Alright kids. Buckle up, because this week’s Top 10 is going to be a convoluted one, and I feel I’d be insulting your intelligence if I assaulted you with another generic Top 10 Songs from *insert legacy band here* list. Martin Popoff tackled a similar sentiment on his excellent History in Five Songs podcast, which can be heard here. As for us, while we won’t be getting as nitty gritty as good ol’ Marty (who could?), here’s a Top 10 that explores the same idea: NWOBHM adjacency. Now by this I’m referring to acts who, while not part of the NWOBHM proper, were staples of the battlejackets of the era, and released albums that reflected this sonic evolution. Admittedly, not all of these acts are British, but trust us when we say we have some great excuses. Without further ado, here are our Top 10 NWOBHM Adjacent Albums.
10. Atomic Rooster – Atomic Rooster (1980)
Despite barely scratching our list at #10, Atomic Rooster’s self-titled 1980 comeback album might embody this concept of “NWOBHM adjacency” better than any other on here. The concept is rather straightforward: Early ’70s proto-metal masters who’ve long since fallen out of vogue regroup amidst a changing musical landscape, attempting to appeal to the younger generation. Unfortunately, Atomic Rooster failed to breakthrough this periphery, but is still deserving of a spot on this list if only for the valiant effort at hand. The band shed their doom and gloom, Hammond metal sound in exchange for a straightforward hard and heavy riff attack, which manages to be as convincing as just about any other NWOBHM act who could scrape up the shillings for a single release, if not more so.
9. Judas Priest – British Steel (1980)
Goodbye ’70s, hello ’80s. After revolutionizing metal as we know it in the mid ’70s, paving the way for acts like Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, and so forth, Judas Priest said goodbye to grandiose suites and progressive musicianship for good come the release of British Steel. Admittedly, 1978’s Killing Machine foreshadowed this shift in direction, but it was British Steel that doubled down on it, and just in time. Whereas many of their ’70s peers were struggling to remain relevant, Priest fit right in with the NWOBHM crop, so much so that to this day, they’re mistakenly lumped in with them! Granted, if your main reference point for the band is British Steel, you can be forgiven. Everything about this album, from the catchy choruses and air guitar-ready riffs, to the four on the floor drumming and anthemic production, screams prime NWOBHM.
8. Budgie – Power Supply (1980)
Budgie are a band who fall into the exact same boat as Atomic Rooster, albeit with much more promising results, both creatively and commercially. During the first half of the ’70s, they are right there alongside Sabbath, Purple, and Heep, crafting their own unique brand of metal that’s rich with psychedelic freak-outs and humorous lyricism. Come the latter half of the decade, they attempt to break into the US market (courtesy of Herb Alpert and the good folks at A&M), and fail miserably. So what do they do? Retreat back home to their native UK and craft their own NWOBHM-esque mission statement, Power Supply. Budgie may have been old, but not so old that they couldn’t see the change happening around them. You can read more on this cult classic in our From My Collection essay on it here.
7. Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners (1982)
Like a drifter, he was born to walk alone. Initially formed as the solo project of former Purple frontman David Coverdale before evolving into a full fledged band, Whitesnake are another NWOBHM adjacent staple. Their first album dropped in ’78, and the seeds were sown even further back in ’77, making them too early to fit the bill. Furthermore, they were always more bluesy and soulful than the NWOBHM crop, essentially coming off as a spiritual successor to Purple Mk. III. Taking this into consideration, it was hard to pin down a specific album as least soulful/most metallic, but for our money, the honor goes to Saints and Sinners. There’s something about the attack of cuts like “Young Blood”, “Bloody Luxury”, and the title track that screams NWOBHM, and even the ones that don’t draw from the heavier side of Coverdale’s Purple output, channeling the soul-metal fury of cuts like “Burn” and “Stormbringer”.
6. Gillan – Glory Road (1980)
Coverdale isn’t the only Purple-man gracing this here list! So is metal’s first genuine screamer, Ian Gillan, and his namesake band with their third album, Glory Road. Now there are some who argue that Gillan is indeed a NWOBHM band. They most definitely fit the timeframe (1978-1982) and the UK proved to be their biggest market, the band shockingly not even causing a ripple in the States. However, the key letter in NWOBHM is “N”, which stands for “new”. While the creative vehicle itself might’ve been new, there was nothing new about a band of guys whose recording careers reached back to *gulp* the ’60s! Nevertheless, Glory Road checked off all the NWOBHM boxes. If Whitesnake were a continuation of Purple Mk. III, Gillan were a continuation of Purple Mk. II, with a new and improved metallic disposition. My eardrums are quivering just THINKING about classics like “Unchain Your Brain” and “On the Rocks”.
