Here’s some superb “lost” New Wave of British Heavy Metal re-discovered. The band is Le Griffe.
They were from the Stoke area and had two EPs issued by a small label in the early 1980s before becoming yet another NWOBHM-era band who did not get the breaks to match their talent.
Now the good folk at No Remorse Records have got those two old EPs on a CD together with a bonus track and we can enjoy how good Le Griffe were back in the day.
The first EP is Fast Bikes from 1983 with the follow-up – Breaking Strain – appearing in 1984.
Fast Bikes is a typical NWOBHM-style song. It bumps along apace, punchy, big riff and a heck of a catchy chorus. A biker anthem indeed. Check out these lyrics: Give me a fast bike, a long dry road. Who needs a woman, you’re better on your own.
Where Are You is rather reminiscent of UFO’s Doctor Doctor. Similar big chunky rhythm guitar underpinning it.
The third song on Fast Bikes – The Actor – showing how Le Griffe could write more expansive stuff with this being a moody, brooding slow burner with a nice bass groove and a big solo. Much, much promise indeed on Le Griffe’s debut EP.
On to Breaking Strain and it’s a step up indeed. The title track a nice fast-paced, catchy power-pop sort of style. Breathe Deeply is a big production. Brooding, cutting chunky riff, changes of pace, excellent solos and memorable chorus. Great stuff.
Silent Running being a quite dramatic number. Gallops and pulses along driven with more strong, cutting riffs and quite scorching solos. Have a listen:
The final two songs on the Breaking Strain EP and to some extent the bonus track are excellent melodic rockers with some of the period UFO feel about them. Think Mechanix or perhaps Misdemeanour and you’d not be far away.
Le Griffe certainly had enough about them to surely have had a productive career if the record companies had come calling – which despite their two EPs being well-received enough it wouldn’t result in the big labels schlepping up to Stoke with a contract and a pen.
Though thanks to No Remorse Records we can enjoy Le Griffe again and how another New Wave of British Heavy Metal era band didn’t get the breaks their talent deserved.
If you’d like to get your hands on the CD, link to No Remorse Records:
https://www.noremorse.gr/