Diamond Head (UK) - Shoot Out The Lights 7" (1980)

Diamond Head (UK) - Shoot Out The Lights 7" (1980)

If you were to ask me what my favourite band of the NWOBHM was that wasn't Venom, it would be a very hard choice.  But more than likely I'd end up just saying Diamond Head.  Especially that first album, holy shit.  One thing it is missing is the track Shoot Out The Lights.  I have no idea why it was not included, time on the LP I guess, but shit.  That main riff is one hell of a riff and everything that makes their first album so good is present here.  It even has a different recording of Helpless, which I don't think sounds as powerful as it would on the album but that doesn't stop it from being fucking HELPLESS.  If you don't know it by now just go home.

Tracklisting:

1. Shoot Out The Lights
2. Helpless

Country: UK

Bit Rate: 320kbps
Password: brownsock

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Arc (UK) - War Of The Ring 7" (1981)

Arc (UK) - War Of The Ring 7" (1981)

I don't really know where to start when talking about this single.  Other than that is quite possibly THE greatest single of the whole NWOBHM.  I know people will probably argue with me on that, but I can't see it any other way.  Obviously the first thing someone might notice about this release, just from the title and cover artwork, is that this is a Tolkien themed single.  Do I need to continue?  No, but I will.  Once you finally get to the actual music it only gets better from there.  The riffs, the lyrics, the vocals.  Perfection.

Tracklisting:

1. War Of The Ring
2. Ice Cream Theme

Country: UK

Bit Rate: 320kbps
Password: brownsock

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Sledgehammer (UK) - Living In Dreams 7" (1980)

Sledgehammer (UK) - Living In Dreams 7" (1980)

One more from Sledgehammer.  You get exactly what you would expect from this if you've heard their previous 7" already.  Nothing but high quality, hard hitting, early NWOBHM power!  Living In Dreams starts out with a slow intro that eventually builds up into the aggressive as fuck main guitar riff.  Its difficult to listen to this one without later getting it stuck in your head for hours.  At least I have that problem anyway.  Fantasia is a worthy follow up on the B side that doesn't hold up for one minute.  This is definitely a 7" worth looking out for and if you see it, don't hesitate for one second.  Buy it.

Tracklisting:

1. Living In Dreams
2. Fantasia

Country: UK

Bit Rate: 320kbps
Password: brownsock

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Sledgehammer (UK) - Sledgehammer 7" (1979)

Sledgehammer (UK) - Sledgehammer 7" (1979)

Back in the Angel Witch (UK) - Sweet Danger 7" (1980) post I mentioned there was a strange feeling I got from early NWOBHM singles.  I guess its the technology and the times that does it, but this is one of the main culprits of those feelings for me.  To be honest, I can't quite put my finger on it.  If anyone has read the book about the history of Hellhammer/Celtic Frost you would have heard this mentioned alongside Venom and A-II-Z as being an influence.  This is another English trio that seems to be able to make some powerful songs.  The A side definitely deserves the title of Sledgehammer because it certainly feels as though it has the power of one behind every note.  That intro gets me every time too.

Tracklisting:

1. Sledgehammer
2. Feelgood

Country: UK

Bit Rate: 320kbps
Password: brownsock

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Budgie (UK) - If Swallowed, Do Not Induce Vomiting 12" (1980)

Budgie (UK) - If Swallowed Do Not Induce Vomiting 12" (1980)

Around about the time this EP was released, Budgie was starting to sound more like a traditional NWOBHM band of the time.  Now older Budgie, especially their first 5 albums (well actually all their albums) are some of my all time favourites ever, but changing only slightl was not a bad thing.  Not for these guys anyway.  They can seem to do no wrong and what we get here are four rock solid tracks from this welsh trio.  Panzer Division Destroyed is still played by the band live, well they at least played it when I had the chance to see them back in 2008.  Lies Of Jim is also a great song, and whilst I am at it, so are High School Girls and Wild Fire.  So in saying that every song is worth your time and you should already be downloading this one!

