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The 10 Greatest Releases from the North East New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NENWOBHM)!

That's quite the mouthful!

We’re being pedantically selective here but you can blame the great Geoff Barton and Sounds writer Ian Ravendale for coining the term NENWOBHM (North East New Wave Of British Heavy Metal), an off-shoot from the more well known New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)!

As it turns out, these guys were right to further categorise the swell of great music emerging from the North East of England as it was an absolute hot-bed for emerging talent…..and here’s our pick of the 10 greatest releases from the North East New Wave of British Heavy Metal!

Mythra – The Death & Destiny EP (1979)

Track Listing:

1. “Death And Destiny”

2. “Killer”

3. “Overlord”

4. “U.F.O.”

We’ll cut straight to the chase. Mythra‘s The Death & Destiny EP was groundbreaking; it was the foaming, frothing, churning sea of change before the swell created by Iron Maiden, Tygers of Pan Tang, Angel Witch etc truly crashed ashore.

Consisting of just 4 tracks running to a total of just 12 minutes, these stats may seem inconsequential but The Death & Destiny EP was the sound of NWOBHM somehow perfected before it had officially begun. Fearless and wild, Mythra‘s sinewy and energetic riffs, backed by Vince High’s sneering, youth-gone-wild vocals, would go on to become the bedrock of the NWOBHM’s sound.

One listen to the opening riff from “Killer” (it completely rips off Budgie’s “Breadfan” but who gives a shit) and you know you’re in more than capable hands….Mythra should have been fuckin’ huge!

How is it possible that a band with this much promise can initially fade away into obscurity? Fortunately, Mythra are still burning bright and with 3 albums released since their reformation in 2001, the world has finally awoken to their magisterial metal might.

They’ll never better this iconic debut though!

About Chris Jennings (1963 Articles)
I love metal. Always have. Always will. As editor of Worship Metal - a site dedicated to being as positive about metal and its myriad of sub-genres as possible - my aim is to 'worship' metal through honest reviews, current news and a wide variety of features; offering the same exposure to underground bands as we do to mainstream/well known acts. Our mantra; the bands are partners and we exist to serve the bands \m/

1 Comment on The 10 Greatest Releases from the North East New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NENWOBHM)!

  1. Hi. The Hollow Ground tracks on the Roksnax album aren’t the same four from the ‘Warlord’ EP (those tracks were Flying High/Warlord/Rock On/Don’t Chase The Dragon). Apologies if this has been pointed out before.

    I mention it only because I was lucky enough on Saturday to find a copy of the original EP on Guardian with the picture cover.

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