aaamusic | On 20, Apr 2011

Various Artists

Classic Rock Presents: New Wave Of British Heavy Metal

That most weighty and patriotic of musical vanguards, the NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL, now over three decades old, continues to inspire and be a cause for celebration of those glorious days of wanton metal abandon. And to acknowledge that great period in heavy music, Universal/Sanctuary Records has teamed-up with those good folk at METAL HAMMER & CLASSIC ROCK magazine to forge this illustrious 20 track array of sheer power and metal ferocity.

The names speak for themselves – Saxon, Venom, Diamond Head, Girlschool, Angel Witch, Tygers Of Pan Tang…the list goes on…and just like the scene that first produced these great names, the NWOBHM continues to capture the imagination of Metal fans both old and new. Much like the way Punk broke down barricades just a few years before it, the NWOBHM is held aloft today as an era where enough self-belief and grim determination could take a band to a voracious audience without the need for industry tastemakers and record company marketers relying on consumer fore-casts to manipulate their next target market.

Well over 200 bands emerged during this period and many released records on their own labels whilst others such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Diamond Head would forge lengthy careers recording for major companies such as, EMI and Mercury. The enthusiasm for Heavy Metal during this period also helped to revitalise the careers of bands from the previous era such as Motörhead and Deep Purple’s departing vocalist, Ian Gillan, whilst across the pond, bands such as Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer built their new styles on the foundation of this U.K. scene.

As we begin the second decade of the 21st Century, Heavy Metal music has never been in a healthier state and it is fitting that the NWOBHM, three decades prior, is acknowledged as a period when fans took the music into their own hands and reinforced Heavy Metal as music to a way of life, and not just a fashion.