SAPPHIRE (UK-Preston) - Sapphire (demo, 1982) plus II (demo, 1983)

RATING: 7/10

Perhaps we can describe this as a pre-review? I mean, it recently came to my knowledge that Lancashire's Sapphire (not to be confused with their - also pretty good - London namesakes) are going to receive a proper CD/LP release at long last, compiling the couple independent releases that are know to us to this day (and perhaps, fingers crossed, some yet-unreleased curios as well?). It made my day knowing this really, as I have been an ardent admirer of the band for roughly 20 years now, having been lucky enough to download both cassette releases via SoulSeek in 2006 or thereabouts - or was it even earlier, maybe a year or so? I can't really remember now, but fact is it was love at first listen, and (though I was never able to locate and/or acquire original copies myself) I'm very thankful that the mp3 files and picture scans came my way in a period when (even with the invaluable help of landmark sources of info such as Malc McMillan's NWOBHM Encyclopedia) I simply wasn't even aware they ever existed, let alone looking for their music. That Sapphire's music will finally be available in proper, collectable formats got me so pumped up that I've been listening to their music all day, and ultimately felt it would be a good time as any to write a few lines about it - not only as a reference to their charming and catchy brand of NWOBHM music, but also as a strong incentive to every good reader to buy a copy as soon as possible, as (just like it came to be the case with Turbo's magnificent "Charged for... Glory" compilation from Cult Metal Classics) I'm pretty sure it will be one of the most valuable additions to the NWOBHM retrospective releases in recent memory.

There's no doubt the upcoming release will offer plenty of interesting trivia and first-hand accounts about Sapphire (and I damn sure want you to buy it when it comes out), so I won't make any exhaustive efforts to tell every single snippet of info I know about the band (not that I actually know their history in minute detail, you know). Still, some context is always welcome, am I right? The group was originally formed in Preston, Lancashire in November 1981, and it originally worked as a trio with brothers Graham (G) and David Coupe (D) alongside Stewart Mayor (B), putting a number of original numbers together before recruiting Jan Holmes as a lead singer. After a few shows, Mayor left and Ian Dargie (B) took his place, and new singer Dave Drew was invited into the fun, with Holmes assuming keyboard duties instead. This is the line-up that recorded the band's first tape at the local Countdown Studios in the final months of 1982, which allegedly sold in excess of 400 copies and got a very good response in places like Belgium (where they seem to have become something of a pirate-rock-radio sensation for a while) and the Netherlands. Some line-up changes were on the horizon though, with David Coupe and Dave Drew leaving and being substituted by Carl Parker (D) and Ben Morris (V), and this 5-piece would record in June 1983 the five tracks that comprise their second and final tape release. Things looked very promising for a while, and their first (and, so far, only) vinyl appearance as part of the "It's Unheard Of!" compilation in 1984 (with an abridged version of "Encounter") sure have done their chances no harm whatsoever. But no further music was ever heard from the band, and it seems that Sapphire were no longer active by the 1985 or thereabouts. They seem to have been pretty determined in their quest for fame and fortune, going to great lengths to spread their tapes wherever possible and getting as far as planning a full Belgian tour for 1984 (which I'm sure never came to be, unfortunately), so I suppose the lads, having given their best shot for a few very eventful years, ultimately concluded the band had run its course and collectively opted to disband, in order to pursue other interests. None of the members resurfaced in any other bands of note, at least that I'm aware of, but I'm sure the forthcoming compilation will offer us some much welcome extra info in due course. 

The first demo (a release that, given its careful presentation, have been described by different sources as a cassette album) is perhaps slightly more widely known than the sophomore "II" tape, but fact is that most metalheads out there (including a large percentage of NWOBHM enthusiasts) are simply unfamiliar with Sapphire's music, which is a clear indication that the world has gone completely mad indeed. What we hear in "Sapphire" (the debut tape) is elegant, dynamic heavy metal with more than a taste of 70's hard rock (most of all in the style of choice of singer David Drew) and generous connections to the then-flourishing prog rock revival scene, most of all due to the prominent (but not at all intrusive) use of keyboards. In fact, two of the tracks here featured ("Autumn" and "Freeflight") are instrumental cuts with more than a leaning towards full-blown proggy music - and, to be frank, both are little more than keyboard-driven filler that, regardless of its good intentions, won't do much for most metal palates, I'm afraid. That being said, the rest of the material is very good, even surprisingly original in places, as one have to consider the musicians involved were in their early twenties at the very most. Opening track "Encounter" is quite a blast actually, a tale about a contact with alien spaceships that (despite the somewhat silly lyrics) really captures the listener's attention without ever letting go. The use of keyboards is very clever (with melodies that are quite reminiscent of "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind", who would have ever guessed), the mid-tempo drive of the song works beautifully and the vocal lines are truly enjoyable, most of all the very memorable chorus. It has its rough edges, that's for sure, but it's still a remarkably catchy tune that is sure to live rent-free inside your mind for quite a while after listening to it.

But Sapphire are not one-hit-wonders, mind you. "Love is the Feeling" is a delightful, hard-hitting tune that strongly brings to mind a slightly more melodic Trespass (the riffs, though surely not a carbon-copy, are actually not that dissimilar to "One of These Days", incidentally), whereas "Back on the Streets" (enhanced by a simple, but very nice atmospheric mid session) and "Two Timer" are your typical NWOBHM fare - and I mean it in the best way possible, these being tracks that bands like A II Z and Bashful Alley would be glad to call their own. "Crazy" is a mellower tune that starts rather unpromising, but gains a lot of oomph when the guitars kick in, and final track "Battle for Freedom" is a more epic cut with more pretentious arrangements - and, though not a award-winning display of faultless songwriting (it kinda sounds like the lads are struggling to keep it together in places), it's still a commendable step in the right direction in the learning curve towards the most complex end of the metal spectrum. All in all, a pretty nice collection of songs for such a young act, and one that should really gather a fair dose of attention from the record labels of the day, if there was any justice in the world.

The second tape (succintly-named "II") shows some perceivable differences in the band's approach, with arrangements clearly leaning towards a more polished, proggy sound - though never letting their hard/heavy fans down, you can rest assured of that. Actually, I tend to think that songs like "One Last Chance" and most of all "Third Precinct Seventeen" show Sapphire under the most favorable light, with the 5-piece surely moving towards a sound that is all their own, without any obvious comparisons with anyone else. In fact, I'd say "Third Precinct Seventeen" is my favorite song from Sapphire (and I pretty much like them all, you know), with colourful lyrics about some personal tragedy carried along by forceful, dynamic guitar riffing and pretty colourful performances from all members. The stop-and-go chorus is memorable as hell, and I can't help but think how nice if will be if some modern NWOTHM band ever pick this one up as a cover, giving it a proper reworking and more modern production values. "One Last Chance" is a more typical heavy rock number, but I simply love the keyboards on this one, and another catchy chorus is sure to replay into your brain for days after listening to it. 

"851216" is a bit more laid back, with keyboard melodies that float above the rest of the band almost like a different song - this actually being pretty nice, as it gives the track something of a ethereal, slightly haunting vibe. But the verses and chorus are not that memorable to be frank, the track as a whole failing to reach the heights of its two predecessors. Final tracks "Coming of the Storm" and "Twilight Watcher" are the most adventurous of the batch, though not moving too deep into flamboyant arrangements or busy displays of dexterity - let's face it, the lads playing it were undeniably talented, but not skilled enough to awe the world with their musicianship just yet. "Coming of the Storm" starts as a pretty decent mid-tempo number with pensive lyrics until halfway through, when it lays the pedal to the floor and launches into a fast-and-furious section that, albeit pretty simple, still works out quite nicely. "Twilight Watcher", on the other hand, is not that long (4-minutes straight), but I'd say it's very ambitious for its running time, with nice guitar-keys dialogues and a few surprising changes in dynamics that can really take the listener off guard. It also gets pretty heavy towards the end, though it doesn't quite take it to the limit like in the previous track. A pretty nice piece of music nonetheless, and it comes to show that Sapphire had a fair number of tricks under their sleeves after all, and could have evolved into something truly special if given a modicum of encouragement and financial backing.

