Description

Still sealed digipak with 4 bonus tracks and a 24 page booklet

Often hailed as Sweden’s first heavy metal band and one of the most important ones, Heavy Load was founded in Stockholm, in 1976, by brothers Ragne (vocals/guitar) and Styrbjörn Wahlquist (drums/vocals). After they released their first album they started their own Thunderload Records. With two new members in the group they recorded the Metal Conquest ep that were released in September of 1981 and it was an album that gained the band many honors, beating many international acts to grab the number one airplay position on the H.M.H. Metal radio station play list and charting in the national Swedish listings. This success was capitalized on by an extensive headline tour, which included two live radio broadcasts from Malmo and Stockholm. The lyrics, band image are based mostly on viking mythology, fantasy, barbarians or general warfare. The music is anthemic heavy metal, epic at parts like Manilla Road and yet still having the traditional heavy metal sound in most places. The original EP featured 5 tracks but it was supposed to feature 6 tracks. The sixth song, For The Welfare Of Man, was never recorded due to the band’s very limited studio time, and the brother’s dire finances back in the day. However, while listening to some demo tapes, damaged in the great flood of the brother’s own studio in January 2001, the brothers was very surprised to hear a demo version of the song made by them in the mid-eighties. After time-consuming restoration and mixing in the brothers new studio, the song has now taken its place on the re-issue – more than forty years later. Now the album is a six-shooter as originally planned. The cd album also features 3 more bonus tracks

Track listing:
1. You’ve Got The Power
2. Dark Nights
3. Heavy Metal Heaven
4. Hey
5. Heathens From The North
6. For The Welfare Of Man
7. 7. Joe Stiletto
8. Give It Time
9. Hedningar Från Norr