# Steelheart
**Steelheart** is an American hard rock band formed in 1990 in [Norwalk, Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/norwalk-connecticut), best known for the multi-octave vocals of founder and lead singer [Miljenko Matijevic](https://www.edgepedia.org/miljenko-matijevic) and for a platinum-selling 1990 debut album whose power ballad "She's Gone" topped international charts for 17 weeks.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steelheart-mn0000746128/biography) • [2](https://steelheart.com/about/) The band's career was interrupted in 1992 when a stage accident nearly killed Matijevic, after which he rebuilt the group around himself; Steelheart has continued recording and touring into the 2020s.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Formed 1990 in Norwalk, Connecticut, from the earlier band Red Alert; signed to MCA Records after relocating to Los Angeles[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steelheart-mn0000746128/biography) • [2](https://steelheart.com/about/) |
| Style | Hard rock, heavy metal, pop-metal, and hair metal, with anthemic rockers, soaring power ballads, and Matijevic's four-octave range[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steelheart-mn0000746128/biography) |
| Debut album | *Steelheart* (1990) reached #40 on the Billboard 200, went platinum, and sold 33,000 copies on its first day in Japan[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) |
| Signature singles | "She's Gone" (#1 internationally for 17 weeks); "I'll Never Let You Go (Angel Eyes)" (#14 Billboard)[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) |
| 1992 accident | On October 31, 1992, a 1,000-pound lighting truss struck Matijevic, breaking his nose, cheekbone, and jaw and twisting his spine[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) |
| Later albums | *Wait* (1996), *Good 2B Alive* (2008), *Through Worlds of Stardust* (September 6, 2017, Frontiers Records)[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) |
| Film connection | Matijevic was the singing voice of Mark Wahlberg's character in *Rock Star* (2001)[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) |
## Origins and formation
Miljenko Matijevic was born in 1964 in Zagreb, Croatia, and moved to the United States with his family at age six.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) He sang in a church choir from age nine and, after discovering [Led Zeppelin](https://www.edgepedia.org/led-zeppelin) at eleven, formed his first band, Teaser, at thirteen.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) At sixteen he joined bassist James Ward, guitarist Chris Risola, and drummer Jack Wilkinson in Red Alert; John Fowler later replaced Wilkinson on drums and Frank Di Costanzo joined on rhythm guitar to make a five-piece.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/)
After completing a five-song demo, Matijevic, Ward, and John Belmont traveled to Los Angeles and within a month secured a manager and a record deal with MCA; the band changed its name from Red Alert to Steelheart.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) AllMusic describes the group as among the last hair metal bands to emerge from the MTV era, with a sound rooted in anthemic rockers, chant-along choruses, soaring power ballads, and compressed guitar riffs compared to Led Zeppelin and [Guns N' Roses](https://www.edgepedia.org/guns-n-roses).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steelheart-mn0000746128/biography)
## Commercial peak, 1990 to 1992
The self-titled debut album *Steelheart* was released in 1990 and reached #40 on the Billboard 200, going platinum, with 33,000 copies sold on its first day in Japan alone.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) The power ballad "She's Gone" hit #1 on the international charts and stayed there for 17 weeks, and the second single, "I'll Never Let You Go (Angel Eyes)," reached #14 on the [Billboard charts](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-charts).[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) The band's official history notes that critics compared its forceful hard rock sound to Led Zeppelin's.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/)
The second album, *Tangled in Reins*, was released on July 10, 1992, with a more mixed, eclectic song style.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) It reached only #144 on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) charts, which the band's history reads as a sign that the grunge invasion was taking hold in the music business, though the ballad "Mama Don't You Cry" charted #1 in several East Asian countries including Hong Kong, prompting an unplugged tour of Asia in [September](https://www.edgepedia.org/september-earth-wind-and-fire-song) 1992.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/)
## The 1992 stage accident
On October 31, 1992, [Halloween](https://www.edgepedia.org/halloween) night, Steelheart performed with the heavy metal band Slaughter in what was to be the 50th show of the tour's last leg.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) While performing "Dancing in the Fire," Matijevic climbed a lighting truss that was improperly secured; the 1,000-pound rig struck the back of his head, driving him face first into the stage and breaking his nose, cheekbone, and jaw and twisting his spine.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) The band's own account states that he managed to walk off the stage under his own strength before being rushed to a hospital, and that "Steelheart as it was known ended that night."[3](https://steelheart.com/music/)
