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The Bristol Heavy Rock Explosion

by Various Artists

/
  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes with a 16 page CD booklet with extensive sleeve notes written by Robin Askew Includes rare and not seen before photos supplied by the bands. 17 tracks from the heaviest bands in the area circa late 70's to early 90's. Lets Rock!

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Bristol Heavy Rock Explosion via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

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  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 63 Bristol Archive Records releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Bristol Punk Explosion Vol 2 (1977-1981), A Way With Words (1980 -1983), Skeletons, The Bristol Mod Explosion 1979-1987, Shapes of Things To Come, The Bristol Punk Explosion 1977-1979, Cool Runnings, Crows Nightingales SHOCK (Best of Me 1991-1995), and 55 more. , and , .

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about

THE BRISTOL HEAVY ROCK EXPLOSION
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Released on CD and Digital Download 11th November 2016

The critically sanctioned history of Bristol music tells us that the melting pot of punk and sound systems spawned a generation of musicians who skipped arm-in-arm from hip hangout the Dugout Club to conquer the world with the fabled 'Bristol Sound'. All of which is true. But it's not the whole story. That great sage Mr. Rob Zombie has described metal as the biggest underground movement in the world. There are outposts in every major city - even cooler-than-thou Bristol. Mostly unnoticed by the local and national press, the city's hard rock and metal acts have created an impressive and remarkably diverse body of work over the years.

Of course, we shouldn't over-state the case. Bristol isn't the West Midlands. The city has never produced a Led Zeppelin, a Black Sabbath or a Judas Priest. Nor has there ever been a local hard rock/metal 'scene' as such; indeed, many of the bands in this compilation are not known to one another. If you choose to play this type of music, you cannot afford to succumb to the great Bristol band syndrome of cliquishness and insularity. No metal band has the slightest chance of becoming a big fish in this small pond. So as much through necessity as ambition - and there's been no shortage of the latter quality - Bristol's purveyors of the heavy stuff have tended to be much more outward-facing than their peers. And the rest of the world has been listening, from the NWOBHM-obsessed likes of Metallica's Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield lapping up Jaguar's proto-speed-metal and recycling it into world-conquering thrash to Max Cavalera of Brazil's Sepultura and key members of the early Scandinavian black/death metal scene gorging on the hugely influential anarcho-punk/metal crossover of Amebix.

Spanning nearly 25 years from the early '70s to the mid-'90s, The Bristol Rock Explosion celebrates the city's unfairly overlooked rock talent. Its 17 tracks, many of them rare and previously unreleased, also take in early space rockers Magic Muscle, punk rockers-turned-thrash metal titans Onslaught, the mighty goth-rockers Claytown Troupe, Shiva's pioneering prog-metal, the accomplished classic rock of Lautrec and Stampede, classy melodic rockers Bronz, Headmaster's saucy pin-up rock, the '90s sounds of Voodoo and Mirror Mirror, and much, much more.

Additionally, the extensive, anecdote-rich sleeve notes tell the frequently eye-opening stories behind this great music, written by Robin Askew

ARTIST: Various Artists
TITLE: The Bristol Heavy Rock Explosion
RELEASE DATE: 11th November 2016
LABEL: Bristol Archive Records
DISTRIBUTION: Shellshock / SRD
FORMAT: CD and Digital Download
CAT NO: ARC303CD
BARCODE: 5052571069325
GENRE: Rock, Hard Rock, Melodic Rock, Classic Rock, Metal
WEBSITE: www.bristolarchiverecords.com
PRESS CONTACT: Mike Darby, E: mike@bristolarchiverecords.com / T: 07885 498 402

credits

released November 11, 2016

Track 1: Mean Gasoline
Lautrec
Writers = Reuben Archer / Laurence Archer
Publisher = Street Tunes
Recorded = 1979
Engineer and Producer = Engineer unknown / Produced by Reuben and Laurence Archer
Where = Rock City Studios, Shepperton, London
Source = Original demo, released 79/80
Band line up:
Reuben Archer – Vocals
Laurence Archer – Guitar
Simon Ridler – Bass
Steve Holbrook – Keyboards
John Phillips – Drums

Track 2: Ask No Questions
Bronz
Writers = Goulstone, Webb, Kirkpatrick, Deamer
Publisher = Copyright Control
Recorded = 1981
Engineer and Producer = Andy Allan / Andy Allan and Bronz
Where = Cave Studios, Bristol
Source = Previously unreleased, original demo
Band line up:
Chris Goulstone – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Clive Deamer – Drums
Paul Webb – Bass, Lead Vocals
Shaun Kirkpatrick – Guitar

