Unboxing Review: New Wave of British Heavy Metal – All Systems Go: The NEAT Singles Vol. 1 – 4CD Box Set
This 4CD Box Set celebrates the iconic Neat Records and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) it includes four CDs, each featuring a range of singles released by Neat Records. Here is a breakdown:
TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
1 Don’t Touch Me There TYGERS OF PAN TANG
2 Burning Up TYGERS OF PAN TANG
3 Bad Times TYGERS OF PAN TANG
4 Name, Rank And Serial Number FIST
5 You’ll Never Get Me Up (In One Of Those) FIST
6 Back To The Grind WHITE SPIRIT
7 Cheetah WHITE SPIRIT
8 Don’t Need Your Money RAVEN
9 Wiped Out RAVEN
10 Black Ice ARAGORN
11 Noonday ARAGORN
12 In League With Satan VENOM
13 Live Like An Angel (Die Like A Devil) VENOM
14 Always Ready (For Love) BITCHES SIN
15 Sign Of The Times BITCHES SIN
16 Buried Alive BLITZKRIEG
17 Blitzkrieg BLITZKRIEG
18 Hard Ride RAVEN
19 Crazy World RAVEN
20 Lonewolf RAW DEAL
21 Take The Sky RAW DEAL
DISC TWO
lood Lust VENOM
2 In Nomine Satanas VENOM
3 Rock Out STEEL
4 All Systems Go STEEL
5 Crash, Bang, Wallop RAVEN
6 Rock Hard RAVEN
7 Run Them Down RAVEN
8 Firepower RAVEN
9 Axe Crazy JAGUAR
10 War Machine JAGUAR
11 Roll The Dice HEAVY PETTIN’
12 Love Times Love HEAVY PETTIN’
13 Hot Lady DEDRINGER
14 Hot Licks And Rock ‘N’ Roll DEDRINGER
15 Take It Or Leave It CRUCIFIXION
16 On the Run CRUCIFIXION
17 Dead When It Comes To Love WARRIOR
18 Stab In The Back WARRIOR
19 Kansas City WARRIOR
20 The Wanderer FIST
21 Too Hot FIST
DISC THREE
1 Coming Home VALHALLA
2 Trouble With You (Ain’t Looking For Trouble) VALHALLA
3 Miracle Man SABRE
4 On the Loose SABRE
5 Ridin’ High PERSIAN RISK
6 Hurt You PERSIAN RISK
7 Could Have Done Better ALIEN
8 Hot ‘N’ Heavy Express AVENGER
9 Knocked Out BLACK ROSE
10 All Systems Go HELLANBACH
11 44 HELLANBACH
12 Bridges JESS COX
13 Check It Out JESS COX
14 Die Hard VENOM
15 Acid Queen VENOM
16 Bursting Out VENOM
17 Break The Chain RAVEN
18 The Ballad Of Marshall Stack RAVEN
19 Born To Be Wild RAVEN with UDO
20 Inquisitor RAVEN with UDO
DISC FOUR
1 We Have Arrived SARACEN
2 A Face In The Crowd SARACEN
3 Too Wild To Tame AVENGER
4 On The Rocks AVENGER
5 Wild On The Run TOBRUK
6 The Show Must Go On TOBRUK
7 Eat The Rich TYSONDOG
8 Dead Meat TYSONDOG
9 Something Special EMERSON
10 Stars In Hollywood EMERSON
11 One In A Million JESS COX
12 Bad Time Girl JESS COX
13 Still In Love With You VALHALLA
14 Jack VALHALLA
15 Moon Rising CRUCIFIXION
16 Green Eyes CRUCIFIXION
17 Jailbait CRUCIFIXION
18 Warhead VENOM
19 Lady Lust VENOM
20 Seven Gates Of Hell VENOM
The accompanying booklet is a comprehensive guide to the singles, with detailed write-ups for each release, including A-sides and B-sides. They provide historical context and insight into the bands’ backgrounds. I particularly enjoyed reading the interviews and comments from band members, which gave a glimpse into the spirit and camaraderie of the era.
Back in the early 1980s, I was part of the NWOBHM movement as a member of The Handsome Beasts, signed to Heavy Metal Records. We saw Neat Records as our rivals, and anything released by Neat was “the enemy.” But looking back now, it’s clear that Neat Records was instrumental in shaping the NWOBHM sound.
Listening to this collection, I was reminded of the raw energy and creativity of that time. The enthusiasm of young musicians playing in garages and recording tracks with DIY spirit shines through in every riff and solo. Some of the singles sound polished, while others have a charming, rough edge that captures the era’s authentic excitement.
During the NWOBHM era, the camaraderie between bands was incredible. We’d play weekly gigs in Birmingham, reading Sounds magazine to check out what our rivals were doing. Venom, for example, were always in the background, growing their fan base with their raw, unrefined sound. They were scaring the establishment with their lyrics, and their music was a precursor to the thrash metal movement that followed.
The sense of freedom and rebellion in the NWOBHM movement was palpable. Bands like Raven, Venom, and Tygers of Pan Tang embodied that spirit with their no-holds-barred attitude. They wrote songs to escape the factories, housing estates, and mundane jobs, looking to America and Japan for success.
“All Systems Go: The NEAT Singles Vol. 1” is a nostalgic journey back to one of the most exciting periods in British heavy metal. Whether you’re reliving your youth or discovering these bands for the first time, this box set is a must-have. It’s 4 hours of pure, unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll fun that perfectly captures the spirit of NWOBHM.
Phil Aston, Now Spinning Magazine
The Saracen album, ‘Heroes,Saints and Fools’ remains one of the greatest debut albums ever. Well worth a listen.