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Ill-Starred Son
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:10 pm
Posts: 1420
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 11:26 pm 
 

So I realized recently that I don't actually own all that many NWOBHM albums or really know the scene anywhere near as well as I once thought I did and have a little cash so I want to buy 3-5 NWOBHM albums by bands whose albums I either don't own (or maybe if I only have one that isn't very good) and I wanted to see what people would recommend.

Bands I own albums by and so am not interested in: Iron Maiden, Venom, Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Pagan Altar, Witchfynde, Witchfinder General, Hell, Marquis de Sade, Blitzkrieg, Satan.

Honestly, that's about it. I also have one Saxon album which I THINK is Destiny, and I really don't like it, but if they have any better albums I might like I'm open minded, and Raven's "Rock Until You Drop" which I think I thought was decent but haven't listened to in years.

I should specify that I know that NWOBHM isn't necessarily a specific style but rather, a scene, and the bands I tend to like best have that sound that is similar to Diamond Head, Angel Witch and Satan. That's just a style I really dig. Of course I love Venom, Pagan Altar and Witchfinder General, but I tend to think that not that many other NWOBHM sound like those, but if any do I'm all ears.

The only album so far I'm pretty sure I'm going to get is Demon's "Night of the Demon" which seems from the reviews like something I'll really like.

Bands I don't know well but am considering: Samson, Quartz, Tygers of Pan Tang, Tank, Holocaust, and that's about it.

I tend to be drawn towards bands' debut albums a lot of the time also just out of collectors' interest, but not if those aren't one of their best albums, and I love anything with any kind of occult themes or anything at all similar to King Diamond or Mercyful Fate.

I just kind of want to catch up on what people think the best NWOBHM albums I don't own are.

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MetlaNZ
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:45 pm
Posts: 2695
Location: Lost in Necropolis
PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2022 5:13 am 
 

It's pretty hard to recommend just 3-5 and you seem to already have an idea of what you're after already, here's a bunch that I consider essential and any NWOBHM fan worth their salt should have em:

Holocaust - The Nightcomers '81/ Live (Hot Curry & Wine) '83
Saxon - Wheels Of Steel '80 / Strong Arm Of The Law '80 / Denim & Leather '81 [These 3 are the greatest Saxon albums and are essential! Can't believe you started with Destiny...]
Raven - Rock Until You Drop '81 / Wiped Out '82 / All For One '83
Trespass - The Works [Comp] & The Works II [Comp]
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Wild Cat '80 / Spellbound '81
Vardis - 100 M.P.H. '80
Samson - Head On '80 / Shock Tactics '81
Def Leppard - On Through The Night '80
Girlschool - Demolition '80 / Hit & Run '81
Quartz - Stand Up & Fight '80
White Spirit - S/T '80
Demon - The Unexpected Guest '82 [Much better than the debut!]
Savage - Loose 'N Lethal '83
Ritual - Widow '83
Rock Goddess - S/T '83
Mythra - Death & Destiny [Comp]
Hollow Ground - Warlord [Comp]
Race Against Time - Time Waits For No Man [Comp][It's got Hell's main man so therefore is essential!]
Tank - Filth Hounds Of Hades '82
Jaguar - Power Games '83
Tokyo Blade - S/T '83
Wolf - Edge Of The World '84
Blind fury - Out Of Reach '84
Cloven Hoof - S/T '84
Tytan - Rough Justice '85
Desolation Angels - S/T '86
Elixir - The Son Of Odin '86

OK, here's 5 that you should get first:

Saxon - Wheels Of Steel
Raven - Rock Until You Drop
Holocaust - The Nightcomers
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Wild Cat
Samson - Head On

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Ill-Starred Son
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:10 pm
Posts: 1420
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2022 3:05 pm 
 

MetlaNZ wrote:
It's pretty hard to recommend just 3-5 and you seem to already have an idea of what you're after already, here's a bunch that I consider essential and any NWOBHM fan worth their salt should have em:

Holocaust - The Nightcomers '81/ Live (Hot Curry & Wine) '83
Saxon - Wheels Of Steel '80 / Strong Arm Of The Law '80 / Denim & Leather '81 [These 3 are the greatest Saxon albums and are essential! Can't believe you started with Destiny...]
Raven - Rock Until You Drop '81 / Wiped Out '82 / All For One '83
Trespass - The Works [Comp] & The Works II [Comp]
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Wild Cat '80 / Spellbound '81
Vardis - 100 M.P.H. '80
Samson - Head On '80 / Shock Tactics '81
Def Leppard - On Through The Night '80
Girlschool - Demolition '80 / Hit & Run '81
Quartz - Stand Up & Fight '80
White Spirit - S/T '80
Demon - The Unexpected Guest '82 [Much better than the debut!]
Savage - Loose 'N Lethal '83
Ritual - Widow '83
Rock Goddess - S/T '83
Mythra - Death & Destiny [Comp]
Hollow Ground - Warlord [Comp]
Race Against Time - Time Waits For No Man [Comp][It's got Hell's main man so therefore is essential!]
Tank - Filth Hounds Of Hades '82
Jaguar - Power Games '83
Tokyo Blade - S/T '83
Wolf - Edge Of The World '84
Blind fury - Out Of Reach '84
Cloven Hoof - S/T '84
Tytan - Rough Justice '85
Desolation Angels - S/T '86
Elixir - The Son Of Odin '86

OK, here's 5 that you should get first:

Saxon - Wheels Of Steel
Raven - Rock Until You Drop
Holocaust - The Nightcomers
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Wild Cat
Samson - Head On


Thanks.

I already have Raven's Rock Until You Drop. Haven't listened to it in years but not sure how much i liked it so I might need to revisist.

