Holocaust go back to the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days being formed in Scotland in the late 1970s.
They were quite prolific back then and whilst flying a bit under the NWOBHM radar their brand of no-nonsense in your face speed and heaviness was rather jolly good.
Here we have a quite wonderful box set of the band’s output during the early NWOBHM years put together by Cherry Red who do these box sets so well. Hard cardboard clamshell, replica CD sleeves, booklet and whatnot.
CD1 is the band’s debut album from 1981. The Nightcomers. A rough, raw and heavy effort delivered with speed and power which is quite brutal. No messing about here. In some ways might be thought of as a Scottish Motorhead?
CD2 is an interesting one. Hot Curry and Wine. In 1982, Holocaust played at the Nite Club in Edinburgh. In something of an unusual move for the time they filed the concert and released it for what was, again for the time, quite a steep price. This CD is the soundtrack to the video.
CD3 is Steal the Stars from 1983 and released under the name of Hologram following various line-up changes. The musical style had changed considerably here. Mostly gone was the frantic power of The Nightcomers giving way to a glossy and polished “radio friendly” sound. Not their finest hour though has its moments.
CD4 from 1983 goes back to Hot Curry and Wine with more live stuff from then and performances. If listened to after Steal the Stars it brings the difference in styles in to context.
CD5 is No Man’s Land from 1984. It had looked to be over for Holocaust however guitarist John Mortimer rescued things with a new line-up. The result being No Man’s Land. It’s not a classic. Does return to the heavier style of The Nightcomers though has a rather generic feel about it.
CD6 is Heavy Metal Mania 1980-1982. All sorts of singles, b-sides and whatnot including the band’s (arguably) best known song Heavy Metal Mania which was their debut single in 1980. A NWOBHM classic indeed.
Have a listen to Heavy Metal Mania:
This comprehensive six-CD box set will be of interest to NWOBHM aficionados and others. Whilst Steal the Stars and No Man’s Land are not great, The Nightcomers, Hot Curry and Wine and Heavy Metal Mania are superb.
>> HOLOCAUST: HEAVY METAL MANIA THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS ON AMAZON <<