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.
Saxon are an English heavy metal band formed in Barnsley in 1975. As leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), they had eight UK Top 40 albums during the 1980s including four UK Top 10 albums and two Top 5 albums. They had numerous hit singles on the UK Singles Chart and experienced success all over Europe and Japan, as well as in the United States.
Angel Witch are a British heavy metal band which formed in London in 1976. Despite never achieving major success, they were an integral part of the early 1980s new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) movement, and have been acknowledged as an influence by many bands of the then-emerging thrash, speed, doom and extreme metal genres. Angel Witch have released five studio albums to date, and have undergone numerous lineup changes throughout their 48-year career, leaving frontman and lead guitarist Kevin Heybourne as the only constant member.
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.
Barry Graham Purkis, more commonly known as Thunderstick, is an English drummer who wore various masks and used to perform on-stage closed in a cage. He was in the cult-band Samson, with whom his name is most associated.
Witchfynde are an English heavy metal band, forerunners of the new wave of British heavy metal movement of the late 1970s.
Hollow Ground were an English heavy metal band.
Jaguar are an English heavy metal band formed in Bristol in December 1979. They had moderate success throughout Europe and Asia in the early 1980s, during the heyday of the new wave of British heavy metal movement.
Scissorfight is a four-piece American Stoner Metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Cloven Hoof are an English heavy metal band from Wolverhampton, active from 1979 to 1990, and again from around 2000 onward. They were associated with the new wave of British heavy metal movement, alongside bands such as Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Diamond Head. Enduring many line-up changes, only founding bassist Lee Payne has remained a constant member throughout the decades.
Cloven Hoof, released in 1984, is the first full-length studio album by the British heavy metal band Cloven Hoof. The track "Gates Of Gehenna" from the band's debut E.P., The Opening Ritual, was re-recorded in this album. Neat Records re-released this album on CD in 2002 and included 3 bonus tracks that were recorded on 10 June 1983 for the BBC Friday Rock Show.
Fighting Back, released in 1986, is a live album by the British heavy metal band Cloven Hoof. Unusually for a live album, it features a selection of new tracks not featured on previous albums, although the song "Eye of the Sun" would later resurface on their 2006 album of the same name and "Reach For the Sky" and "The Fugitive" were used on the follow-up 1988 album, Dominator. This is the only Cloven Hoof release to feature singer Rob Kendrick, and the last with guitarist Steve Rounds and drummer Kevin Poutney before breaking up the band.
Sentinel Records (Sentinel) is an independent record label & webstore. Previously a record store based in Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland, in two locations, Cope Street & Upper Fownes Street. Sentinel was founded in August 2000 with the initial intention of releasing a compilation of Irish Metal bands from across the country and then to continue to develop into a Record Label. An Irish Metal mail-order was established to stock and sell everything released by Irish Metal bands from demos to CDs and LPs and also stock shirts, fanzines and any other related merchandise. Later this was expanded to world-wide metal and an on-line store was created. The webstore and label has had somewhat of a resurrection in recent years and expanded their stock greatly.
Play It Loud! Festival was a heavy metal festival held annually in Orzinuovi, Italy since 2007. It is organized by the My Graveyard Productions independent record label. The festival has up-and-coming bands from Italy and Europe, re-united Italian metal acts from the 80s and old-school international metal acts from the past. The first edition featured NWOBHM legends Blitzkrieg and Raven, while the second hosted the likes of Elixir, Cloven Hoof, Helstar and Manilla Road. The third edition of the festival took place on February, 2009, and it will be co-headlined by Exciter and Jag Panzer.
Russ North is an English singer, best known for his role in the heavy metal band Cloven Hoof. North had several stints with Cloven Hoof, from 1987 to 1990 and again from 2006 to 2009. In 2011, he was asked back with the band only to leave for the final time in 2012 under bizarre circumstances.
Tredegar were a Welsh heavy metal band formed in 1982. It was named after the town in Wales.
Banshee is a power metal band that was formed in 1986 in the American Midwest. Although they shared the image and sound with the glam/metal scene of the 80s, their music also displays elements of melodic power metal: catchy guitar riffs, eclectic drums and bass, powerful guitar solos, and intense vocals.
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.
Acid Witch is an American heavy metal band formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 2007. They released their first album, Witchtanic Hellucinations, in 2008 on Razorback Records. The band then released two EPs, Witch House in 2009 and Midnight Mass in 2010. The band released their second album, Stoned, in 2010, on Hells Headbangers. In 2012, Witchtanic Hellucinations was re-released on Hells Headbangers.
