NWOBHM
tagStarted 1979Peak 1980-1983Last big hit still activeFrom United Kingdom
Located in 2 routes
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal: punk-energized, riff-forward British metal with galloping rhythms, twin-guitar harmonies, raw independent-label production, and DIY urgency. Faster and leaner than 70s metal, it fused Sabbath/Priest heaviness with punk's speed and attitude, foregrounding the riff, the gallop, and the anthemic chorus.
History
Erupted across late-70s Britain as a grassroots reaction to punk and prog, championed by Sounds magazine and DJ Neal Kay. Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Diamond Head led a flood of bands issuing singles on small labels around 1979-81. Its riff vocabulary directly inspired the American thrash movement; Maiden became one of metal's biggest global acts.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- AllMusic (NWOBHM)
- Wikipedia (New wave of British heavy metal)
- Sounds magazine archives
- Encyclopaedia Metallum