Rhythm & Booze An online music webzine created by music lovers for music lovers.

It would seem some what apt to be sitting down and putting metaphorical pen to paper to wax lyrical over a compilation of the best on New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

You see my first real true musical love was the somewhat dulcet tones of metal, I spent much of my youth scrambling around record shops and car boot sales looking for anything that looked remotely rock or metal. At one point in my formative years I literally craved the sound of an electric guitar being cranked up to ten, a crack of drums and a vocal screamer shredding his tonsils for my benefit. I used to but Kerrang every week, Raw every month and whatever other short lived metal publication hit our local newstand. My bedroom wall (well my side of the shared room) used to be plastered with photos of scary looking men with their guitars of choice or leather clad girl singers.

In later years my tastes have diversified (for the better) but even now I still hold a torch for those glory days, those days when nothing mattered more than donning my leather jacket and heading out in a search of a loud guitar. 

Just the other day I picked up a book by a guy called Seb Hunter entitled Hell Bent For Leather Confessions Of A Heavy Metal Addict and despite I never formed a band(well I almost did, we had lyrics just no musical ability) or ran off to London to become a star I found the book somewhat poignant, you see if you liked metal you really liked metal there is no half way house you just had to know your stuff and like Seb I once knew my stuff.

Anyway enough nostalgia lets get onto the this NWOBHM (if you know your stuff you’ll know this stands for New Wave of British Heavy Metal) compilation or as I like to call it the nearly-guys and gals of British Metal. Unless like me you were a true metalhead a great number of the bands on here may not ring a bell, there’s no Maiden or Moterhead, this is more of a collection of the bands bubbling under the big boys, though the bands on here are just as valid as any of those monsters of metal.

The CD begins with Am I Evil (a track that those Metallica fans out there will know only too well) by Midlands heroes Diamond Head, it’s a true metal classic, from the evil sounding opening to the widdling guitar solos, galloping riffs, pummeling beats and killer chorus (sure Metallica did it bigger, better and louder but this the original), it’s the perfect introduction to any compendium of NWOBHM.

From here we’re taken on a rollercoaster of riffs, squealed vocals, hard hitting drums and axe dexterity, all the second wavers are here from the omnipresent Saxon to blackened rock of Venom via the ludicrously named Tygers Of Pan Tang and Bitches Sin.

Notable highlights include the Bruce Dickenson (pre Maiden) fronted Samson with the spirited Riding With The Angels, the bolshy chugging rock of Girl, the “we can do whatever the guys can do only louder” frantic girl power of Girlschool with the evergreen urgency of C’mon Let’s Go. Raven nod their heads towards the forthcoming thrash and speed metal scenes with Hard Ride, whilst Irish rockers Sweet Savage offer up the first sighting of (soon to be guitar rock god) Vivian Campbell before his Whitesnake and Def Leppard tenure. And then there’s Vardis who offer up a ballsy rock n roll number entitled If I Were King, perhaps the best thing on here and I have to be honest I’m a little ignorant to all their previous output, so guess I might have to do some more investigating (see one a rocker always a rocker!)

Sure there are a few clunkers on here I’m not sure even I remember the organ assisted melodic pap of White Spirit or Midlands based rockers Dark Star and there’s a reason for that, but on the whole this album is a worthy reminder of a long lost scene or perhaps an introduction to yesteryears heroes for the current metal lover, a lesson in where todays modern day metal bands nicked all their best ideas.

I’ve got to say after listening to the twenty tracks on here, I found myself dusting down that air guitar and striking my best pose in front of the mirror to the hilarity of the wife, but hey she never had that metal phase, she doesn’t understand.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 8