HOGGS (UK-Wales) - See it Now (7'', Now Records, 1980)

RATING: 6/10

Being (as it undoubtedly was) a movement of renewal in the realm of metal (not only in the UK, but also highly influential all over Europe and beyond), it's only natural that the whole NWOBHM phenomenon got strongly associated with youthful bands and musicians, many (if not most) of them being still adolescents when the acts they got known for first plugged in their instruments. Let's face it, much of NWOBHM's charm has to do with a certain sense of naivety, with kids that had high dreams of heavy rock stardom while still pretty much figuring out what being in a band was all about. But there's another side to the NWOBHM thing, you know: not only it was a call for thousands of young hopefuls to join the fun, it also served as something of a guiding light for many experienced musicians who were struggling to survive in the clubs and pubs and had little idea on what to do next. I mean, it's no mystery that bands like Saxon, Quartz and Demon were doing the rounds (sometimes in slightly different form) for quite a while before the dam begin to burst (some particular cases of reinvention, like Rage/Nutz, being quite extreme), and it's also well-known history how groups like Judas Priest, Budgie, Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep (to name a few) took the opportunity to reinvent/modernize their sound, with varying degrees of success. But there's surely a lot left to be said about hundreds (if not thousands) of musicians who, after spending years playing as small-crowd pleasers, had little (if any) hope to ever make it big - and, when the NWOBHM explosion started happening around them, felt they had found a new lifeblood, or at least something worth giving a try. Hailing from South Wales, Hoggs was surely one of such cases: not a bunch of hopefuls still not a day over twenty, but rather an assemble of reasonably experienced small-club stalwarts, trying to get a good thing going along with the kids. Oh well, they didn't make it as further as they would probably have liked, but still their "See it Now" 7'' single from 1980 is a decent addition to the collection of any NWOBHM aficionado, so I think the effort of dropping a few lines about them is more than justified. And make yourself comfortable, as there's quite a lot to be said, actually...

In fact, the roots of the outfit in question can be traced way back into the early 1970's, when vocalist Richie Galloni first joined the band Quest - his first collaboration with Myfyr Isaac, who would later have a level of involvement with the far more well-known Budgie. This particular act (something of an offshoot from an even earlier ensemble named Smokestack) would later reinforce the Budgie connection, as drummer Steve Williams joined the ranks for a while before having a significant run as Budgie's sticksman - and calling Isaac to join him there, which pretty much signaled the end of Quest. There's a missing bridge between Quest and Richie Galloni's presence in the James Hogg Band (a group that, incidentally, I'm quite sure has never featured a member named James Hogg at all), but I guess he was doing the rounds with minor local outfits in the meantime, bands whose names are now lost in the mists of time. 

Roughly at the same time, the James Hogg Band were cutting their teeth in the Wales rock club scene, delivering a brand of fairly typical (but still very solid) blues rock. The group's origins trace back to 1970, under the name Wedgwood Blues, and they received a modicum of local attention while running under the guise of Haverson’s Apricot, though they opted to change their moniker again in the latter months of 1971. The original line-up would consist of Rob Ashong (V), Gregg Harris (G), Phil Davies (B, later to join the Welsh prog rockers Quicksand) and Paul Lyddon (D), soon to be substituted by John Lloyd. When Davies left, it seems that Ashong simply took all bass duties to himself, turning the band into a functional 3-piece. I'll only mention such items briefly, as dropping full reviews of each would be time-consuming and of little interest for the purposes of this blog, but no less than three singles were released by this particular bunch, namely "Lovely Lady Rock" (c/w "Happy Sad", 1972), "California Blues" (c/w "Everybody Smile", 1973) and "Gotta Be a Winner" (yeah, that one from The Casuals, also with "Everybody Smile" as the B side, 1973), all issued by Regal Zonophone. Curiously, only the last release bears the full James Hogg Band name in its labels, the first two slices of vinyl being credited as a more functional James Hogg - and don't ask me the reasons for such a decision, as I honestly don't have a clue. As a bit of moonlighting, the lads would also lend a hand to Welsh-singing folk vocalist Heather Jones, acting as a backing band in her "Pan Ddaw'r Dydd" (1972) EP as well as the "Mae'r Olwyn Yn Troi" full-length from 1974. 

The James Hogg Band seems to have disbanded in the final days of 1974, after a short-lived attempt to reinvent themselves as a 4-piece, with a new bass player named Geoff Stokes and Rob Ashong assuming the slide guitar instead. Things get quite obscure from this point onwards, and I'm not 100% sure I'm tying the loose ends correctly, but it seems that a James Hogg Band reunion took place in the late 1970s (most probably in 1978, though I can easily be wrong on this), centered around Harris and Lloyd and with Galloni agreeing to join as a new vocalist. Some natural line-up changes happened along the way, and by 1979 the trio would be augmented by Robert Margertson (G) and Steve Taylor (B, and not the guy from The Cigarettes, incidentally). And that's when the 5-piece decided to leave the James Hogg Band soubriquet behind for good, in order to reinvent themselves as a more hard-hitting, forceful heavy rock proposition - though they also didn't wanted to complete alienate their former fanbase, thus the rechristening as Hoggs (not the strongest band name ever, but nevermind).

Even though the more heavy-rock-oriented climate of the times sure had a lot to do with their decision, I suppose their connection with the NWOBHM era came more by chance than design, and I don't think they were listening to contemporary metal bands that much at the time, as the 1970s vibe on both tracks of their sole vinyl release (pressed by the modest Now Records sometime in 1980) is just too obvious to be ignored. "See it Now" begins with a prominent, slighty funky bassline, before the guitars kick in and give the track a more typically hard rocking vibe. Still, rest assured it's not a heavy metal tune by any stretch: to my ears, it's more of a pop-infused, highly melodic hard rock tune in the vein of Midas' "Can't Stop Loving You Now" or Masterstroke's "Prisioner of love", though perhaps the more adequate comparison would be with not-at-all-metal acts like Rough Diamond, Humble Pie and even early Fleetwood Mac. The vocalist does a pretty decent Robert Plant impersonation, and the track as a whole is quite entertaining, though it ends rather abruptly, with a anticlimatic and clumsly fade-out halfway through the final chorus. 

