Battleaxe

Battleaxe is a heavy metal band from Sunderland that is associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. It begins in 1979 and continues in the present day. The group starts under the name Warrior and changes to Battleaxe in early 1980.

Early line-up and first recordings

The original line-up consists of Dave King on vocals, Brian Smith on bass, Steve Hardy on guitar and Ian Thompson on drums. After playing locally and developing their sound, the band records a demo called Burn This Town. That recording brings them to the attention of Roadrunner Records and leads to their first album, Burn This Town.

Once the label deal is in place, the master tapes are sent to Roadrunner and the album title is agreed. A friend and local artist, Arthur Ball, creates the cover concept. The artwork is pressed without the band’s approval and becomes known as one of the more discussed heavy metal album covers. Despite the band’s concerns about the image, the record sells well and helps establish their reputation as a strong live heavy metal act in the region.

Power from the Universe and early success

After recording Burn This Town at Guardian Studios in County Durham, Ian Thompson is seriously injured in an attack and is unable to continue for a time. Ian McCormack, formerly of Satan, fills the drum position. The band then releases Power from the Universe on Roadrunner Records and Music for Nations. The album is presented as a more refined and mature step for the group, and its opening track, “Chopper Attack,” is singled out as one of the notable heavy metal openers of the period.

The same line-up completes a BBC Radio 1 session for Tommy Vance’s Friday Rock Show. Battleaxe also tours in support of Saxon and appears at a Leeds Queens Hall festival bill with Twisted Sister, Girlschool, Anvil, Spyder and Plus. The band also plays Hammersmith Odeon in London in support of Saxon on the Crusader tour.

Line-up changes and later recordings

After the Hammersmith show, Steve Hardy leaves and the band loses momentum. It takes almost two years before a new line-up comes together. Later, Battleaxe tours the UK in support of Madam X after that group drops out, finishing the run at the Dominion Theatre in London. The line-up adds Mick Percy and John Stormont, and the two-guitar arrangement gives the band a fuller live and studio sound.

Battleaxe then records at Neat Records studio the tracks “Radio Thunder,” “Girl Crazee” and “Killer Woman,” which are added to the EP Nightmare Zone. John Stormont contributes a lead part on “Killer Woman” before leaving for domestic reasons. The band then goes through a period of frequent personnel changes.

Mid-1980s line-up and later activity

By 1987 Battleaxe recruits Jason Holt on guitar and Stew Curtan on drums, after Ian McCormack leaves the group. During this period, Paul AT Kinson, from Newcastle, also fills in on drums at times before joining later. This line-up gives the band a heavier and more versatile sound, but it does not last long. Changing conditions in the British rock scene make touring difficult, and the band’s activity slows.

Battleaxe later records demos intended for a third album, originally planned under the title Metal Edge, but no label interest follows at the time. The material develops into the Nightmare Zone EP. In the mid-to-late 1990s the band plays a one-off show at Klenal Hall Biker’s Festival and, in 2007, a four-piece version featuring Mick Percy, Paul AT Kinson, Brian Smith and Dave King films a video for “Chopper Attack,” helping connect the band again with the NWOBHM scene.