Track 3: Free as a Bird
Magic Muscle
Writers = Huw Gower
Publisher = Bucks Music
Recorded = 1st August 1988
Engineer and Producer = Pete Flanagan and Huw Gower
Where = Moles Studio, Bath
Source = Originally released via One Big Guitar Records 1988
Band line up:
Rod Goodway – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Huw Gower – Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar, Tambourine, Vocals
Simon House – Electric Violin
Ade Shaw – Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals

Track 4: Hey Lord
Claytown Troupe
Writers = Riou, Williams, Bennett, Waterson, Holt
Publisher = Universal Music
Recorded = 1988
Engineer and Producer = Claytown Troupe
Where = Dungeon Recording Studios, Ascot
Source = Previously unreleased, demo version
Band line up:
Christian Riou – Vocals
Richard Williams – Keyboards
Paul Waterson – Bass
Adrian ‘Ben’ Bennett – Guitar
Andrew Holt - Drums

Track 5: Not There
Shiva
Writers = Hall/Skuse
Publisher = Archive Publishing Ltd
Recorded = Cave Studios, 1983
Engineer and Producer = Andy Allan/Andy Skuse
Where = Bristol
Source = Continuance album released on Majestic Rock Records 2004
Band line up:
John Hall – Guitar, Vocals
Andy Skuse - Bass
Phil Williams - Drums
Andy Allan - Violin

Track 6: In The State In The City
Stormtrooper
Writers = Bond, Starling, Merrell
Publisher = Archive Publishing Ltd
Recorded = 1981
Engineer = Steve Street Produced by Stormtrooper
Where = Sam Studios, Bristol
Source = Pride Before a Fall album ARC297CD
Band line up:
Colin Bond - Bass and Synthesisers
Bob Starling – Guitars
Nick Hancox - Drums
Paul Merrell - Vocals

Track 7: Strangers
Hunted
Writers = Preston, Starling
Publisher = Archive Publishing Ltd
Recorded = 1994
Engineer = Allan Keen
Where = Christchurch Studios, Bristol
Source = Fallen Angel (The Collection) album ARC301CD
Band line up:
Andy Milsom - Lead Vocals, Acoustic guitar
Dave Preston - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Bob Starling - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Mark Williams - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Andrew “ Woody “ Knight - Drums

Track 8: Crazy
Voodoo
Writers = Blakemore/Davies/Godbert/Porter/Rossiter
Publisher = Mojo Music
Recorded = 1992
Engineer and Producer = Andy Allan
Where = The Coach House Studios, Bristol
Source = Previously unreleased
Band line up:
Mike Blakemore – Vocals
Nigel Davies – Bass, Vocals
Paul Godbert – Guitar, Vocals
Elliott Porter – Drums, Vocals
Phil Rossiter – Guitar,Vocals

Track 9: Domino Effect
Mirror Mirror
Writers = Keeler / Muse
Publisher = Copyright Control
Recorded = 1991
Engineer and Producer = Andy Allan
Where = Coach House, Clifton
Source = Previously unreleased
Band line up:
Sy Keeler – Vocals
Andy Muse – Bass
Alan Jordan – Lead Guitar
Rich Perry – Guitar
Lloyd Coates – Drums

Track 10: Having The Time of My Life
Brabazon
Writers = Brabazon
Publisher = Copyright Control
Recorded = 1994
Engineer and Producer = Mick Ward and Brabazon
Where = Mr Grins Studio, Bristol
Source = Self released EP ‘Fire It Up’
Band line up:
Wayne ‘Winger’ Jarrett – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Neil Oxenham – Lead Guitar,Vocals
Mark Ramsey – Keyboards
Lee Adlam – Bass, Vocals
Joe Tatley - Drums

Track 11: Kids Said Rock
Headmaster
Writers = Goulstone, Lloyd, Marsden
Publisher = Freddie Beanstock Music
Recorded = 1988
Engineer and Producer = Simon Dawson / Goulstone, Marsden
Where = Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, S. Wales
Source = Previously unreleased
Band line up:
Chris Goulstone – Guitars, Vocals
Tania Lloyd – Lead Vocals
Clive Deamer – Drums
Peter Lowrey - Bass

