The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
NWOBHM for short. This was the period from 1979 to c.1983, when the British scene of Heavy Metal really took off after punk died out.
Metal had first been brought around in the late 60s by supergroup Cream. Proper metal emerged in the mid 70s with bands like Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, AC/DC and Motorhead. Glam Rock and Punk became big in the late 70s, and then it went full circle in '79.
It was in this time that metal became big again. Iron Maiden, Urchin, Saxon, Samson and Wythenshawe among others were at the fore of it. Throughout the late 70s they had been making names for themselves, and they all took off in the NWOBHM.
Places like Castle Donnington became big names for the big bands to play. In their early days these bands dominated The Marquee, which was on a much smaller scale compared to Donnington.
In the 80s a much more electronic sound overtook the New Wave. As it is with fashion, heavy metal became old, and thus unfashionable. In the 80s only the old, household names could really continue: Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Motorhead, Kiss etc.
Metal had first been brought around in the late 60s by supergroup Cream. Proper metal emerged in the mid 70s with bands like Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, AC/DC and Motorhead. Glam Rock and Punk became big in the late 70s, and then it went full circle in '79.
It was in this time that metal became big again. Iron Maiden, Urchin, Saxon, Samson and Wythenshawe among others were at the fore of it. Throughout the late 70s they had been making names for themselves, and they all took off in the NWOBHM.
Places like Castle Donnington became big names for the big bands to play. In their early days these bands dominated The Marquee, which was on a much smaller scale compared to Donnington.
In the 80s a much more electronic sound overtook the New Wave. As it is with fashion, heavy metal became old, and thus unfashionable. In the 80s only the old, household names could really continue: Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Motorhead, Kiss etc.
