V/A LEAD WEIGHT Compilation LP (Neat Records, UK, 1981)
Well, somebody has got to do it and I guess the joke’s on me.
LEAD WEIGHT was one of the most important NWOBHM or – generally speaking – Metal compilations ever made. Nevertheless, it’s never been re-released in its orginal form and that, ladies & gents, is a major Rock’n'Roll crime! Guess it’s kinda hard to explain what this album meant (& means) to me and many others back in the days before internet, personal computers, cell phones or shaved buttholes. I could just go on, telling you stories about “authenticity”, “true” or “false” music or “how it was”, but honestly, I don’t give a rat’s arse. What’s an earthquake in the desert when nobody registrates it? Earlier this day, I played PAGAN ALTAR’s “Lords of Hipocrisy” and during the title track (?), the singer starts his falsetto-lamento that nothing in this world is true. “Bullshit”, I thought to myself, “you Heavy Metal Morons” (HMM). Of course it’s exactly the other way round. Everything is real. And that’s what made me think of this compilation, of what “truth” and “biography” have in common, how such categories structure what simpler minds might call “taste” or “preference” and I imagined Slavo Zisek grinning at me, tapping me on my back, saying “well, my friend, if at least you’d listen to better music”.*
So here we have one such moment of overall Dalai Lamaness again and I tell you, as soon as I’m sick of repeating it (it lasted 341 posts so far!), I’ll call it a day here: This blogs only serves me. If you wanna follow me into the depths of idiotic music played by idiotic people (for idiotic people), sometimes barely capable of holding their instruments, sometimes wanking so hard on them it gives you a stiffy or wetty yourself, then you’re welcome. If not, well, no offense but I just don’t care. You may put on your original 1977 leather jacket and just go fuck yourself with it.
Ooops, in vino veritas. Let’s imagine, you’d ask me which song I liked best here. Guess I’d say it’s WHITE SPIRIT’s “Cheetah”. Music never and I tell you that – never! – got or gets any better than this. I know, you heard that before, maybe from myself even, but trust me – you can burn all the records you have and just save yourself this song. Let’s say you’d be the last man (or woman or else) on earth and so was I and you had the fortune of meeting me in the ruins of Newcastle, under a sky of the color of molten lead, you’d just have to sing the chorus of “Cheetah”. I’d lower my guns and invite you to spend a nice evening or a couple years at that with me. So it goes with the rest of this comp, basically. VENOM has an early version of “Angel Dust”, a straight edge song, ARAGORN tickles you with “Noonday” and RAVEN calls for the “Inquisitor”, just in time, before the lads from FIST are “Throwing in the Towel”, because the AXIS’s “Messiah” is “Down the Road” (according to BITCHES SIN). Well, don’t you mind SATAN’S EMPIRE’s “Soldiers of War” “Flying high” – WARRIOR told you so. And, fuck me, BLITZKRIEG’s “Inferno” may come to me any day!
Download “Lead Weight – H.M. Rock Compilation from Neat” here. It’s a rather large file (102 MB).
*I have to make this clear: The PAGAN ALTAR quote was taken out of context completely and I feel I have done the band and the lyricist injustice. I respect PAGAN ALTAR a great deal for their integrity alone (not to speak of the music). Apologies! And, when I’m not drunk and re-reading this, I must also say that my respect for Slvoj Ziszek on the other hand is not half as great (damn, I can already see Ziszek and his bullies go beserk in some fan-forum, hahaha).
Frank Mossi wrote:
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Posted on 29-Mar-08 at 8:48 am | Permalink
Steve wrote:
I’ll have to have a friend with hi-speed internet to download this but I sure appreciate the post! There were a lot of killer singles on Neat maybe some of them you could post someday. How about a repost of that Blitzkrieg 7″ (hint hint)?
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Posted on 29-Mar-08 at 9:13 am | Permalink
Admin wrote:
Steve – I normally do not endorse suggestions from my readers, haha, but in this case, it makes perfect sense.
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Posted on 29-Mar-08 at 10:47 am | Permalink
Geoff wrote:
Incredibly good compilation. I bought it when it hit the shops and just like you I’m still so much in love with it. Thanks so much for your blog. It’s the best thing the internet has to offer to me. The sound quality of your rips is astonishing (I’m an audio engineer) and the write-ups deserve to be collected and published in a book or magazine. Please make follower 341 more postings!!
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Posted on 29-Mar-08 at 10:58 am | Permalink
John Scharpen wrote:
I still have this record, but haven’t listened to it in awhile (too many records, not enough time). Thinking back, I’d have to say that the Aragorn song is my favorite, closely followed by Venom, Raven, and Blitzkrieg. I’m glad to see you posting it here in its entirety.
