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:p:

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.

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


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.

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


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.

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.

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

i just got those Venom and Raven albums

they seriously rawk

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.

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

Then you must like Accept:)


‪Accept - Balls To The Wall‬‏ - YouTube

i don't really like them

but i do like the cheesiness of most power-metal, especially the hokey fantasy elements

Ok tenth essential listen is this one by Witchfynde released in 1980.


Witchfynde were a Derbyshire outfit whose musical influences were heavily injected with a strong dosage of 1970s hard rock and a Budgie style metal sound. Added to this were some 1970s prog rock influences and a dosage of punk. As the album cover suggests, the whole thing was then wrapped up with satanic imagery Venom style. In 1980 the band released two studio albums of which this one was the best and it contained 7 great songs which were highlighted by the distinctive vocals of Steve Bridges, who imo sounds remarkedly like Ian Astbury of the Cult especially on the Love album. Like many bands of their ilk and despite often touring with Def Leppard, Witchfynde never got the success they deserved.

A band I've not heard of...intriguing. I must find this.

Witchfynde are similiar to Angel Witch, in that they take a few listens for the listener to really notice the quality their music.

Now that is a hilarious album cover!

Glad you enjoyed it, I dig these covers out for your benefit:)

The eleventh essential album is this one, again its debatable whether it should be classified as the NWOBHM due to its hard rock leanings and apart from Urban I doubt many people will know this.


This band were from the unlikely location of Hartlepool and had a sound very much in the mold of Deep Purple, combined with the lengthy instrumental leanings of hard rock outfit Budgie. The group were without doubt top-notch musicians and are best remembered for band member Janick Gers, who later went onto feature in the Ian Gillan Band and then onto Iron Maiden. The first thing you notice on this album are the very liberal use of keyboards, something which sets them very much apart from all the the other bands listed here! White Spirit were basically a one album act that contained seven great songs, which all helped to make this a solid hard rock album at a time when the NWOBHM was firing on all cyclinders.

Next up will be the final album of the 1980-1981 time period and in my opinion the twelfth essential listen, is without doubt the best album relaeased by any band in the whole NWOBHM period.

The twelfth essential listen and imo the best album of the twelve is this one.


Without doubt one of the great metal albums of its era, from a band that were once compared with Led Zeppelin, its not that they sounded like Led Zeppelin but the comparison was made due to their amazing talent. A number of thrash metal acts also referenced Diamond Head as a major influence and especially Metallica who often covered their songs. I`d say the Metallica album Kill Em All was a direct homage to this album in its sound and feel. This Diamond Head album contains seven songs that were built to last, with sublime guitar riffs dominating throughout and the showpiece tracks being Sucking My Love and Am I Evil? A Japanese metal mag actually placed this album as the 3rd greatest guitar riff album of all time, behind Black Sabbath`s Master of Reality and Slayer`s Reign in Blood an indication of how revered this album has become. This is one album that really rocks out and really needs to be played loud!

As for the band, Diamond Head despite all their talent were their own worst enemies, they refused to play the London scene early on, which was crucial for any NWOBHM band and insisted on doing things their way. By the time they got their act together, they`d missed the boat and despite putting out two other great releases never found the fame and fortune that their talent deserved. I`d put Diamond Head in the same category as the band Budgie, as two British hard rock/heavy metal acts that had the talent to rule the world, but sadly it was never to happen.

Well done on getting to 12.

I think you should continue this, there's still plenty of great stuff that deserves some attention.

Oh **** yes! Diamond Head ****ing rule! But since you forgot to mention that their best song is It's Electric, you must die.

The 12 essentials were to basically just cover the prime years of 1980-1981. I`m going to include another 8 essential albums from 1982 onwards to take it upto 20 albums.

I love It`s Electric as well :band:

This is the final order of the twelve albums highlighted in order of preference, as I`ve only chosen one album per band for 1980-1981 some other great albums missed the cut, such as Iron Maiden Killers and Saxon Strong Arm of the Law had they been included they would`ve beaten the albums from 7-12.

1. Diamond Head- Lightning to the Nations
2. Iron Maiden- Iron Maiden
3. Angel Witch- Angel Witch
4. Saxon- Wheels of Steel
5. Tygers of Pan Tang- Spellbound
6. Motorhead- Ace of Spades
7. Witchfynde- Give Em Hell
8. Venom- Welcome to Hell
9. Samson- Head On
10. Raven- Rock Until You Drop
11. White Spirit- White Spirit
12. Def Leppard- High n Dry

Ok time to finish this off with another 8 albums from 1982 onwards. The thread started with the Iron Maiden debut and so its fitting that 1982 should see Iron Maiden return.


This album needs no real introduction and is often tagged as one of the most important heavy metal albums ever released and you really had to be around in the early 1980s to appreciate its impact especially here in the UK. Equally important is that it was the first Maiden album to feature Bruce Dickinson who had arrived from Samson and this album showcases his true vocal acrobat style (much since copied). As impressive as Paul Di`Anno had been, Bruce Dickinson gave the band the sound they really wanted, which was essentially an arena metal sound with melodic overtones to rival that of Judas Priest and Scorpions etc. The album is full of Iron Maiden favourites and concert mainstays with most penned by the group`s main man bassist Steve Harris and the album would go onto to sell millions, and pave the way for the classic 1980s maiden albums of Piece of Mind and Powerslave. The album could also be seen as being responsible for inspiring a whole host of mediocre power metal bands as well. Whatever its resulting influence, it remains a true metal essential.

oh i thought you'd never update this thread

Praying Mantis and Pagan Altar are worth a while. Not to forget about Hell.
It's hard to find out about albums by Praying Mantis, I think I've just heard one, but it was quite nice sounding as well as I can recall...
Pagan Altar are just great, all of their albums are highly worth checking. (They're one of the doom metal pioneers.)
Human Remains by Hell is another very good album (It's their only studio album recorded on 2011, but I think that it's only songs they made back when they were together at first during the 80s)

I would recommend Melissa by Mercyful Fate. Such a great album, how could you miss it?

Mercyful Fate was from Denmark and--even musically--doesn't fit into the sub-genre of NWBHM.

Oh yea woops. Forgot about that. :usehead:


Saxon's Debut was pretty good.

NWDHM perhaps?

I love you.:clap:

By US standards Denmark is pretty close to Great Britain, the Vikings never had far to travel:D

Mercyful Fate were really a style unto themselves especially with the vocals of King Diamond. The only album of theirs that I like is Breaking the Oath. I`m one of those people who can only stand King Diamond`s vocals for a very short period of time anyway. Mercyful Fate though, were an important band as they kind of bridged the gap between the NWOBHM and the future extreme metal genres.

I live to please (myself).

Next up from one of the best bands of the NWOBHM.


From the start Tank were compared to Motorhead and without doubt the similiarities were there. Both bands were three-piece outfits with a vocalist/bass player and Tank`s debut album Filth Hounds of Hades was also produced by "Fast" Eddie Clarke of Motorhead. But when listening to Tank, vocalist Algy Ward was far more melodic than Lemmy ever could be, but was still able to retain a credible rawness in his voice so essential to the NWOBHM. Filth Hounds of Hades is the bands most representative album and their second album was also released in 1982 Power of the Hunter, which was a departure in style from the debut, with the band putting out a more polished album with better production values. Both albums though are great listens and essential listens within the genre.

1982 was a great year for NWOBHM.


Like Diamond Head, Witchfinder General hailed from Stourbridge but that`s where the similiarities ended, as Witchfinder General focused far more on the slower meanderings of metal Black Sabbath style and along with American bands Saint Vitus and Pentagram were early purveyors of the doom metal sound. Vocalist Zeeb Parkes was heavily influenced by Ozzy, with the rest of the band taking their influences directly from Sabbath as well, but the group had a enough talent and ability to create their own sound and not come across as a Sabbath copycat band. Despite only lasting for two albums (despite having a reunion album many years later) their influence on future doom metal acts such as Cathedral and Electric Wizard is highly noticeable. Also the band put out better quality album covers than many of their counterparts, with the focus strongly being on the debauchery of the film "Witchfinder General" where the group took their name from.

Tank were a fantastic band. Great production and vocals. This Means War and Honour & Blood were fantastic returns to form after the disappointing Power Of The Hunter and are two of my favourite Metal albums of all time especially this masterpiece from This Means War:


If anyone asks me to sum up the NWOBHM in one track I would choose this everytime. First heard in 1988 and I still love the fecker over 20 years later.

Okay, Just out of curiosity, because I was never too clear about it, are the two sole criteria for NWBHM those of time and origin, i.e. early to mid 80's Great Britain, or are there style criteria as well? Basically I'm asking if all metal that came out of England during the eighties considered NWBHM. I know this sounds like an anal question, but I've always wondered.

The time and origin are a big part of it but that is mainly because of the influence of Punk in that Metal generally got harder and faster from 79 onwards so that awarded itself the tag of NWOBHM in that the new bands at the time stepped away from Blues based music and became more streamlined and economical. Not always of course as bands like Angel Witch incorporated much more melody and breakdowns than their counterparts but on a general scale Metal in the U.K became more lean and less bloated.

Thrash Metal definitely took many influences from Punk and the emerging Hardcore scene but it also too influences from NWOBHM and without those sounds the Metal scene would look completely different and that is why NWOBHM is still heralded as one of the most important scenes in metal.

Just as the Punk scene gained a few bands that weren't strictly Punk at the time and just happened to be playing at the time and so got lumped in with the genre the same happened with Metal at this time but the ethos was the same. Play harder, dirtier and faster (when appropriate).

The best band to demonstrate this was Venom. They were amateurish, out of tune and lacked a cohesive sound but the attitude and raw sound is the perfect stop gap between these genres.

So it's safe to say that there are a few 80's British metal band that wouldn't fall into the sub-genre?