The new wave of British heavy metal was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Editor Alan Lewis coined the term for an article by Geoff Barton in a May 1979 issue of the British music newspaper Sounds to describe the emergence of new heavy metal bands in the mid to late 1970s, during the period of punk rock's decline and the dominance of new wave music.
Possessed is an American death/thrash metal band, originally formed in 1982 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Battleaxe are an English heavy metal band from Sunderland. As one of the bands of the new wave of British heavy metal scene, they started out with the name Warrior and morphed into Battleaxe in early 1981. The band consisted of Dave King (vocals), Brian Smith (bass), Steve Hardy (guitar), and Ian Thompson (drums). After playing around the area and honing their craft, they entered the recording studio to make a demo called "Burn This Town". In doing so, they garnered the attention of Roadrunner Records, and the result was their first album, Burn This Town.
Sweet Savage are a heavy metal band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1979. Future Dio and Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was an early member. Since forming in 1979, Sweet Savage have released three studio albums, three singles and one demo. Their latest album, Regeneration, was released in 2011.
Grim Reaper were a British heavy metal band from the new wave of British heavy metal era. The band was formed in 1979 in Droitwich, England, by guitarist Nick Bowcott, and there have been numerous lineup changes over the years, with frontman Steve Grimmett being the longest running member, from 1982 to 1988, then 2006 until his death in 2022. They are best known for several of their 1980s songs, including the respective title tracks from their first three albums: See You in Hell (1983), Fear No Evil (1985) and Rock You to Hell (1987); each of those songs gained notoriety in the 1990s for appearing on Beavis and Butt-Head. After disbanding in 1988, the band reformed in 2006 around Grimmett, and due to legal issues surrounding the rights to the original band name, they went by Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper. Two albums under that name – Walking in the Shadows (2016) and At the Gates (2019) – were released before Grimmett died in 2022, after which the band disbanded again.
Atomkraft are an English speed metal band from Newcastle, who were part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. They formed in 1979, disbanded in 1988, and reformed in 2005. Atomkraft's "Total Metal" approach draws inspiration from fellow NWOBHM bands such as Motörhead and Venom, punk rock bands such as The Dickies, and early Exodus or Slayer. Lead vocalist/bassist Tony Dolan also fronted Venom for a number of years in the late 1980s and 90s.
Tygers of Pan Tang are an English heavy metal band who are part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. They formed in 1978 in Whitley Bay, England, and were active until 1987. The band reformed in 1999 and continue to record and perform. The name is derived from Pan Tang, a fictional archipelago in Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné fantasy series whose wizards keep tigers as pets.
Persian Risk are a Welsh heavy metal band from the new wave of British heavy metal era formed in 1979 and hailing from Cardiff, Wales. The brainchild of ex-Stoned Soul Party guitarist Phil Campbell, he recruited vocalist Jon Deverill, second guitarist Dave Bell, bass player Nick Hughes, and drummer Razz. The group was active until 1986. In 2012, the band was re-activated by vocalist Carl Sentance albeit without the involvement of any other past members.
Angel Witch is the first album by British heavy metal band Angel Witch. The album was released in 1980 through Bronze Records, and since then re-released in four editions over the years. The cover features a painting formerly attributed to John Martin titled The Fallen Angels Entering Pandemonium. The album made Angel Witch one of the key bands in the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) scene, and has proven influential on subsequent movements, particularly on then-upcoming thrash, speed, doom and extreme metal artists.
White Spirit were an English heavy metal band from Hartlepool, best remembered for guitarist Janick Gers who went on to play with Ian Gillan, Bruce Dickinson, and ultimately, Iron Maiden. Other original members of the band were Bruce Ruff (vocals), Malcolm Pearson (keyboards), Phil Brady (bass) and Graeme Crallan (drums), with a later lineup including Brian Howe (vocals), Mick Tucker (guitars) and Toby Sadler (bass). Pearson and Tucker revived the band between 2022 and 2024.
A II Z were an English heavy metal band founded in 1979 in Manchester, England, by the guitarist Gary Owens. The original line-up consisted of David Owens (vocals), Gary Owens (guitar), Cam Campbell (bass), Karl Reti (drums). For a short time they were one of the forerunners of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. They disbanded in 1982.
Benedictum is an American heavy metal band formed in 2005 in San Diego, California that now resides in Phoenix, Arizona. Their current lineup consists of vocalist Veronica Freeman, guitarist Pete Wells, bassist Aric Avina, and drummer Rikard Stjernquist. Since their formation the band released four studio albums, debuting with Uncreation in 2006, followed by Seasons of Tragedy in 2008, both through Spain-based label Locomotive Music, before signing with Italian label Frontiers Records for their third album, Dominion, issued in 2011. Their fourth and most recent album, Obey, was released on Frontiers Records in 2013.
Neil Turbin is an American singer known for being the first full-time vocalist for thrash metal band Anthrax. He is the current lead vocalist and songwriter of heavy metal band DeathRiders and a member of hard rock band Bleed the Hunger.
Mad Max is a German hard rock band from Münster. In 1988, the band consisted of Michael Voss (vocals), Jürgen Breforth (guitars), Roland Bergmann and Axel Kruse (drums). Mad Max's self-titled release was in 1982. They faded away in 1989. Voss and Breforth reunited and put out a comeback album in 1999. At the beginning of 2015, bassist Roland Bergmann left Mad Max, leaving Breforth as the only original member of the band.
Trespass are a British heavy metal band from Sudbury, Suffolk, England. They were part of the new wave of British heavy metal at the beginning of the 1980s. The band reformed in 2015.
Salem is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Hull, England. It was formed following the split of the new wave of British heavy metal band Ethel the Frog. Salem recorded three demos and a single in the early 1980s; a compilation album of these recordings was released in 2010.
Black Rose are an English heavy metal band from Teesside in the north east of England. They formed in 1976 under the name Ice but changed it to Black Rose in 1980. Black Rose was one of the many British bands considered part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. The original line-up was Steve Bardsley, Kenny Nicholson (guitar), Marty Rajn (bass) and Mark Eason (drums). Over the next nine years the band went through various line-up changes and released quite a few records including two albums: Boys Will Be Boys (1984) and Walk It How You Talk It (1986) before splitting up in 1989. The band then re-formed in 2006 and released their third album Cure for Your Disease in 2010. In 2022 they released their fourth studio album WTF on Pure Steel Records.
Sacrifice is a Canadian thrash metal band from Toronto, Ontario. The band was formed by guitarists Rob Urbinati and Joe Rico in 1983. Sacrifice played a prominent role in the 1980s underground metal scene in Toronto, and along with Voivod, Razor and Annihilator, they are considered one of the "Big Four" of Canadian thrash metal. Sacrifice has been cited as an influence on many notable heavy metal bands, including Sepultura, Cannibal Corpse, and Carcass. The band released four studio albums before parting ways in 1993. After coming back together to play a reunion concert in 2006, they released their fifth studio album The Ones I Condemn on Brazilian label Marquee Records in 2009. Although the band faced numerous line-up changes, especially in their early days, founding guitarists Urbinati, Rico and bassist Scott Watts recorded every studio album and demo with drummer Gus Pynn on everything but the Apocalypse Inside demo and CD.
Grand Prix were an English hard rock and pop rock band, active between 1978 and 1984 and notable for featuring two future members of Uriah Heep.
"In League with Satan" is the first song released by the English extreme metal band Venom. It was released on 17 April 1981 as a single with the B-side "Live Like an Angel" by Neat Records and later appeared on the band's first album, Welcome to Hell. The song has been cited as the first black metal song and is also often cited by critics who claim a connection between heavy metal and Satanism.
