Crucifixion

I’ll just go ahead and dispense with any pretense of objectivity: CRUCIFIXION has been one of my absolute favorite NWOBHM bands since I first discovered the scene in the early 90s when Lars Ulrich was trumpeting the movement’s 10th anniversary. CRUCIFIXION released two singles and one 3-track 12” EP, which is a lot of vinyl compared to many of their contemporaries. And among those seven tracks there are five stone-cold ass-kickers, two of which are on this single, which was their vinyl debut released during the scene’s heyday.

These two tracks perfectly represent the nascent NWOBHM scene circa 1980. Either song would have been right at home on the seminal ‘New Electric Warriors’ compilation, as CRUCIFIXION had that same raw but highly energetic sound with almost punky levels of oomph that many of the bands featured on that compilation had in spades. These CRUCIFIXION tracks feature a gritty, heavy, chugging sound that has energy just crackling out of your speakers. Both start with a killer hook and never let you go. They sound a tad like a metallic version of Bon Scott-era AC/DC, but the best comparison I can probably make is BOLLWEEVIL’s ‘Rock Solid’. Sometimes people equate NWOBHM with rather tepid, early 80s rock-metal hybrid bands that are pretty uninteresting by modern standards. CRUCIFIXION couldn’t be farther from that sound; they put the ‘Metal’ in NWOBHM.

Note that the version of ‘The Fox’ contained hereon can throw off those who have already heard the song on the ‘All Hell Let Loose’ compilation or one of its many differently-titled CD & cassette incarnations (e.g., ’60 Minutes Plus’, ‘Metal Minded’, etc…. really, why did they have to issue so many minor variants of this compilation and always give it a new name?). THIS version of ‘The Fox’ is a mid-paced killer, but the group re-did the song in 1983 for the compilation and they amped it up to eleven, turning it into a proto-power/speed metal scorcher. The thing to remember is that, while very different, BOTH versions are amazing. Flipside ‘Death Sentence’ is also a bruising piece of work, my only complaint being that the song ends rather abruptly after just 2:21.

If you like totally powered-out, over-the-top, NWOBHM that literally bristles with energy, this is the band you’ve overlooked. With some anthologies released in 2019, it’s now pretty easy to obtain their material. The original ‘The Fox’ single has always been one of those semi-rare, mid-priced items, and it’s worth every penny in my book.

Single der einsamen Spitzenklasse die jeder Sammler haben sollte. Beide Tracks sind sich ebenbuertig: Robuster, roher Heavy Metal von dem man nie genug kriegt. Kaufen!