Holocaust is truly one of the stalwarts of the NWOBHM era, as
their debut album, The Nightcomers, featuring the anthemic
"Heavy Metal Mania" and the classic "Death Or Glory", remains
an all-time NWOBHM classic.
But the popularity of the band (quite high during those early days)
was short-lived, and internal friction between the band members
developed.
The band disintegrated in 1983, with John Mortimer retaining the
band name and fellow guitarist Ed Dudley formed a more melodic band
called Hologram, which released one album before fading away.
Mortimer then reformed Holocaust and, with little fanfare, released
No Man's Land, somewhat of a lost album, and not Holocaust
at its best.
The band once again disappeared, presumably for good.
Several years later, however, Mortimer and drummer Steve Cowen
resurrected the Holocaust name with a new lineup and somewhat of
a new musical progression.
Starting with Sound Of Souls, the band has become more and
eclectic, with a style that marries the best of their early NWOBHM
energy with progressive and non-metal influences, creating one
of the most original sounds in metal.
Really a brilliant band, and highly recommended to those looking
for something different and unique.
Moreover, with a lot of NWOBHM bands either sticking to their
old style (or reforming just to cash in on old glories), it's great
to see a band like Holocaust both embrace the past and venture
forth with new ideas in metal.
In 2003 a new album, Primal, was released, featuring Mortimer
and three newcomers to the band.
Though arguably less progressive and adventurous than the past
few releases (and clearly heavier), the trademark Holocaust
sound remains intact.
Mortimer's ability to craft songs clearly rooted in metal and yet
with a sound unlike any other is remarkable.
Primal is a clear Top 10 album of 2003, another stellar release
from a band with a storied history.
