[4] While working towards a stable lineup, early incarnations of Vicious Rumors played live extensively within California's Bay Area between 1980 and 1985.

[5] The band's first full-length album Soldiers of the Night was released in 1985, it featured Geoff Thorpe, Gary St. Pierre, Vinnie Moore, Dave Starr, and Larry Howe.

[8] Late 1986 saw bassist Dave Starr bring in vocalist Carl Albert (Villain, Ruffians) and guitarist Mark McGee (Overdrive, Starcastle, and later with Gregg Allman) to replace St. Pierre and Moore respectively—prior to the recording of the band's second album, Digital Dictator.

The band subsequently began their first full US tour—which lasted for over three months[10] and shot their first official video, "Don't Wait for Me", directed by Gore Verbinski.

[5] The band returned to Europe later that year for more live shows, this time with Metal Church, Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction, and Paul Di'Anno's Killers.

[citation needed] After returning from the European Ultimate-Power-Force-Tour with Metal Church and Paul Di'Anno's Killers, singer Carl Albert was killed in a California Bay Area car accident on April 22, 1995.

Additionally Mark McGee composed and recorded the song "Find Your Way Home" for one of his solo projects (currently unpublished) and dedicated it to the memory of Albert.

They recruited a new bass player, Cornbread, who replaced Tommy Sisco, and Ira Black (ex Heathen—later with Lizzy Borden) filled the spot left by departing guitarist Smyth.

The new lineup recorded and released Sadistic Symphony with vocalist Morgan Thorn in 2001, but O'Connor re-joined the band for live dates in the US and Europe in support of the new album.

During this period, band leader Thorpe was asked by longtime friend Daniel Jones of rock & roll band 7th Order to take part in recording sessions, alongside veteran British guitarist Martin Pugh (of Steamhammer, the first Rod Stewart solo album and Armageddon[22]) and drummer Tim Kelliher (of Randy Hansen's Machine Gun[23]), for their The Lake of Memory album (released on the Big Island Sounds label in 2007).

[24] From 2004, in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the band's "Word of Mouth" release, there were some reunions (Thorpe, Howe, Sisco, plus McGee and Ira Black alternating on guitar and O'Connor on vocals).

2005 saw the release of the band's Crushing the World DVD,[25] which featured both current and historical Vicious Rumors lineups,[25] and included several previously unreleased tracks: "Poveglia", "Broken Wings", "Fight", and "Immortal".

Vocalist James Rivera (Helstar) and guitarists Brad Gillis (Night Ranger, Ozzy Osbourne) and Thaen Rasmussen (Heathen, Anvil Chorus) contributed to the recordings of the new album.

Worldwide sales were excellent and reviewers universally saw the Warball album as a genuine "return to form" of a more traditional Vicious Rumors sound after the more experimental releases of the post-Carl Albert incarnations of the band.

[27] 2007 Stephen Goodwin stepped in to serve as bassist,[28] and the band played several dates in Europe, including shows with Agent Steel, HammerFall, Girlschool, Nazareth, and Heaven & Hell.

[29] Upon the band's return to the US, Ronnie Stixx (Divine Ruins, Blood Redskies, Shadowkeep) took over as an interim replacement for the a departing Rivera.

[32] In 2009, Thorpe and Howe (alongside Allen, Goodwin and Morgan) acknowledged the 30th Anniversary of the inception of Vicious Rumors, by performing songs from their debut album, Soldiers of the Night, with former singer Gary St.

In late 2012, after a series of summer festival performances in Europe with new entry Bob Capka on second guitar, the band released a live album, recorded on tour with HammerFall in 2011 – engineered by Pontus Norgren (HammerFall guitarist and FOH engineer for King Diamond, Candlemass) – titled Live You to Death in November 2012.

[38] The band continued touring into 2014: again playing the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise (playing their Digital Dictator album in its entirety for the first time); as well as several big European summer festivals (headlining in Belgium, Croatia, Holland, Slovenia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic) and numerous live club dates.

[40] In May 2017 the band announced a new line up with the return of vocalist Brian Allen and guitarist Gunnar DüGrey replacing Holleman and Rasmussen respectively.

Nick Courtney was announced as replacement for the again departing Brian Allen on vocals, and Cody Green stepped in on bass for Tilen Hudrap.

Guests on the record are Greg Christian on bass and Cody Green on guitars, while the band's new live bassist was the Swedish Robin Utbult.