Now, I have something very informative to tell you. Though the flipside is named as "Time on the Line" both in the label and the sleeve, it transpires that we were wronged about it for all these years, and this is not the name of the track after all! After some investigation, I'm positive the name of the song is actually "Worst Kind of Woman" - a kinda baffling revelation that was only made possible because a few individuals who happened to follow the band's fortunes way back in the 1970's remembered the track from live performances. It's hard to explain how the song came to be miscredited in such a bizarre manner, but it seems that Hoggs did have a self-penned number named "Time on the Line" after all, so it's reasonable to assume they recorded three or more tracks, opting to use "Time on the Line" (hence the name being used on the final product) but mastering and pressing the vinyl with "Worst Kind of Woman" instead by mistake. Whatever the case, the song itself is a very mellow ballad with languid instrumentation and heartfelt (if rather mundane) lyrics about an aching heart. It gets a bit more intense towards the end, and with a very busy guitar solo too, so it's at least more interesting and lively than similar ballads some heavy rock bands from the era opted to employ as B-sides. Maybe it was a well-received tearjerker when Hoggs played it on small pubs in and around their original area, but I'm strongly inclined to think that a more intense, heavy rocking number would have been a far better choice when it comes to conquer new fans - and who knows, maybe the original choice was indeed a more lively and hard-hitting number after all? 

All things considered, this humble 7'' is a decent addition for any expanding NWOBHM collection, though most of us are unlikely to be willing to spend silly amounts of money to get it. This piece of vinyl exposure wasn't enough to change Hoggs' fortunes in any decisive manner though, and it seems the group didn't really last the distance after its sole single release, being safe to assume they were no longer active long before the half of the 80s. Most members seem to have moved away from the music scene in later years, though some pretty similar names may cause a bit of confusion (drummer John Lloyd, for instance, may or may not be the same guy who recorded for Australian groups like Icehouse and High Rise Bombers, as timelines roughly fit and such migrations were hardly an uncommon occurence at the time). At present, only Richie Galloni's late fortunes can be retold with reasonable certainty, as he contributed with the revived Sassafras and is still very much involved with blues/prog rockers Son of Man, these being but a few highlights on an eventful career that is still going strong to this day. 

Richie Galloni (V), Gregg Harris (G), Robert Margertson (G), Steve Taylor (B), John Lloyd (D).

01. See it Now
02. Worst Kind of Woman (miscredited as "Time on The Line")

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!

GEMAGE (UK) - The Story So Far (7'', self-released, 1980)

RATING: 7/10

Once upon a time, there was a British rock group named Gemage that released a sole 7'' single in 1980, and no one seemed to know a damn thing about them. In fact, though not the most typical NWOBHM-sounding band you'll ever hear in your life (more on that later), there was (and still is) a lot of people willing to spend money on their reasonably scarse "The Story So Far" B/W "Bring Me Death" vinyl release, and the paucity of info regarding the band created a certain aura of mystery around them - as well as opening way for a few long-standing misconceptions regarding the outfit's biography. Not that Gemage's history is now known in minute detail, but it's fair to say that now we do actually know a thing or two about this combo, though there are still a lot of blanks to be filled on this particular profile (can you fill 'em? Get in touch!).

Hailing from Blackburn, Lancashire UK, this particular 5-piece seems to have existed for less than two years in total, probably forming sometime in 1979 and disbanding in the latter half of 1980, or early 1981 at the very latest. The two tracks released in the single are their only studio recordings, and were laid down to tape in around Christmas 1979 at Rochdale's Cargo Studio, being independently pressed and released in the early months of 1980. Contrary to widespread belief, Gemage doesn't refer to any member's real surname: the 'B. Gemage' credited as songwriter is none other than vocalist Billy Sumner, that seems to have chosen to adopt this rather bizarre stage name for no fathomable reason. Alongside him were guitarists Pete Frayne and Paul Lowery, bassist Steve Horsefield and drummer Jimmy Byrne - a certain Gas Sumner (Billy's brother, I'd wager) seems to have laid down backing vocals to the recordings, but judging for his very minor contribution to the songs (and though the concept of dedicated backing singers in rock bands isn't exactly unheard of), I'm pretty sure it was more of a casual appearance during a visit to the studio rather than any long-term commitment to Gemage's cause. Incidentally, I was once told that all band members used the same Gemage surname when playing live, in a typical Ramones-family scenario - but I never found any tangible evidence (or an eyewitness account) to support this, so I'll keep that possibility in the 'urban legend' file until further notice. Anyway, the 7'' was seemingly meant to be sold at gigs, but I reckon they never made more than a handful of shows around their geographical area after all, and therefore not many items ever made into circulation at the time, which would help explain its reasonable scarcity.

"The Story So Far" is the main focus of interest by far, being a reasonably forceful track that truly passes out as a legitimate attempt to play metal until the chorus, when a change in tone brings a more snotty, noisy, definitively punk feel to the proceedings. The main riff (a twin-guitar lead, in fact) sticks to your head at first listen, and Mr. Gemage's voice, though far from being your typical dose of metal (sound more like a new wave singer, in fact) works remarkably well in this songs' particular setup. Job well done, lads, and I would definitely buy this 7'' in virtue of this track alone (if I had the money, that is). Things get a bit weird on the flipside though, with "Bring Me Death" being way more inclined toward groups like Love, Procol Harum and The Byrds rather than anything more metallic - or contemporary, for that matter. It's a half-acoustic, psychedelic-tinged semi-ballad which is nice enough if you're in the right frame of mind, but I suspect it was something of an oddity in the band's repertoire, and can't help but think that picking a more orthodox rocker to complete their innaugural 7'' would have been a more representative choice, showing their collective powers in a more effective light.

