Biography
Despite contending with unstable personnel, wavering artistic focus, and a name ill-suited for mainstream audiences, the Cumbria outfit Bitches Sin from England made only a modest impression amid the New Wave of British Heavy Metal explosion, yet managed to release a sufficient number of strong singles to avoid total disappearance from memory. Formed in early 1980 from the ashes of several local pub rock acts, the band originally included vocalist Alan "Cocky" Cockburn, guitarists Ian and Pete Toomey, bassist Perry Hodder, and drummer Bill Knowles. Rather than competing directly for gigs with the flood of other NWOBHM acts, Bitches Sin prioritized studio work, completing a polished seven-song cassette demo titled Twelve Pounds and No Kinks by August 1980 that they circulated to labels and radio outlets. This approach paid off when independent Neat Records signed them in 1981, issuing the 7" single pairing "Always Ready" with "Sign of the Times" and featuring the additional track "Down the Road" on its Lead Weight compilation. The group nevertheless hedged its bets by offering its emerging signature piece, "Strangers on the Shore," to rival imprint Heavy Metal Records for inclusion on the Heavy Metal Heroes anthology. Apart from a well-received BBC Radio Friday Rock Show session in October 1981, the lasting reputation of "Strangers on the Shore" as an NWOBHM classic marked the peak of the band's recognition.
Lineup instability soon accelerated their decline. Before the radio session, the Toomey brothers had already swapped out the original members for vocalist Tony Tomkinson, bassist Dave Newsham, and drummer Tony Leece; during the recording of their 1982 debut album Predator they introduced yet another rhythm section of Martin Orum on bass and Mark Biddiscombe on drums. Criticized for its weaker new material and uneven revisions of earlier songs, the album prompted the Toomeys to part ways with Heavy Metal Records. By 1983 they were assembling fresh demos with another altered configuration, self-financing and releasing that year's No More Chances EP. Even the sporadic echoes of earlier promise found on the belated 1986 follow-up Invaders (later re-recorded and reissued in 1988) could not reverse their fortunes. With almost no live draw outside Holland, the Toomeys and successive stand-ins persisted in diminished circumstances until the band finally dissolved around 1989.
Lineup instability soon accelerated their decline. Before the radio session, the Toomey brothers had already swapped out the original members for vocalist Tony Tomkinson, bassist Dave Newsham, and drummer Tony Leece; during the recording of their 1982 debut album Predator they introduced yet another rhythm section of Martin Orum on bass and Mark Biddiscombe on drums. Criticized for its weaker new material and uneven revisions of earlier songs, the album prompted the Toomeys to part ways with Heavy Metal Records. By 1983 they were assembling fresh demos with another altered configuration, self-financing and releasing that year's No More Chances EP. Even the sporadic echoes of earlier promise found on the belated 1986 follow-up Invaders (later re-recorded and reissued in 1988) could not reverse their fortunes. With almost no live draw outside Holland, the Toomeys and successive stand-ins persisted in diminished circumstances until the band finally dissolved around 1989.
Albums
