Angelwitch

Formed in 1978 with demo recordings scattered everywhere, the band first appeared in the early days of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with the classic self titled album 'Angelwitch' in 1980 released through Bronze Records. Prior to this the band had been signed by EMI along with Iron Maiden and released a 7" titled Sweet Danger. Due to the single only reaching No 75 in the British charts the band were dropped. The original line up consisted of Kevin Heybourne [guitar/ vocals], Skids [bass], and Dave Hogg [drums].
The band released some memorable singles in the form of the head thumping Angelwitch and Loser.
The band reformed under various line ups [Kevin Heybourne being the resolute front man throughout] with little success in '82 only to split and appear again in '84 for two disastrous albums. 'Screaming N' Bleeding' and 'Frontal Assault' witch contained little of the brooding Metal anthems of old. In fact the more melodic approach was even cited by Kevin Heybourne as a mistake.
The band have been active in one way or another during the past two decades and are now set to unleash the fires of old with a new surge of passion brought together by the new line up of, Kevin Heybourne [guitars/ vocals], Keith Herzberg [guitars], Richie Wicks [bass/ vocals], Scott Higham [drums]
The track featured here is a new version of 'Angel of Death' originally found on the album 'Angelwitch'.

www.angel-witch.com   Richie.wicks@virgin.net

Discography
Sweet Danger 7" 1980
Angelwitch 7" 1980
Angelwitch 1980
Loser 7" 1981
Goodbye 7" 1985
Screaming 'N Bleeding 1985
Frontal Assault

Venom

Formed in 1979 by Cronos [bass, vocals], Mantas [guitar] and Abaddon [drums] the band were set to transform Metal beyond form and recognition. In the midst's of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the dying embers of Punk Rock the debut album 'Welcome to Hell' reared its ugly head in 1981 much to the bemusement of the Metal Press. If this was a sign of things to come then no one really knew it yet. That is until 1982 and the mother of all Black Metal albums was born. The unmatchable 'Black Metal' opus catapulted Venom like a grenade into the Metal world which blew the spandex, hip gyrating more subtler Metal acts into oblivion. The following 'At War With Satan' concept album appeared in 1984 and marked the pinnacle of the bands artistic genius. The next album 'Possessed' released in 1985 was rather lame and led to the departure of Mantas. With two new guitarists in the form of Mike H and Jim C the band re-appeared in '87 with the even lamer 'Calm Before the Storm' album.
The volatile nature of the members continued with Cronos leaving and with him the two new guitarists. Abaddon carried on and with Mantas back in the fray and a new vocalist in ex-Atomkraft front man Tony 'Demolition Man' Dolan, a new and surprisingly good album in 'Prime Evil' appeared in 1989. This was the finest album since 'At War With Satan' and the new found passion continued with the 1990 mcd 'Tear Your Soul Apart'.
Again, the music faltered on the next album 'Temples of Ice' in '91 and continued to deteriorate with 'The Wastelands' in '92. The band called it a day and another chapter was brought to a close.
In 1996 the original three piece reformed for some festival gigs and a new album 'Cast in Stone' which came out in 1997. Not as dark or frightening as their glory days, the music was nonetheless angry modern hard metal as was the 2000 release 'Resurrection'. Again the band found themselves re-charged and able to pen some fine metallic anthems in true grisly Venom fashion. Still, the past days are gone and the modern Venom is but a passing glimpse of an eighties phenomenon.

In League with Satan 7" 1981
Welcome to Hell 1918
Blood Lust 7" 1982
Black Metal 1982
Die Hard 7"/ 12" 1983
Warhead 7"/ 12" 1983
Manitou 7"/ 12"/ 1984
At War with Satan 1984
Nightmare 7"/ 12" 1985
Hell at Hammersmith 12" 1985
Possessed 1985
Eine Kleine Nachtmusic 1986
Calm Before the Storm 1987
Prime Evil 1989
Tear your Soul Apart mcd 1990
Temple of Ice 1991
Wastelands 1992
Cast in Stone 1997
Ressurection 2000

Pagan Altar

Cult early eighties Metal act who were truly underground in their dark occultist doom anthems taking their inspirations from the most sinister aspects of Black Sabbath and Pentagram. The band released fur albums during the eighties namely, Pagan Altar Vol., Lords of Hypocrisy, Mythical & Magical and Never quite Dead [live] through small independent labels and have gone unnoticed in the vaults of time and Pagan Altar are without doubt one of the best kept secrets of the early British Metal revival. The track featured here is taken from the Oracle Records re-issue of the bands 1982 album ‘Pagan Altar Vol.1’. The mood created here is as dark and chilling as any Sabbath influenced band could muster and why Pagan Altar were criminally ignored is one of life’s great mysteries.

www.btinternet.com/~paganaltar | oraclepromotions@lineone.net