As stated above, I'm not familiar with the events that led to Sapphire's disbanding, but I sincerely hope some much belated adulation will come their way at long last, and a few comeback shows would be something of a dream come true really. I'd definitely try to schedule my vacations and book a travel to wherever they would play, if I can only find the time (and the money) to do so! It's all only a wild conjecture of mine by this point, but the world is always full of surprises (the Bleak House reunion was quite unexpected for instance, at least for me), so just let me dream a little, right? While none of it comes to fruition, and the Sapphire CD/LP is a promise rather than a reality, let's hold on to the mp3 files (or the old tapes, if you lucky to have it) for a while, savoring the taste of pleasant dreams on their way to become truth. I'll drink to that tonight.

David Drew (V), Graham Coupe (G), Ian Dargie (B), Ian Holmes (K/V), David Coupe (D).

01. Encounter (D.Coupe, Drew, G.Coupe, Dargie, Holmes) 5:15
02. Autumn (Holmes) 1:11
03. Back on the Streets (G.Coupe) 3:43
04. Crazy (G.Coupe) 4:24
05. Love is the Feeling (D.Coupe, Drew, G.Coupe) 4:00
06. Two Timer (G.Coupe) 3:19
07. Freeflight (G.Coupe) 2:46
08. Battle for Freedom (D.Coupe, G.Coupe, Holmes, S.Mayor) 3:37

Ben Holmes (V), Graham Coupe (G), Ian Dargie (B), Ian Holmes (K/V), Carl Parker (D).

01. Third Precinct Seventeen (G.Coupe) 5:08
02. One Last Chance (G.Coupe) 4:43
03. 851216 (G.Coupe) 4:36
04. Coming of the Storm (G.Coupe, Holmes) 6:05
05. Twilight Watcher (G.Coupe, Dargie, Holmes) 4:09

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

GYPP (UK) - Gypsy Dee - The Legendary Gypp Studio Sessions (CD, Jarmusic, 2001)

RATING: 6/10

For a while, all us poor collectors and enthusiasts knew about Gypp is that they recorded a 'proto-NWOBHM' offering in 1978 (the "Yaah!" EP whose review you can kindly read a few scrollings below), that such piece of wax was (and still is) a rarity that would take a fair chunk of your monthly salary to add to your collection and, well, not very much else. Fortunately, their collective history is now far less obscure than it used to be, and I'm glad to offer some solid info on what happened to the lads in the years following their sole original claim to vinyl fame. In fact, the band suffered a major blow not long after "Yaah!" was out, this being the departure of singer and main songwriter Martin Newell following some not-remotely-encouraging reviews to the band's debut release. Unsure about his role in the music scene, and feeling hurt by the cynical response to his early efforts (including a full album with his first band, Pond, that was shelved without ceremony by their ailing record label), Newell decided to hide in the shadows for a while, writing music solely for himself while trying to figure out his next move. It seems to have been a mostly amicable break-up, and he allowed Gypp to keep his compositions as part of their repertoire for the time being. As we all know, Newell would find his niche within the lo-fi, cassette-collecting scene, and his project The Cleaners from Venus is still one of the most legendary and well-regarded names when it comes to this convoluted, enduring subculture. As for Gypp, they ultimately decided to soldier on, but it was clear for everyone that they would have a hard time without their frontman and main creative force.

The tracks comprising this "Gypsy Dee - The Legendary Gypp Studio Sessions" (the "Gypp CD", oh boy how clever) were put together by the Jarmusic label from Germany, a place where (quite bizarrely) the lads seem to have been quite well regarded almost from day one. Most of it (tracks 1 to 8 from the 13 here featured) are demo recordings, laid down in the period after Newell's departure and showcasing their then-new singer Jock Davies. It transpires that Gypp had set up something of a home studio for a while, recording a few tunes to evaluate their own development as a unit, and I don't think any of such demos made it into wider circulation at the time. The recording dates are now impossible to reveal with any great certainty, though it's common knowledge that gigs under the Gypp moniker were scheduled until at least 1981, so you don't need a Mathematics degree to assume it was all recorded at the turn of the decade, most probably between 1979 and 1980. The sound quality is pretty good overall, and I wouldn't be surprised if the lads were actually dreaming about an independent album or something, as the recording values are definitely better than many underground offerings from the period.

It's clear on first listen that the lads were trying to expand their sound and achieve something of a unique personality, with different band members trying their luck with songwriting - though some ideas from Martin Newell are kept, most of all in "Starz Ain't Burning", that totally sounds like a song that could be in their "Yaah!" EP in case they wanted to expand it into a full album or something. No wonder it's one of the most accomplish tracks here, with the perfect balance of proggy and indie that the lads seems to have struggled to find on their own. Nothing around here can really be labeled as NWOBHM, but songs like the aforementioned "Starz Ain't Burning", "Sad Boyz" (strong glam rock vibes here) and most of all "Walking Finger" are the closer you'll ever get when it comes to this band, this latter tune being a hard rocking beauty with nice vocals and busy, dynamic (and sometimes quite melodic) guitar work. On the other hand, "Shoe Box" and "Headlights" seems to show Gypp trying their luck with power pop, the latter showcasing a chorus that could easily be part of a B-side from the Buzzcocks (I kid you not), though the prominent use of keyboards and the somewhat convoluted arrangements in both tracks still remind us we're not dealing with Badfinger clones after all. Songs like "Airship" and "Solaris" are more strongly tied to the whole prog rock thing, though still with pretty direct songwriting and centered around straightforward ideas that are reasonably easy to follow through. The songs are mostly good, though a few oddballs like "Lady Godiva" simply don't work that well I'm afraid, and some of the more sedated tunes (like opener "Airship") would surely benefit from just a tad more heaviness here and there in order to liven then up a little. All things considered, it's a interesting and quite adventurous batch of compositions, but it lacks a more tangible sense of direction if you ask me, being a bit difficult to imagine what kind of audience Gypp were trying to conquer after all. Oh well, maybe they were just having fun and enjoying the hell out of it, without bothering too much with pleasing people and all that, which of course is totally fine. I reckon the record labels never really stood at their door with contract offers and such, but you can't have it all, can you?

The final five tracks are taken from one of Gypp's comeback gigs in Germany (played in Gutersloh on September 7th, 1996), when they experienced something of a mini-revival in the region - and even Martin Newell himself agreed to rejoin them for the purposes of such a jaunt, so I'm pretty sure it was all quite eventful. The tapes were probably taken straight from the mixing desk - it sounds pretty good overall, with everything nice and clean as expected, but it lacks some of the punch one would expect from a live recording, as is often the case with similar-sourced material. Nothing too objectionable though, and I think these cuts are a suitable addendum to the studio material preceding it. From this portion of the CD, my favorite would be "Greek Title", a truly endearing song with imaginative arrangements and a long, beautiful guitar solo. It's not exactly heavy, but the mixture of indie-rocking riffing and proggy aspirations actually work out very well on this one, and its nearly 9 minutes go by like it was half as long. "Best Suit" is also nice, with a somewhat more dramatic vibe, enhanced by catchy vocal lines and a prominent drum pattern that really drags the song along quite nicely - it's indie rock, granted, but still vigorous enough to be worth checking out. There's also a version of "Marigoldz" that sound slightly different from the EP, though I'd say the original recording is more my cup of tea. "Boots and Trousers" is way closer to power pop territory once again, and also has something of a cabaret vibe to it, with double-meaning lyrics and an overall presentation that sounds more like a jokey track rather than anything meant to be taken seriously - but the audience seems to love it really, so what do I know, huh? "Eliza", on the other hand, is a pop-rockish semi-ballad that somehow makes me thing of The Housemartins, or perhaps a slightly less poppy version of The Cars (yeah, I know, these analogies are getting weirder by the minute), this obviously meaning your heavy metal thirst will hardly be quenched while listening to it. Whatever the case, it's a charming and light-hearted memento from a band revisiting their own past, and it rounds off this compilation in a mostly adequate manner.

