posted 11/15/2007 2:13:56 AM

Witchfynde: Legends of N.W.O.B.H.M

by Eduardo Rivadavia

Although its roots can be traced as far back as the late 1960s, heavy metal didn’t truly come of age as a full-fledged, individual musical genre until almost a decade later, thanks to the style-defining movement known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Here, at last, an entire generation of post-punk musicians took proud ownership of the ‘heavy metal’ tag for the first time, whereas even founding fathers such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin had previously been strangely reticent. And, along with birthing literally hundreds of brand spanking new bands all over the U.K. (and later the world), the N.W.O.B.H.M. also provided a haven for bands who had already been toiling under the shadow of punk for quite some time, including Iron Maiden, Saxon, Diamond Head, and, from Nottinghamshire, the cryptically named Witchfynde.

Founded as early as 1975, the group experienced the usual difficulties common to most young band; undergoing numerous lineup alterations over the next few years, while writing and rehearsing, and playing whatever gigs that they could get in local clubs and pubs. Finally, as the decade approached its end, and the N.W.O.B.H.M. was beginning to take shape, the quartet of vocalist Steve Bridges, guitarist Montalo, bassist Andro Coulton and drummer Gra Scoresby, was approached by independent Rondolet Records with an offer to record a single.

This soon materialized as the now legendary “Give ‘em Hell” 7,” which boasted two fine cuts from the band’s live repertoire, but arguably made an ever bigger impact with its cover art, featuring a simply rendered, rather comical, yet nevertheless striking depiction of the Goat of Mendes, leering greedily before an inverted Pentagram! Now, it’s no secret that heavy metal has enjoyed a nefarious tryst with the occult since the days of Black Sabbath, but rarely had this allegiance been visualized more explicitly until now; and it’s telling that “Give ‘em Hell’s” rudimentary cover would serve as an oft-emulated template for future Black Metal pioneers such as Venom, Celtic Frost, Bathory, and others.

As for the sigle’s two songs: both exemplified the more immediate, powerful, and fuss-free elements of Witchfynde’s versatile songwriting abilities, as opposed to the often prog-rock-inspired notions showcased by some of their later-day material. The single’s A-side title track pulled no punches and spared no aggression; welding Coulton’s pumping bass and Scoresby’s driving percussion to Montalo’s bombastic riffs and scorching solo, while Bridges’ echo-laden vocals and terrifying shriek punctuations lent the song a haunting aura of mystical, demonic terror. On side B, the self-explanatory “Getting’ Heavy” brought us back to this earth, slowed things down just a tad, yet packed an even more anthemic feeling into its deliberate marching grooves, in the process. Both songs introduced fans to Withfynde in their rawest, most dynamic and authentic N.W.O.B.H.M. guise.

Released towards the end of ’79, “Give 'em Hell” quickly sold out its initial pressing, prompting Rondolet to send Witchfynde back into the studio where they quickly assembled their debut full-length, also to be titled Give 'em Hell (why mess with a winning tagline, right?). The LP’s eclectic show of songwriting versatility proceeded to further their standing amid the highly competitive N.W.O.B.H.M. scene, just as the British-bred scene was exploding onto the international awareness. But sadly, Witchfynde would just as quickly squander this momentum by rushing through the recordings of their sophomore album, Stagefright, which simply baffled and alienated their fans with its shift towards hard rock and distinct lack of satanic imagery when it was issued in late 1980.

A new vocalist named Luther Beltz replaced Bridges in 1981 and cut a session with the group for the BBC’s Friday Rock Show, but Witchfynde were subsequently cast adrift when Rondolet went bankrupt. And by the time they made a comeback in 1983 with a somewhat improved third album, Cloak and Dagger, and, subsequently, its less impressive successor, ’84’s Lords of Sin, the window of opportunity had effectively closed on the band’s career. Even so, many would argue that Witchfynde’s immortality is assured by that modest, but still revered first single, “Give ‘em Hell.” After all, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a phenomenon defined as much by its thousands of single releases, as its comparatively scant full-length albums, and there’s no denying that “Give ‘em Hell” stands head and shoulders above much of the singles stack.

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