New Wave of British Heavy Metal

Unknown Soldier · 07-30-2011, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Heh. I know it sounds funny but in some weird way I feel like both the vocals and the drums have this very subtle rockabilly thing going on here and there. "Live Like an Angel, Die Like a Devil" is a pretty good example of what I'm talking about:

As far as the godawful album covers from this era of metal go it's far from the worst offender. At least they tried to go kind of an iconic/minimalistic route with it instead of something as atrocious as that Samson cover you posted earlier.

The rockabilly sound is there, but whether its there by design or by accident is the big question.

You`re actually the first person to comment on that Samson cover, its a classic

jackhammer · 07-30-2011, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Sixth essential album has to be this and IMO its also one of the very best recorded by any NWOBHM band.

Angel Witch Angel Witch 1980

Scanning the oceans searching for victims to taunt. Looking for those who dare rise him from the grave....Angel of Death!

Angel Witch in essence were very different to the other metal bands that have been posted so far, besides relying on a dark intense feel to their sound they were also extremely melodic, more melodic than any band featured so far and they were full of great dark lyrical content, they basically covered a musical territory that only Diamond Head would also tread. They were another 3-piece band like both Raven and Motorhead and they were fronted up by guitarist and vocalist Kevin Heybourne and in their early years often co-headlined with Iron Maiden. Not only would this album appeal greatly to metal fans but punk and new-wave fans would also be sure to enjoy this gem as well. The group though, were the prefect example of being a one-album wonder as their second release didn`t come out until 1985, 5 years later and by this time their flame had long gone out.

So pleased you posted this and although they haven't made anything that comes close since, it is still essential and I am seeing them in a fortnight at a festival

I hope to see Tygers Of Pan Tang, Tank, Battleaxe,, Girlschool, Demon and Witchfynde in here too.

I personally would not have put Motorhead in here as they had been going for a few years beforehand and got lumped in with the scene even though they were not really a part of it.

Unknown Soldier · 07-31-2011, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackhammer

So pleased you posted this and although they haven't made anything that comes close since, it is still essential and I am seeing them in a fortnight at a festival

I hope to see Tygers Of Pan Tang, Tank, Battleaxe,, Girlschool, Demon and Witchfynde in here too.

I personally would not have put Motorhead in here as they had been going for a few years beforehand and got lumped in with the scene even though they were not really a part of it.

Motorhead are like Judas Priest in that they were already established or in Judas`s case very well established before NWOBHM broke, but to totally exclude them seems like sacrilege as well, especially since the scene gave both groups some of their biggest commercial successes.

Most of the stuff that you hope to see will probably feature on here as well, what I'm going to do is increase the essentials from a top 10 list to a top 20 list, as its impossible to get everybody in. After about album 12 or so, I'm only going to feature albums that were released from 1982 onwards of which some of the bands you've mentioned put out their best albums.

Unknown Soldier · 07-31-2011, 05:24 PM

Eighth essential and one of my favourites, is this excellent album.

Tygers of Pan Tang Spellbound 1981

Tygers of Pan Tang despite having a very exotic sounding name, were another great band to also hail from the North East. The Spellbound album was the bands second studio album and one of two albums they put out in 1981, the other being Crazy Nights (not to be confused with the Kiss album) The Spellbound album covers a range of material, but the emphasis is always on melody first and heaviness second and with its killer tracks Take it, Silver and Gold, and Don't Stop By all making the album is a show stopper and the group even manage to put a couple of softer and more straightforward rock sounding tracks on the album as well. The singing shows a Rob Halford vocal style influence at times and I'm sure that Corrosion of Conformity must have been fans of this album as well, because this group's influence is on a couple of COC albums. After this album, Tygers of Pan Tang were on the verge of huge success which they had for a short time, but like so many other bands long term success was to elude them. The album cover is also a must, it looks like something you see hanging on the wall of an Indian restaurant, whilst tucking into a curry and larger.

Unknown Soldier · 08-03-2011, 05:10 AM

Ninth essential listen is this album. I was toying with the idea of including it, but decided to include it.

Def Leppard High N Dry 1981

Along with Iron Maiden, Def Leppard were the biggest band to come out of the NWOBHM movement and the band quickly moved from their Sheffield home to London and quickly got into touring with the right bands and making the right connections, they quickly enjoyed chart success on both sides of the Atlantic with their debut album On Through the Night. Unlike nearly all the other bands listed on here, Def Leppard put out a much lighter easier listening form of metal and I believe it was this factor, along with producer John "Mutt" Lange that helped them to become one of the biggest selling metal acts in the USA. Music wise the album has ten tracks, all of which have that instant likeable feel to them and helped to pave the way for the massive follow-up album of Pyromania in 1982.

hip hop bunny hop · 08-09-2011, 12:49 AM

Tygers of Pan Tang are fun as ****. The vocals are warbly, the guitars energetic....

Have you heard their first EP, "Don't Touch me There"? The first two tracks are throw-aways, but "Bad Times" is great. It's not original, by any means, but it taps the same vein Accept did, that is, some AC/DC + energy & flow. Great ****.

