2022-08-09 10:43
Theory of Tides – the second album from Steve Newman’s side project Compass – is an excellent slab of progressive rock with a melodic edge and a concept album based around… Read More
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News, reviews and recollections frrom the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and Classic Rock. NWOBHM
2022-07-30 09:55
White Spirit’s self-titled debut album from 1980 was one of the finest albums of the then burgeoning New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene. With a style more akin to say Uriah Heep or… Read More
2022-07-29 10:40
UFO’s High Stakes and Dangerous Men album from 1993 gets a welcome re-issue packaged with the Lights Out in Tokyo live album. This was UFO’s first album since the somewhat miss-s… Read More
2022-07-23 16:41
Paul Di’Anno will I suppose always be primarily linked with the first two Iron Maiden albums on which he handled the vocals on way back in the early 1980s before his well-documented de… Read More
2022-07-17 16:09
The Android Messiah is the debut album by the Chronomaster Project. An excellent progressive metal concept album with an ensemble cast of contributors based around a science fiction story. T… Read More
2022-07-16 11:07
Hard to believe that it’s some fifty years since Babe Ruth’s glorious debut album was issued. They were generally more hard rock than progressive rock and with a twist of jazz fu… Read More
2022-07-10 17:23
Medusa Touch formed in Scotland in the early 1980s when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was everywhere. The band back then were part of it and put the hard miles in playing countless gig… Read More
2022-07-09 10:21
I’m not normally much of a fan of instrumental albums – though when I heard that keyboard maestro Derek Sherinian had put together such a phenomenal range of guitarists to play o… Read More
2022-07-03 18:28
Here’s another “rediscovered” band from back in the good old New Wave of British Heavy Metal days – Woden Forge. They were from the Ipswich area forming towards the e… Read More
2022-07-02 17:32
Here we have the debut album from a collaboration between Chris Ousey (Heartland) and Steve Mann (Liar, Tytan, Lionheart, MSG etc.) and it’s a good a slab of classic hard rockers with… Read More
2022-07-02 10:04
The second album from Lonerider is a monster slab of chunky, upbeat, feel good, strong melodic/classic rock of the highest order. That’s probably not a surprise with the band consistin… Read More
2022-06-29 16:42
Black Rose of course go all the way back to the NWONHM days. A reasonably brief career then spawned a couple of albums before they called it a day around 1989 I think. There was a reformatio… Read More
2022-06-26 10:04
Ah, the Tygers of Pan Tang. There right from the start of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days. Looked on track to have the huge success of the likes of Iron Maiden with those first thre… Read More
2022-06-22 16:05
Earlier today I received a press release with some excellent news indeed – More Witchfynde….! Here is is: Back in the earliest days of the musical movement that became New Wave… Read More
2022-06-19 13:10
In the early 1970s, progressive rock was big here in the UK as the likes of Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant etc. ruled the roost. A band which certainly should have been up there with them was th… Read More
2022-06-18 15:35
The Confidence Trick is the sixth album from the always excellent Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate. Generally described as progressive rock – though there’s so much going o… Read More
2022-06-12 15:47
Sphinx was a short-lived band from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days forming in 1982 and splitting the following year without any material released at the time. Perhaps being based in… Read More
2022-06-03 09:59
All Secrets Known is the debut album from The Mighty Ra. A glorious progressive rock based set of songs mixing in elements of classic and melodic rock too. It’s a bit special and so we… Read More
2022-05-28 09:45
The excellent Quartz are back with a fine new album – On the Edge of No Tomorrow. Whether they classify as New Wave of British Heavy Metal or not as they’ve been around since the… Read More
2022-05-23 18:50
Trojan’s sole album – Chasing the Storm – from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days gets the Cult Metal Classics treatment reissued on CD together with a superb bonus d… Read More
2022-05-21 09:26
Prowler formed in the mid-1970s and were one of the many bands competing for space in what would become known as the good old New Wave of British Heavy Metal back then. Chalk them down as on… Read More
2022-05-17 18:47
Here’s another band from the good old New Wave of British Heavy Metal days on top form – Snatch Back. And a fine album with Ride Hard Run Free. Originally formed in the middle of… Read More
2022-05-15 13:29
Flight 19 originated in Sheffield in the early 1980s from the breakup of Monza. Nigel Ward and Gary Flounders going on to form Flight 19 and thanks to a connection with the drummer from anot… Read More
2022-05-12 18:33
Embryo is Altesia’s second album and a follow-up top their marvellous debut Paragon Circus (review here). I enjoyed Paragon Circus so much that I ordered Embryo from their Bandcamp pag… Read More
2022-05-07 09:15
