First Wave of Swedish Heavy Metal (FWOSHM): NATTSVART, 220 VOLT, BOOTLEG. LET'S TALK METAL

[@jacobbrockman366]

Great video Alan! Their were so many cool albums from those early years in Sweden! Gotham City-The Unknown Madison-Diamond Mistress, Torch-Torch, ATC-Cut In Ice

[@letstalkmetal]

Thanks! Some others have mentioned MADISON, I need to look that one up, never heard it.

[@DecayingReverie]

I know there is a lot of modern heavy metal bands from Sweden, but I wasn't really aware of the early movement. I've found I really like a lot of the stuff that comes out of Finland, Norway, and Sweden. I don't know if the different environment from mine affects what kind of sound and riffs bands come up with, but I've discovered a lot of older heavy metal and power metal from those three countries that is excellent. I kind of like the borked English with their respective accents.

[@letstalkmetal]

That region does have a distinct sound heard in many bands. If you like Norwegian metal pre-Black metal, look for the NORWAY ROCKS compilation., Lots of good tunes on that one

[@jamesgwarrior1981]

Excellent, exceptional, extraordinary as always… I’m actually a big fan of Swedish punk rock, so this is cool to further my knowledge of the great nation of Sweden 🇸🇪 🪨 🤘🤓😎

[@letstalkmetal]

I've heard Sweden had a good punk scene but I know nothing about it.

[@Heavyformats]

Cool video man I don’t have singles or demos but have albums by Cristal mountain overdrive torch which are pretty badass

[@letstalkmetal]

Torch are cool, I used to have a red vinyl copy of ELectrikkiss. Axe Witch is another one that did a decent album or two

[@symbolic_acts_95]

Those two 220 Volt songs sounded fantastic! It’s a band I’ve always passed and ignored while I’m out digging, thinking it wouldn’t be heavy enough for my smartass taste.

[@letstalkmetal]

Their albums are definitely more mainstream leaning so you probably made the right call to pass on them. I like the first 2 LPs but they are not very heavy, definitely not as good as the single.

[@metalmogul]

You need a few more trips to IKEA to get a handle on those Swedish names Alan. 220 Volt sounded awesome, heavier than I expected given those early album covers, but also those albums were a little too melodic for me to connect with. Bootleg and Nattsvart were nice and catchy. I liked that those too. Great stuff Alan.

[@letstalkmetal]

LOL time for a furniture purchase! The 220V albums are good but they are cleaner than these tracks.

[@rocketrod1444]

220 Volt are the bomb , i've got all there earlier stuff on vinyl and the music on cd re issues . There 2014 release 'Walking In Starlight' is mighty fine too. Great vid Big Al , maybe some Dutch metal would be interesting ..... Bodine ..... anyone ?

[@letstalkmetal]

Thanks Rod! I might be able to scare up some Dutch goodies sometime :)

[@speedmerchanthardrocker]

Great video! I’m a huge FWOSHM fan and this is right in my niche! One other huge comparison between the NWOBHM and FWOSHM is that the most commercially successful bands (Def Leppard and Europe) had left a negative impact on the scene after they blew up.

[@letstalkmetal]

That's a really good point. Everyone suddenly had to sound like the 'It' band and the scenes suffered a lot of attrition as a result.

[@Frank_nwobhm]

@letstalkmetal Until Swedish Death Metal came along and sent me screaming for the hills like a young girl.

[@letstalkmetal]

@@Frank_nwobhm It is strange how most people assume Swedish heavy metal goes something like Europe, Candlemass, Bathory, then 1000 death metal bands :)

[@khnud]

Some VERY nice items there, Alan! I'm thoroughly impressed.

[@letstalkmetal]

Thanks Kristian! Sometime perhaps I can get you and Dan on together for an episode to talk more about the FWOSHM scene. Y'all know way more about it than I do.

[@robertmorris8371]

Certainly liked the sound of 220 volt there Alan you can tell they were listening to early maiden and priest with that guitar tone I can't remember now and I was looking through your old videos but didn't you do a video on early German metal?

[@letstalkmetal]

Good memory Robert! i did a German metal video early on, probably in the first 50 or so episodes. And you're right, 220V definitely has that Priest/Maiden galloping metal style.

[@THRASHORBETHRASHED851]

Nice 2 see the love of Sweden,Alan .Congratulations on getting the 2k mark.

[@letstalkmetal]

Thanks! I should have circled back to Sweden sooner. Will try not to take so long before doing another FWOSHM video.

[@THRASHORBETHRASHED851]

@@letstalkmetal you should've

[@Farsotstid]

Swedish Metäl! Man I wan't that Nattsvart. I have that 220 V, but i have to pay alot for it. My two favourite FWOSHM is the first Gotham City and Behemoth - Deathwings. Bootleg songs. Tankar Om Dej - Thoughts About You, Dagdrömmar - Daydreams. There is a version of Janne Starks book called "The Heaviest Encyclopedia of Swedish Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Ever!" with over 900 pages and 3600 bands Keep up the good work. // Jimmy from Sweden

[@letstalkmetal]

Thanks for the translations Jimmy! I've featured Gotham CIty and Behemoth in other videos; those are both great singles, especially the GC!

[@bvdaussiemetalhead9338]

I have the first 2 Overdrive albums in my collection but other than that I’m not familiar with much metal from the early 80s in Sweden🤘cheers for the education

[@letstalkmetal]

Cheers Brendan! It's not a well-known scene but there were a lot of cool bands operating in the pre-Bathory, pre-Europe Swedish landscape. Oh and thanks again for the box of Aussie material!

[@bvdaussiemetalhead9338]

@@letstalkmetal your welcome mate. Hope most is of a listenable quality and let me know if you discover some new bands that you like in the lot. Cheers

[@letstalkmetal]

@@bvdaussiemetalhead9338 Will do! I'm already digging that Hobbs demo from '87 \m/

[@bvdaussiemetalhead9338]

@@letstalkmetal I think I put in some Tyrus also which is the pre Hobbs band. Loads of members swapping went on back then with Rampage, Renegade, Hobbs, Tyrus etc

[@bvdaussiemetalhead9338]

Would be awesome to see a vid from you after you have gone through some of it if that’s possible 😝

[@johanpettersson1423]

This was a very nice video, Alan! Despite of being from Sweden, the only record I knew of was the 220 Volt 7” (glorious!). Nattsvart sounded great (pretty cool lyrics as well), while I had a hard time listening to the Bootleg tracks ”thanks” to the lyrics. Sometimes when bands sing in Swedish, it just gets too cringey for me. :)

[@letstalkmetal]

Thanks! Good to know the Nattsvart lyrics are as good as the music :)

[@MetaLeutenant]

Dear Alan, I only have a encychropedia Part1. It seems it had been sold relatively well in Japan. I've never known Bootleg but it sound great in hardrock vein. And simpler handmade stamped 220VOLT 7" is also my good memory. Pang Records is dangerous becasue it has produced so many craps! (NATTSVERT is a exception) Heheh...

[@letstalkmetal]

Very cool that you have the vol 1 encyclopedia! And yes, Pang doesn't have the best overall reputation for FWOSHM releases.

[@Frank_nwobhm]

You mean Swedish Metal exists beyond Heavy Load?? My Swedish stuff is very limited. Heavy Load, Candlemass, Bathory...I tend to think of Oz as Swedish since they recorded there, but they're from Finland of course.

[@letstalkmetal]

You'd probably dig some of the Swedish stuff Frank, given the similarities to a lot of NWOBHM.

[@Frank_nwobhm]

@letstalkmetal No question there. I have files of that outstanding 220 Volt single. Also, have the Scratch "Metalbreaker" tracks on file. A lot of those early Northern European bands could have blended into the NWOBHM without anyone raising an eyebrow.

[@letstalkmetal]

@@Frank_nwobhm SCRATCH were originally mistaken as a NWOBHM outfit by some collectors. Appearing on the Japanese bootleg CD series didn't help matters LOL

[@Frank_nwobhm]

@@letstalkmetal If I recall correctly, I learned about them on your channel. I remember thinking that Metalbreaker sounded very much like Avenger's "Revenge Attack".

[@letstalkmetal]

@@Frank_nwobhm ...but even better!