I don't think Gemage lasted for too long after their sole single started doing the rounds, and it's reasonable to assume they had bitten the dust in a matter of months, quickly realising their considerable talents and youthful enthusiasm alone wouldn't take them to the next step - or maybe they just decided to do something else with their lives, which is fair enough. Accordingly, I suppose most of the lads just retreated to their day jobs thereafter - the only exception being bass player Steve Horsefield, who have been playing with local heroes The Itch for quite a while now, and is also known to have been a member of the Cottontown Sound Corporation, that released an independent CD in 2014. Not much else to report I'm afraid, at least for now - let's see if some enterprising individual (or some of the band members themselves) can help us to paint a clearer picture of Gemage in the not-too-distant future.

Billy 'Gemage' Sumner (V), Peter Frayne (G), Paul Lowery (G), Steve Horsefield (B), Jimmy Byrne (D). Also performed: Gas Sumner (backing vocals). All songs by B.Gemage.

01. The Story So Far
02. Bring Me Death

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

T34 (UK) - Computer Dating (7'', Divage, 1981) plus Rock On (7'', Galaxy, 1982)

RATING: ***

Sometimes, writing about a given band's music can be a truly challenging (not to say very confusing) mission. The entity that once roamed the Earth (well, London and its thereabouts, actually) under the name T34 is a very illustrative example in this regard. Though often credited as a NWOBHM outfit (including the authoritative NWOBHM Encyclopedia by Malc McMillan), it has but a passing resemblance to the genre if we're to be honest here, and the fact that so many people consider it to belong on the same shelf where you would put, let's say, a Satan or Sweet Savage record is somewhat puzzling, to say the least. Yeah, I know NWOBHM is something of an arbitrary definition right from the start, and many of the bands labeled as such are no stranger to some crossover potential, being equally appealing to punk, power pop, new wave, prog and pub rock audiences, to name a few. Still, I consider T34's case particularly intriguing: it's not that they didn't deserve to be mentioned at all (let's face it, if a 7'' like Brands Hatch's "Teacher Teacher" can be regarded as a NWOBHM collectable, then nearly everyone else can), but it is surprisingly difficult to decide whether to attach the NWOBHM tag to them or not. I'm still on the fence myself as I write this piece, you know.

Some may still not be fully aware of this, but T34 (a name that has something to do with war tanks, I guess) is an offshoot band from none other than Smiler - yeah, that Smiler, the London-based blues rock group that became something of a legend due to its connection with Iron Maiden. It's common knowledge that guitarist Mick Clee was a direct descendent from Smiler, but vocalist Steve Williams (nothing to do with Budgie) also lent his talents for the old combo in the early 1980's, including a brief period when they assumed a more punk-rockish outlook under the name Vic Rubb and the Vapours (not to be confused with British power pop band The Vapors, whose single "Turning Japanese" entered the charts in 1980). When the other half of the Clee brothers (guitarist Tony Clee, that is) decided to take a break from music in early 1981, Mick and Steve kept working together towards creating a different entity, way more attuned to contemporary trends than Smiler seems to have ever been.

After a series of well-received gigs in and around London, the band got into the famed Spaceward Studios in Cambridge and recorded two tracks for the purposes of a debut 7'' single, released by their own Divage label. "Computer Dating" (a somewhat intriguing concept really, as networking technologies like the Internet weren't really a thing back then) is a somewhat bizarre number, with half-spoken vocals and sedated arrangements interspersed with some unexpectedly heavy guitar chords and solos. It's surely the closer we get to NWOBHM territory around here, but the chorus has more of a new wave / punk rock vibe to my ears, so I'm not entirely convinced they had anything more metallic in mind while writing and recording this one. A perfectly good rock song all the same, though, and the same goes to flipside "Mind Your Own Business", a melodic rocker with a truly catchy chorus that somehow reminds me of a collision between Girl and The Police (yeah, me neither). Maybe those aware of how bands as Jeddah, Midas ("Can't Stop Loving You Now") and Masterstroke ("Prisoner of Love") sound like will get a better picture of what is going on around here. The guitar work is very creative throughout, and I also like the way Steve Williams sings this one, with something of a controlled raspiness (whatever that is supposed to mean) that really adds some extra charm to the proceedings. All in all, a very nice listening experience, and a slice of vinyl you'll do well to add to your collection, even if it's nowhere near a full-blown NWOBHM assault. It's also not regarded as an ultra-collectable, which means it can be located rather easily and usually offered for a fair price. Most copies come out without a picture sleeve, but it's not exactly the most eye-catching artwork ever printed, so I reckon you shouldn't mind that much if your best option is to buy this 7'' in a generic sleeve.

Though this limited, privately-pressed slice of vinyl didn't exactly turned T34 into national superstars overnight, it did serve its original purpose, securing a few appearances in magazines such as Kerrang and selling reasonably well at gigs. A further 7'' would come out towards the end of 1982, but I won't delve too deep into its contents, as it's a far more commercial product and will hardly appeal to anyone but the most dedicated (obsessive?) NWOBHM completists. Their version of "Rock On" (yeah, the David Essex song) is barely passable if you ask me, but "Looking After Me (Looking After You)" is a well-crafted synth-pop number with considerable replay value for those who enjoy such musical avenues. No longer our cup of tea, that's for sure, but it seems to have been an honest attempt to write more chart-friendly music, and this 7'' single (issued by Galaxy Records, most probably another self-financed affair despite the deceptive GAL007 catalogue number, and with a pretty artsy cover sleeve) could have opened the way to greater things if only T34 could find the right management and/or financial backing. This was not to be, though, and (despite some radio airplay for "Rock On" and a string of well-attended live appearances) the group would fold unspectacularly in late 1983, apparently unable to get back on their feet after Mick Clee decided to make an extended break from the scene.

Most of those involved with T34 seemingly kept a low profile in later years, pursuing activies outside of music for the most part. I know for a fact that drummer John Baker used to play electric jazz with a band called The Anthologists, but they disbanded in early 2015, and I couldn't find any connections involving him ever since (it was hinted that the same John Baker played drums for early 90's indie rockers Ship of Fools, but I don't have any solid ground to confirm it just yet). Never heard anything from the other guys, though, and I'd surely love to know more - so, if you happen to have any information to share, I would be more than happy to hear from you. 

Steve Williams (V), Mick Clee (G), Colin Stuart (B), John Baker (D).

