Although its roots and influences would stretch much farther, the bands that are loosely bound together under the banner the “New Wave Of British Heavy Metal” (or NWOBHM), flourished across the UK from the late 1970s and well into the 1980s. Spearheaded by the likes of Diamond Head, Saxon and the Tygers Of Pan Tang, as this set illuminates, this underground scene was fertile and highly influential, producing many future rock legends. By the end of the 1970s, the original trio of British hard rock heroes Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath had either graduated to the arenas of the world, or split up, whilst the second wave of British heavy rockers, including UFO, Mot?rhead and Judas Priest were beginning to fill major venues across the UK. Punk exploded in 1977, and the DIY approach that sprang up in its wake soon influenced the grassroots metalheads who had yet to leave their local pubs and clubs. Often independently released, some of the bands in this set never made more than one now highly prized and collectible 45 or one-off EP. As a sequel and companion piece to 2018’s “NWOBHM: WINDS OF TIME” anthology, we now unleash “NWOBHM THUNDER”. This 3CD collection contains 44 tracks from the golden age of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, from 1978 - 1986. As well as better known acts that stood at the vanguard of this very British movement, including Girlschool, Samson, Venom and Iron Maiden’s ex-frontman Paul Di’Anno, this set mines even deeper for those precious heavy metal nuggets, including many rarities and obscurities. Those lesser known rockers include the likes of Siege, Midas, Demon Pact and Tarot.
