In 1974, Mark Morrison, who later became known for his work with The Jack and Harlot, was a student at Bonneville Junior High School. His passion for music was sparked by his 7th grade music teacher, Mr. Baldwin. Influenced by iconic bands such as Judas Priest and Kiss, Mark was setting out on a path towards a career in rock music.

By 1985, Mark had moved on from his role as the bass guitarist for the Salt Lake City band "The Jack," seeking to form a new band that aligned with his artistic vision. At an Obsession concert at Salt Lake’s Haunted Mill, he was drawn to guitarist Jay Gough, known as Jake Oslo, who had played with Obsession, Dark Haven, Megattack, Rag Dolls, and Engineered Society Project. Mark expressed interest in having Jay and Obsession's keyboard player, Alan Ludington, join his new project.

This collaboration soon materialized into a band called Dark Haven. When Mark approached Jay about forming a new band together, Jay insisted he would only join if he could bring along Dark Haven drummer Marty Deland, who was also the older brother of future Hard Knox bassist Kenny Deland. Mark had not yet seen Marty perform but decided to check him out at an upcoming Dark Haven show at the Salt Lake Fairgrounds, where they were opening for Rail. Impressed by Dark Haven's performance, Mark noted that the band’s energy and attitude were exactly what he wanted in his new group. At the concert, a young Marty, unaware of the consequences, was arrested after a confrontation with undercover police officers. This incident further solidified Mark's interest in bringing Marty into his new band.

Initially, the band rehearsed under the name “Loften,” named after former Dark Haven guitarist Rodney Merrill's stage persona. They later recruited Dark Haven vocalist Dave Wehry, though he left after a few practices. While out for drinks, Mark and Jay decided to check out a punk band called “The Pedestrians,” which was gaining traction in the Utah punk scene. They considered recruiting vocalist Bert White, who was open to exploring a new genre.

Loften secured a performance at Uncle Alberts, which sold out, drawing the attention of fans and musicians alike. Many were surprised by Mark's departure from "The Jack," a top metal act in the area, and came to see if this new venture would succeed or fail. Opening their set with "Calling on Your Love," the audience was immediately engaged. However, the performance was interrupted when police arrived, following a tip that some band members were underage. Both Jay and Mark managed to fool the officers with fake IDs. During the confusion, Bert jokingly suggested they call themselves VICE, and the name stuck, marking the beginning of a new chapter.

VICE played numerous live shows over the following months, including a headlining performance for nearly three thousand people at the Utah State Fairgrounds. This event featured multiple bands across various venues, leading to tensions between punk and metal fans and resulting in numerous altercations as police struggled to maintain order.

The band recorded a five-track demo at Audio Visions and began attracting local attention. Among those who noticed were musicians Rick Jackson and Parrish Hultquist, who sought to form a supergroup after "The Jack" disbanded. They approached Jay Gough about joining their new project, Megattack, which would become one of the most prominent 80s metal bands from Utah. Despite the difficulty of the decision, Jay accepted, which ultimately led to the dissolution of VICE.

Without Jay, VICE chose not to replace him and disbanded. Bert returned to “The Pedestrians,” which transitioned into a hard rock band, while Alan stepped away from music to pursue a business career in the northwest. Marty briefly joined the thrash metal band Truce before Mark and Marty relocated to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities on the Sunset Strip. There, they teamed up with Phil Sandoval of Armored Saint, but the project did not last. Mark eventually returned to Salt Lake and joined Vamp, which soon changed its name to Harlot. Meanwhile, Marty joined the L.A.-based band Halloween, which had to rebrand as "Rockdolls" due to a name conflict. Rockdolls became popular at the Troubadour but Marty left the band amid internal conflicts.

As the 80s came to an end, each member of VICE had dispersed across the country. The five-track album they recorded in 1985 faded into obscurity, compounded by the mid-90s fire that destroyed the studio where it was recorded, along with the original masters.

In the summer of 2002, Marty and Mark reconnected at a barbecue hosted by Kenny Deland, where they met two young rockers, Josh and Jake Dowdle. Intrigued by the stories shared about the Utah metal scene, Josh and Jake later established their record label, Metallic Blue Records, in 2018. They reached out to Mark and the former band members about releasing their recordings. All were eager to participate, but only one cassette remained, and it was not in working condition. Fortunately, Marty discovered the old Vice cassette during a thorough search of his belongings. With assistance from Andrew Thomas at AMT Soundsmith Studios, the original recordings were digitally remastered, ensuring that this chapter of their musical journey would not be forgotten.

Members: - Bert White - Lead Vocals - Jay Gough - Guitar - Mark Morrison - Bass - Marty Deland - Drums - Alan Ludington - Keyboard