A MySpace gathering of all the NWODHM bands!
What is the New Wave of
Dutch Heavy Metal (NWODHM)?
To understand what the NWODHM is, you should first get to know what the
New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) is...
So what is the New Wave
of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)?
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal re-energized heavy metal in the
late '70s and early '80s. By the close of the '70s, heavy metal had
stagnated, with its biggest stars (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath)
either breaking away from the genre or sinking in their own indulgence,
while many of its midlevel artists were simply undistinguished,
churning out bluesy hard-rock riffs. The NWOBHM kicked out all of the
blues, sped up the tempo, and toughened up the sound, leaving just a
mean, tough, fast, hard metallic core. It didn't make any attempts to
win a wide audience -- it was pure metal, made for metal fans. Perhaps
that's the reason why it's at the foundation of all modern-day metal:
true metalheads either listened to this, or to bands like Metallica,
which were inspired by bands like Diamond Head.
The Second New Wave
of Heavy Metal
The New Wave of Heavy Metal has had a rebirth, worldwide. It's a genre
that
had never really died, but just faded away in the '90s. It came back
in the new millenium. When new and young bands started to play what
they where brought up with; NWOBHM. A genre that went back to the roots
of heavy metal, in a time when there was so much divirsity in heavy
metal music. It could not get any louder, it could not get any faster,
it could not get any more demonic... But it could get better! So it's
back to the roots. So you could say the new wave became the old wave,
but let's just call this "new" generation the second New Wave of
Heavy Metal.
New Wave of Dutch Heavy
Metal
Together with the NWOBHM bands from the UK in the 80's, bands
in The Netherlands
also started to play this style of heavy metal. Those bands are
regarded as
the first
New Wave of Dutch Heavy Metal (bands like Vengeance, Vortex, Angus and
Martyr). Most of those bands are still active (or active again!). New
bands are also picking up on the genre (the second New Wave of
Dutch Heavy Metal). It's not
mainstream, but it has evolved enough (and has enough of history!) to
stand on it's own. For some
it's a trademark, but for the true metalheads it's a way of life.
To be
classified as a NWODHM band, you must play the mean, tough, fast and
hard metal like the old NWOBHM bands did (like Saxon, Iron Maiden,
Judas Priest and Def Leppard). It's really the "old skool" stuff. And;
you
must be a Dutch band!
Various styles that can
fall within the New Wave of Heavy Metal are Power Metal, Trash Metal,
Speed Metal, Progressive Metal, (some) Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
or
Hair Metal.
If you don't fall within those categories, you're not a NWODHM band.
But that doesn't mean you're not good! ;-) If you're still not sure,
check out the links for a more extensive description of NWOBHM.
Links
NWOBHM
Encyclopedia
NWOBHM
at Wikipedia