5. Michael Schenker Group – The Michael Schenker Group (1980)
“What’s some kraut doing on a NWOBHM themed list?!”, you’re likely exclaiming right now from behind your computer screen. If any German earned the title of “honorary Brit”, it’s Michael Schenker. As the guitarist for UFO during their most fruitful era, he helped bridge the gap between metal’s early years and the NWOBHM, practically inventing the gallop riff as we know it. Come the formation of his namesake band in 1979, Schenker found himself based in London and in the thick of the burgeoning NWOBHM scene. A year later, their self-titled debut would hit shelves and fit right in alongside the heavy riffage of the day. Schenker walked so bands like Diamond Head and Tygers of Pan Tang could run, and it shows on classics like “Armed and Ready”, “Victim of Illusion”, and “Lost Horizons”. The album put the groundbreaking guitarist back on the map, and introduced him to a whole new generation of headbangers.
4. Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
Michael Schenker wasn’t the only ’70s metal musician who needed a change of scenery. So did Ozzy Osbourne, the one-time Sabbath frontman relocating to sunny California, which begs the question: Why is Blizzard of Ozz on this list? Well, three reasons: 1. The band was 4/5 British, the sole exception being Randy Rhoads, 2. It was released in the UK prior to America, and took off in their market first, and 3. Musically reflected the changing landscape. Like nearly every other act on this list, save for the Purple spinoffs, Ozzy Osbourne’s solo vehicle was a complete abandonment of the musical tropes that defined Sabbath in the ’70s. The Ozzman himself will tell you that. Whereas Iommi’s guitar work was all doom and gloom (at least with Ozzy at the helm), Rhoads’ took Osbourne to new melodic heights with his neoclassical soloing and Eddie Van Halen-inspired riffing.
3. Gary Moore – Dirty Fingers (1983)
Shockingly, Gary Moore had a hard time adjusting to the ’80s. Despite its 1983 release date, making it a late entry for this here list, Dirty Fingers was written and recorded in 1980, only to be shelved in favor of the first (and only) album from his then new band, G-Force. The result was a disaster: A dodgy offering of half-hearted AOR that disheartened any headbanger trying to detect the Thin Lizzy connection. A collaboration with fellow dinosaur rocker Greg Lake followed, before Moore made his proper ’80s debut with 1982’s Corridors of Power. The success of that much heavier and better album led to the release of this lost NWOBHM adjacent relic in ’83, which left many a maniac wondering: Why didn’t we get this three years ago? 45 years on and few solos in the history of metal touch the brilliance of “Hiroshima”.
2. Motörhead – Ace of Spades (1980)
One can draw many parallels between British Steel and Ace of Spades. Both albums regularly get lumped in as defining moments of the NWOBHM. Both albums are also regularly namedropped as each band’s signature effort, even if not necessarily their best, but for good reason. Whenever anyone utters the name “Motörhead”, the first image that comes to mind are three Englishmen decked out head to toe in black leather, standing in a barren wasteland like a bunch of outlaw cowboys from one of Lemmy’s beloved “western movies”. Ace of Spades took the high speed metalpunk and filthy rock n’ roll of Overkill and Bomber before it, condensing it into a package of meticulously written rockers and unabashed fury. What more needs to be said? Oh yeah, “and don’t forget the joker”!
- Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning
“Irishmen on a NWOBHM list?! Utter bollocks!” Again, I hear your cries, and again, you’re wrong. Thin Lizzy’s final album, Thunder and Lightning, was more than just a musical embrace of the NWOBHM: It was a full blown co-opt, even down to the addition of Tygers of Pan Tang guitarist, John Sykes (rest in power). While 1980’s Chinatown and 1981’s Renegade were both welcomed by the NWOBHM crowd with open arms, Thunder and Lightning hit them like a hammer (goddamn!) right as the movement began to fizzle out. Ironically, the album would mark the end of the line for Lizzy themselves, who would fold after one final jaunt in support of it. One could only imagine how much more music Philo and Sykes had in ’em. I’m sure they’re up to no good whatsoever at the great rock n’ roll pub in the sky as we speak. And with that, my friends, “The Sun Goes Down”. All hail NWOBHM adjacency, and all hail Thunder and Lightning.
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