Holocaust

Scotland's Holocaust first appeared in 1977, delivering a raw, working-class style reminiscent of other New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts such as Judas Priest, Diamond Head, and Motörhead. Guitarist John Mortimer has anchored the group as its only continuous member across the years, and the band's initial recordings exerted considerable sway over the Bay Area thrash movement, prompting Metallica to include a version of the 1983 single "The Small Hours" on their Garage Days Re-Revisited EP. Through repeated lineup shifts and periods of inactivity, Holocaust maintained a steady release schedule, producing well-regarded albums that include The Nightcomers (1981), Covenant (1997), Primal (2003), and Elder Gods (2019), thereby sustaining an unbroken four-decade run.

The Edinburgh-based band coalesced in the late 1970s with vocalist Gary Lettice, guitarists John Mortimer and Ed Dudley, bassist Robin Begg, and drummer Nicky Arkless. Following the pattern of many New Wave of British Heavy Metal outfits, Holocaust honed its craft in neighborhood venues amid punk's decline, eventually securing an independent contract that yielded the pivotal 1981 album The Nightcomers. Although it failed to achieve commercial traction, the record earned lasting admiration within the genre and drew explicit praise from Metallica members, who later recorded "The Small Hours" from the follow-up 1983 live set Live -- Hot Curry and Wine. Mounting internal tensions led to dissolution prior to the 1984 release of the fragmented No Man's Land, on which Mortimer alone performed vocals, guitars, and bass alongside drummer Steve Cowen. After a five-year gap, Mortimer and new bassist David Rosie revived the project, issuing a succession of strong albums such as 1989's The Sound of Souls, 1997's Covenant, and 2000's The Courage to Be. In 2003 the retrospective collection Smokin' Valves appeared alongside the new studio effort Primal.

An extended break ended with the band's tenth studio album, the hard-hitting Predator in 2015, which featured drummer Scott Wallace, bassist Mark McGrath, and Mortimer on guitar and vocals. The same configuration delivered the intense Elder Gods in 2019.