Malice was an American heavy metal band formed in 1981, best known for their appearances (yes 2 tracks - namely "Captive of Light" and "Kick You Down") on the infamous Metal Massacre I compilation album alongside tracks by Metallica, Ratt, Steeler and others. Malice made their L.A. live debut in November 1982 at the Troubadour headlining a bill with Metallica and Pandemonium as opening acts.  The band signed with Atlantic Records in the summer of 1984 and released their debut album, In The Beginning..., in 1985.   Their heavily European influenced style elicited instant comparisons to Judas Priest due to vocalist James Neal sounding like Rob Halford (at least on the first album) in addition to fielding a guitar duo in the Tipton/Downing mode, with Malice's Jay Reynolds looking like a dead ringer for K.K. Downing.  Malice teamed up with producer Max Norman for their sophomore album, License to Kill, released in 1987. Dave Mustaine and Dave Ellefson of Megadeth and Black 'n Blue's Jaime St. James, Tommy Thayer and Jeff Warner provided backing vocals on two songs, "License to Kill" and "Chain Gang Woman." The band toured with Alice Cooper, W.A.S.P. and Motörhead, among others. They were also the support act for Slayer on their 1987 "Reign In Pain" European tour, an ill-fated trip that saw Malice faced with open hostility from the headliner's rabid crowds which forced the band to drop off the bill once the trek reached Germany.

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The 1988 film Vice Versa featured Malice in a concert sequence, filmed in Champaign, IL, performing the song "Crazy In The Night", which was on an EP entitled, 'Crazy In The Night', that was released by Metal Blade in 1989. It contained 3 songs recorded with James Neal on vocals along with "Vice Versa", a song featuring producer Paul Sabu on lead vocals.