Rick Pierce is a founding member of the legendary Seattle hard rock, band TKO, whose debut release “Let It Roll” continues to cement the band’s cult-like status. Rick’s unique arsenal of guitar pyrotechnics provided the backbone of the unmistakable TKO sound.
Following his successful stint with TKO, Rick remained true to his metal roots and teamed up as lead guitarist for power metal band Q5 with Floyd Rose, acclaimed inventor of the Floyd Rose tremolo system.
The anthemic title cut of their European hit album, “Steel the Light” continues to feed the appetite of old and new fans alike via a steady stream of downloads. The band remains enormously popular in Europe, having signed a new deal with Frontiers Records SRL in 2016 and now they tour in support of their latest album on Frontiers, “New World Order.”
Between the second and the third Q5 albums, Rick recorded three albums with Q5 vocalist Jonathan Scott K. under the name Nightshade, and recorded another with TKO singer Brad Sinsel (Suicide Squad). Rick’s side projects include recording and performing with such artists as Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, former Metal Church frontman Ronny Munroe’s solo project, and “TKO Round Two”, a collection of bootleg demos from the band’s early days was released on the NW Metalworx label in 2017.
The current Q5 line-up is: Jonathan Scott K. (lead vocals), Rick Pierce (guitar, backing vocals), Dennis Turner (guitar, backing vocals), Evan Sheeley (aka: “Mr. E”) (bass guitar, backing vocals), Jeffrey McCormack (drums, backing vocals).