As stated above, all activity surrounding the Gypp guise seem to have ceased after 1981 - which is not to say the musicians involved simply decided to hang their boots and find some day jobs immediately after that. In fact, the 4-man nucleus of Tony Phillips (now also assuming lead vocals), Ian Peppercorn, Brian Rudd and John Butters decided that their previous moniker had run its course, and rechristened themselves as Horizontal Brian, while also leaving their prog-rockish aspirations behind and fully adopting a new wave, electronic-infused pop rock sound. They got as far as releasing a full length LP ("Vertical") in 1983, issued by the Gold Mountain label and mixed by none other than Graham Gouldman of 10CC fame. A few numbers from their Gypp days were reworked, but most of the tracks are unique to the LP - and I'd say it's a mostly decent release worthy of a spin or two for curiosity alone, though we're obviously miles away from anything remotely metallic and therefore I won't delve into a more strict analysis of its contents. The band seems to have folded not long after, with Tony Phillips (who also collaborated with Martin Newell in side projects Stray Trolleys and Dead Students) relocating to the USA and enjoying a successful career as an audio engineer and mixer. Brian Rudd had some level of involvement with an indie/leftfield combo named Purr, and I'm glad to say that he and Ian Peppercorn have recently reunited as a duo under the name Trash Humanica, even revisiting a fair number of Gypp material from the dim and distant past. Drummer John Butters also kept busy through the years, lending a hand to his old friend Martin Newell in a number of The Cleaners from Venus recordings, as well as being a full member in acts such as the Groove Doctors and Mean Red Spiders. It's always heartwarming to learn of talented musicians that keep doing their stuf for the sheer hell of it, and I wish them all nothing but the best for the future, really.

It may seem it's the end of the story as far as this humble blog is concerned, but it's not quite like that, actually. As far as the Gypp name goes, there's still an elusive appearance in a local-band compilation named "So You Think We're All Farmers" from 1981, to which they contributed with "Physical Wreck" - a track I never heard and have no idea how it sounds like (incidentally, Tony Phillips also appears with a solo number named "Working in Pyjamas", later reworked by Horizontal Brian). As if it wasn't enough, there's also a full live album out there, named "Reunion Concert" and with exclusive tracks such as "Cream Diesel", "Heart Like a Slum", "Pregnant Pause" and "Slumming Again". If you can ever help this poor reviewer to get hold of one (or both) of such items, whether in physical media or mp3 format, please be kind enough to drop us a line...

Million thanks to Discogs for tin can photos and label scans

Jock Davies (V - 1 to 8), Martin Newell (V - 9 to 13), Ian Peppercorn (G), Tony Phillips (B, V), Brian Rudd (K, V), John Butters (D).

01. Airship (Rudd, Davies) 4:22
02. Sad Boyz (Rudd, Newell) 2:58
03. Shoe Box (Phillips) 3:01
04. Walking Finger (Peppercorn, Davies) 3:37
05. Lady Godiva (Peppercorn) 3:04
06. Starz Ain't Burning (Newell) 4:10
07. Headlights (Phillips) 3:02
08. Solaris (Gypp) 3:33
09. Best Suit (live) (Phillips) 4:22
10. Boots and Trousers (live) (Phillips) 3:52
11. Greek Title (live) (Peppercorn, Newell) 8:43
12. Marigoldz (live) (Newell) 4:31
13. Eliza (live) (Phillips) 5:42

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

GYPP (UK) - Yaah! (7'' EP, Acorn/Shy Talk Records, 1978)

RATING: 7/10

It took a long while before people could really make their minds about this mysterious Gypp and where to insert in the NWOBHM multiverse. One of the hindering factors was, of course, that it was damn difficult to listen to their "Yaah!" EP from 1978, let alone own a copy, so there were obviously a lot of uncertainty and hearsay surrounding their music. Fortunately, things started to clear as the online metal community gained strenght, and now it's relatively easy to tell the history with significant detail and securely sepparating truth from gossip - though such developments also made clear that Gypp belongs in the very periphery of the NWOBHM as far as music is concerned, even the more broad (and sometimes quite misleading) 'proto-NWOBHM' tag being a bit of a stretch in this particular case. It's now fairly common knowledge that Gypp was one of the early band experiences of Martin Newell, a singer-songwriter responsible for cult acts like the Cleaners from Venus and the Brotherhood of Lizards, a prominent figure in the cassette culture of the 1970-80s while also being regarded as an important poet in modern English literature. This fact in itself adds a significant bit of interest to this 7'', not to mention some extra digits every time it pops up for sale - though it's fair to say it was always a very rare item that you would hardly find in the bargain bin of your local second-hand shop. 

