What's the difference between traditional heavy metal and NWOBHM?

[IWP]

I've always wondered about this one. To me, both genres sound about the same. I've always considered NWOBHM bands as just traditional metal. For example, Iron Maiden and Saxon are considered NWOBHM while bands like 80s Judas Priest, Dio, and Accept are considered just tradtional heavy metal. So what exactly is the difference between the two genres? Is NWOBHM as a genre generally faster than traditional metal, but not quite as fast as speed metal with a slight punk sound, or is NWOBHM nothing more than a movement of bands from the late 70s-early 80s that were from England and played traditional metal? The only noticeable difference I see between the genres is that NWOBHM is slightly fatser with more of a punkish vibe to it. Even so, I've always considered NWOBHM and traditional heavy metal the same thing.

 

[The Ozzman]

In before Dodens

 

[Einherjar86]

Well, your post just shook the foundation of my previous beliefs, but... I'd always assumed that NWOBHM was British music, while traditional heavy metal generally hailed from America (except for Sabbath). I didn't know that Priest and Accept were considered traditional metal.

EDITIWP

I await further posts to correct my skewed beliefs.

 

[SouthernTrendkill]

I'd say you're right about NWOBHM just being a movement of bands who played traditional metal. But that's just me.

 

[IWP]

I didn't know that Priest and Accept were considered traditional metal.

According to metal-archives anyway.

 

[supseudonymous]

In before Dodens

NWOBHM was a movement and is not descriptive of any particular style. Judas Priest pre-dated the movement. Bands like Iron Maiden and Motorhead are equally both NWOBHM and heavy metal.

(The Scripture Of Dodens, 6:66)

 

[IWP]

NWOBHM was a movement and is not descriptive of any particular style.

I thought it was more of movement than a sub genre.

 

[supseudonymous]

I thought it was more of movement than a sub genre.

It is a movement. It isn't a sub-genre. You can still identify bands as NWOBHM, though, because they were part of the movement. These bands are equally part of a sub-genre that describes their music.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

Well, I never really considered NWOBHM a term used to describe the music itself.

 

[skeptik]

Motorhead predates the movement as well.

NWOBHM is a movement, nothing else. The genre is denoted in the acronym; Heavy Metal from Britain. While it may be loosely true that there is to some degree a loose and decidedly "British" sound to many bands within the movement, it is hardly a genre of its own, just like Swedish Death Metal is not a genre. Actually NWOBHM often ventures into more of a Hard Rock direction occasionally as well, and later more into Speed Metal, depending on who you're talking to and where their goalposts for when the movement begins and ends are. So essentially the difference between Heavy Metal and NWOBHM is that one is a genre and the other is a prominent (and highly formative) movement within the genre.