Your TOP 5 unsigned/"7inch only" NWOBHM bands who had potential to release a "classic" album
Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 7:35 pm
The « Best/Favorites NWOBHM LPs» thread put me in a NWOBHM mood again and I was thinking about "demo/7inch only" bands of that period who had the potential to release at least one album full of classic material, with no fillers I mean.
When you really think about it, there are not so many of them. Just have a look at all the killer NWOBHM singles that are reissued those days, most of them with average studio outtakes/demos/live material as bonus. Which make you come to the conclusion that those bands were actually not good enough (sometimes despite their cult status) to come up with a full-lenght that we might consider as top-notch stuff.
Ok… here is my top 5
KRAKEN
Fantastic band. Their 1980 7inch is still one the most interesting and original of the NWOBHM. Unique mix of SABBATH and RUSH influences, adding their own gloomy touch. Not sure at all if they were capable to write an album full of material in the likes of « Winged Bulls Of Ninevh » or « Deadman’s Dreamland » ? But imagine if they did… surely we would regard it today as one of the best and heaviest NWOBHM lps. Until HHR release a compilation with boring and useless demos, I like to think they were one of the most promising NWOBHM act... but maybe I'm indeed wrong.
DAWNWATCHER
This choice shows again my personal preference for bands who differ a bit from the archetypal NWOBHM sound and who include prog and 70’s influences in their songs, while still remaining heavy as hell, fresh and new. A closed circle for sure, but DAWNWATCHER is doubtlessly one of them (unlike WHITE SPIRIT for example). I hold both of their single in high regard. Unique stuff. And the demos are superb too (from what I remember)… so most likely, they were able to write more than 30 minutes of strong, original and quality metal music.
PARALEX
I quite like their « White Lightning » MLP, though it is nothing special imo, especially in regard of their « Gettin’ Somewhere » 4-tracks demo. One year between those two releases and bloody hell, what an improvement… sounds like a total different band ! Perfect heavy metal music, full of youthful energy, talent, heavy riffs, hooks and melodies that stick in your head for years... The "Angel Of Darkness" demo showed a lot of promises too (though not as excellent, and with a different line-up if I'm correct)... A shame they didn't have the opportunity to release a full-lenght at the right time (1981/1982).
TRESPASS / HELL
Those two bands have been discussed many times before so I don’t want to sound too redundant.
Honorable mentions : VIRTUE, STORMTROOPER, SWEET SAVAGE... also maybe HARVEST MOON, RICOCHET and SARACEN (the Roksnax band)
Bands that could have been included in my list until I heard their average demo/live compilations : BLEAK HOUSE, BIG DAISY, RADIUM, BASHFUL ALLEY, etc
When you really think about it, there are not so many of them. Just have a look at all the killer NWOBHM singles that are reissued those days, most of them with average studio outtakes/demos/live material as bonus. Which make you come to the conclusion that those bands were actually not good enough (sometimes despite their cult status) to come up with a full-lenght that we might consider as top-notch stuff.
Ok… here is my top 5
KRAKEN
Fantastic band. Their 1980 7inch is still one the most interesting and original of the NWOBHM. Unique mix of SABBATH and RUSH influences, adding their own gloomy touch. Not sure at all if they were capable to write an album full of material in the likes of « Winged Bulls Of Ninevh » or « Deadman’s Dreamland » ? But imagine if they did… surely we would regard it today as one of the best and heaviest NWOBHM lps. Until HHR release a compilation with boring and useless demos, I like to think they were one of the most promising NWOBHM act... but maybe I'm indeed wrong.
DAWNWATCHER
This choice shows again my personal preference for bands who differ a bit from the archetypal NWOBHM sound and who include prog and 70’s influences in their songs, while still remaining heavy as hell, fresh and new. A closed circle for sure, but DAWNWATCHER is doubtlessly one of them (unlike WHITE SPIRIT for example). I hold both of their single in high regard. Unique stuff. And the demos are superb too (from what I remember)… so most likely, they were able to write more than 30 minutes of strong, original and quality metal music.
PARALEX
I quite like their « White Lightning » MLP, though it is nothing special imo, especially in regard of their « Gettin’ Somewhere » 4-tracks demo. One year between those two releases and bloody hell, what an improvement… sounds like a total different band ! Perfect heavy metal music, full of youthful energy, talent, heavy riffs, hooks and melodies that stick in your head for years... The "Angel Of Darkness" demo showed a lot of promises too (though not as excellent, and with a different line-up if I'm correct)... A shame they didn't have the opportunity to release a full-lenght at the right time (1981/1982).
TRESPASS / HELL
Those two bands have been discussed many times before so I don’t want to sound too redundant.
Honorable mentions : VIRTUE, STORMTROOPER, SWEET SAVAGE... also maybe HARVEST MOON, RICOCHET and SARACEN (the Roksnax band)
Bands that could have been included in my list until I heard their average demo/live compilations : BLEAK HOUSE, BIG DAISY, RADIUM, BASHFUL ALLEY, etc