taken aback by the pure metal onslaught that was Nightshade. Other shows followed. The band began to jell like seasoned veterans. Nightshade kept the metal faith while around them other bands began to play a different sound As time went on it became apparent that the music scene in Seattle was changing. The bands were different, the clothes were different, and the music was very different. The formidable Rock radio stations in Seattle continued to play music by well known artists but eventually even they realized that the music that had started there was moving across the country.
Metal maniac Rockfish at KISW radio continued to play Nightshade on his Metalshop show for years and was a big help in keeping the Nightshade and Q5 name alive. Nightshade signed a deal with their European distributors Music For Nations and began recording their first cd. Released in early 1992, Dead of Night debuted at 1 on the European indie metal charts and stayed there for some time. Back in Seattle the metal scene was dying. Leather was out, flannel was in.
The high-flying cocaine snorting days of hot bands, hot chicks, and even hotter music, disappeared almost overnight. The 80′s were officially over. Nightshade had done well in Europe and had a decent fan base in the U.S. Their cd was picked up by a distributor, Delinquent Records.
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