01. Computer Dating
02. Mind Your Own Business

Steve Williams (V), Mick Clee (G), Colin Stuart (B), Wayne Baker (K), John Baker (D).

01. Rock On
02. Looking After Me (Looking After You)

Special thanks to Discogs for picture sleeve scans!

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

LÉARGO (UK) - The Artist (7'', Motor City Rhythm, 1979)

RATING: ***

Despite the widespread narrative that rock music was 'dead' in the late 1970's before it was 'saved' by punk rock, the fact is that UK's rock scene was very active in the turn of the decade, with many youthful combos making a fair bit of noise in pubs and clubs all over the land. Granted, there was little (if any) hope for a major record deal for most newcomers to the scene (in fact, few bands managed to sign with high profile labels, even at the height of the NWOBHM boom), but that alone is no indication that nobody cared. From the multifarious groups doing the rounds in the UK Midlands while the NWOBHM phenomenon was taking shape, the bizarrely-named Léargo (not a clue, really) were on the periphery of the genre really, being far more attuned to prog rock and AOR rather than anything more forceful or metallic. Still, they're unmistakably connected with the NWOBHM nowadays, their sole "The Artist" 7'' single from 1979 now being a clear collectable for aficionados of the genre, so it totally makes sense to drop a few lines about them around here, even if they seemingly never really wanted to jump into the NWOBHM bandwagon at all.

The 4-piece were rather popular in and around the Birmingham area, with lots of well-documented live appearances to their credit. The buzz around them seems to have been enough to encourage the Motor City Rhythm label to comission a stylish presentation for the band's innaugural release, with nice artwork (the illustrations having something to do with the lyrical topics of both songs, I guess) and an insert with lyrics and songwriting/band credits. The production values are less than stellar though, and the somewhat muddied sound is a slight detriment to the band's strenghts. Curiously, it seems that "Played Out Angel" is supposed to be the A-side, even if the record is named as "The Artist" on the front cover - I don't know, maybe the band saw the release as an EP or something. This one won't come cheap even without the picture sleeve, mind you, so perhaps it's a good idea to wait for a full package if you really feel like buying it, as the careful presentation really adds to the impact of the music herein.

None of the songs here featured are heavy metal by any stretch, as mentioned above, but I'd say "The Artist" is the most intense tune by far. The drumrolls during the intro may be deceptive for first-time listeners, but don't let yourself be fooled: despite some moments of relative intensity, it's a very melodic, evocative number way more attuned to Pendragon and Liaison than anything more metallic. The lyrics about the carefree, do-what-thou-wilt lifestyle of some kind of artist (oh really?) fit well to the atmosphere created by the instrumentation, and I'm sure those who enjoy the aforementioned bands and/or late 70's prog rock as a whole are very likely to enjoy this particular track. "Played Out Angel", on the other hand, is something of a letdown in comparison: I really like the drumming, and the busy basslines deserve some respect as well, but this tale about the life and regrets of a prostitute (or perhaps a groupie?) seems to never get off the ground properly, a feeling not at all alleviated by the nondescript, unremarkable chorus. Not a disaster really, just a markedly less accomplished tune than its imaginative, way more engaging counterpart. Still, "The Artist" is a nice listen as a whole, and you're well advised to it a chance if a copy ever comes your way (and your wallet can afford it, of course).

The insert says the two  songs are taken "from the forth coming album", but I'm positive such a record was never pressed in vinyl format - in fact, I have a strong suspicion it was never even recorded at all. Similarly, the persisting rumors about a seldom-seen follow-up 7'' from Léargo (including some "test pressing" allegations coming from obscure corners of the collecting scene) can be safely dismissed as little more than urban legend: though Motor City Rhythm apparently did made some preparations for a sophomore release, the label had ceased operations completely by the latter half of 1980, which makes the possibility of marketing a single mere weeks before leaving the business extremely unlikely (furthermore, the fact that no credible sources seems to have seen a copy, let alone own one, speaks volumes). Still, it's safe to assume Léargo did some further visits to the studio, and a handful of non-single tracks apparently got as far as receiving some limited airplay on local radio in the Midlands, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that some demos and/or cassette-only releases might still exist out there, though I've never heard of any surviving copies anytime, anywhere. If you happen to know better (most of all if you used to have some direct involvement with Léargo in the past), please kindly get in touch!

I'm not sure for how long the band persevered under their original guise, but it's now fair common knowledge that Léargo metamorphosed into Sumo Giants sometime in the early 1980's, adopting a tuneful, more commercial sound. They recorded a session for Tommy Vance's 'Into the Music' in May 1985 (never heard it, and I would really love to!) and got as far as to release the "Tower of Babel" single in 1988, the title track being produced by none another than Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra's fame. The 12'' version of this release presents an old Léargo's track named "Water" as a bonus track, so I guess it's a mildly interesting artifact for obsessive completists, though rest assured it's nowhere near heavy rock territory, let alone NWOBHM. In later years, drummer/backing vocalist Ray Fullard (who seems to have lend a hand for lo-fi/post punk outfit The Digital Dinosaurs sometime in the early 1980's) have been collaborating with Althea Gaye (a X-factor show veteran) in a duo named Octave Tinkling Twosome, while his brother Alan is a reasonably successful artist in UK's folk rock scene. Guitarist Andy Ford would also have a go (now as a bassist) on an early 1990's indie rock band named Hellfire Sermons, so it's fair to say Léargo's bandmembers were (and probably still are) really commited to the cause of playing music.

Many thanks to the Heavy Metal Rarities forum for picture sleeve, insert and label scans!

Alan Fullard (V/K), Andy Ford (G/V), Jules Burrowes (B/V), Ray Fullard (D/V).

01. Played Out Angel (Fullard/Ford) 4:04
02. The Artist (Ford) 4:26

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

IRON MAIDEN (UK) - The Soundhouse Tapes (7'', Rock Hard, 1979)

RATING: ***

Oh boy, this is going to be one hell of a ride.

Iron Maiden is my favorite band. Period. Their music moves me, all the shows I had the chance to witness were no less than amazing, and I would have never picked up a bass guitar if not for Steve Harris' galloping triplets. I have all of their albums (often in more than one version), lots of bootlegs in audio and video, near a dozen t-shirts and so on, so I guess you got my drift. Still, I'm confident enough that this batch of reviews will be more than a barrage of embarassing and unbridled adulation - believe it or not, I'm not the kind of guy that will scream "genius!" to the sound of Adrian Smith tuning his guitar or something, and I actually do have a fair share of criticism waiting to be done in places. Not that I hold any illusions that yet further reviews of such an entity can make the faintest difference for the heavy metal world (let's be frank, few subjects in the history of rock and roll are more frequently addressed than Iron Maiden's biography and/or record analysis), and rest assured that I won't delve into minute detail when it comes to the group's convoluted history, as it would be a very exhausting (not to mention pointless and hopelessly out-of-place) enterprise. But oh well, perhaps the exercise can at least be of some amusement to the (very) casual reader, and I'm damn sure it will be a lot of fun to get it done, so there you have it.

That all said, let's skip the opening credits and go straight to "The Soundhouse Tapes", shall we? (Don't worry, I won't be reviewing every single slice of vinyl ever released by Iron Maiden, but this particular EP played such an important role in the history of the band and NWOBHM as a whole that it would be silly to ignore it. Studio LPs next, you can take my word for it!)

By the time the four musicians then comprising Iron Maiden entered the Spaceward Studios in Cambridge, on New Year's Eve weekend 1978, the group were still climbling the ladder from youthful hopefuls to genuine promise. Though the band existed for a mere three years, bassist Steve Harris already was the sole original member, and the line-up that recorded the original tapes were together for no more than a couple months before entering the studio. Guitarist Dave Murray was Harris' faithful squire since late 1976 (despite a brief intervail in 1977, when he got as far as to record in Urchin's "She's a Roller" 7'' single), and drummer Doug Sampson (who Harris knew from the time both shared kitchen duties in Smiler), was pounding the drums in Maiden for roughly a year, but the final piece of the jigsaw came together only in November 1978: Paul Di'Anno, a bloke from East London formely associated with a punk act named The Paedophiles (not much of a chance to become world beaters with such a politically-incorrect moniker, lads). Though with no previous background in metal (you can dismiss any claims he used to sing with Bird of Prey, for instance, as it's completely unfounded), Di'Anno clicked remarkably well into Maiden's setup, and his raspy, aggressive vocal delivery was one of their defining features during their street-level-metal days. (and no, I'm not at all convinced guitarist Paul Cairns had any role on these recordings, so he won't receive any further mentions around here. If you happen to know better - most of all if you're Paul Cairns himself! - feel free to get in touch)

It was a simple plan, as it were: record as many songs as possible, mostly in a one-take-no-dubs approach, and tout the tape around in a bid to get more gigs. Things went well during the recording sessions, and a rough mix was handled to the musicians soon after. The studio wiped out the master tapes after a few weeks though, in what seems to have been a misunderstanding around the payment of an additional fee. Therefore, the recordings never received a final mix, let alone a proper mastering - something that may have been a blessing in disguise in a sense, as the rough edges add an extra dose of charm and attitude to the proceedings. And, despite any production shortcomings, the tapes served far betten than its original purpose: "Prowler" turned into a fan favorite at Neal Kay's Bandwagon Heavy Metal Soundhouse, a certain manager named Rod Smallwood also got hold of a copy and oh well, we all know the end of this happy story. 

With fans clamoring for something to buy during their increasingly-packed shows, Iron Maiden felt it would be a good move to press some 5.000 copies of their now one-year-old Spaceward recordings, and labeled it as "The Soundhouse Tapes" for greater effect. Famously, the band had to send the vinyl 7'' to customers in advance, as the front covers took a bit longer than expected, and things were developing so fast for the lads that holding the release for a few weeks simply wasn't viable.

From the four tracks laid down on tape, three cuts were selected for Maiden's innaugural release - "Strange World" was also recorded, but suffered the most from the lack of a proper mixing, and was deemed too substandard for release as a result (it would appear officially many years later in the "Best of the Beast" compilation, incidentally, but let's not rush things). The songs here featured are played in a  considerably slower tempo, more attuned to the late-70s metal approach rather than the NWOBHM revolution waiting just around the corner: in fact, this EP is an almost unique opportunity to hear the transitional days of not only Iron Maiden, but British heavy music as a whole, as you can easily compare these early, semi-formative numbers with their later, now canonical counterparts. No significant changes in arrangements and such, just a band soon to become huge, still trying to find their signature sound.

Doug Sampson does a commendable job with the drums, and it's curious to realise that this is perhaps the less prominent basslines ever appearing in a Maiden record - it's still there of course, and perfectly audible all the way through, but not up front in the mix as it would become mandatory in later releases. Di'Anno deliver the goods without missing a note too, but it's funny to note how he was still trying to figure out how to be a proper "metal" singer, being pretty much a punk rock singer trying to sound right. And there's precisely nothing wrong about that, you know, as the crossover effect of his voice was one of the nicest things about early Maiden. They were never a punk band, and never really wanted to be, but the unbridled energy of punk rock surely had its influence on making metal what it is now, as I'm sure your nearest Glenn Tipton or Lemmy Kilmister would be more than happy to point out - and it's fascinating to hear such a process going on almost in real time, this being one of the coolest things about listening to "The Soundhouse Tapes" on retrospect.

"Iron Maiden" opens proceedings in a very passionate manner, and the more mid-tempo rendition gives it sort of a pub rock vibe that sounds really nice to my ears. Though far from being the most accomplished piece of songwriting ever penned by the group, it's an extremely efficient tune nonetheless, and it comes as no surprise that it became one of the defining songs for the outfit's convoluted history. "Invasion" didn't really survived that well the test of time, that's for sure, and it's hard to imagine any die-hard fans asking for it to be featured in the band setlists nowadays; still, I'd say it's a pretty decent tune all the same, and I personally like the early version better than the hurried, too-fast-for-its-own-good recording that would pop up as the B-side of their "Women in Uniform" single roughly a year later. The instrumental bits are kinda confusing, and the vocal lines drift from aggressive to overtly melodic without making much of a sense in the process, but it's nice to hear a band making a perceivable effort to learn their trade, and this early effort surely paved to way for many history-related epic numbers to come.

