Hollow Ground were an English heavy metal band.

Biography

Formed in the North East of England in the late 1970s, Hollow Ground became one of the cutting edge groups of the

NWOBHM The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term ...

period. Although they only released six tracks, these have come to be considered a classic example of the style of the era. In 1980 they released the ''Warlord'' EP, containing the tracks "Flying high," "Warlord," "Rock on", and "Don't chase the dragon." This 7-inch record is difficult to find and now changes hands for £200 in mint condition. Later in 1980, a further two tracks ("Fight with the devil" and "The holy one") were recorded and were used along with "Rock on" and "Flying high" on the ''Roksnax'' split album. Four more tracks were recorded, "Rock to love", "Promised land," "Easy action", and "Loser", but were never released. In 1990 the track "Fight with the devil" was included on the Lars Ulrich/

Geoff Barton Geoff Barton (born July 1955) is a British journalist who founded the heavy metal magazine ''Kerrang!'' and was an editor of ''Sounds'' music magazine. He joined ''Sounds'' at the age of 19 after completing a journalism course at the London Col ...

compilation album ''NWOBHM '79 Revisited''. The original ''Warlord'' EP tracks can also be found on the compilation CD ''Rare Metal: N.W.O.B.H.M. Metal Rarities, Volume 1''. Singer Glenn Coates left Hollow Ground to join Fist in 1982 for their ''Back With A Vengeance'' album. This defection signalled the end for Hollow Ground. Lead Guitarist Martin Metcalf later recorded the Classic Rock album 'POWERHOUSE' with former Geordie vocalist Dr.Rob Turnbull in 1986 In 2007 the band were asked to reform and play at the Headbangers Open Air Festival in Germany. They were received favourably, particularly by fans of the NWOBHM, who were delighted to see one of the 'lost' bands of that era perform live. Hollow Ground also appeared on the bill with

Jameson Raid The Jameson Raid (29 December 1895 – 2 January 1896) was a botched raid against the South African Republic (commonly known as the Transvaal) carried out by British colonial administrator Leander Starr Jameson, under the employment of Cecil ...

and

Cloven Hoof A cloven hoof, cleft hoof, divided hoof or split hoof is a hoof split into two toes. This is found on members of the mammalian order Artiodactyla. Examples of mammals that possess this type of hoof are cattle, deer, pigs, antelopes, gazelles ...

for a gig at

Wolverhampton Civic Hall The Halls Wolverhampton, formally known as Wolverhampton Civic Halls is a music venue in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It has been one of the most notable live music venues in the county for several decades. It is part of a complex als ...

on 30 March 2013.Jameson Raid / Cloven Hoof / Hollow Ground concert at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on 30 March 2013 - details on official Cloven Hoof website

Members

*Glenn Coates -

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

*Martin Metcalf -

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...

*Brian Rickman -

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

*John Lockney - drums

Discography

EPs

*''Warlord'' (1980; 7-inch; Guardian Records) # "Flying High" - 2:56 # "Warlord" - 2:20 # "Rock On" - 3:07 # "Don't Chase the Dragon" - 3:49

Albums

*''Roksnax'' (1980; split album; Guardian Records) # "Die or deliver" by

Samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

- 4:39 # "Rock on" by Hollow Ground - 3:04 # "Speed of sound" by

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

- 4:26 # "Fight with the devil" by Hollow Ground - 3:14 # "Temptress" by Samurai - 2:26 # "Fast living" by Saracen - 3:46 # "Flying high" by Hollow Ground - 2:52 # "Feel just the same" by Saracen - 3:17 # "Knights in painted castles" by Samurai - 2:36 # "The holy one" by Hollow Ground - 3:34 # "Spirits of the lost" by Samurai - 3:36 # "Setting the world ablaze" by Saracen - 3:44

Other appearances

*"Fight with the Devil" appears on '' NWOBHM '79 Revisited'' (1990; CD;

Caroline Records Caroline Records is a record label originally founded in 1973. Initially founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976, and then re-emerged in the United States in 1986. ...

) *The ''Warlord'' EP appears on ''Rare Metal: N.W.O.B.H.M. Metal Rarities, Volume 1'' (1996; CD; British Steel Records)

References

External links

*The band is listed a
Encyclopaedia Metallum
*The band is listed a
New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
{{Authority control English heavy metal musical groups Musical quartets New Wave of British Heavy Metal musical groups