Cover Of Judas Priest's "Breaking The Law" Released By Reformed Bloodwych

New Zealand based metal act Bloodwych, originally formed in 1991 and featuring Dragonsclaw vocalist Giles Lavery, have reformed and released a cover track of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" as a free download. The track can be streamed and downloaded in the widget below.

Bloodwych was a big part of New Zealand's metal history. Guitarist Xan Angelfvkk tells the history here:

"Like most young bands Xan's first band used a couple of names: Renegade Sadist, Overlord. After recording their first demo called "The Demo Demo" in August 1991, they changed their name to Bloodwych. Then, securing the sevices of a really good drummer the band played many shows and gained quite a reputation in their home town of Nelson, New Zealand for their original material as many of the other bands around in those days almost exclusively played covers.

"In 1992, they recorded two further demos "Smile" & "High Gain Mutha", the second named purely for their excitement to be now using Marshall amplification. These were sold in the local record store and sell they did. Attracting the attention of the stores owner/manager. They also began to tour in this year.

"The final foray in the recording world for this original Bloodwych came in 1993 when they recorded three tracks for a local compilation of harder music called "Dead Centre". At this point things were in a state of flux, Xan and the vocalist formed up with a new lineup. With the other members not wanting this to be a continuation of Bloodwych a truly new band - Daemon - was born.

"Daemon was a death metal band, and with the previously mentioned record store owner now on board as manager things moved forward reasonably rapidly. Tours were organised etc. The vocalist quit and Xan took over the lead vocal role in addition to lead guitar. Daemon appeared and played live on TV2's Newsnight program which was actually broadcast from their rehearsal room for that show! In 1996 the band recorded an album at New Zealand's premier York Street recording facility. By this stage Daemon was known nationally and the most recognized band in this genre at the time in New Zealand. A status that lasted all too briefly. By the end of 1996, the manager and most of the band had quit, but Xan had seen this coming and had already organised a replacement lineup. However, Daemon reverted to being an underground status band at this stage, but nevertheless toured with Brutal Truth in 1998 and ultimately played it's last show opening for Pantera in May 2001 in the Christchurch Town Hall.

"Jumping back to 1994, Black Metal had really taken hold in Nelson, back then the biggest stronghold in the country. A house infamously known as "The St Vincent Street Hoarde" was the epicentre of this scene and this is where Xan formed an already establised "slow burning" project called Beltane into a real band, that had one aim only: To play Black Metal. Beltane is still active to this day and now the primary lineup is Xan with his partner Baphgirl which it has been since 2007. On the (southern hemisphere) Summer Solstice of 2004, Beltane began it's totally unique Seasonal Recording Programme, and had recorded on EVERY Solstice and Equinox since. The upcoming Summer Solstice will mark the beginning of the tenth year of these recordings, quite a feat!

"But this story is really supposed to focus on Bloodwych. In 1997, Xan moved into an old building right in the heart of Nelson city called "The Watchtower" and established a recording studio. This place however became much more than that. While here Xan started hanging out with Giles regularly and they both realized they shared a mutual appreciation and knowledge of classic Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, which very few people around them got into to at this level. Understand that this was a time when Grunge was still very strong and metal was like it was dead and buried in this country - hard to believe now. A fun project was soon established to play classic heavy metal and some original songs. After a while things got more serious and it was decided to convert this project into a full-blown re-establishment of Bloodwych because "we already have the backdrop"!

"This was a crazy and exciting time, there are many stories to be told, but this brief writing is not the place alas. However, demos were recorded and one was (roughly) released. Bloodwych played the most successful performance of the 1999 Nelsonian Black Metal Sabbat & operated as a band right up until when Giles left New Zealand in 2000. Then it feel silent.....until now!"

Check out "Breaking the Law" here: