1330. Various Artists / New Wave of British Heavy Metal: '70 Revisited. 1990. 5/5

The period of music in the UK that came between the years of 1979 and 1981 that drew the moniker of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal has become an historical curiosity the longer the years drift by. It has always been an interesting term, one that, much like the term ‘heavy metal’ itself, has been bent to suit people’s purposes. Labelling Bon Jovi a heavy metal band appears absolutely ludicrous here in 2025, but in 1986 it was a loosely thrown around term. The same could be said for a number of bands who found themselves referred to as bands that were a part of this movement. Arguments will always ensue about the status of bands crowned under this banner, perhaps even more so as we reach the point – surely not too far away – where none of those bands will be active on the world stage. Despite this, there is no doubt that it was an influential time in the history of music, let alone heavy metal music. Though the bands involved raeched varying degrees of success, the music created and the bands formed on the wave of this period is not only fascinating and enjoyable to listen to, it had become a major influence on the next wave of bands from around the world, who used their love of this music and formed it into their own sound as they began their own journeys.
The creation of this double album to celebrate that period of music history has its formation late in the 1980’s decade, by two men with equal fascination in its material – music journalist Geoff Barton, who had interviewed many of the bands and reviewed most of the albums of those bands that appeared here at the time this was all occurring, and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, whose love of the music provided the basis of his bands musical inspiration as they began their own journey.
Geoff Barton tells the story that it all started at the end of 1988 in Camdem Town in England, where he and Lars Ulrich were in the offices of Kerrang! Magazine, deciding what photos and layout would go into the upcoming “And Justice for All” tour programme for the beginning of that tour. At one point of this process, Barton said “Do you realise that next year sees the tenth anniversary of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal?” According to his account in the liner notes for this album, Barton says: “Lars’ eyes blaze into life like WW2 searchlights scouring the skies for lurking Heinkel’s. Lars’ desperate fascination with the tour programme might have diminished… but another darker obsession had taken root in his fatalistically fertile braincells". "Really?” he says, “That whole musical movement influenced me so much. We gotta do something to commemorate it. We gotta do something like… an album!”
Lars, for his part in the same liner notes, said the idea was to initially do a book, with Barton offering his journalistic skills and views on the artists, while the mug punters point of view would come from himself. Eventually, he says, they both came to the opinion that reading about it might be okay, but it was about the music, and if it is about the music, then one would need to HEAR it!
The result of this was this magnificent double CD collection of 29 artists and 30 tracks from the era of 1979-1981. An album that became required listening for those of us who wanted to know where our current heroes had gained their own love of the music, and more than that, it became a resource from which some of us could mine for new bands to check out and track down, and hopefully discover the same love that these two had found.

It would be a longwinded and perhaps fruitful exercise if I was to give you all a detailed description of each band and their contribution to this album on this podcast episode. And if I thought you would all enjoy listening to me carry on for an extra hour than usual, I would probably do it. Instead, I will offer you the shortest possible representation of what is on offer here.
Lars not only chose all of the bands that appear here along with the song choices, but he also made the track list order, and I have to say that he has done an amazing job. What is even better is that many of the songs here are rare versions, that appeared only on singles or even B-sides of singles, or on performances of the BBC Friday Rock Show. Trying to find these versions of these tracks now is very very difficult, which does help to make this album even more of a collector's item.
The opening salvo is fantastic. Diamond Head’s “It’s Electric” cannons out of the speakers in all of that band’s early glory, and you can hear why Lars chose to lead off the collection with one of his favourites. This is followed by the original single version of “Eye of the Storm” by Sweet Savage, featuring the very young yet brilliant guitar of Vivian Campbell. I love this song, and all of the early Sweet Savage singles and demos. Vivian’s departure to Dio must have been a tough one to swallow. Saxon’s “Motorcycle Man” is also a great version of the song, extolling all of the enthusiasm of the band at the time this came out.
The White Spirit track “Cheetah” is next, which only appeared as a B-side to the band’s first single release “Backs to the Grind”, which is more the pity because it is a great uptempo track with all of the Deep Purple comparisons you would like to use, the vocals are Gillan-esque and the play off between organ and guitars here is great to listen to. It is hard to believe they only produced their debut album before splitting (guitarist Jannick Gers – yes, that Jannick Gers – left to join Ian Gillan’s band the following year), though a 2022 second album using old recordings was produced. “Don’t Need Your Money” by Raven is another beauty, representative of the sound they produced for their debut album. This version is the band’s debut single, and gives a great vision of all of their best traits from the outset. “White Lightning” by Paralex is from the B-side of their EP of the same name, and is a very catchy song with the twin guitars combining nicely with the solid tempo and great vocals. How did this band not get anywhere? All of the ingredients are right here on this song. It seems like a no brainer. Another band that may have missed the trick. Def Leppard’s “Getcha Rocks Off” is perhaps the best song to have chosen of the band from this era, despite their vehement disapproval of bieng classed as anything to do with heavy metal. Weapon’s “Set the Stage Alight” does exactly that, flying along with the same speed that Sweet Savage had shown, has great riffs and solos and the bass and drums rhythm is superb. This is drawn from their 1981 demo, which unfortunately did not bring about a record contract.
This album was the first time I heard Samson with Bruce Dickinson on vocals, and “Vice Versa” is the track, something completely and utterly different from what I had heard of him in Iron Maiden. It’s still a mystery today in a way that this was the song Lars chose, but who am I to judge over the NWOBHM expert? Lars plunders an album that splits three bands and their work for Hollow Ground’s “Fight with the Devil”, another excellent example of the era and the music it produces, and another example of a band that never released an album of their own during that period. Girlschool’s “Demolition Boys” mirrors their best work and is a great representation to bring onto this album. Witchfynde’s “Leaving Nadir” is very much a different kettle of fish, starting off with the almost folk and gothic opening acoustic before moving into the main riff progression and channelling that 70’s prog rock road.
A-II-Z's “Treason” is another great example of the style of the era, the structure so similar here to other band’s even on this compilation, but one that could easily have been replicated into further success. One band who definitely went in their own direction is Witchfinder General and their self titled track here is a great example of that. There is a doom element to what they produced in their short career, and this song exemplifies that. The first disc then concludes with Black Axe and their song “Red Lights”

Iron Maiden was always going to get a gig here, and Lars has dug up a previously unreleased version (at the time) of “Sanctuary”, once again from the Friday Rock Show on the BBC, and it sounds great. Maiden has since released the entire performance, but at the time this was a nugget of gold. Jaguar’s “Black Street Woman” was the band’s first single, and again brings together everything you would expect of a band in this era, fast pace, guitars prominent, drum heavy and vocals slightly better than average.
Tygers of Pan Tang’s “Killers” is an interesting choice again from Lars, ensuring that the John Sykes era of the band is highlighted, which to be fair is the best era. It is a monster track though at over six minutes with a rhythm that barley changes throughout. Still, a fine representation of the band's best qualities.
Gaskin is a band I’m still unaware of, and their song here “I’m No Fool” doesn’t offer the kinds of things the best songs do here to suggest they were going to be huge. I’m guessing that’s what I don’t know about them. The song is fine but only average. They did however have two albums released in 1981 and 1982 so perhaps I’m missing something. The self-titled track by Sledgehammer immediately comes across as impressive and fits in well with the album's direction. The band had initially released this as their first single in 1979 which is the version used here. The version of Venom’s “Angel Dust” here comes from their demo, and is even slightly rawer than the version that appears on their debut album “Welcome to Hell”. That muddy sound and wall of guitar is fabulous on this version. So too with Angel Witch and “Extermination Day”, which comes from their appearance on the Friday Rock Show on the BBC. How did this not make their debut album? I still love it. This is followed by Trespass and “One of These Days”, and this is a change up from the norm. This is very much of the progressive nature, indeed, it has a sound that if you didn’t know better, was ‘utilised’ by Savatage for their song “Strange Ways about a decade later. This is a terrific track in the main because it sets itself apart from most of the other songs on the album with its style and approach.
Holocaust’s “Death or Glory” is a track that those who listen to this podcast on a regular basis would no doubt recognise, and now where it was that I first heard this song and band. It is still a classic, probably the best thing they ever produced. “If I Were King” by Vardis feels as though it has been sandwiched between two absolute belters, in order to raise its profile. It is another of the tracks here that uses all of the characteristics that were being searched for at the time, it just isn’t on the same level as many of the other songs here, as is proven by the next track. The best version of Blitzkrieg’s self titled track “Blitzkrieg” comes from the B-Side of their Buried Alive single, and that is the version Lars uses here, and is no doubt the version he knew when his band covered it on the B-side of THEIR single “Creeping Death”. And then, just because he loves Diamond Head so much, we have the second track of theirs chosen for this release, “Helpless”. Again, outstanding. Praying Mantis was seen as a band from this era that would be the one to "make it" and were heavily promoted by Neil Kay in this direction. "Captured City" is the song they have here, which is okay, but the vocals are just a bit weedy. However, you can sense greater things in the music than the vocals allow to improve it. Slotting back into the vibe of the era is Dragster with “Ambitions”, the kind of song that could have come from dozens of these types of bands, but is still catchy enough to enjoy. And Fist’s “S.S. Giro” concludes proceedings on the double album, and is a fine, better than average track to do so.
This is not an album that presents itself on any streaming service, and that is unfortunate. You can find most of the track by searching on YouTube but that is all. It has also been out of print for many years, which makes it incredibly hard to track down. But for those with an interest in this period of history, I can assure you it is worth it.

This album had been heavily promoted before its release, through both Kerrang! Magazine and also Hot Metal magazine in Australia. And it piqued my interest from the outset. Firstly, Lars Ulrich was a part of it. Indeed, he seemed to have made all the decisions on which songs and bands needed to be added. At the time Lars was at the peak of his popularity, the biggest drummer in the world, and his thoughts were beginning to be broadcast everywhere. And his enthusiasm for this project was infectious, and having heard Metallica live playing songs from other eras as their favourite cover versions, it was only natural to be a little excited about what it might hold.
And – I loved it. Yes, I can concede that early on the vaguely similar sound of the track and the bands, the structures and guitar sound and production all felt a bit much to take in, and I would have trouble retaining my concentration though both CDs. But over several listens I got beyond that, and began to pick up favourites and love the whole experience. And you will already have ascertained which bands and songs they are from earlier in this episode. And over the years since, this album and these songs have only become more enhanced in the joy I receive from them. Perhaps that is a touch of nostalgia coming through, that the music that enjoy the most is perhaps slipping further into the past, and by listening to this album I am drawn back to those days that, even though I did not listen to the artists or participate in the scene as it was occurring, I still feel very much anchored in.
It has been a while since I last sat down and properly listened to this album, so I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed doing so again over the last week. So many old friends gathered together. And it hadn’t occurred to me how many of these bands that I now own albums of, most of which would have come from buying this particular compilation in the first place. Diamond Head, Sweet Savage, White Spirit, Raven, Witchfinder General, Tygers of Pan Tang, Venom, Angel Witch, Blitzkrieg, Praying Mantis. It’s quite the collection, and have all been a huge part in growing my collective musical experience and education. The Creation of Me in fact. This was and is for me one of the most important albums I have purchased because of the joy of the bands I discovered through it. Those kinds of albums don’t come along every day.