The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal

Having a hard time keeping my lunch down as I digitize these albums. The recording is done and now I'm completing the editing
The Atlantic years were sooooooo bad for Raven. The only thing worth hearing is the Mad EP.

I'd like to think that there's a special place in Hell for the record company executive who did this to Raven. There's no way that they thought this was a good idea.
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Frank,

re: the number "Hell Patrol" @ Raven - Rock Until You Drop (Neat, 1981), sounds to me like Gallagher "got that super-long sustained note" w/out studio recording trickery; rather, he found a 'sweet spot' within the recording studio from which his Tele hit a hot note that he could hold/sustain w/ minimal feedback "swell". It's a trick Robin Trower, Peter Green, and Gary Moore (esp. when using the "Peter Green Les Paul") could pull off comsistently, but the trick is a relative rarity among Metal players, who by and large are more prone to "shredding" than holding single notes. Gallagher made this a priority and it paid off. Also note that Teles are famously "musical", w/ a nasal/woodie tone that's @ once piercing and bouyant, and thus lends itself to this sort of trick. Excellent examples include Roy Buchanan, Albert Lee, and Danny Gatton. Buchanan in particular could hold notes to a point @ which his Tele emulated the sound (endless sustain & the tones) of pedal steel guitars. gatton could do it as well, but not quite as consistently ("live") as Roy.
 
I finally got around to writing about an album I wanted to mention a few days ago. I said I would circle around to it, now I have.

Witchfynde "The Lost Tapes" 2lp. This is 5 tracks from 1975 and 2 tracks from a 1977 session. Never released in any permanent form until 2013 on Bad Omen records.
This album for me is really fantastic. I can really hear where the band was going, this is a heavy doom rock jammer. Really Sabbath influenced and very very much sounds like Witchfynde. Hearing this, then 'Give 'em Hell", everything just makes sense. The 5 songs from 1985 sound just fantastic and the 2 1977 track have a much more raw, poorly recorded rehearsal sound. But the songs are good :)

By the way there is a digital version out there that was released on cd-r, I think maybe available through cd baby. Let me tell you all the youtube and digital versions out here are complete CRAP! (but the only thing to hear without buying the 2lp). They compressed the tape and ran some brutal noise reduction filter on it. The 2lp version obviously they went back to the master reels for pressing it because it has great dynamic range for the primitiveness of the recording.

:rockon:

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https://www.discogs.com/Witchfynde-The-Lost-Tapes/release/5523432

Finally getting to hear this LP through the system at a respectible (ie, LOUD) volume. This sounds like no Metal "genre" I've ever heard, its simply not categorizable. And it's really good.
 
Finally getting to hear this LP through the system at a respectible (ie, LOUD) volume. This sounds like no Metal "genre" I've ever heard, its simply not categorizable. And it's really good.
Stylistically it fits in quite nicely with the huge underground heavy rock scene in England and around the world during the early 70's. Of course Bridges has his unique voice (and the whole album is all original) so that sets it off, but I could cite a massive list of bands that could generally be lumped into albums in this category. Check out Iron Claw from Scotland or "The Iron Maiden" as some examples of this early sound.

 
Stylistically it fits in quite nicely with the huge underground heavy rock scene in England and around the world during the early 70's. Of course Bridges has his unique voice (and the whole album is all original) so that sets it off, but I could cite a massive list of bands that could generally be lumped into albums in this category. Check out Iron Claw from Scotland or "The Iron Maiden" as some examples of this early sound.


I will.

@ last I am hearing Metal For Muthas: Volume I (1980). Hope to fit this one in before being called to dinner!
 
No introduction necessary.

Women In Uniform was a song by an Australian band called Skyhooks;. They recorded it in 1978 and had a minor hit with it in the UK and a major hit at home.

Iron Maiden covered it for their 2nd single under the EMI label. (Their first recording was The Soundhouse Tapes single in 1979 released by Rock Hard Records)
Yes that's Margaret (The Iron Lady) Thatcher awaiting Eddie and the girls. She has some payback to deliver.

The B side features Invasion, a very punkish song about Vikings raiding England. The song never made it to a studio album but a similar song called Invaders appeared on The Number Of The Beast. a couple of years later The 12" version was fleshed out with a live version of Phantom Of The Opera.

Women In Uniform was the last Iron Maiden recording with guitarist Dennis Stratton, who would soon be replaced by Adrian Smith of Urchin,

Iron Maiden - Women In Uniform 12" 45rpm
1980 EMI 2C 052-52879Z French Pressing

https://www.discogs.com/Iron-Maiden-Mujeres-Uniformadas/master/14424
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Skyhooks now that's a blast from the past. I saw them open for Foghat in Niagara Falls.NY in the mid 1970's. Think Uriah Heep was on the bill too
 
Skyhooks now that's a blast from the past. I saw them open for Foghat in Niagara Falls.NY in the mid 1970's. Think Uriah Heep was on the bill too

I remember Skyhooks, have @ least one LP by them. I got to see/hear both Foghat and The Heep in the 70s, too. I loved both of 'em and IMO neither gets the respect they deserve, Foghat in particular. Shit man, Rod Price was one helluva good slide geetarist.
 
Frank,

re: the number "Hell Patrol" @ Raven - Rock Until You Drop (Neat, 1981), sounds to me like Gallagher "got that super-long sustained note" w/out studio recording trickery; rather, he found a 'sweet spot' within the recording studio from which his Tele hit a hot note that he could hold/sustain w/ minimal feedback "swell". It's a trick Robin Trower, Peter Green, and Gary Moore (esp. when using the "Peter Green Les Paul") could pull off comsistently, but the trick is a relative rarity among Metal players, who by and large are more prone to "shredding" than holding single notes. Gallagher made this a priority and it paid off. Also note that Teles are famously "musical", w/ a nasal/woodie tone that's @ once piercing and bouyant, and thus lends itself to this sort of trick. Excellent examples include Roy Buchanan, Albert Lee, and Danny Gatton. Buchanan in particular could hold notes to a point @ which his Tele emulated the sound (endless sustain & the tones) of pedal steel guitars. gatton could do it as well, but not quite as consistently ("live") as Roy.
The long sustained note that I had referenced was brother John Gallagher's high pitched vocal howl at the 3:11 mark. Lasts a good 12 seconds.
 
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Outstanding review! Thanks for that.
Witchfinder General has been a favorite of mine since the needle touched the first groove on side one of Death Penalty.
You really caught the spirit of the band and their music.
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They were another one of those bands that I held their records in my hands at shops back in the day but purchased something else for some other reason.
 
I made it part way through and then got called away. I was liking what I was hearing though. A bit more melodic than what I would like from them, but it was an effort to do something unique and I give them full credit for trying to stretch the boundaries.
Getting back to the album now.

Using pics from Discogs.
Here's the 1992 Japanese CD release of Canterbury. I'm liking this album. I'd certainly buy it.
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Finally spun the MCA Box set CD of Canterbury. As mentioned by others, its an enjoyable album. Can see where if you were a DH fan back in the day that you'd find this release a little weaker than the previous releases and somewhat of a disappointment, but as the the years have pasted, its managed to age well.
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Disc Two: Canterbury, 1983
2-01 Makin' Music 3:50
2-02 Out Of Phase 3:32
2-03 The Kingmaker 4:11
2-04 One More Night 4:11
2-05 To The Devil His Due 6:03
2-06 Knight Of The Swords 6:53
2-07 Ishmael 4:00
2-08 I Need Your Love 3:02
2-09 Canterbury 4:59

Bonus Tracks
2-10 Makin' Music (Extended 12" Version) 6:11

Previously Unreleased Demos
2-11 Can't Take No More 3:29
2-12 Time's On My Side 3:59
2-13 Come To Hear You Play 4:06
 
Good point. I don't consider Motorhead part of the sound either but I guess when you draw a line there can always be an exception. Sort of how building walls does not now will it ever work if we are looking for an analogy.

Saxon/Priest/Motorhead, none of them sound like Mithrandir though! Or Dawnwatcher!! :rflmao:
Think you have to add them due to their influence on the NWOBHM scene even if they don't have the atypical sound.
 
Bulldozer from Italy could never have existed without the massive influence of those unholy noise bangers Venom. Not subtle, they will crush your cranium. This is the lavish digibook edition that came out fairly recently. Their 2nd full length from 1986.

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:jump: Haven't thought of Bulldozer in eons!!

Venom had a shit and it got up and walked and they called it Bulldozer! My buddy had The Day of Wrath and The Final Separation. Use to spin them at lunch hour in high school since my buddy's place was about 4-5 blocks from the school.
 
Finally spun the MCA Box set CD of Canterbury. As mentioned by others, its an enjoyable album. Can see where if you were a DH fan back in the day that you'd find this release a little weaker than the previous releases and somewhat of a disappointment, but as the the years have pasted, its managed to age well.
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Howdy Zoot.
I've listened to Canterbury one time in my life and that was this week.
I agree, back in the day it probably would have disappointed me, but looking at it today, and what I've seen metal develop into, I think it was way ahead of it's time. I need to track down a copy. Hopefully vinyl.
 
Yep. That was a very fresh rip done yesterday.
One of the more important NWOBHM albums in my opinion... then again I say that about all of them.
It was a ridiculous album cover. I tend to think it may have hindered sales, especially in the U.S.
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Hey!! I never got this quote!! Dman

Sorry frank!

I actually love the cover, oozes 80s :)

I really appreciate the hook up on this one. It was a great play. Had me tapping my foot the entire time. I was at work when I demeoed it, I was putting together some hardware and jamming out. It was perfect timing too as I had my Fiio on me on Friday. Man I’ve not used that thing in over a year! I dug it out Friday morning to pull the MicroSD out to find some Manson files. Ended up not even finding the Manson files but adding the Jaguar file to the player.


the SQ was pretty dman good, the album itself was a great play, nonstop metal, and upbeat non lagging at all, there was no point where I felt like I needed to skip the track. Each track had me working away in the zone vibing to the music :)

Thanks Frank,
John
 
Since we're on the subject of Diamond Head. Here's one that I bought and never listen to. It wasn't "Borrowed Time II" so I didn't like it. It features guest guitar slots from Tony Iommi and Dave Mustaine. and as I worship those guys I really should give it more of a chance. So listening to it now I think it has a good chance of going into my listening rotation. It still has Sean Harris on vocals and Brian Tatler on guitar, so it has all the elements of a great Diamond Head album.

Diamond Head - Death and Progress
1993 Essential / Bronze / Castle ESS CD 192

https://www.discogs.com/Diamond-Head-Death-And-Progress/master/311604
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