Excited by the success of neighboring metal upstarts Queensrÿche, vocalist Ted Pilot, guitarist James Byrd, and drummer Ken Mary formed Fifth Angel in Bellevue, WA, in 1984. Drafting second guitarist Ed Archer and bassist John Macko, they eventually signed to the Shrapnel label and released an eponymous debut in 1986 -- its bombastic classic metal earning widespread approval within the metal community. It also attracted the powerful Concrete Management, which began shopping the album to major labels and forced the band into a state of limbo while they awaited the protracted negotiations' conclusion.