New Wave of British Heavy Metal
- The American Guitar Academy
- Aug 28
- 5 min read
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal, or NWOBHM, is a musical movement that originated in the United Kingdom from the 1970s onwards. Whilst not a genre in and of itself, it combined aspects of punk and more modern sounds of the era to create something unique.
This musical movement spawned some insanely successful bands, but perhaps even more notable is how the style inspired musical heavyweights such as Metallica and Megadeth in the 1980s. In terms of lyrical content, the songs can range about having a good time and partying, commentary on political issues and having a love of rock and roll; themes of songs in this vein are varied and there is usually something for everyone.
Notable Bands
It is said that, even though many fizzled out as a direct result of glam metal and MTV in the 1980s, over a thousand bands were brought into existence. Here are some of the most famous bands from the era:
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden is one of the most successful bands of all time. They have sold in excess of 130 million albums over their illustrious career, and upwards of 50 million DVDs and other media additionally. They are famous for their horror themed mascot, Eddie, and three-part guitar harmonies in nearly every song.
The band are still a force to be reckoned with to this day, headlining arenas on world tours, and topping the bill at some of the biggest heavy metal festivals on the planet. Perhaps even more impressive, is that they have their own liveried Boeing 747 nicknamed ‘Ed Force One’ (a play on words, combining the US Presidential jet ‘Air Force One’ and their mascot ‘Eddie’) that singer Bruce Dickinson occasionally flies, as he is a qualified pilot.
Here is one of my favorite Iron Maiden songs:
Iron Maiden - Where Eagles Dare
Luckily, I produced a short video for The American Guitar Academy recently teaching you the main riff from this song. Check it out below!
Motörhead
Motörhead are another instantly recognisable band, based on both their branding and providing the ultimate template for the power trio format. Although their style is somewhat more aggressive than the typical NWOBHM band, many would still consider them part of the movement.
The most iconic member, Lemmy Kilmister, is also a musical legend in his own right, having been an integral member of the band Hawkwind as well as being a guitar tech for Jimi Hendrix too… talk about rock royalty! His voice is often likened to that of a motorbike (listen to the song below, and you will hear the resemblance!) and he must have one of the most iconic bass tones of all time.
Here is my favorite Motörhead track:
Motörhead - Hellraiser
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are another legendary band that have achieved high levels of success since their inception in the early 1970s. Many of their songs have aggressive riffs and thought provoking lyrics, and other offerings have more of a mainstream appeal - all wrapped up in leather and metal spikes!
The singer Rob Halford was, and is still, known for his operatic singing style and being comfortable singing in higher registers than many other male vocalists. However, perhaps his most famous attribute is coming onstage riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle and every show where it was possible.
I have learned many Judas Priest songs over the years, the most poignant for me was learning the song ‘Hell Bent For Leather’ as my audition for music college. I have linked that song below - the live version allows you to see Halford riding the motorcycle on stage!
Judas Priest - Hell Bent For Leather (Live)
Another of my favorite Judas Priest songs, and one I have been asked to teach or perform many times. Check another short video below, produced by myself for the American Guitar Academy teaching the song ‘Breaking The Law’:
Pillars of the Movement
Saxon
Saxon were, for me at least, the most important band from the NWOBHM movement. I first heard their song ‘Wheels of Steel’ being butchered by a cover band, but the magic was still there. In fact, I even named my first motorbike ‘Saxon’ after this band. I have also seen the UK based tribute band ‘Saxonized’ play in Brighton, United Kingdom.
I enjoy Biff Byford’s big voice, the solid bass playing and the counterplay between the two guitars. In fact, they are still touring the world and one of the guitar players is now Brian Tatler of Diamond Head fame (see below for more info!). I enjoy make of their songs, but here are two of my favorites!
Saxon - Princess of the Night
Saxon - 747 (Strangers in the Night)
Diamond Head
Diamond Head are one of the classic bands that so many existing artists credit as an inspiration. As mentioned above, guitarist Brian Tatler also plays in Saxon. I think this was a great choice since the departure of original Saxon guitar player Paul Quinn.
I think Diamond Head has one of the best metal tones. There is something visceral about it, where many modern bands can feel too polished and vanilla when compared to their comrades. The song I have linked below, ‘Am I Evil?’ is a metal classic and was the main song all the bands of The Big Four (Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax) played together a number of years ago.
Diamond Head - Am I Evil?
Keep an eye out on the American Guitar Academy YouTube channel here, where shortly some videos I have created teaching you to play the links above will be published!
Honorable Mention
There is one band I would like to mention, though they do not strictly fall under the NWOBHM umbrella - they are responsible for inspiring the entire movement! Budgie hailed from Wales in the United Kingdom and one could say they united the nations under the banner of heavy metal. In fact, over on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, it was Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) that recognised the name in an advertisement featured in the local paper - it surprised him that others in the area knew of Budgie, so he just had to get in touch! That advertisement was a band looking for a lead guitarist, and the band in question became Metallica shortly after Mustaine joined!
Budgie - Crash Course in Brain Surgery
This song is possibly the earliest rendition of what would become thrash metal in the future, you can hear the DNA of The Big Four and other groups within these riffs, melodies and rhythms. I think it is also clear how they sparked the NWOBHM movement, by departing from the standard rock songs of the day whilst playing faster, and more aggressively, than Black Sabbath (though it must be said that Black Sabbath are the founding fathers of metal as a whole!).
Final Thoughts
In our individual journeys as musicians, it is important to open yourself up to sounds, styles, songs and everything else. I would even hazard to say that learning from music you really do not like is even more important - you may hear a chord progression, melody or technique that would not have been considered otherwise. Even if you are not a fan of rock or metal music, go and check some of these bands out and see how you can incorporate their skills into your own skill set.
On the other hand, if you are an all out metalhead and you listen to the modern metal bands of the day (such as Periphery, Animals As Leaders and Polyphia), it can be immensely rewarding studying the history and the family tree of their music. Perhaps it will inspire some interesting songs of your own, maybe it could even spawn an entirely new genre. You never know!
If you are interested in learning any of the songs mentioned today, or even some others in this style, then get in touch with the American Guitar Academy and get your head banging!