Witchfynde
The Lost Tapes
The discovery of WITCHFYNDEs Lost Tapes illuminates a fascinating missing link in the history of British heavy metal. In the lull between the Purple/Zeppelin/Sabbath revolution and the angry charge of punk rock and NWOBHM, in the East Midlands county town of Derby, four lads came together to create a tentatively progressive and intriguing new sound, and get heads banging in boozers all over the Peak District. Recording a 40-minute demo of original material in 1975, WITCHFYNDE were the unwitting spearhead of the movement that was still a long way off being dubbed the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, and from the plaintive, spacey opening of Grimoire, this earliest of artefacts is rather more nuanced and versatile than the hallowed acronym NWOBHM traditionally suggests.