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Posted on 29-Mar-08 at 7:37 pm | Permalink
Pär wrote:
Killer comp that I´ve never heard. Every time I hear Raven I think to myself “Why don´t I put on All for one more than I do?”
Long live Raven!
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Posted on 29-Mar-08 at 11:45 pm | Permalink
Jake Thee Pope wrote:
An absolutely amazing post!
This comp introduced me to soooo many great bands like Fist, Bitches Sin and ESPECIALLY White Spirit who were like Deep Purple without the fumbling solos and lack of self-editing in general. Makes sense Ian Gillan Tapped Janick Gers as his geetar player when he went solo (‘course he’s in Maiden now).
Not to toot my own bugle too much, but I put up the White Spirit LP and first single (“Backs to the Grind/Cheetah”) if anybody cares.
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Posted on 03-Apr-08 at 12:28 pm | Permalink
Iakov wrote:
The best rock compilation ever, and one of the best Heavy Metal albums ever.
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Posted on 24-Jun-08 at 11:47 pm | Permalink
Admin wrote:
This lovely email just reached me from Oracle Promotions. Hahahaha:
Hey Thicko
Listen to the words of Pagan Altars ‘Lords of Hypocrisy’ properly you dopey cunt before you make your stupid inane comments, nothing is real my arse, it’s about the Hypocrisy that exists within the christian church, what planet are you on?
Now just fuck right off back to obscurity Dickhead!
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Posted on 20-Aug-08 at 12:40 pm | Permalink
howardx wrote:
i dug the shit out of this record in 81, “noonday” and “inferno” still listen to them to this day
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Posted on 20-Aug-08 at 5:58 pm | Permalink
Tony wrote:
I have the NWOBHM ‘79 revisited produced by lars ulrich made in 89, 90 That has a SS giro By Fist that So I’m guessing somebody there (not You) dropped the ball on that one, also I have a compilation cd I bought years ago in a cutout bin copyright 87 by neat records that has nwobhm bands called metal minded tracks on request I love the comp though very good satans empire very good though hate the name
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Posted on 23-Apr-09 at 6:16 pm | Permalink
Flo wrote:
Recently downloaded it and can’t stop listening! Great! Especially liked the bands including a hammond organ in their sound – gives the whole thing a 70s rock feeling which I didn’t have in mind when thinking of “NWoBHM”.
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Posted on 29-Apr-09 at 12:58 am | Permalink
Dr. Love wrote:
and some of these idiotic people would just love to knock the teeth out of some internet-tough-guys that hide behind their keyboards in their daddy’s bedroom.
alcoholic prose my ass!
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Posted on 21-Aug-09 at 10:13 pm | Permalink
Admin wrote:
Anytime, my dear wimpy internet hero.
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Posted on 21-Aug-09 at 10:27 pm | Permalink
Dr. Love wrote:
hahahaha…you’ve been eagerly waiting in front of your computer for someone to answer, eh?
now…off to bed with you!
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Posted on 21-Aug-09 at 10:37 pm | Permalink
Admin wrote:
I had been waiting for a dork like you indeed.
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Posted on 21-Aug-09 at 10:56 pm | Permalink
Dr. Hate wrote:
pass on his ip to me, eric, and I’ll tell you more about him
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Posted on 22-Aug-09 at 3:35 pm | Permalink
Admin wrote:
That won’t be necessary, haha. It’s some guy living in Schönau, Germany. Let them kids have a bit of fun.
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Posted on 22-Aug-09 at 3:42 pm | Permalink
Terry wrote:
Thanks Erich, it took a big man to do that!
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Posted on 26-Aug-09 at 12:26 am | Permalink
What's the Truth? wrote:
Haha I just noticed the Zizek comment. I’d rather listen to Pagan Altar than Zizek myself…
A random observation: when you see all the band pictures together like on this album, you can notice some patterns. I notice a lot of NWOBHM bands and moreso, later American metal bands including Thrash groups like posing in front of clearly urban backgrounds. Some kind of “street” aesthetic?
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Posted on 20-Jan-10 at 9:16 pm | Permalink
Bolibompa wrote:
“…posing in front of clearly urban backgrounds” a concept taken/borrowed from early punk. And 70s punk took it from…and so on.
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Posted on 21-Jan-10 at 1:42 pm | Permalink
What's the Truth? wrote:
That’s a solid assertion. I must admit, though, I don’t know where 70s punk took it from… I can’t recall many bands before the first-wave punks paying much attention to or promoting this urban aesthetic.
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Posted on 21-Jan-10 at 5:53 pm | Permalink