Holocaust

Perhaps Scotland's most important contribution to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Edinburgh's Holocaust made their recorded debut with this modest three-track EP, which, incidentally, was also the first release by their equally modest record company, Phoenix Records. Led off by a different, intro-less, slightly slower (and perhaps better for it) version of the title track than was heard on the following year's classic The Nightcomers album, Heavy Metal Mania immediately showed that Holocaust's appeal lay not in their lyric-writing abilities, but in their innate talent to latch on to great, powerful riffs and ride them for all they were worth. Also evident on non-album B-sides "Only as Young as You Feel" and, to a lesser degree, the surprisingly rockin' "Love's Power," this talent would, of course, deeply endear Holocaust to future riff-mongers (and cover-loving patrons like Metallica, among others). Also worth mentioning was the EPs "oh-so-metal" cover art, featuring what one imagines is a phoenix (see record company name) transfixed by a sword -- classy! ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide