Delmarva
Lunatic Member
Alright then. As I said in the "Angel Witch - Loser" post, things were going to change dramatically for Angel Witch.
Problems with Bronze Records caused them to only release the one debut album and two 7" 45's.
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden said that Angel Witch probably never made it big due to poor management. Well, their manager was Kevin Heybourne's father, Ken Heybourne. He had run into problems with EMI before the band got the Bronze deal. Diamond Head had the same management problems as singer Sean Harris's mother was their manager, and she dropped the ball enough on them to ensure that they didn't get a record contract until late in the NWOBHM party. I think having your parents for your bands manager is perhaps a bad idea.
Things got so bad between Angel Witch and Bronze Records that bassist Kevin Riddles quit and the band dissolved shortly thereafter. Riddles went on to found Tytan while Heybourne worked in Deep Machine and Blind Fury.
The emerging thrash and speed metal scene in the US saw bands like Metallica, Slayer and Exodus citing Angel Witch as being a major influence on their music. Interest in the band was revived and Heybourne put together a new Angel Witch. This time he brought in a singer to handle the job that he had handled himself as AW's lead vocalist and guitarist. That singer, Dave Tattum was certainly a more talented vocalist than Heybourne with an almost operatic style. Perhaps Heybourne was trying to emulate Iron Maiden's success with Bruce Dickinson. The lineup was rounded out with ex-Marquis De Sade bassist Peter Gordelier and original drummer Dave Hogg on drums.
I remember finding the album in the racks of my favorite record store back in '85 and being ecstatic to see a new Angel Witch album. With no internet back then you didn't know when things were being released unless you managed to snag the right copy of Kerrang magazine. First thing first the album cover set me off. It just wasn't Angel Witch to me. it looked like most of the other cheesy shock effect stuff that metal bands were doing at the time. Angel Witch's debut album featured this beautiful 19th century painting by John Martin entitled "The Fallen Angels Entering Pandemonium" from the book Paradise Lost. The 45's featured ancient Baphomet drawings and tarot cards. Not cheesy shock art.
(click the pic to enlarge - look closely. Do you see Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast? I do)
Flipping the album over revealed that there was a dedicated singer in the band, once again WTF? Of course I bought the album anyways.
When I played it I was very disappointed. This wasn't the Angel Witch that I knew. The songs were far more melodic, the singer sounded like an opera wannabe and the production just sounded off. I was expecting a continuation of the debut album but
got something entirely different.
Kevin Heybourne himself has said that Screamin' N' Bleedin' and it's follow-up release Frontal Assault were terrible mistakes. The fans were put off and the critics panned it.
Still, I played it again and again. It grew on me. I started to like the singer's dark operatic style, the songs were making sense. Over the years it has really grown on me and I realize that had it been Angel Witch's debut album I'd have probably liked it straight away. Lets face it. Angel Witch's debut album set the bar so high that nothing could have stood up to it. Some of the songs are among my favorites from the NWOBHM. "Waltz The Dark" is pure doom metal. The title track is a classic NWOBHM galloping number. "Reawakening" is a fine bit of thrash metal. There's one truly weak track on the album, the ballad "Goodbye" and even it ain't bad.
Definitely this album and Frontal Assault are overlooked and forgotten gems of the movement and should be in every NWOBHM collection.
Angel Witch - Screamin' N' Bleedin'
1985 Killerwatt KILP 4001
https://www.discogs.com/Angel-Witch-Screamin-N-Bleedin/master/91982
Problems with Bronze Records caused them to only release the one debut album and two 7" 45's.
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden said that Angel Witch probably never made it big due to poor management. Well, their manager was Kevin Heybourne's father, Ken Heybourne. He had run into problems with EMI before the band got the Bronze deal. Diamond Head had the same management problems as singer Sean Harris's mother was their manager, and she dropped the ball enough on them to ensure that they didn't get a record contract until late in the NWOBHM party. I think having your parents for your bands manager is perhaps a bad idea.
Things got so bad between Angel Witch and Bronze Records that bassist Kevin Riddles quit and the band dissolved shortly thereafter. Riddles went on to found Tytan while Heybourne worked in Deep Machine and Blind Fury.
The emerging thrash and speed metal scene in the US saw bands like Metallica, Slayer and Exodus citing Angel Witch as being a major influence on their music. Interest in the band was revived and Heybourne put together a new Angel Witch. This time he brought in a singer to handle the job that he had handled himself as AW's lead vocalist and guitarist. That singer, Dave Tattum was certainly a more talented vocalist than Heybourne with an almost operatic style. Perhaps Heybourne was trying to emulate Iron Maiden's success with Bruce Dickinson. The lineup was rounded out with ex-Marquis De Sade bassist Peter Gordelier and original drummer Dave Hogg on drums.
I remember finding the album in the racks of my favorite record store back in '85 and being ecstatic to see a new Angel Witch album. With no internet back then you didn't know when things were being released unless you managed to snag the right copy of Kerrang magazine. First thing first the album cover set me off. It just wasn't Angel Witch to me. it looked like most of the other cheesy shock effect stuff that metal bands were doing at the time. Angel Witch's debut album featured this beautiful 19th century painting by John Martin entitled "The Fallen Angels Entering Pandemonium" from the book Paradise Lost. The 45's featured ancient Baphomet drawings and tarot cards. Not cheesy shock art.
(click the pic to enlarge - look closely. Do you see Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast? I do)
Flipping the album over revealed that there was a dedicated singer in the band, once again WTF? Of course I bought the album anyways.
When I played it I was very disappointed. This wasn't the Angel Witch that I knew. The songs were far more melodic, the singer sounded like an opera wannabe and the production just sounded off. I was expecting a continuation of the debut album but
got something entirely different.
Kevin Heybourne himself has said that Screamin' N' Bleedin' and it's follow-up release Frontal Assault were terrible mistakes. The fans were put off and the critics panned it.
Still, I played it again and again. It grew on me. I started to like the singer's dark operatic style, the songs were making sense. Over the years it has really grown on me and I realize that had it been Angel Witch's debut album I'd have probably liked it straight away. Lets face it. Angel Witch's debut album set the bar so high that nothing could have stood up to it. Some of the songs are among my favorites from the NWOBHM. "Waltz The Dark" is pure doom metal. The title track is a classic NWOBHM galloping number. "Reawakening" is a fine bit of thrash metal. There's one truly weak track on the album, the ballad "Goodbye" and even it ain't bad.
Definitely this album and Frontal Assault are overlooked and forgotten gems of the movement and should be in every NWOBHM collection.
Angel Witch - Screamin' N' Bleedin'
1985 Killerwatt KILP 4001
https://www.discogs.com/Angel-Witch-Screamin-N-Bleedin/master/91982
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