Not to be confused with the early-'80s band of the same name, this Union is a Los Angeles-based outfit that recorded for Mayhem in the late '90s and boasts former members of Kiss and Mötley Crüe. Formed in L.A. in late 1996, Union united ex-Mötley Crüe vocalist John Corabi and former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick with bassist Jamie Hunting and drummer Brent Fitz. Serving as lead guitarist for Kiss from 1984-1996, Kulick held a position that had previously been held by Ace Frehley and Vinnie Vincent (who he replaced). Corabi, meanwhile, had replaced Vince Neil as Mötley Crüe's lead singer in 1994 and recorded only one album with the band, 1994's self-titled Mötley Crüe, before leaving in 1996. A major departure from Crüe's previous albums with Neil, that grunge-influenced effort found the Crüe trying to adapt to 1990s alternative rock tastes. Because Union contained former Kiss and Crüe members, some listeners might have expected the type of hedonistic, decadent heavy metal/hard rock that Kiss and the Crüe were best known for; but for the most part, Union's music is Seattle-type grunge and alternative rock that is comparable to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Stone Temple Pilots. Mayhem released Union's self-titled debut album in 1998; The Blue Room followed two years later. ~ Alex Henderson