But the truly outstanding number on "The Soundhouse Tapes" is "Prowler", hands down. I have always consider this to be one of the archetypal songs from the entire NWOBHM, and I still think the same way.  It has it all really: the tasty guitar leads, the commanding bass, the infectious drive, the quirky twists and turns, the immature lyrics, the catchy chorus, all packed in a slightly unusual song structure and carried along with loads of youthful enthusiasm. It was Maiden's very first hit, and it's no mystery why: even with less-than-stelar production values, it's a song that grabs you by the neck and just don't let go. A truly classic song, and easily one of the decisive recordings for the development of heavy metal as a whole - perhaps not as bombastic as the LP version, but still a listen sure to put a smile in any metalhead's face.

"The Soundhouse Tapes" would be the only independent release in the outfit's career (the Rock Hard label never really existed, you know), and for good reason. The response to the EP was so overwhelmingly positive that record retail chains, bombarded with requests from customers, made enquiries to order thousands of copies - only to learn it was a limited run and nearly all pieces were sold by mailorder in a matter of days. Such resounding success no doubt raised a few eyebrows in the music industry - and you must take into consideration that NWOBHM was all ready to go by this juncture, with bands like Angel Witch, Saxon, Samson, Praying Mantis and Tygers of Pan Tang just waiting for a chance to stand out of the club scene in a bid for world domination. We all know who won this race by now, but it's fair to point out that Iron Maiden was one of many contenders back then - one of the most promising perhaps, but hardly a clear favorite. 

The noise would finally be heard at the offices of the mighty EMI, and those gentlemen (who undoubtedly knew a thing or two about music) swiftly concluded there was a bit of a mileage in investing some money on all those long-haired hopefuls after all. This led to the seminal "Metal for Muthas" LP compilation in the early days of 1980 - a slice of vinyl that, in a sense, served to create a sense of anticipation towards the Iron Maiden debut (the recordings sessions going on pretty much at the same time "Metal for Muthas" hit the shelves). This compilation will hopefully be reviewed around here in due course, but let's stay on focus, right? As something as a business card for Iron Maiden, "The Soundhouse Tapes" surely served its purpose, and then some - and I'm sure any obsessive Maiden collector drools over the prospect of obtaining an original copy (if not owning one already, that is), though this is an item that won't come cheap at all. 

Thanks a million to Discogs for picture sleeve and label scans

Paul Di'Anno (V), Dave Murray (G), Steve Harris (B), Doug Sampson (D). All songs written by Steve Harris.

01. Iron Maiden 4:03
02. Invasion 3:10
03. Prowler 4:19

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

POST TOASTÉÉ - Take You Home Tonight (7'', FMS Records, 1983)

RATING: ***

Though not a complete unknown for early NWOBHM aficionados, the only 7'' by East Anglia's Post Toastéé became a much more sought-after piece in later years, which means it's now quite more difficult (and expensive) to obtain a copy than it was a decade ago, for instance. It's an endeavor that only seasoned (and wealthy) collectors should really bother to engage into, though, as most of us will be well served with the mp3 files that are floating around online, and it's hard to justify such a significant investment in terms of musical merits alone - it does have one pretty nice song out of two, as I'm about to elaborate, but most of us simply won't be willing to pay three-figure prices for one song, you know. That being said, and despite the lack of useful info at present (if the band's name rings any bells, send us an e-mail, will you?), there are well enough things to be said in a individual review.

Released by the mysterious FMS Records (probably a self-financed release, you know) sometime in 1983, their sole claim to fame comes in an unassuming (though surely distinctive enough) cover with the band's logo and a few basic details about recording and personnel. "Take You Home Tonight" is the A-side, and it's pretty much a pop rock tune with disco leanings, most apparent in the harmonized vocals and drumwork. The keyboards use some typical Casio effects that really didn't stood well the test of time (not his fault really, just a case of hopelessly dated aesthetics) and the chorus is as radio-friendly as it gets, so it's easy to assume they didn't exactly have the heavy metal fraternity in mind while writing and recording this one. Hardly recommended for diehard metalheads, I'm afraid.

But not all is lost though, as flipside "Little Too Late" gets undeniably closer to the NWOBHM tastes, though it's more of a Uriah Heep-ish style of 70s hard rock rather than anything more contemporary. The keyboard/guitar interplay works nicely, with a very evident fondness for Deep Purple going on (not a surprise I guess, as the Post Toastéé name is probably taken from a solo effort from Tommy Bolin), and the simple-but-effective rhythm section carries the song along very efficiently. The singer's voice works quite well here too, with a nice chorus and all, and it's safe to assume that "Little Too Late" will be regarded as a very acceptable tune by most NWOBHM enthusiasts out there. Good stuff, and well enough to deserve a 3-star rating after all.

Post Toastéé seems to have been a brief episode in the lives of those involved, presumably being no longer active well before the second half of the 1980s. I have no idea if the Steve Underwood here mentioned is the same one who runs the punk/noise/minimal wave Harbinger Sound label, also acting as a producer / manager for a lot of bands roughly in the same music style; I wouldn't be too surprised if it turns out to be the case, though such a shift in music personality would perhaps come as a surprise for some. A certain Andy Bull seems to have had a minor level of involvement with a post-IQ outfit called Niadem's Ghost, as well as doing some engineering work here and there, but I'd like to have more conclusive evidence before building the bridge between this individual and the one playing bass for Post Toastéé. Keyboard player Michael Cocksedge is the only ex-member whose whereabouts I can conclusively decline right now, as he's playing bass guitar with a tribute band called The Pure Floyd Show.

Many thanks to Discogs for sleeve pictures!

Steve Underwood (V), Dave Kenton (G/V), Andy Bull (B/V), Michael Cocksedge (K), Chas Coles (D). Songs written and produced by Post Toastéé.

