В 1978 году Ингви Мальмстин организовал группу Rising Force. Вместе с Rising Force он записывает первые демо, которые случайно попадают в руки американскому «искателю талантов» в области хард-рока Майку Верни, и в 1983 году Ингви Мальмстин вошёл в состав лос-анджелесской группы Steeler, которую возглавлял Рон Килл. Несмотря на великолепный подбор музыкантов, группа записала один студийный альбом и вскоре распалась, и Ингви Мальмстин вместе с Грэмом Боннетом, бывшим вокалистом Rainbow создал Alcatrazz.

Steeler is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band of the same name, released in 1983. It was largely recorded at Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati, California, about fifty miles north of San Francisco. It was the only album released by the band until a 2005 compilation album released by singer Ron Keel. After the album was released the band broke up. Guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen joined the band Alcatrazz, bassist Rik Fox would form Sin, drummer Mark Edwards signed on with Lion, while Ron Keel would spin off Steeler into Keel.

The original Steeler line-up comprised Ron Keel on vocals and rhythm guitar, Michael Dunigan on lead guitar, Bobby Eva on drums, and Tim Morrison on bass which soon moved from Nashville to Los Angeles, CA. In 1982, they released the "Cold Day in Hell" b/w "Take Her Down" 7" single and contributed "Cold Day In Hell" to the first edition of the legendary Metal Massacre compilation which also featured Metallica, Ratt, and Malice.
Eva left the band after a short while and was replaced by drummer Mark Edwards. Morrison and Dunigan would soon exit as well and were replaced by bassist Rik Fox, an original member of W.A.S.P., who was recruited after he had placed an ad in Music Connection magazine's classifieds, and 19-year-old Swedish guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, who arrived in February 1983, thanks to the efforts of Mike Varney and Edwards to secure a work visa. The classic Steeler line-up was now complete but musical differences quickly arose between Malmsteen and the rest of the band. According to Fox, "At first, it wasn’t working because Yngwie saw fit to insult Ron to his face by requesting to make the songs a little less simple and a little more complex to come up to his playing standards. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing from this “new” guy! We kept auditioning other guitarists right in front of him because we all lived together in a piss-poor environment of several gutted-out, roach-infested storefronts, laughingly dubbed 'The Steeler Mansion'. Eventually, Yngwie came around and said, "Okay, I’ll play the game your way."
Signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records label, the band proceeded to record their eponymous debut album at Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati, CA, north of San Francisco. Metal Forces magazine editor, Bernard Doe, summed up the results in less than glowing terms while praising Malmsteen's incendiary guitar playing. "Not a classic album by any means. In fact, if it wasn’t for Yngwie’s talents then this would be just plain average. But, buy this album as it will surely become a collector’s item in the years to come when Malmsteen is recognised as one of the world’s greatest all-time heavy metal guitarists." The album would go on to become one of Shrapnel's best selling records, in large part due to Malmsteen's participation, who left soon after the record's completion and joined Graham Bonnett to form Alcatrazz. Malmsteen's stint with Steeler only lasted about 4 months and 9 shows, including memorable opening slots for Hughes/Thrall at the Country Club, Vandenberg at the Roxy, and Quiet Riot at Perkins Palace. Future Talas, Heaven, and McAuley Schenker Group guitarist Mitch Perry, aka Mitch Brownstein (ex-The Kydz, Dutch Courage), was brought in as his replacement. Fox was given his walking papers and replaced by Ron Murray, previously with Ozz, Burning Rome and Dutch Courage, a band that also featured drummer Randy Castillo and Joe Perry Project vocalist Ralph Morman.
The final line-up of Steeler saw the departure of Perry, Murray and Edwards who were replaced by Kurt James on lead guitar, Greg Chaisson, formerly of Surgical Steel, on bass, and Bobby Marks on drums. However, after the loss of Malmsteen in the summer of 1983, and due to the constant change in band members, Steeler lost their momentum and never signed with a major record label. Ron Keel decided to split up the band and start fresh under his own name, releasing a total of 5 albums by the end of the 1980s.
In 2005 a compilation album with songs from the single, album, live show bootlegs and unreleased tracks was released by UK label Majestic Rock as Metal Generation: The Steeler Anthology. The compilation was issued the following year as American Metal: The Steeler Anthology by Deadline in the U.S..