The group were already doing the rounds in their local Suffolk area when Newell joined them in late 1975, after a fruitful but somewhat frustrating experience with an outfit named Plod, a glam rock combo that nearly released an album for Banjul Records but quickly folded when the record was shelved due to the label's bankruptcy. Upon his arrival, Newell sure took much of the creative side of the band to himself, writing a number of songs and giving some definitely pop-oriented leanings to their prog rock style of choice. They were a popular live act not only in and around their home area, but also in Germany, where their music seems to have been very well received even before any vinyl product was out. Quite peculiar indeed, but not at all unjustified, as their "Yaah!" EP is a reasonably interesting (though slightly oddball) listening experience - just don't go for it expecting any skull-crushing metal assault and you'll be fine, I guess. 

Opening track "Marigoldz" is perhaps the closer we get to heavy rock territory around here, and the only one that would credibly warrant the 'proto-NWOBHM' tag, but bear in mind we're talking about very borderline material here - if you ever heard bands like The Movie Stars, Tutch or Sidewinder perhaps you can catch my drift. The keyboards give something of a proggy flavor to the track, but it's mostly a simple, good-time rocking tune that sounds pretty innofensive, but still pleasant enough to deserve a few listens (and the lyrics are quite funny too). "Titania" is a more typical prog rock ballad with atmospheric keys floating above a pretty straightforward song construction. I like the guitar solo on this one, very melodic and reasonably powerful, but the track as a whole is no more than decent, I'm afraid. "Sister Darling" runs for the entirety of the B side, and I must say it's my personal favorite here, though one should not take this as indication that it's a more metallic offering than the rest. It's surely the song where the contrasting indie/pop and prog rock elements unite in the most effective manner, resulting in a very melodic, but still quite busy variant that brings to mind a crossover between Haze and Marillion, if such bizarre image makes any sense at all. Not the heaviest song ever commited to tape, but still a pretty interesting and quite individualistic piece well worthy of your attention, most of all if you're interested in the prog rock scene going on in the UK pretty much in unison with the NWOBHM explosion. 

Though surely well received by their small-but-loyal fanbase, this "Yaah!" EP (its, ahem, title probably being a reference to the scream Martin Newell delivers at the start of "Marigoldz") didn't receive a similar welcome from the critics, with a scathing review on New Musical Express being perticularly disheartening to the lads. Those were still the punk rock days, you see, and the brand of music Gypp was willing to bring to the table surely wasn't what the hype demanded at the time. I wouldn't go as far as saying Gypp were cruelly overlooked, as their EP wasn't exactly a stunning display of groundbreaking musicianship just yet, but it seems fair to say they had some promise in them, and it's a bit of a shame that they were never given a proper chance to develop into the next level. It would never come to be anyway, as Newell decided to take an extended sabbathical from the music scene, writing songs in private but refraining from any live activities for a number of years. He would change his mind in later years as we all know, first with a recording-only project named The Stray Trolleys, later fulfilling his lo-fi indie aspirations with the Cleaners from Venus - two projects that, in one form or another, are still going strong to this day. He also released a few solo efforts, and more recently launched a duo named Light Music Company along with Rachel Love (a singer who achieved some minor UK success with a group named Dolly Mixture). With dozens of releases to his credit, along with a strong career both as a author and columnist, Newell is a truly creative mind with an impressive body of work and deserves nothing but respect, though most of his musical input is of little interest for us metalheads.

Though undeniably a hard blow, the departure of Martin Newell didn't quite meant the end of the line for Gypp just yet. After a period of soul-searching, the remaining band members decided to keep plugging in, recruiting new singer Jock Davies along the way. This line-up would lay down a number of demos, later compiled by Jarmusic as the "Gypsy Dee - The Legendary Gypp Studio Sessions" CD from 2001. In fact, such was the respect Gypp garnered in Germany during their heyday that the band performed a few reunion gigs there in 1996, even recruiting Martin Newell to join the fun. But let's not rush things, as a proper review of these late-period misdemeanors is just around the corner...