Track 12: Stormchild
Jaguar
Writers = Jaguar
Publisher = © Copyright control
Recorded = 22nd Dec 1980
Engineer and Producer = Unknown
Where = Studio 34, Clifton, Bristol
Source = Released in 2006 by Majestic Rock Records
Band line up:
Rob Reiss - Vocals
Chris Lovell - Drums
Jeff Cox - Bass
Garry Pepperd - Guitar

Track 13: Give It To Me
Gazer
Writers = Ash, Amesbury, Beck, Blake, Murray.
Publisher = Bright Music.
Recorded = 1983.
Engineer and Producer = Steve Street/ Martin Woolford
Where = SAM Studio, Bristol.
Source = Previously unreleased
Band line up:
Cherie Beck - Vocals.
Stuart Amesbury – Guitar, Vocals.
Larry Newman – Guitar, Vocals.
Dale Fry – Bass guitar, Vocals.
Phil Williams – Drums

Track 14: Snake Madness
Metropolis DC
Writers = Jamie Thyer
Publisher = Copyright Control
Recorded = Sept 1986
Engineer and Producer = Chris Martin (Doctor of
Noise)/Producer = Jamie Thyer.
Where = Emergency Plus, Bristol.
Source = Previously unreleased
Band line up:
Brian Phillips - Drums
George Christo - Bass
Jamie Thyer - Guitar
Gla - Vocals

Track 15: Shadows of the Night
Stampede
Writers = C Bond /R Archer
Publisher = Archive Publishing Ltd / Copyright Control
Recorded = 1982
Where = Sam Studios, Bristol
Engineered/produced Steve Street and Stampede
Source = Radio West Radio session for the Andy Fox Rock Show, previously unreleased
Band line up:
Colin Boggy Bond - Bass, Bass pedals, Vocals
Frank Noon - Drums
Laurence Archer - Guitar
Reuben Archer - Lead vocals
Alan Nelson - Keyboards

Track 16: Metal Forces 2013
Onslaught
Writers = Onslaught
Publisher = AFM / Soulfood Music
Recorded = 2013
Producer = Onslaught
Where = Sonic Forge, Cardiff
Source = Bonus track taken from Japanese version of 'VI'
Band line up:
Sy Keeler – Vocals
Nige Rockett – Guitar
Jeff Williams – Bass
Mic Hourihan – Drums
Leigh Chambers – Lead Guitar

Track 17: The Power Remains
Amebix
Writers = Amebix
Publisher = Amebix Records / NGNM Ltd / Easy Action
Recorded = 1987
Engineer and Producer = Mr Sooty and Amebix
Where = SAM Studios, Bristol
Source = Easy Action Records rerelease of The Power Remains 2016
Band line up:
The Baron – Bass and Vocals
Spider (Arachno Blaster) – Drums and Percussion
Stig da Pig – Geetar and Backing Vocals
A Droid – Keyboard and Synth

Compiled by Mike Darby and Andy Fox
Photography Credits: Copyright remains on the various photographers great works
All songs published as stated above
All recordings owned by the artists as named and exclusively licensed to Bristol Archive Records with the exception of Track 2 and 11 licenced through Sambourne Studios / Chapel of Rock Ltd and CGMP/Music 2016 - all rights reserved and track 17 which was licenced from Easy Action Records with the support of The Baron

Thanks go to: Reuben Archer (Lautrec and Stampede), Chris Goulstone (Bronz and Headmaster), Huw Gower (Magic Muscle), Christian Riou (Claytown Troupe), Andy Skuse (Shiva), Bob Starling (Stormtrooper and Hunted), Colin ‘Boggy’ Bond (Stormtrooper and Stampede), Nigel Davies (Voodoo), Sy Keeler (Onslaught and Mirror Mirror), Wayne ‘Winger’ Jarrett (Brabazon), Gary Pepperd (Jaguar), Stuart Amesbury (Gazer), Jamie Thyer (Metropolis DC), The Baron (Amebix), Carlton (Easy Action Records), Nige Rockett, Robin Askew, Andy Fox, Steve Street, Adrian (Great Bear).

ARC303CD
Artwork designed by Sam Giles samgilesdesign@gmail.com
All tracks mastered by Steve Street
(p)(c) Bristol Archive Records 2016
All Rights Reserved
www.bristolarchiverecords.com
Bristol Boys Make More Noise! – Mike Darby (Let’s Rock!)

This record is dedicated to Andy Allan (Cave and Coachhouse Studios) and Andy Fox.

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Bristol Archive Records UK

Bristol Archive Records is a record label dealing in reggae, punk, rock, metal, pop and post punk 1977 onwards.

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