01. Take You Home Tonight
02. Little Too Late

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

PARADYNE (UK) - Down to Amsterdan (7'', Airship, 1982)

RATING: ***

Once a truly elusive curiosity in the NWOBHM universe, Paradyne had become less of an obscurity in recent years - not that every single detail of their history had been made available, you see, but at least I'm able to tell a few interesting and/or meaningful things about them, which is always a good thing I guess. Hailing from the West Sussex of England (more specifically from the city of Chichester), the group seems to have gravitated together in the final part of the 1970s, and it seems to have been a somewhat successful live act in their geographical area, with some well-humored tales about their drum stage made out of bed frames and all that. How's that for DIY spirit, eh? Less-than-professional stage solutions aside, it's obvious that their collective abilities were more than respectable, and local Airship label didn't waste much time before offering the band the chance to lay down two tracks for a 7'' single, released sometime in 1982.

Both tracks here featured were written by mainman Mark White (V/G), and it seems he was helped by accomplices Paul White (G, a relative perhaps?), John Biddiscombe (B) and Gary Halls (D) during most of the band's lifespan, which most probably includes this recording session. I must say that Mark White isn't exactly the most proficient singer you'll ever hear in your life, but he had a fair bit of potential as a songwriter, and NWOBHM addicts will surely have a good enough return for their money - and hold no illusions, you'll hardly find this one in the bargain bin of your local record store.

"Down to Amsterdan", apparently the main focus of interest here, is you typical mid-paced NWOBHM ditty, that kind of tune that can't be disliked without a great deal of grumpiness, but still not strong enough to really stand out in the crowd. It's quite a long track too, and it could easily be 2 minutes shorter without losing anything too important in the process. The sedated instrumental section halfway through is a nice touch, though it goes along a little longer than it probably should. And Mr. White's voice reminds me of someone... Oh yeah, Ethel the Frog's Doug Sheppard that is! I'm glad I finally made the connection. Flipside "Take Your Time" is a bit more restrained than it could be perhaps, but with very substantial guitar work and a fairly intense solo. The song structure gets slightly surprising towards the end, and it's the exact twist it needed to keep the listener's attention all the way through. Not a classic by any stretch, but surely the better of the pair, and enjoyable enough to warrant a few careful listens from time to time.

Curiously, there are two variations for the single (no copies ever issued with a picture sleeve), with alternate white or red labels on the B-side, both presenting an illustration with the band's logo and a guitar neck breaking through a glass mirror or something. The red variation is way less common than the white one, but I don't think any of you should lose any sleep over this, as even the 'standard' version is quite rare and a truly good find for any dedicated collector. As for Paradyne, it seems the outfit didn't last for too long after making their vinyl debut, disbanding in 1983 or thereabouts. I'm not sure what happened really, though I suppose it's the typical case of a band that naturally ran its course rather than anything more tragic and/or sinister. If you happen to know more (or if you once had some role in Paradyne's fortunes, who knows), I would wholeheartedly enjoy getting in touch with you, as I really have fun listening to the music and I'm sure many readers would love to learn some extra facts about the band.

Million thanks to Discogs for label scans!

Mark White (V/G), Paul White (G), John Biddiscombe (B), Gary Halls (D). All music and lyrics by Mark White.

01. Down to Amsterdan 6:14
02. Take Your Time 6:01

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know!
02.

ANGEL WITCH (UK) - Sweet Danger (7''/EP, EMI, 1980)

RATING: ****

It's a near-undisputed fact that the music of Angel Witch brings in itself most of the defining features of the NWOBHM, being one of the fundamental introductions to any novice who wishes to understand what was going on in the UK back in the early 1980's. But there's also a lot to learn from the whole process that shaped this respectable British metal entity, I think, as it comes to show how NWOBHM was never a case of over-produced, tailored-for-the-market bands with the right looks and sound, but rather of youthful, passionate hopefuls that, by playing their hearts and souls out in whatever local haunt would have them, gathered a loyal following that soon became too large to be ignored. Starting sometime in 1977 under the name Lucifer, the quartet - the now legendary Kevin Heybourne (V/G) being originally assisted by Kevin Riddles (B), Dave Hogg (D) and second guitarist Rob Downing - soon adopted the more recognizable (and slightly less tongue-in-cheek) Angel Witch moniker, playing live tirelessly in and around London for the benefit of enthusiastic and ever-increasing audiences.

Those were the punk rock days in the UK back then, so it was no easy task to raise any eyebrows with an unashamedly heavy, considerably complex, riff-oriented brand of rock music. It simply wasn't the "right" thing to do if you were trying to make a break, you know. But Angel Witch were good, people would always be there to see them play, and like-minded groups like Praying Mantis, Samson and Iron Maiden were also packing pubs and clubs on a regular basis, all this giving some loud and clear indication that there was a niche of market being ignored by labels and promoters after all.

In fact, after recording a well-regarded demo halfway through 1978, things definitely looked promising for the lads. The echoes from that growing 'new metal' scene somehow reached the offices of none other than EMI, and those responsible wisely felt there was a bit of a mileage on all those long-haired kids playing metal after all. This led to the seminal "Metal for Muthas" compilation LP in early 1980 (soon to be properly reviewed around here), and with Angel Witch's contribution ("Baphomet") being easily one of the highlights of the LP, Heybourne and his cohorts were swiftly encouraged to make a live-in-the-studio appearance for BBC's "Friday Rock Show" (aired in March 14, 1980). The audience's response was remarkably positive (the fact that "Extermination Day" later made it into the "Metal Explosion" LP of session highlights is surely not a coincidence, you see), and it comes as no surprise to learn that EMI gave the thumbs-up for the assembling of a proper single.

Angel Witch's "Sweet Danger" was released in both 7'' and 12'', both presenting the baphomet visage that became a landmark image for the band and one of the most memorable artworks from the entire NWOBHM era. By the time the tracks were recorded, the group was already slimmed down to a trio, with Rob Downing packing his bags just when "Metal for Muthas" was hitting the shops. As we all know, Angel Witch soldiered on without a replacement, suffering little or no turbulence in the process.

