10 Greatest New Wave of British Heavy Metal Bands [Watch]

In this Loud List, we’re counting down the 10 Greatest New Wave of British Heavy Metal Bands!

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) is one of the most culturally important subgenres in metal history, spawning a completely new style of the genre characterized by rich melodies, raw approach and heavy vocal and instrumental harmonies.

The NWOBHM gave us phenoms like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, who continue to pack venues, release great records and blow minds to this very day. It even gave rise to multiple musicians who would be given the nickname “God” for their sonic abilities.

Beyond the most famous NWOBHM acts, the subgenre claims some lesser known acts who metal fans would deeply regret passing over. Angel Witch’s 1980 self-titled debut album is a raw masterpiece that rocks harder than almost anything else even to this day. Girlschool acted as pioneers for women in heavy metal, releasing addictive tracks which have earned the band widespread respect worldwide.

There’s plenty of brilliant stuff that came out of Great Britain in the ‘70s and ‘80s, so check out our 10 favorite New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands in the video above!

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