Monday, March 23, 2015

The Witch of Berkeley by A II Z (1980)


In the late 70's, a new British hard rock/heavy metal wave began to gather steam. This likely happened in order to satisfy a new generation of music fans who weren't getting off to disco or punk/new wave. Bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Motorhead were being snapped up by record companies trying to capitalize on the new trend. As a result, many bands got signed to record deals, as long as they had the right look.

A II Z(terrible name, I know) was one of those bands. This Manchester group had only formed in 1979, but were immediately signed. A live album that was actually recorded in a high school gym was rushed to press. The band subsequently released a couple of singles in the following year, but then they started to splinter. They ultimately disbanded in 1982.

That rushed live album, though, wasn't too bad. They sound a bit like early Judas Priest on this track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzpdA_9ireU

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