Million thanks to Discogs for picture sleeve and label scans

Martin Newell (V), Ian Peppercorn (G), Tony Phillips (B), Brian Rudd (K), John Butters (D). All tracks written by M. Newell.

01. Marigoldz 3:55
02. Titania 4:37
03. Sister Darling 6:34

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

HOLOCAUST (UK-Wales) - Slay That Dragon (12'' EP, Piledriver, 19??)

RATING: 7/10

Ok folks, when it comes to insanely obscure NWOBHM, this is about as rare as it gets. In fact, people were making huge waves around this Holocaust (obviously not the Scottish combo) and their "Slay that Dragon" 3-tracker in the early 2010's, when surprising news about the record's existence suddenly took the collecting scene by storm. As you can gather, after decades of squandering every possible place in the UK in search for esoteric slices of vinyl released by British metal bands in the late '70s-early '80s, there's very little left out there to be found, and learning of a completely unknown release (and a pretty decent one, as reports stated) was sure a remarkable thing. Of course, things soon went the usual path of exageration (with people labeling it "the holy grail of NWOBHM", which was not true as no one was looking specifically for it before it was found) and overpricing (I saw people asking five-digit prices for the real thing, believe it or not), though  it's not that out of proportion in this particular case: let's face it, it's actually pretty rare, and few of us will ever have the chance to add an original to our collection. 

Details about the record used to be very scarce (more on it in a minute), and the stories I heard about how it was located in the first place are so fanciful (bordering on self-congratulatory, to be frank) that it's difficult to accept it at face value.If you were to believe the lore around it, the EP was pressed in truly minuscule quantities (I was originally told there was only two, but that sounded too much of an exageration even back then), maybe not even going past the testing stage, and the only surviving copies were in the hands of the band members themselves, these individuals being extraordinarily shy and point-blank refusing to share any significant info about the release and its origins. Bollocks. There were way more than a handful copies pressed, some people sure bought it at gigs back then, and the musicians involved are not that impossible to locate (and/or unwilling to cooperate) after all. After a fair deal of research (and a healthy bit of good luck), I'm happy to finally share with the world some significant info about Holocaust, one of the most esoteric mysteries from the entire NWOBHM folklore!

For starters, no one seemed to know for sure where this particular Holocaust came from. In fact, there were some suspicion that they could be from Canada, as the lacquer cutting of the vinyl seemed to point out to a Canadian pressing company. It can be safely discarded as a coincidence by now, though, as I'm now able to state with a 100% degree of certainty that Holocaust were from Wales, most precisely from the town of Caerphilly. The band were already active in 1979, though is by no means impossible that they were doing the rounds even earlier than that, albeit in slightly different form. In fact, the 12'' 3-tracker (an independent release, the Pile Driver label being created by the band members themselves) have been consistently dated as from 1979, but I'm more than willing to cast some doubt on such a dating, as I have reliable info (from more than one source) that the line-up that recorded it weren't actually together until 1980, or possibly even 1981. One of the band members (the last one to join the band) was also working at Spartan Manufacturing by the time the EP was pressed there, getting as far as having a discount as a courtesy - so I'm inclined to believe his memory on the subject, which implicates that the 1979 release date should be seriously called into question. I'm sure we will be able to clarify this eventually anyway. 

BTW, the 4-piece responsible for recording "Slay that Dragon" consists of Dean Oates (vocal and rhythm guitar), John Slattery (lead guitar), Phil James (bass) and Anthony Jones (drums). It seems that Dean and John knew each other as classmates since the mid 1970's, though the original nucleus of what would become Holocaust (using a different name, now long lost in the mists of time) most probably consisted of Dean and Phil. Whatever the case, the three tracks we now know ("Slay that Dragon", "Take Me to Your Lawyer" and "So Called Civilised Way") seem to have been the only studio recordings from the group - they did have a few other self-penned tunes in their repertoire, but none of it were ever laid down on tape, I'm afraid. And now I must reveal (to the horror of many) that no less than 500 copies were pressed, with an unspecified (but not very large) number being sold at gigs in and around the Caerphilly area - and one of the original band members kept something in the region of 300 unsold and unplayed copies of it in his attic until five or six years ago, when (after concluding it was all warped and melted beyond salvation) he decided to dump them all in a refuse tip... Oh well, at least we know there are a few more pieces floating around, so there is some hope to find a still-unearthed copy of this NWOBHM ultra-collectable after all. If you happen to have good contacts in Wales, most of all in the Gwent area, ask them to keep a strong eye on the bargain bins of local parochial fairs and perhaps you may get real lucky!

