Origin:	England
Genres:	NWOBHM

Hell

A lot of bands from the NWOBHM period came and went without much fanfare, only to reform years later tossing around phrases like "legendary". But Hell deserved that title, garnering significant underground buzz in the early 80's for their unique take on the NWOBHM style. For whatever reason, though, they couldn't get it together, recording some demos and a lone single ("Save Us From Those Who Would Save Us") but never rising above cult status. They finally thought they'd broken through by signing with Mausoleum Records, but on the eve of recording their debut album in 1986, the label folded, and worse, guitarist/singer Dave Halliday committed suicide a year later. The remaining trio promptly closed shop and remained inactive until 2008, when former fan, later Sabbat guitarist, and now producer Andy Sneap joined forces with the remaining original trio and committed to finally recording an album. Initially fellow Sabbat vocalist Martin Walkyier was set to participate as well, though eventually he was replaced by the brother of original guitarist Kevin Bower. The pieces finally in place, the debut album Human Remains was released in 2011. And, pardon the use of a well-worn cliche, this has been worth the wait. Hell's NWOBHM roots are all over the place on this album (in particular, several musical nods to early Iron Maiden), but the band have managed to blend those early influences with a modern power metal base, bringing out the best of the past without sounding stale or dated. Mercyful Fate is also a clear musical influence, while vocalist David Bower is a find -- while not a technically perfect voice, he brings the right blend of forcefulness and power and occasionally shows a bit of range as well. Whether this band can move forward long-term remains to be seen, but Human Remains is a fine testament to the band's legacy, and simply a great classic heavy metal album.