The excellent Tysondog return with a superb new album – Midnight – and show us that the New Wave of British Heavy Metal remains as relevant today in 2022 as it was back in the ea… Read More
2022-05-02 15:40
Aldo Nova gives us “a little preview” of his upcoming concept/rock opera (possibly autobiographical perhaps?) The Life and Times of Eddie Gage. And quite stupendous it is in term… Read More
2022-05-02 10:05
In the previous post I mentioned how an email from Cherry Red Records put me on to the And Now the Runaways album re-press from the old days. Well….in the same email the label also ha… Read More
2022-05-01 09:40
Ah, the Runaways. Cherrie Curie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford etc. Burned fast and bright in the 1970s didn’t they? Thanks to an email from Cherry Red Records featuring that they’ve done… Read More
2022-04-30 08:56
Here’s a band for you to check out. Bang Bang Firecracker. They hail from the Stoke area. The band’s vocalist/guitarist Kieron Berry got in touch and kindly sent me a copy of the… Read More
2022-04-24 09:20
New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends White Spirit are set to release their “lost” second album in July. Back in 1980 the band released their self-titled debut and it was an in… Read More
2022-04-22 15:49
Nocturnal Creatures is the debut album from Swedish band Bomber. A glorious throw-back to 1980s style heaviness with a touch of glam rock and a touch of NWOBHM. Everything is here which made… Read More
2022-04-18 14:59
Altesia hail from France. Paragon Circus is their debut album from 2019. A friend recommended it to me recently and I’m pleased he did. The band play excellent prog/metal of a high sta… Read More
2022-04-17 09:51
Nazareth hit us with a fine new album – the second featuring the excellent Carl Sentence on vocals following the retirement a few years ago of the unique Dan McCafferty due to health i… Read More
2022-04-16 17:33
The excellent Cloven Hoof of course have been around since the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days when they took up the “four elements” pseudonyms perhaps as a bit of… Read More
2022-04-15 10:00
After the demise of the excellent Colosseum in the early 1970s, virtuoso drummer Jon Hiseman put together Tempest. Just two albums before they were gone also – though what an excellent… Read More
2022-03-26 10:52
Adventure hail from Norway and play good old fashioned heavy/progressive rock not unlike 1970s Uriah Heep. Didn’t know anything about them until hearing a track from Tales of Belle &nd&hell…Read More
2022-03-13 12:00
Who remembers the 1970s when the sprawling, expansive progressive rock concept album (often a double album…..) ruled the roost? Who did it better – Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Gia… Read More
2022-03-06 16:42
Here’s some superb “lost” New Wave of British Heavy Metal re-discovered. The band is Le Griffe. They were from the Stoke area and had two EPs issued by a small label in the… Read More
2022-03-05 10:08
Rankelson’s debut album from back in the NWOBHM days (1986) gets a release on CD with a couple of bonus tracks. The band were from the Cardiff area in Wales. Lasted a few years in the… Read More
2022-03-02 21:36
Way back in the good old days when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was everywhere, a band named Stormtrooper tried to make their mark. They were a bit different from most of their NWOBHM… Read More
2022-03-02 21:31
Email arrived from Mack, who is the bass player for a band named Contortion who are from California. Mack wanted to let me know that Contortion are due over here in the UK for a tour spannin… Read More
2022-02-26 16:44
Melodic hard rock band Ten – fronted by Gary Hughes – issue an excellent album of reliable quality as they always do. Here Be Monsters featuring plenty of what makes Ten one of t… Read More
2022-02-26 10:35
Revel in Time, the third album from prog/metal mastermind Arjen Lucassen’s Star One project is a complete belter make no mistake. A glorious hour or so of bombastic, progressive heavin… Read More
2022-02-19 16:40
New Wave of British Heavy Metal originals Saxon continue their long career with Carpe Diem. For a spot of context…….I’ve never taken to Saxon over the years. That goes ba… Read More
2022-02-19 10:26
Praying Mantis have been around of course way back since the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days. Tagged as NWOBHM though they’ve always been more towards the melodic end of… Read More
2022-02-13 10:22
Toad the Wet Sprocket prowled around the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in the late 1970s/early1980s and are not to be confused with the American band with the same name. Whilst unfor… Read More
2022-02-09 18:19
Struggle of the Gods is the debut album from Italian band Tales and Legends. It was released towards the end of last year – though I came across it recently and am pleased to say it is… Read More
2022-02-08 16:42
Here’s a real cracker of an album I stumbled on recently. Heard a track – had to have it. The band is Villagers of Ioannina City and the album is Age of Aquarius. The Villagers a… Read More
2022-02-05 10:17
Back in the early New Wave of British Heavy Metal days, Grim Reaper were right there at the forefront. Between 1983-1987 they released three instant classic albums – See You In Hell, F… Read More
2022-01-29 11:29
I’ve been listening to fair bit of prog recently and being an old sucker for an old-fashioned 1970s prog rock concept album snapped this one up when I saw it had been re-issued. I&rsqu&hell…Read More
2022-01-26 21:42
Tales by Gaslight is a superb triple CD box set by progressive rock keyboard greats Clive Nolan and Oliver (son of Rick) Wakeman. Comprises of their albums Jabberwocky and The Hound of the B… Read More
2022-01-23 10:32
Obscure NWOBHM Releases do it yet again – this time unearthing the excellent Stryder form the good old days. Now, whilst Stryder were from Ireland, geographically it doesn’t stri… Read More
2022-01-22 15:48
The Obscure NWOBHM Releases crew have pulled another one out of the hat with Welsh rockers Tok-Io Rose from the 1980s and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal heydays. The band came from Card… Read More
2022-01-15 11:11
Cult Metal Classics have pulled yet another one out of the hat unearthing yet another superb “lost” band from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days. This time it’s Harve… Read More
2022-01-13 18:05
Those top people at Cult Metal Classics have done it again and uncovered another lost gem from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days. This time it’s the wonderfully misspelt Skitzof… Read More
2022-01-08 18:40
Here’s fine slab of progressive metal from Swedish band Hollow. Hadn’t come across them before hearing a track off the album and immediately liked it enough to order a copy of th… Read More
2021-12-29 19:01
Pagan Altar. What a band with a history right back to the early 1970s though of course best known for their work spanning the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days of the late 1970s/… Read More
2021-12-26 17:11
Here’s a huge slab of sweeping progressive metal as good as any you’ll hear. A friend suggested I pick the album up and I’m pleased he did. Odd Dimension are Italian. The B… Read More
2021-12-19 11:19
Here’s one which I believe these days is classed as new wave of traditional heavy metal – though I can hear plenty of New Wave of British Heavy Metal influences going on, which i… Read More
2021-12-11 16:00
French band Gang have now been around for some three decades. Their albums are full of energetic, beefy heaviness with more than the odd nod back to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal which… Read More
2021-12-04 15:11
Cherokee hail from Cologne in Germany. Blood and Gold is their debut album – and it’s a cracker. Something of a throwback to the good old fashioned hard rock of the 1970s full of… Read More
2021-12-02 19:45
Peter Goalby, best known for his time with Trapeze and then a three album stint with Uriah Heep in the 1980s, has his “lost” solo album seeing the light of day. And very welcome… Read More
2021-11-27 11:14
The marvellous Vardis power back with a ripsnorting live double album: 100mph at 100 Club. 100mph being the title of their debut album back in the New Wave of British Heavy metal days when t… Read More
2021-11-21 20:30
Back in the 1980s when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was at its peak, one of the many bands trying to make a name for themselves was Dark Heart. Alas, for them it was one album (Shadow… Read More
2021-11-18 18:47
Here’s the second act of Albert Bouchard’s take on the Imaginos random access myth where everything happens at once……And the former Blue Oyster Cult drummer comes u… Read More
2021-11-15 19:22
Jethro Tull’s Benefit becomes the latest Tull classic to get the big book and multi CD/DVD treatment. The album marked a sort of transition for the band from the bluesy style of Stand… Read More
2021-11-11 20:59
Evil Hunter hail from Spain. Lockdown is the band’s second album. And it’s a cracker. Eight punchy heavy rockers with a side order of melody and some thrilling shredding going on… Read More
2021-11-06 11:49
Scarecrow hail from Perm in Russia. I reviewed their debut album here and liked it plenty. Now the band hit us with the follow-up, Scarecrow II. Whilst the debut was good, they’ve gone… Read More
2021-10-29 15:29
Obscure NWOBHM Releases have pulled out yet another “lost” one from the good old New Wave of British Heavy Metal glory years of the 1980s. This time it’s December Rose who… Read More
2021-10-23 15:33
This debut album from Tao is melodic rock of the highest order. With all songs written by Ten’s Gary Hughes the band are on to a winner. That core band being vocalist Karen Fell, guita… Read More
2021-10-21 19:09
April 16th were around towards the latter half of the 1980s before disappearing. The band’s guitarist got in touch recently and kindly send me a copy of their Epitaph CD. Whilst April… Read More
2021-10-08 14:52
Eld Varg’s One Man Army is a first class storming album of brutal riff-based heavy/power metal with a top slice of mystical atmospherics done so well by the Scandinavian bands of the g… Read More
2021-10-03 17:04
Obscure NWOBHM Releases have pulled yet another one from the mists of New Wave of British Heavy Metal time – this one being Enigma. The band were from the Manchester area, formed in th… Read More
2021-09-30 16:34
Excalibur’s The Bitter End is a superb slab of “lost” New Wave of British Heavy Metal era mayhem now available on CD, digital etc. Dammed good it is too. The band hailed fr… Read More
2021-09-22 16:38
Just received a media release that the marvellous New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends Vardis have a live album slotted for release in November. [email protected] Here’s the blurb inc… Read More
2021-09-21 16:37
Ah, Def Leppard. Along with that other lot named after a medieval torture device one of the most successful bands with their roots in the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days going… Read More
2021-08-28 10:26
BeBop Deluxe. What a band they were. A handful of albums in the 1970s and they were gone. But what a run of albums they were. Their sole live album – Live in the Air Age has now had th… Read More
2021-08-07 09:27
The gloriously mis-spelled Wikkyd Vikker become another of the “lost” New Wave of British Heavy Metal era bands to have various demos etc. from back then re-discovered and out on… Read More
2021-07-12 11:29
Shakin Street, what a band. Hailing from France and all the way back around 1980 looked set for the big take-off. Their self-titled second album from 1980 is a monster. I spun it today for t… Read More
2021-07-04 12:25
Here’s a fine slab of “under the radar” New Wave of British Heavy Metal more than worthy of your attention. The band is Chartered Hurricane. The album is Touch the Rocks. C… Read More
2021-07-01 15:55
Luca Sellitto wasn’t a name I’d come across before until I heard him shredding all over Ian Parry’s Rock Emporium Brute Force when that came out a few weeks ago. However, s… Read More
2021-06-26 15:49
The reunited Pumpkins first studio album since the return of Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske is a self-titled album full of the swagger and bombast which Helloween were so good at back in the K… Read More
2021-06-23 09:53
Ian Parry – best known for his work with the likes of Elegy and the remarkable five-album spanning Consortium Project has been around the scene for around four decades and possesses no… Read More
2021-06-19 10:13
Classic rock/pomp/prog veterans Styx hit us with a new album – Crash of the Crown – some four years after the excellent The Mission. Crash of the Crown is indeed unmistakably an… Read More
2021-06-13 09:43
Dennis De Young, long-time member of Styx in their heyday of course, puts out what is said to be his final album with 26 East Vol 2. After so long in the business at in his mid-70s, Dennis r… Read More
2021-05-31 10:48
2bscure NWOBHM Releases have pulled another rabbit out of the hat unearthing yet another “lost” band from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days. This time it’s Kraken. F… Read More
2021-05-23 10:10
It’s the cusp of the 1980s. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal is taking off. Brian Robertson’s left Thin Lizzy. Jimmy Bain’s out of Rainbow. So they form a band together… Read More
2021-05-19 10:02
Distrainers. Another excellent “under the radar” band from the good old New Wave of British heavy Metal days who came and went without fanfare producing just a solitary single, t… Read More
2021-05-13 15:11
Rampant are back out of nowhere with an EP and an album due around later this year. For those of you who may not be familiar with the band from the good old New Wave of British Heavy Metal d… Read More
2021-05-11 16:15
Wolf did not, forgive me a shocking pun, howl for too long back around the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days. However their sole album – Edge of the World – is a bona… Read More
2021-05-05 19:21
Heritage were from Sheffield. The same South Yorkshire metropolis which in the good old New Wave of British Heavy Metal days of the late 1970s/early 1980s spawned the likes of Def Leppard, S… Read More
2021-04-29 13:57
Back in 1980 with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal on the rise, the marvellous Tygers of Pan Tang were up there to the fore with the likes of Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon, Samson etc… Read More
2021-04-20 10:18
Blind Golem. A silly name for a band eh? Or is it Uriah Heep playing a bit of a prank? Hmmmm, well the answer to the first question is yes – it is a silly name. And the answer to the s… Read More
2021-04-18 16:01
Jethro Tull’s A get the full treatment for a 40th anniversary edition “A La Mode” (get it….?). And what a package it is. The original album remixed by Steven Wilson… Read More
2021-04-16 17:34
Here’s an excellent New Wave of British Heavy Metal style retro concept album with a side-order of progressive elements. Starscape are on to a winner here with Colony. So well done wit… Read More
2021-04-13 14:16
At last – the brilliantly barking mad solo album by Yes man Jon Anderson from the mid-1790s gets the remastering and expanded edition treatment. It’s a remarkable album not least… Read More
2021-04-05 10:19
A welcome reissue of Clientelle’s sole album from the early 1980s – Destination Unknown. It’s New Wave of British Heavy Metal though not as we know it. Something a little d… Read More
2021-04-03 16:36
Force were from Birmingham forming in 1985 and style-wise were at the melodic end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. During their shortish career, Force could boast a healthy local foll… Read More
2021-04-02 17:20
A sort of two for the price of one from the more melodic side of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. What we have here is yet another band (or in this case bands) from the old NWOBHM days b… Read More
2021-03-30 10:14
Touch are back out of nowhere after forty years or so with a superb new album – Tomorrow never Comes. Superb pomp/melodic hard rock in that unmistakable 1980s style this time with a bi… Read More
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