Tracklisting:

1. Wild Fire
2. High School Girls
3. Panzer Division Destroyed
4. Lies Of Jim (The E-Type Lover)

Country: UK

Bit Rate: 320kbps
Password: brownsock

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Raven (UK) - Break The Chain 7" (1983)

Raven (UK) - Break The Chain 7" (1983)

Yet another legendary NEAT Records band uploaded here for you all.  This time it is the 7" of Break The Chain.  Yes I have the 12" and I will be uploading that later on down the line, but I prefer the 7" to the 12" so that is what you'll be getting today.  The 12" is probably the more well known as its B-sides contain the Born To Be Wild cover featuring Udo Dirkschneider of Accept on guest vocals, as well as another track titled Inquisitor.  Now I'm not saying those two songs are bad.... I just find them to be a little sub-par compared to The Ballard Of Marshall Stack, even if it does lack Udo.  Break The Chain contains everything Raven are known for.  Crazy, over the top energetic heavy metal at its best.  Straight from the first riff we hear a heavy as fuck riff and drum beat accompanied by some crazy pinch harmonics.  If this doesn't get you going then you are probably dead.

Tracklisting:

1. Break The Chain
2. The Ballard Of Marshall Stack

Country: UK

Bit Rate: 320kbps
Password: brownsock

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Venom (UK) - Bloodlust 7" (1982)

Venom (UK) - Bloodlust 7" (1982)

The second single by Black Metal gods Venom and the thirteenth release by the legendary NEAT Records (NEAT13).  The amount of magic that went on in NEAT's Impulse Studios with Keith Nichol is nothing short of amazing.  I don't really have the right words to explain it as well as it should but I'll warn you that there is plenty more of it to come here on this blog.

The single itself contains what I think has to be Venom's fastest song ever, and possibly one of their best as they always closed their amazing live sets with this song.  If you haven't already, make sure you check out the 7th Date Of Hell VHS.  After watching that you will get an idea of just how intense their live shows were and especially when they play Bloodlust.  Those pyrotechnics, holy fuck.  The B side is another track they regularly played live and its is a slower track but what they lack in speed they make up in power.  It is totally crushing.

Tracklisting:

1. Bloodlust
2. In Nomine Satanas

Country: UK

Bit Rate: 320kbps
Password: brownsock

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Venom (UK) - In League With Satan 7" (1981)

Venom (UK) - In League With Satan 7" (1981)

People who know me in person know I am a complete Venom fanboy so its quite a surprise that I've made it this far without uploading anything by them.  Well, better late than never and what better way to start off a seemingly endless amount of releases by the black metal gods themselves than their debut single, In League With Satan.  Something that really annoyed me a few years ago was Venom re-released their first few albums on CD.  They were good in that they had a huge amount of bonus tracks on the albums, sometimes just as much or more content than the actual album itself, which is fucking awesome.  Lots of rare and unreleased tracks and interviews from around the release and recordings of the albums etc.  The best part was that they also included all the singles with them.  Each album containing the two singles recorded around the time of those albums.  Welcome To Hell containing In League With Satan and Bloodlust and then Black Metal having Die Hard and Warhead.  Pretty good huh?  Well sort of.  The tracklisting says the CDs contain the In League With Satan 7" versions of the songs.  I was surprised when I listened to it and it was actually the album versions from Welcome To Hell.  That really pissed me off.

To this day I still meet people who haven't actually heard the proper 7" release and assume that it sounds exactly the same as what you hear on the album.  WRONG.  Completely different and super fucking raw. So this is why I have for all of you here the original 7" in all its raw and unlubed glory.  The first thing you will notice about the A side is that it does not have the backwards intro that is to be found on the album.  It gets straight into the drums and they sound as if it was recorded in a garage.  I'll stop ranting about this and let you get on with hearing how good this single actually is and how heavy this was for 1981.  There will be plenty more Venom to come and a lot more releases from NEAT Records too.

Tracklisting:

1. In League With Satan
2. Live Like An Angel, Die Like A Devil

Country: UK

Bit Rate: 320kbps
Password: brownsock

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