Discussion
The fab thing about NWOBHM wasn't just the local talent (Cloven Hoof, from Barnsley {I could weep}) but the spawning of the multifarious global interpretations - Mercyful fate 'from Scvandanavia' and Loudness 'from Japan,' to quote the Vancian.
Of course, in the US, Manowar emerged in 1982 but elsewhere, this new, more urgent strain of metal was indubitably influencing the direction of established acts - The Dio era Sabbath being the highlight, afaiwc whilst Klaus Meine and Rudy Schenker were steaming through with Lovedrive and Animal Magnetism, a brace of Deieter Dierks' engineered, autobahn essentials.
If I had to encapsulate the vibe of the time it would be 'Fast as a Shark' by Accept: the fact that frontman Udo Dirkschneider had a name redolent of some battle weary Waffen Kommendant from the Eastern Front is merely an amusing bonus: his blood curdling scream after some introductory yodeling on a scratched record, accompanied by the ripping of said vinyl from the turntable to be replaced with vocal Armegeddon is the essential raison d'etre for having onions in the first place and a prime motivator for standing in a field by a race track near Ashby de la Zouche, attempting manfully to avoid the myriad, airborne vats of 5 gallon (diluted) urine launched by the massed ranks of personnel from pubs with names like 'The Spread Eage' in West Brom.
It was a time before arena musak, MTV and lowest common denominator communism f@cked everything up.
Of course, in the US, Manowar emerged in 1982 but elsewhere, this new, more urgent strain of metal was indubitably influencing the direction of established acts - The Dio era Sabbath being the highlight, afaiwc whilst Klaus Meine and Rudy Schenker were steaming through with Lovedrive and Animal Magnetism, a brace of Deieter Dierks' engineered, autobahn essentials.
If I had to encapsulate the vibe of the time it would be 'Fast as a Shark' by Accept: the fact that frontman Udo Dirkschneider had a name redolent of some battle weary Waffen Kommendant from the Eastern Front is merely an amusing bonus: his blood curdling scream after some introductory yodeling on a scratched record, accompanied by the ripping of said vinyl from the turntable to be replaced with vocal Armegeddon is the essential raison d'etre for having onions in the first place and a prime motivator for standing in a field by a race track near Ashby de la Zouche, attempting manfully to avoid the myriad, airborne vats of 5 gallon (diluted) urine launched by the massed ranks of personnel from pubs with names like 'The Spread Eage' in West Brom.
It was a time before arena musak, MTV and lowest common denominator communism f@cked everything up.
NiceCupOfTea said:
Judas Priest are up there for me.
Indeed: Screaming for Vengeance marked the point at which the wick was ratched to 11 since British Steel, although oft cited as their high watermark, was slightly overrated: prior to that, they were heavily rocked, Brummie hippies (Sad Wings era) which was a compelling mixture.Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff