This week’s spotlighted artist is one with very limited reach that nonetheless deserves much more attention than they ever got in their active years.

VXN (pronounced “Vixen”), was a Montreal-based adult-oriented rock band that only ever put out one self-titled album with Osmosis Records in 1985, and then seemingly vanished from the public eye.

From the back of the album cover, all the band members are names relatively unknown to the music scene. Sherrie Marginean with her stunning lead vocals, Bill Kinal’s magic on bass, and Al Di Buono’s head-nodding drums are all talents that have seem to gone unrecognised before and since this release. The most recognisable name on the album is Frank Marino, someone often described as one of the most underrated guitarists of the era, who does a guitar solo for the track “Just A Game”.

Why this band never took off to become a hit on radios across Canada is nothing short of a mystery. While their popularity never took off, thankfully collectors of music across the country and globe have come to recognize them as a gem forgotten by time, with physical copies of the album currently going for a minimum of $70 CAD for the CD, and $145 CAD for the original vinyl on Discogs.

This band is sure to be adored by anybody who loves music from the 80s, and they serve as an unfortunate example of how incredible music talent can go unnoticed here in Canada.

The last track, “No More” isn’t included in the post link, so here’s a YouTube upload to make up for that: https://youtu.be/lo3zueAqxbA