Influenced by rambunctious arena rock from the 1970s and early 1980s, the group is perhaps best known for their 1984 album Vices,[7] praised by publications such as AllMusic for its "down-and-dirty guitar riffs" and managing to crack the American market.
McNary left the band in 1982, and, after an international search, he was replaced in 1983 by George Criston (from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US), giving Kick Axe the "distinguished front man" they had long desired.
Their debut album Vices [7] was released in 1984 to critical acclaim, and the band toured behind such top acts of the day as Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Scorpions, and Pasha label-mates Quiet Riot.
A cover of Humble Pie's "30 Days in the Hole" appeared on the Up the Creek movie soundtrack in 1984 as well as on the chromium dioxide cassette version of Vices.
They recorded two songs under that name: "Hunger" (later covered by King Kobra on their 1985 album Ready to Strike) and "Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way" (originally by John Farnham for the film Savage Streets) which were included on the soundtrack.
The band reformed in 2002 with original member Gary Langen singing for Criston who was unavailable to join the reunion due to prior work commitments.
[18] The band's websites and social media pages were updated to include information on an upcoming album, their first since Kick Axe IV, scheduled for release in 'early 2024'.