It was a wise choice to give "Sweet Danger" pride of place, you know: it's a very catchy (but undeniably strong) number, whose more accessible leanings sound anything but forced and with arrangements that allow generous space for all musicians to show some of their individual skills. Angel Witch present themselves like a band that really means business, confident about their collective abilities and  prepared to take UK's heavy rock scene by storm, no less. It's a metal classic in all its glory, and I tend to think this version is slightly better than the one featured on the "Angel Witch" LP, so there are really no excuses: any serious NWOBHM collector must own a copy of this, whether in its original vinyl format or as any of the many re-releases it received through the years. It isn't that much of a challenge, you see.

Both "Flight Nineteen" and "Hades Paradise" (the bonus track for the 12'' vrs, mistakenly named as "Hadies Paradise" on the label) are perhaps not in the same league of the A-side, but both present merits well worthy of mention. "Flight Nineteen" is forceful and engaging, with a nice storytelling about some aeroplanes that disappeared without a place in the Bermuda Triangle. Nothing too sophisticated, that's for sure, but it works quite well in its intended purpose and most metalheads will have a pleasant time listening to this one. On the other hand, "Hades Paradise" is a more complex, slightly atmospheric number with many nice transitions and Kevin Heybourne's voice (not the most technical delivery ever heard in metal, but quite distinctive nonetheless) surely at its most confident and interesting. Truly good songwriting throughout, and "Sweet Danger" (the single/EP) is a very important piece of NWOBHM history that had a strong influence on much of what happened next.

The release was quite successful, to an extent that it actually made it into the mainstream charts - in fact, it reached position 75 (the lowest position to be mentioned in the music weeklies) then disappeared without a trace next week, but never mind. Despite its very good result in terms of sales, EMI didn't offer the trio a long-term deal, opting to bet their chips on Iron Maiden instead (and who can blame them?). Not a hard blow for Angel Witch anyway, as they kept a very busy touring schedule throughout 1980, including a prestigious appearance at that year's Reading Festival. It was the live environment that opened doors for Angel Witch in the first place, and it was also very important to keep record labels interested, with Bronze finally making a firm commitment towards the release of a debut LP.

Million thanks to Discogs for picture sleeve and label scans!


Kevin Heybourne (V/G), Kevin Riddles (B), Dave Hogg (D). All songs by Heybourne.

01. Sweet Danger
02. Hades Paradise (12'' bonus)
03. Flight Nineteen

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

FULL MOON (UK) - Stand Up (7'', SRT, 1979)

RATING: **

Pretty much like any artistic movement you can possibly think of, NWOBHM didn't exactly come out of thin air, believe me. The notion that hard/heavy music got into hibernation sometime in the mid 1970s and suddenly re-emerged in 1979 with hundreds of youthful and enthusiastic British bands is a bit of a non-starter, though the doors were mostly closed indeed for new acts playing metal in the second half of that decade. Which is not to say every rocker in the country simply jumped into the punk rock bandwagon at the earliest opportunity, of course: many bands kept trying their luck with heavy rock, and many people were willing to attend the pubs and clubs to enjoy it. It's just that the labels and media turned their ears in a different direction for a while, something that surely didn't help matters for late-'70s bands unwilling to follow the trends, but that's life.

Not to be confused with the British-Metal-meets-Hawkwind band with the same name from the late '80s (a nice group BTW, you should really check them out), this particular Full Moon seems to have hailed from London or thereabouts, and were doing the rounds in the final years of the 1970s, without creating a significant buzz around themselves at any stage. I must admit I don't know much about the band's history prior to their only, privately-pressed vinyl legacy (1979's "Stand Up" B/W "Fly Away", that is) but, judging from the record's not remotely subtle front cover, they weren't exactly trying to spearhead the resurgence of metal music in the UK or anything like that. Similarly, I'd say that the quintet's moniker of choice wasn't about any celestial phenomenon at all, but rather a flippant mention to the undressed buttocks of an unidentified lady, not that the artwork would leave much room for any doubt.

Slightly tasteless picture sleeves aside, "Stand Up" brings some reasonably forceful guitar work in places, though the vocal lines are peculiarly closer to '70s pop rock music. The politically-motivated lyrics are pretty uncommon for pre-NWOBHM bands, and there's more than enough twists and turns going on (including a nice semi-martial instrumental interlude) to warrant a careful listen. Unfortunately, "Fly Away" is not in the same league of its pretty respectable predecessor, being a semi-ballad way closer to soft rock than anything more engaging and/or individualistic. This particular tune features the backing vocals of Debbie Boner more prominently (and oh yeah, her surname is Boner, I couldn't help but notice that), but her efforts are not enough to liven up this quite tepid offering (and it's not her fault really, as it was a hopeless cause from the start). Granted, there are far worse offerings from the period in question (some inexplicably well regarded among collectors, for no fathomable reason), but I'm afraid this particular flipside won't ever see much of the needle side in your turntable, if you know what I mean. Not a record worth selling your soul to the devil in order to obtain a copy, you see, but still an artifact of some interest for those willing to have a sizeable pre-NWOBHM collection, most of all due to the A-side. Most copies still in circulation are somewhat expensive, but I have learned of people who managed to find it in bargain bins around the London area not so long ago, so keep an eye out for it (not that you would miss its eye-catching cover, of course) if you happen to be around this particular area on a regular basis.

I have absolutely no idea whatever happened to Full Moon in the years after this release (and if you happen to know any detail, even the slightest, you're more than welcome to drop us a line), but I think it's safe to assume they didn't really survive into the 1980s, given that there's little to no mention to live outings or any further appearances at the height of the NWOBHM influx. Maybe it was a matter of bad timing really. Whatever the case, fact is that guitarist Gary Boner (yeah, his surname is Boner, how funny is that, right?) and bass player Bill Hobley kept plugging in with a blues rock outfit named Roadhouse (not to be confused with Pete Willis' post-Def Leppard project), a reasonably successful proposition that is pretty much active to this day. It's a strong indication that these guys were never that much into metal at all, but it's heartwarming to learn that at least some of them are still involved with the music scene.

Tony Trott (V/G), Debbie Boner (BV), Gary Boner (G), Bill Hobley (B), Steve Parsons (D).

01. Stand Up 3:56
02. Fly Away 4:14

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