Rabid Bitch of the North

Wearing their influences on their sleeves, quite literally, patched denim and all things NWOBHM is their art, they are the purveyors of traditional heavy metal. Belfast heavy metal trio Rabid Bitch Of The North have announced they will release their debut full length album, Nothing But a Bitter Taste, this August via Hostile Media. "Nothing But a Bitter Taste has essentially been several years in the making. For the first time in over 10 years of performing live we had to find time to take off, go to our studio, and do this album justice," comments band frontman Joe McDonnell. "Nothing But A Bitter Taste, is a concrete slab of that classic British sounding metal. It's something straight off a NWOBHM compilation cassette. A varied spectrum of styles and tempos, and each track has its own story. It is heavy metal with rock n roll, but it is definitely progressive sounding from the previous EP and singles we've released."

The album was recorded by guitarist Gerard Mulholland, as with all their previous releases. "Gerrys production has been a learn as you work approach. Using his skills built up from years of making our demos and singles," Joe adds regarding the recording process. "What we wanted to achieve was a record that captured our unique character, as well sounding like a record that we would listen to. We wanted it to sound like the metal we like, which is anything from the golden era of heavy metal. Maybe a few Judas Priest records were points of reference at times, but the album was never based on one particular sound."

Fast, hard, heavy and with fury! Over the last several years Rabid Bitch Of The North have forced their way through a scene that has been dominated largely by bands at the extreme end of the metal spectrum. This has proven their determination and dedication to playing heavy metal in its purest form! After countless shows across their homeland, the band’s hard work was rewarded with support slots with the likes of heavy metal legends Hell, Blitzkrieg, Portrait and Pagan Altar. A steady rise in their profile since 2012 has saw them garner a healthy following of fans ranging from all age groups. This success culminated in an epic end of year show for 2013 in Belfast’s legendary Ulster Hall, where many a great before them had played. Bands such as Motorhead, WASP and Judas Priest had all walked the very boards that Rabid Bitch of the North had suddenly found themselves on.

2014 saw the band continue to grow in popularity with the release of their cassette single ‘Defending Two Castles’ which sold globally. The single received many great reviews for its “live in the rehearsal room” rawness and pure heavy metal spirit. Steady press coverage helped cement the bands growing reputation as a real, traditional heavy metal band completely devoid of any modern trends. The success of the single saw the band invited to play Ireland’s premiere Metal Festival Siege of Limerick quickly followed by an appearance at the UK’s Bloodstock Open Air and a well received support slot with Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteen, Iced Earth).

Not resting on their laurels, a new year opened with a UK tour supporting Swedish heavy metal titans Portrait, a support slot with Angel Witch, another incendiary performance at Siege of Limerick, and the band’s first foray into mainland Europe! Further high profile supports came in the form of warming the stages for bands such as Diamond Head and Raven.

2016 saw the release of the ‘Green Eyes’ vinyl single and a compilation CD album of their entire back catalogue entitled From The Kennel To The Castle, released via Alone Records. A European tour scheduled later that year with Dutch metalheads Lord Voltare and further tours and festival appearances has saw this heavy metal trio move upwards and onwards onto bigger and better things. The horizon is looking good for Rabid Bitch Of The North, so strap in, hold tight and get ready for some heavy metal rabies!

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Tags:  Rabid Bitch of the North, Nothing but a Bitter Taste, NWOBHM  

Sevine E. Levine    July 03, 2017