Savage Biography

Something of a late bloomer by New Wave of British Heavy Metal standards, Savage was forced to watch from the sidelines as many of their peers signed record deals and launched successful careers in the early '80s. Sadly, by the time they finally got their shot, the NWOBHM's glory years were well in the past and the band had to make due with what little interest remained.

Hailing from Mansfield, England, Savage, in typical NWOBHM fashion, was amed after a Judas Priest song (from the Stained Class album, to be exact) and featured vocalist/bassist Chris Bradley, guitarists Wayne Renshaw and Andy Dawson, and drummer Dave Lindley. Though they started jamming as early as 1978, the band toiled in obscurity for years before finally signing a record deal with independent Ebony Records. Stolen from another local act, Tyrant (there it is: another Priest track again), drummer Mark Brown arrived just in time to record the band's breakout debut, 1983's Loose'n'Lethal. Extremely raw and unpolished, the album garnered good reviews from the British metal press and was even a top import in America, but their label's inexperience and low cash flow prevented the band from capitalizing on its underground success. The relationship was soon terminated and the band went on to sign with yet another no-name record company (this time Zebra) for 1984's We Got the Edge 12" and the following year's Hyperactive album. Neither matched the excitement of the first album (no thanks to the band's increasingly commercial direction) and Savage broke up soon after. A short-lived reunion ten years later resulted in 1995's Holy Wars and 1997's Babylon albums -- both released to deafening indifference.

Ed Rivadavia.