Roxxcalibur | Lords of the NWOBHM

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by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

Following the success of their 2009 debut NWOBHM for Muthas, German heavy metal band Roxxcalibur is back with another tribute to the storied days of the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The band, which features former members of Viron, has once again employed famed cover artist Rodney Matthews, who provided artwork for original NWOBHM artists Diamond Head, Praying Mantis and Tygers of Pan Tang, as well as bringing in legendary producer Chris Tsangarides, who has worked with the biggest names in metal.

The band’s latest offering is called Lords of the NWOBHM, and once again Roxxcalibur has picked a wide array of classic bands to cover. Some of the choices are obvious, such as NWOBHM mainstays Saxon (“Lift Up Your Eyes”), Tygers of Pan Tang (“Hellbound”) and Venom (“At War With Satan”), others less so, like entries from Satan, Quartz, Witchfynde and Saracen. And once again the band went deep into the vaults to resurrect songs from obscure bands like Cryer, Oxym and Blood Money. Still no Praying Mantis or White Spirit though, and by now the lack of an Iron Maiden cover is somewhat conspicuous.

The band sounds incredible here, adding their precision German power metal polish to these hard-charging metal anthems. Alex Stahl’s voice brings to mind NWOBHM great Steve Grimmett, and the Tsangarides production job solidifies that classic ‘80s metal vibe that Lords of the NWOBHM has in abundance.

Once again, Roxxcalibur has delivered an electrifying collection of cover songs that breathe new life into some lost (but not forgotten) classics. If you’re a fan of the NWOBHM sound, Lords of the NWOBHM is not to be missed. The only problem is that hearing it will make you wish the band was recording some original material in addition to these killer cover songs. One can hope, anyway.

Edition Notes: The limited edition physical release of Lords of the NWOBHM comes with a bonus DVD with live performances and related footage.

Genre: Heavy Metal

Band:
Roger Dequis (g)
Neudi (d)
Alex Stahl (v)
Khalli (g) (v)
Mario Long (b)

Track Listing:
1. London Bridge is Falling Down (intro)
2. Atomic Rock (More)
3. Heads Will Roll (Satan)
4. Flying High (Hollow Ground)
5. Day to Day (Cryer)
6. If Heaven Is Hell (Tokyo Blade)
7. Lift Up Your Eyes (Saxon)
8. Satan’s Serenade (Quartz)
9. Hellbound (Tygers of Pan Tang)
10. Music Power (Oxym)
11. Angel of Death (Sparta)
12. A Face in the Crowd (Saracen)
13. Battlescarred (Blood Money)
14. Stage Fright (Witchfynde)
15. At War With Satan (Preview) (Venom)

Label: Limb

Website: www.myspace.com/roxxcalibur

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10