Vinny Appice and briefly teamed up with Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson in the band Flesh & Blood. Appice joined World War III in 1990 and in 1992 he returned to Black Sabbath for the "Dehumanizer" album and tour. "I like Vinny – he's a nice chap," Tony Iommi reflected to the Sabbath fanzine "Southern Cross". "Vinny was asked to continue with the Sabbath thing, but he didn't. I like Vinny's playing." Appice rejoined Dio and they recorded "Strange Highways" (1994) and "Angry Machines" (1996). Prior to the 1996 tour, Appice played drums for Las Vegas–based guitarist, Raven Storm, on his album The
Amen (rock musician) He enjoyed learning the instrument and how to play songs he liked, but he was too embarrassed to participate in his guitar play test. This experience shook young Sydänmaa, who gave up playing the guitar. Sydänmaa picked the guitar back up ten years later, when he began taking an interest in hard rock music. As a young man, Sydänmaa played in various bands. The most promising was the Rag Flag, but they did not attain success. At the age of 25, Sydänmaa had come to the conclusion that the various rock-projects he participated in contributed to his failure. He went