Fortunately, the music itself is no longer the mystery it used to be. I remember a conversation I had many years ago with a very serious NWOBHM collector, who heard the rumors and did his very best to get at least a snippet of Holocaust's music, just to make sure it was metal after all. When someone who had it finally agreed to send this collector some music, this individual went to great lengths to make sure it would not be shared: it was recorded in an old cassette tape, deliberately in mono, with many fluctuations in EQ done on purpose so you couldn't have anything near a good time listening to it. Yeah, let's talk about not making things easy, all right. Anyway, time took its natural course, and, after at least a full decade of speculation, some enterprising individual managed to get hold of a copy, rip it in mp3 format and upload it on some metal forum online. Thanks to this good samaritan, if you know where to look after Holocaust, you damn sure can find it - and, having downloaded such files myself, I'm more than happy to drop a few lines about the music contents of this EP (and no, you can rest assured I do not own a 12'' copy of it, though I would love to get lucky sometime in the future!)

There were more than a few comments around linking Holocaust's sound to Budgie, and I must say it's not far from the mark after all. I mean, Dean Oates's vocals are nowhere near Burke Shelley territory, being more of a John Kay kind of guy, but a track like "Slay that Dragon" could easily be part of an album like "Nightflight" without being out of place at all. It's a very nice song actually, with interesting guitar interplay (including a reasonably dinamic outro) and a multi-layered, slightly atmospheric chorus that works remarkably well, despite some very simplistic lyrics. It's the best track here by quite a margin, if you ask me, which is not to say the remaining cuts are unworthy of a listen. That being said, "Take Me To Your Lawyer" (a title that, given the lyrics, is probably a mispell of "Take Me To MY Lawyer") is a more laid back track with heavy (but slightly disjointed) riffs and a somewhat confusing song structure, and I reckon the lads should have taken some extra time to hone it before taking it to a studio and recording it for posterity. "So Called Civilised Way" is an epic power ballad that runs for the entirety of the B side, and its very sedated nature would have surely benefitted from a few more dynamic arrangements in strategic places, though it's a mostly solid track that can move a few heartstrings if you're in the right frame of mind. The recording and mixing, though very basic, are decent enough and even add a few fuzzy effects in places, giving the whole EP a vibe similar to a well-recorded demo. The musicians, though obviously very young, sure knew what to do with their instruments, and the final product is pretty efficient as a NWOBHM artifact, though there's more than a hint of 1970's hard/heavy music in the proceedings.

There's obviously still a lot to learn and discover about this particular Holocaust: I'm making some extra efforts to obtain a few photos and memorabilia, for instance, though the individuals I'm in touch with have some personal issues to deal with and are more than excused to take their time before bothering to answer my requests, which is perfectly understandable. Still, I'm very glad to be able to share some info about this mystery combo after all, and you can all rest assured that any extra info that come to my knowledge will be added to this article in earnest. Some people rather play dumb with whatever info they can garner, perhaps hoping this will keep them a few steps ahead of the pack in the ruthless NWOBHM collecting scene, but I tend to think it's the opposite really: the more we collectively know, less vulnerable we are to shady individuals and their attempts to rip us off, and any snippet of data from the almost-forgotten past we come to learn is a renewed chance for talented musicians to have their music duly acknowledged and appreciated at long last. 

Extra thanks to Discogs for label scans

Dean Oates (V/G), John Slattery (G), Phil James (B) and Anthony Jones (D).

01. Slay That Dragon (James)
02. Take Me To Your Lawyer (James, Oates)
03. So Called Civilised Way (Slattery, Oates)

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!