The New Wave of British Heavy Metal
...ct moment in time when some believe the NWOBHM truly began. With every show they played, and with every single they released, Iron Maiden quickly outgrew their smaller venues and were soon one of the highest grossing metal acts signed to the EMI label. (Hoffman,2.) Judas Priest formed in the mid 1970s and was instantaneously recognized as a truly potent force. With the release of albums such as screaming for vengeance and exiter, Judas Priest’s music combined with other popular bands of the time and undoubtedly lead to the NWOBHM. (Reesman,4). Singer Rob Halford quoted; “America may have invented rock and roll, but Britain invented heavy metal.” (Reesman,4) Def Leppard was formed in 1977 in Sheffield, England, by Peter Willis and Rick Savage. With all of the members in or just out of their teens, they were a young and inexperienced group. To the surprise of many, however, within the release of two albums and a few festival shows, Def Leppard exploded onto the mainstream music scene and quickly became one of the most successful hard rock bands of the NWOBHM. (Reesman, 6) Though some may argue (to the point of shouting and shaking fists) that Def Leppard was not metal, they have always been and always been labeled as a metal act. Just ask your average mainstream pop-lover if they know any metal bands, and Def Leppard will likely be among the short list. (Abel et. Al, 247) Swarming with literally hundreds of less successful but no less potent bands, the NWOBHM mushroomed into something far larger and more powerful than it seemed. After coercing most of Europe and parts of Asia into their following, the NWOBHM had one final step to climb before it became a truly legitimate sound: the United States. At first, audiences in the United States were quite skeptical of the sound of NWOBHM. Most of the bands in the NWOBHM wrote “storytelling songs” based on ancient mythology or historical events, which never broke mainstream. (Reesman, 3) Also, most of the American audience generally disliked the idea of album oriented songs (some of which lasted a good ten minutes). (Reesman, 3) As a result, the only NWOBHM bands that truly held strong ground on the mainstream scene were an atrocity known as “Hair Bands.” Hair bands were every true metal fan’s nightmare, as their success revolved around catchy, pop-friendly songs known as “power ballads.” The songs were written about the general “sex drugs and rock and roll” attitude of most of the bands, and very rarely did they have any kind of message or statement in them. Regardless of all its flaws, the Hair metal scene was easily the most popular genre that had sprung from the NWOBHM. (Reesman) Around the year 1982, the NWOBHM had lost its “new wave” appeal and died off almost as quickly as it had started. This, however, did not stop the more successful NWOBHM bands from continuing to cut brilliant records and line up sold-out world tours. Meanwhile, the effects of the NWOBHM had already begun to take shape in the form of several different sub-genres of metal, including thrash metal, progressive metal, and speed/power metal. These genres flourished in both the United States and in England and many other parts of the world. (Reesman) The lasting effects of the NWOBHM are as plain to see as the number of NWOBHM bands that are still recording albums and touring the world. (Reesman, 3) Countless bands today credit NWOBHM bands as great influences, but none put it as blatant as the most popular thrash metal band in the world...