==========

I actually haven't listened to much Def Leppard. I always assumed they were just gay cock rock who were notorious because their drummer was mutilated. I always held it against them that a one-armed dude could play their drum tracks. I guess I'll have to check them out.

Engine · 08-09-2011, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hip hop bunny hop

Tygers of Pan Tang are fun as ****. The vocals are warbly, the guitars energetic....

Have you heard their first EP, "Don't Touch me There"? The first two tracks are throw-aways, but "Bad Times" is great. It's not original, by any means, but it taps the same vein Accept did, that is, some AC/DC + energy & flow. Great ****.

==========

I actually haven't listened to much Def Leppard. I always assumed they were just gay cock rock who were notorious because their drummer was mutilated. I always held it against them that a one-armed dude could play their drum tracks. I guess I'll have to check them out.

Of course you did.
Their good stuff was made before the mutilation though.

Howard the Duck · 08-09-2011, 03:46 AM

i just got those Venom and Raven albums

they seriously rawk

Unknown Soldier · 08-09-2011, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hip hop bunny hop

Tygers of Pan Tang are fun as ****. The vocals are warbly, the guitars energetic....

Have you heard their first EP, "Don't Touch me There"? The first two tracks are throw-aways, but "Bad Times" is great. It's not original, by any means, but it taps the same vein Accept did, that is, some AC/DC + energy & flow. Great ****.

==========

I actually haven't listened to much Def Leppard. I always assumed they were just gay cock rock who were notorious because their drummer was mutilated. I always held it against them that a one-armed dude could play their drum tracks. I guess I'll have to check them out.

That single/EP was released before their debut album and if I have heard it, it was too long ago to remember it well enough now, will check it out again.

Def Leppard got their bad rap on Hysteria and their links with hair metal, but before that in their early days, they were actually a decent metal band.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Il Duce

i just got those Venom and Raven albums

they seriously rawk

Glad you like them, that Venom album at times sounds so bad that it ends up being a classic. Its much like the same logic that surrounds those worst of Hollywood B-Movie films by people like ED Wood etc...they`re so bad that they end up being classics.

Howard the Duck · 08-09-2011, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Glad you like them, that Venom album at times sounds so bad that it ends up being a classic. Its much like the same logic that surrounds those worst of Hollywood B-Movie films by people like ED Wood etc...they`re so bad that they end up being classics.

i adore the cheesiness of most metal - that's one of the appeals of metal

08-09-2011, 12:49 AM	#46 (permalink)
hip hop bunny hop Music Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,381	Tygers of Pan Tang are fun as **. The vocals are warbly, the guitars energetic.... Have you heard their first EP, "Don't Touch me There"? The first two tracks are throw-aways, but "Bad Times" is great. It's not original, by any means, but it taps the same vein Accept did, that is, some AC/DC + energy & flow. Great **. ========== I actually haven't listened to much Def Leppard. I always assumed they were just gay cock rock who were notorious because their drummer was mutilated. I always held it against them that a one-armed dude could play their drum tracks. I guess I'll have to check them out. __________________ Have mercy on the poor.

07-31-2011, 05:24 PM	#44 (permalink)
Unknown Soldier Horribly Creative Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: London, The Big Smoke Posts: 8,265	Eighth essential and one of my favourites, is this excellent album. Tygers of Pan Tang Spellbound 1981 Tygers of Pan Tang despite having a very exotic sounding name, were another great band to also hail from the North East. The Spellbound album was the bands second studio album and one of two albums they put out in 1981, the other being Crazy Nights (not to be confused with the Kiss album) The Spellbound album covers a range of material, but the emphasis is always on melody first and heaviness second and with its killer tracks Take it, Silver and Gold, and Don't Stop By all making the album is a show stopper and the group even manage to put a couple of softer and more straightforward rock sounding tracks on the album as well. The singing shows a Rob Halford vocal style influence at times and I'm sure that Corrosion of Conformity must have been fans of this album as well, because this group's influence is on a couple of COC albums. After this album, Tygers of Pan Tang were on the verge of huge success which they had for a short time, but like so many other bands long term success was to elude them. The album cover is also a must, it looks like something you see hanging on the wall of an Indian restaurant, whilst tucking into a curry and larger.

08-03-2011, 05:10 AM	#45 (permalink)
Unknown Soldier Horribly Creative Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: London, The Big Smoke Posts: 8,265	Ninth essential listen is this album. I was toying with the idea of including it, but decided to include it. Def Leppard High N Dry 1981 Along with Iron Maiden, Def Leppard were the biggest band to come out of the NWOBHM movement and the band quickly moved from their Sheffield home to London and quickly got into touring with the right bands and making the right connections, they quickly enjoyed chart success on both sides of the Atlantic with their debut album On Through the Night. Unlike nearly all the other bands listed on here, Def Leppard put out a much lighter easier listening form of metal and I believe it was this factor, along with producer John "Mutt" Lange that helped them to become one of the biggest selling metal acts in the USA. Music wise the album has ten tracks, all of which have that instant likeable feel to them and helped to pave the way for the massive follow-up album of Pyromania in 1982.