Does the Saxon album you recommended sound very different from Destiny? Cause that's the only album of theirs I own and I think it's terrible, but it looks like it got bad reviews on here so others must agree.

I'm surprised the Demon album I mentioned isn't on your list.

So you really think The Unexpected Guest is better than Night of the Demon?

I'll have to listen to bits and pieces of some of these albums on youtube to decide which ones I really want.

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MetlaNZ
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:45 pm
Posts: 2695
Location: Lost in Necropolis
PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2022 6:53 pm 
 

Yeah Destiny is a pile of crap. The band were trying to appeal to the US market with that one. Wheels Of Steel, Strong Arm Of The Law and Denim & Leather are full blown NWOBHM to the max and really sum up the spirit of the movement. The next couple are good too (if not great), but the band had their sights on the US after that and went down the commercial path of un-metal suckiness.
Night Of The Demon was only a half good album, seriously. The title track is however wicked and easily the best track on the album. The Unexpected Guest is a much, much better album overall.
All I can suggest is take your time. Check em all out. Some of them will click straight away, others will take time, some may not do it for you at all. But believe me, NWOBHM collecting can get addictive and you can easily waste a lot of money on stuff that's not worthy. Try before you buy.
Happy hunting dude.

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Ill-Starred Son
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:10 pm
Posts: 1420
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Jun 05, 2022 3:14 pm 
 

Yeah, I'm thinking most likely I'll get Demon-Unexpected Guest, Saxon-Wheels of Steel, Samson--Head on and Holocaust--Nightcomers, with the Tygers of Pan Tang as a possibility as well, but I'll listen a little on youtube before I buy.

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Blackavar1974
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:10 am
Posts: 8
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Jun 05, 2022 3:45 pm 
 

I don't have too many bands outside the ones you mentioned, but I would also highly recommend Nightcomers by Holocaust.

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Opus
Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
Posts: 4266
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Sun Jun 05, 2022 7:50 pm 
 

Get Saxon's live album The Eagle has Landed
Tank - Filth Hounds Of Hades
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Spellbound
Chateaux - Chained and Desperate
Grim Reaper - See You in Hell

Not NWOBHM, but the only band from back then that I know of that are somewhat similar to Mercyful Fate is Overdrive (Swe). They have sort of the same feel to the guitar riffing.
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Dungeon_Vic
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:00 am
Posts: 1576
Location: Greece
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:28 am 
 

MetlaNZ's and Opus' lists are fine - I'll just:

- voice my preference for Spellbound by Tygers of Pan Tang (but both are essential NWOBHM)

- second Grim Reaper's See You In Hell, Steve Grimmet (vocals) is one of the greats (also in Chateaux as per recommendation above and I'd very much recommend the frowned upon In Search of Sanity by Onslaught and Lionsheart's s/t, Malmsteen meets Dio - Hear n' aid), Rock You to Hell, even though it's technically outside the NWOBHM period (1987) is great too.

- You really got unlucky with Saxon. Destiny is their Eat the Heat (only that was a much better album for what it was) or their Risk. They got back on track in a spectacular fashion with Dogs of War and especially Unleash the Beast

- Cloven Hoof's first 3 are classics but the real shit is Sultan's Ransom imo, it's just not really NWOBHM (1989, more like USPM).
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Ill-Starred Son
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:10 pm
Posts: 1420
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:34 pm 
 

Dungeon_Vic wrote:
MetlaNZ's and Opus' lists are fine - I'll just:

- voice my preference for Spellbound by Tygers of Pan Tang (but both are essential NWOBHM)

- second Grim Reaper's See You In Hell, Steve Grimmet (vocals) is one of the greats (also in Chateaux as per recommendation above and I'd very much recommend the frowned upon In Search of Sanity by Onslaught and Lionsheart's s/t, Malmsteen meets Dio - Hear n' aid), Rock You to Hell, even though it's technically outside the NWOBHM period (1987) is great too.

- You really got unlucky with Saxon. Destiny is their Eat the Heat (only that was a much better album for what it was) or their Risk. They got back on track in a spectacular fashion with Dogs of War and especially Unleash the Beast

- Cloven Hoof's first 3 are classics but the real shit is Sultan's Ransom imo, it's just not really NWOBHM (1989, more like USPM).



Is Grim Reaper's "See You in Hell" better or any different stylistically than Rock You to Hell? Because I HATED that album. I mean, the title song gets stuck in my head, but otherwise, not my style.

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DanielG06
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 8:11 pm
Posts: 535
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2022 7:28 am 
 

Tank - Filth Hounds of Hades, a bunch of other people have said this because it's a classic
Tokyo Blade - s/t
Riot V - Thundersteel
Thin Lizzy - Johnny The Fox
Virtue - We Stand To Fight (if you can find a copy)

You might be disappointed with Night of The Demon, it may just not be for me but when I bought the record it was way less energetic/fun than I expected it to be.
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Dungeon_Vic
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:00 am
Posts: 1576
Location: Greece
PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:12 am 
 

I personally prefer Rock You to Hell over both previous albums but definitely not hating on See You to Hell. The difference between them is a much better production and I would argue better songs with more hooks. The title track and album opener is a classic.

Most people wouldn't count Thin Lizzy as NWOBHM but Lars did! Classic album anyway.
But Riot's Thundersteel is a huge stretch, partly because it's 1988 but mostly because they are American :P 11/10 album though. A fan of NWOBHM should dig their early years (Fire Down Under, 1981 is the obvious choice).
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Vic's Dungeon - Remember the Fallen:
Jeff Hanneman: Evil Notes and Sad Riffs
Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
Paul Baloff (Exodus)
Holy Terror and Keith Deen
Roger Patterson (Atheist)

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