Every time I hang around with a NWOBHM vinyl record I feel I'm a teenager again and Rock/Metal music still is a way of life, also being mean and dangerous. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal may be recognizable as a special archetypal Metal style but time has shown it was a whole lotta more, a total movement and a piece of art tied tightly with the Metal ideals that still are a solid ideology to many (musicians and fans). Metal Mind ProductionsFIST's "Turn the Hell On" 1980 debut. Phew...another time, another place...

FIST did not only emerge during the NWOBHM era, as the Press release correctly states. My poor opinion is they were among the godfathers of this magical genre. Newcastle was a territory contributing its own brilliant portion those days with outfits like BADGE, VENOM, WARRIOR, HOLLOW GROUND, RAVEN, SATAN, AVENGER and WARFARE taking the scene by storm with mythical releases in the first half of the 80s decade. It's noted this area had its own "NENWOBHM" (North-East New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) term molded back then. Anyway, FIST started as AXE in 1978 and after one single recorded for Neat Records they were offered a contract in the MCA label and crafted their debut LP "Turn The Hell On" gaining an instant portion of recognition in the British Metal scene, probably not grand enough to please the label which dropped the band shortly afterwards. The "Back with A Vengeance" (strangely featuring an opening killer cut named as "Turn The Hell On") follow-up did break out two years later; a somewhat similar killer album that unfortunately did not help any possible commercial breakthrough for FIST (the band reformed out of nowhere enlisting the services of HOLLOW GROUND members during the mid-00s and released the whimsical "Storm" CD in 2005).

Destined to become a NWOBHM milestone release, "Turn The Hell On" sees FIST supporting the 'street melodic Rock' side of early Metal music made in Britain. Some of primal SAXON, straight-ahead DEEP PURPLE with enough of promising 70s JUDAS PRIEST, equal to the relentless spite of fellow contemporaries as VARDIS and BADGE but with an added guitar-based doze of bands from the other side of the Atlantic ocean like e.g. MAHOGANY RUSH, the band of FIST was running wild bursting out resonant riffs with an rumbustious and some maniacal rockin' vocals by Keith Satchfield. Most of the songs in this marvelous album have the 'live' fast feeling ("Hole In The Wall Gang", "Forever Amber", "The Vamp", "Name, Rank And Serial Number") an honest Rock album had in those times while high-powered ballads ("Collision Course", "Terminus") also have their share. The sound is un-polished and raw with screaming solos tearing your audio speakers apart in ease.

Remastered and added with two bonus tracks (B-sides of the respective "Forever Amber" & "Collision Course" duo of singles the album was marketed with), "Turn The Hell On" is again seeking your attention. One of the most representative albums of this highly influential era, this 1980 original should be in any must-have NWOBHM list. In other words, if you write down the names of "Wheels Of Steel", "Iron Maiden", "On Through The Night" and "Angelwitch" while piling up such a catalogue, FIST and their stellar debut should have a line reserved somewhere in between. re-releases one of the finest NWOBHM pieces of music these days,