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Somehow, amid the chaos of early years that included an abortive deal with EMI, and a revolving-door approach to membership, Angel Witch managed to record an album that stood central to the NWOBHM.

And it’s great to see it back and given the kind of special edition treatment handed out by rote to bigger bands. It’s a nostalgia trip, of course, but it’s a good one. As soon as that ludicrous and legendary first chorus of Angel Witch itself kicks in, you’ll find yourself back in simpler times, when bands recorded their racket on barely functional technology and founded a movement on sheer enthusiasm for the cause.

Demo versions of key songs like Baphomet (from the Metal For Muthas compilation) make up the second disc. Their primitive clatter might not enthrall kids who can produce sonically superior music via their mobile phone, but for those who remember Angel Witch first time around this reissue is a treat.

This was published in Classic Rock issue 148.

Jon Hotten is an English author and journalist. He is best known for the books Muscle: A Writer's Trip Through a Sport with No Boundaries and The Years of the Locust. In June 2015 he published a novel, My Life And The Beautiful Music (Cape), based on his time in LA in the late 80s reporting on the heavy metal scene. He was a contributor to Kerrang! magazine from 1987–92 and currently contributes to Classic Rock. Hotten is the author of the popular cricket blog, The Old Batsman, and since February 2013 is a frequent contributor to The Cordon cricket blog at Cricinfo. His most recent book, Bat, Ball & Field, was published in 2022.