Steelheart rode the tail end of the glam metal comet that soared above the ’80s music scene before grunge and hip-hop beats eclipsed teased hair and lead guitar pyrotechnics. It wasn’t changing tastes in sound that ended the first phase of the band’s career as much as an onstage accident in 1992 that left lead singer Miljenko Matijevic with multiple injuries and an extended recovery period (although he did recover and rejoined the band).
By that time, Steelheart had made its contribution to power ballad history with “I’ll Never Let You Go,” which showcased Matijevic’s soaring tenor. The song was part of a wave of radio friendly hits by contemporaries such as Slaughter and FireHouse, but its success would not have been possible if Matijevic’s family hadn’t left their native Croatia when he was 6 years old.
By age 11, he knew he was going to be a singer. Five years later, he formed a band in Connecticut with guitarist Chris Risola and bassist James Ward that would become Red Alert. A move to L.A. and a name change led to a record deal and a self-titled debut album that begat “I’ll Never Let You Go,” as well as the singles “Everybody Loves Eileen” and “She’s Gone.”
Risola is gone, but Ward is part of the current lineup. Meanwhile, Matijevic can still hit those high notes with a voice he applied to Steelheart’s most recent release, “The Christmas Song.”
Golden Nugget, 8 p.m. Jan. 19, starting at $49 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
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