NWOBHM
First mentioned in a 1979 issue of the British music newspaper Sounds, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) drew on the heavy metal of the 1970s and infused it with the aggression and DIY attitude of punk rock to produce fast and aggressive songs.
Spawning some of the biggest names in Metal it generated a renewal in the genre as a whole and furthered the progress of the heavy metal subculture.
By the end of the 70s, the original British heavy rock titans Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath were all past their peak. The second wave, including UFO, Motörhead and Judas Priest were updating their sounds and images with bigger venues and a new generation in mind.
NWOBHM began in 1978 and ran for 5 glorious years until 1982 when the key players had either broken through and evolved their sounds our broken up and gone on to other things. 1980 was the peak year.
While a national phenomenon, NWOBHM dis have a regional skew, being especially popular in the Midlands, South Yorks and the North East of England. “Where you there, did ya know, did ya see all the show? There was magic in the air.”
NWOBHM fans were instantly recognizable with their long hair, jeans, leather jackets and denim cut-off covered in patches and crystal badges. We were also often fans of Hammer Horror too, which was sometimes reflected in the band names and song titles.
MoR Revisited takes a closer look at some of the key albums, artists and tracks. Playlist available:
Band releases
Motörhead Overkill (1978)
A major leap forward for the band, showcasing Motörhead’s trademark style of no holds barred proto-thrash. The band’s sound is fully formed here and they rip loose wildly on every single song. This album paves the way for NWOBHM.
British Steel by Judas Priest (1980)
A landmark album for the band as they streamlined and simplified their sound while revolutionizing the entire heavy metal genre; it brought an aggressive, underground metal subgenre crashing into the mainstream. The band reinvent themselves in the context of NWOBHM on this album. The LP also greatly expanded the possibilities for heavy metal’s commercial viability as a whole, catapulting Judas Priest to the status of stadium headliners.
Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden (1980)
Steve Harris’ signature bass lines, combine with twin guitar attack and Di’Anno’s growl to produce an aggressive metal album, that’s raw and streetwise. You can hear how both punk and prog informed NWOBHM. Iron Maiden was itself a game-changer when it appeared on the scene in 1980. An absolute classic.
Diamond Head – Lightning To The Nations (1980)
Probably the most professional and well-rounded of the early NWOBHM releases. This album has all the connecting points between Metal’s ’70s originators and the ensuing ’80s successors. Guitarist Brian Tatler nonchalantly plucks classic riff after classic riff out of the air, while creating a lasting impact on a certain young Lars Ulrich.
Saxon, ‘Wheels of Steel’ (1980)
Virtually defining the NWOBHM sound, with its polished power, and chock full of great riffs and anthemic songs, this could be the high water mark of the genre.
Angel Witch, ‘Angel Witch’ (1980)
Short lived power trio led by gifted singer/guitarist Kevin Heybourne with a penchant for the dramatic and intricately riffed. This superb debut album was the band’s finest hour, melodic yet forceful and intense.
Witchfynde – Give ’Em Hell (1980)
A mature and musicianly take on the NWOBHM genre. N.W.O.B.H.M.’s DIY ethic combines with progressive rock excesses making for an interesting and explosive mix. Montalo’s guitar playing and songwriting is first class, and the band are as at home on these epics tracks.
Tygers of Pan Tang – Spellbound
An amazing evolution for band, released only six months after their rather rough debut. New vocalist Jon Deverill and brilliant guitarist John Sykes improved the Tygers’ musicianship and songwriting abilities no end. With a muscular brand of metal lying somewhere between Def Leppard and Saxon, Spellbound ranks as one of the more consistent and impressive NWOBHM albums.
Girl – Sheer Greed (1980)
More sophisticated and androgenous than their peers this class LP was way ahead of its time. Take the New York Dolls, add in some UFO and an eye towards mainstream success, this effectively creates the template for what becomes Glam Metal.
Vardis – 100 M.P.H. (1980)
Compiled from the best live versions of their road-tested repertoire, this is high-energy good-time hard rock, with tightly executed performances that greatly improved upon the studio originals. Led by six-string maniac Steve Zodiac this album burns brightly and is full of rampant, high-speed guitar solos.
Venom – Welcome To Hell (Neat, 1981)
A shocking blend of Sabbath’s classic metal with Motörhead’s distortion and speed, this album crystallized the elements of what later became known as thrash, death and black metal. A truly ground-breaking album, and clearly possessed by all that is evil.
Praying Mantis – Time Tells No Lies (Arista, 1981)
Clearly pitched at the more melodic and thoughtful end of the NWOBHM spectrum, but rewarding nonetheless The album showcases the band’s effective use of harmony vocals and guitars, as well as their knack for catchy hooks and choruses. An excellent Rodney Matthews sleeve too.
Raven – Rock Until You Drop (Neat, 1981)
NENWOBHM (North East New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) anyone? A classic power trio delivering music so breathless and fast-paced they dubbed it ‘athletic rock’. Raven was heavily influenced by Judas Priest, but projected an appealing, testosterone-driven personality of its own. Dont Need Your Money is probably the greatest single NWOBHM track, full of energy and lightning bolt guitar riffs and solos.
High ‘n’ Dry Def Leppard, 1981
Anthemic, working-class hard rock with a controlled musical attack and melodies as big-sounding and stadium-ready as possible. The songs breathe and groove while the rhythm section and guitar riffs play off one another. MTV helped break the album, the band and the genre as a whole in the U.S.
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