VARIOUS ARTISTS
ESSENTIAL NWOBHM VOL. 2

Hard rock was already around in the late 60s, and the 70s laid the foundation with bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, UFO, Kiss and Led Zeppelin. After the heyday of punk, heavy metal as we know it today emerged in England. Young bands took the hard rock of the aforementioned groups and mixed it with the energy and DIY attitude of the punk scene. The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, or NWOBHM for short, was born and began as early as 1978, although experts like to see 1979 as its starting point.

While the major labels were cautious in their approach (Iron Maiden, Saxon), the 'young wild ones' began pressing their own singles and LPs. The small recording studio Impulse in Newcastle had a similar idea and founded the label Neat Records for all the newcomers who recorded there. The pioneering work paid off and a few weeks later it was the most important independent company for the new, hard sounds from England. The Neat logo with its famous thumb developed a cult fascination for later generations of metal fans, who are happy to dig deep into their pockets for original copies.

Following the hugely successful first instalment, Golden Core now presents 'Volume 2' of the compilation 'ESSENTIAL NWOBHM – THE BEST OF NEAT RECORDS'. There are only two bands in common with 'Volume 1', but once again there are many surprises and rare versions of songs.

The CD was compiled and remastered by Neudi, who is considered an expert on the NWOBHM and plays in the well-known NWOBHM tribute band ROXXCALIBUR. The booklet contains many photos and, of course, liner notes.