## Rebuild and later albums
After years of physical rehabilitation, Matijevic formed a new lineup in 1996 with Kenny Kanowski on guitars, Vincent Mele on bass, and Alex Makarovich on drums to record the album *Wait*.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) The album was written and released in Asia in 1996 and did not appear in Europe until 2003.[4](https://www.musicwaves.org/frmReview.aspx?ID=533) Its single "Wait" went #1 in many Asian countries, and the song "We All Die Young" was later used, in a re-recorded version, in the 2001 film *Rock Star*.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/)
Matijevic's involvement with *Rock Star* extended beyond that song: he provided the singing voice for [Mark Wahlberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-wahlberg)'s character Chris Cole, and the movie soundtrack was performed by Matijevic and [Jeff Scott Soto](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeff-scott-soto) on vocals along with [Zakk Wylde](https://www.edgepedia.org/zakk-wylde), Jeff Pilson, and Jason Bonham.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) • [3](https://steelheart.com/music/)
He released *Good 2B Alive* in 2008, writing, producing, and engineering it with producer Kit Woolen; drummer Mike Humbert, who joined in 2004 to record demos, played on the album and has remained a touring and recording member since.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) On March 16, 2017, Steelheart signed with the Italian label Frontiers Records, and *Through Worlds of Stardust* followed on September 6, 2017.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) A MelodicRock review scored the album 70 percent and described it as a continuation of Matijevic's preference for alternative-modern hard rock rather than a return to the MCA-era sound.[5](https://www.melodicrock.com/articles/reviews/2017/10/25/steelheart-through-worlds-stardust-review)
## Vocal range and reception
Matijevic's voice is the band's defining feature. AllMusic credits him with an effortlessly delivered, emotively powerful four-octave range.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steelheart-mn0000746128/biography) The band's own music page notes a common inaccuracy: the title track of *Tangled in Reins* is often cited as containing Matijevic's highest note (A5), but this is disputed against songs from the debut such as "Can't Stop Me Lovin' You" (B♭5) and "She's Gone" (G5).[3](https://steelheart.com/music/)
Reception has been divided. AllMusic's review of the debut album was sharply negative, calling the single "I'll Never Let You Go" a banal ballad and the rest of the album a rehash of AC/DC, Kiss, and Ratt-style mid-tempo arrangements.[6](https://www.allmusic.com/album/steelheart-mw0000203630) Fan discussion has instead centered on the vocals; in metal forums Matijevic is regularly named among the strongest singers of the hair metal era, with "She's Gone" frequently cited as a standout vocal performance.[7](https://www.metal-rules.com/2011/06/23/steelheart-vocalist-miljenko-mili-matijevic/)
## Other projects and recent activity
In 2010 Matijevic joined [Ray Manzarek](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-manzarek) and Robby Krieger of The Doors as lead singer for two tours across the US and Europe, including performances with a 52-piece orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, Dublin, and [Wolverhampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/wolverhampton).[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) In early 2016 he spent six months in South Korea, performing on television shows and festivals including the Dream Concert, where he performed for a 60,000-strong audience; he also wrote songs for two Korean television drama soundtracks, "My Love Is Gone" and "Stay."[2](https://steelheart.com/about/)
The band's current lineup includes Boston guitarist Joe Pessia, a [Berklee College of Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/berklee-college-of-music) graduate who has played with Dramagods, Tantric, and Hurtsmile, and drummer Mike Humbert.[2](https://steelheart.com/about/) Steelheart continues to tour, with Live Nation listing 2026 concert dates.[8](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917C687/steelheart-events)
## References
1. [Steelheart Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steelheart-mn0000746128/biography)
2. [About, Steelheart official website](https://steelheart.com/about/)
3. [Music, Steelheart official website](https://steelheart.com/music/)
4. [Steelheart: Wait review, Music Waves](https://www.musicwaves.org/frmReview.aspx?ID=533)
5. [Steelheart - Through Worlds Of Stardust (Review), MelodicRock.com](https://www.melodicrock.com/articles/reviews/2017/10/25/steelheart-through-worlds-stardust-review)
6. [Steelheart album review, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/steelheart-mw0000203630)
7. [Steelheart vocalist Miljenko (Mili) Matijevic interview, Metal-Rules.com](https://www.metal-rules.com/2011/06/23/steelheart-vocalist-miljenko-mili-matijevic/)
8. [Steelheart - 2026 Tour Dates, Live Nation](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917C687/steelheart-events)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Heavy metal scenes › Artists, groups, and people: Heavy metal scenes › Glam metal & hard rock*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license