Holocaust - The Nightcomers. 1981 Scotland

Even though Holocaust is frequently mentioned as one of the "big names" of the original NWOBHM movement, my memory says different. In 1980, age 15, heavy metal was my first foray into deep diving for music. Sure, I knew of Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Samson, Witchfinder General, Praying Mantis, Tygers of Pan Tang, not to mention the obvious Iron Maiden, Saxon, etc... But Holocaust? No. Metallica's cover of 'The Small Hours' put these guys on the larger map, but long after the initial group was dead and buried. I didn't first hear Holocaust until 1993 when I stumbled upon their live Hot Curry and Wine LP in a Wichita, Kansas record store of all places. Probably was Mark Shelton's old copy...

It wasn't until the mid 2000's that I finally picked up The Nightcomers based on positive reviews. After hearing the inauspicious opener 'Smokin' Valves', I was gearing up for an Ethel the Frog kind of disappointment. This woofer is nothing more than a 70s styled boogie rock track with distorted guitars. And then... ...then comes 'Death or Glory', a song that today is universally acclaimed as a stone classic of the NWOBHM movement. And no argument from me. It's exactly this kind of composition and riffs that makes this era of heavy metal timeless. 40 years after laying this down to wax, the music sounds as fresh and exciting as ever. What a riff, what a sound! And The Nightcomers never looks back either. Every track here is a winner. 'Heavy Metal Mania' being another very catchy number. My favorites are the more thoughtful and subtlety complex tracks like 'Mavrock' and in particular the title track. So yes, in retrospect, an absolute classic of an album. But not in their day, nope.

I haven't heard any of their reformation albums, but word around the campfire says they continued to push the boundaries of metal. Certainly sounds just up my alley.

Ownership: CD: 2000 Metal Blade (USA). Jewel case release with lyrics. Also includes their Heavy Metal Mania EP from 1980. This EP isn't near the standard of their album proper. Closer to the anthemic side of NWOBHM. Purchased in 2005.

12//05; 2/22/19 (new entry)