V.A. – NWOBHM THUNDER; The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal 1978-1986 [3xCD] (2020)

As a sequel and companion piece to 2018’s NWOBHM: ‘Winds Of Time’ anthology, Cherry Red Records / HNE now unleash “NWOBHM THUNDER; The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal 1978-1986”. This 3-CD collection contains 44 remastered tracks from the golden age of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, from 1978 –1986. As well as better known acts that stood at the vanguard of this very British movement, including Girlschool, Samson, Praying Mantis and Iron Maiden’s ex-frontman Paul Di’Anno, this set mines even deeper for those precious classic metal nuggets, including many rarities and obscurities.

I’m a sucker for a good NWOBHM compilation. Even though I own tons of albums and collections from that scene already, there’s just something about a well-curated set of NWOBHM gems that lets you get lost in that classic sound and really appreciate the infectious energy that pushed classic metal to the next level in the early 1980s.
This Cherry Red / Hear No Evil set is really good. Titled ”NWOBHM Thunder – New Wave Of British Heavy Metal: 1978-1986”, the release is packed with 44 vintage gems across three CDs.

NWOBHM Thunder skips most of the “A-list” regulars, so you’re not going to find Iron Maiden, Motorhead or Def Leppard here.
We do get singles from mainstays like Saxon, Girlschool, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Praying Mantis, Tokyo Blade and Raven though, plus a lot of “mid-tier” names like Jaguar, Cloven Hoof, and Dark Star.

Where the set really shines are the deep cuts. Think b-sides and old compilation tracks from the likes of Satan’s Empire, Black Rose, Hammerhead, Metal Mirror and Streetfighter.
And I’ve gone out of my way to collect NWOBHM releases on CD, but this is the first time I’ve seen material from The Pauline Gillan Band, Siege, Midas, War Machine, and Liaison UK on disc.

The track listing does a good job interspersing the known classics with the newly unearthed tracks, and all of the songs have been newly remastered, which is much needed for some of the more obscure material.
Sound quality is fantastic, which is about what you expect from a HNE release.

”NWOBHM Thunder” is an excllent collection of vintage NWOBHM material. There are enough deep cuts to make it worthwhile to serious NWOBHM collectors, and it has enough familiar names that it makes a great introduction to the scene for fans who like Saxon or Praying Mantis and are ready to dig a little deeper.
Highly Recommended

Disc 1:
01 Saxon – Heavy Metal Thunder
02 Rock Goddess – Satisfied Then Crucified
03 Pauline Gillan Band – You Got Me Running
04 Praying Mantis – Flirting with Suicide
05 Aragorn – Radar Love
06 Elixir – Pandora’s Box
07 Cloven Hoof – The Gates of Gehenna
08 Paul Di’anno’s Battlezone – The Land God Gave to Caine
09 Siege – Goddess of Fire
10 Vardis – Too Many People
11 Battleaxe – Burn This Town
12 Venom – Live Like an Angel…Die Like a Devil
13 Satan’s Empire – Suicide Man
14 War Machine – Power

Disc 2:
01 Blitzkreig – Inferno
02 Mantas – The Green Manalishi
03 Dark Star – Lady of Mars
04 Midas – Power in the Sky
05 Chevy – Just Another Day
06 Black Rose – Ridin’ Higher
07 Hammerhead – Time Will Tell
08 Metal Mirror – Crazy
09 Liaison – Only Heaven Knows
10 Shiva – En Cachent (Demo)
11 Girl – Hollywood Tease
12 Saracen – Face in the Crowd
13 Tygers of Pan Tang – Love Potion No. 9
14 Demon Pact – Demon Pact
15 Tarot – Feel the Power
16 Chrome Molly – Nuclear Attack

Disc 3:
01 Raven – Break the Chain
02 Witchfynde – I’d Rather Go Wild
03 Streetfighter – She’s No Angel
04 Heavy Pettin’ – Love Times Love
05 Jaguar – Another Lost Weekend
06 Samson – Earth Mother
07 Demon – Liar
08 Girlschool – It Could Be Better
09 Tokyo Blade – Dirty Faced Angels
10 Stormtrooper – Still Comin’ Home
11 Savage – Stevie’s Vengeance
12 Diamond Head – In the Heat of the Night
13 Statetrooper – Veni, Vidi, Vici
14 Fist – Lost and Found

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www.amazon.co.uk/Nwobhm-Thunder-British-1978-1986-Capacity/dp/B0882JH6SL