Blitzkrieg (metal band)

History

In 1980, Brian Ross joined Leicester band Split Image, which comprised guitarists Jim Sirotto and Ian Jones, bassist Steve English, and drummer Steve Abbey. After a name change to Blitzkrieg, their demo led to a record deal in October 1980 with Neat Records, a label signing many new wave of British heavy metal bands. Following a single released in 1981, Jones and English were replaced by John Antcliffe and Mick Moore. The band regularly produced gigs in England but split in 1981 before completing their debut album. Ross then joined Satan, and also played in Avenger, Lone Wolf and Unter den Linden.

Ross reformed the band in 1984 with Sirotto and Moore, adding guitarist Mick Proctor (of Tygers of Pan Tang) and drummer Sean Taylor (Satan/Blind Fury, ex-Raven) to record the originally planned album, A Time of Changes, released in 1985. The B-side of the debut single, "Blitzkrieg", was covered by Metallica for the B-side of their 1984 single "Creeping Death". Before signing, Metallica had sent Ross a demo to try to get signed to Neat Records, for whom Ross was then doing A&R work.

In 1991, Roadracer Records released 10 Years of Blitzkrieg. New material combined with older tracks formed Unholy Trinity, delayed until 1995 due to contractual issues. Ross remained the only constant member as the band released Ten (1997), The Mists of Avalon (1998), Absolute Power (2002), Absolutely Live (2004), Sins and Greed (2005), and Theatre of the Damned (2007). After a six-year gap, Back from Hell appeared in 2013. A re-recorded and expanded version of A Time of Changes was released in 2015 for its 30th anniversary. Judge Not! followed in 2018, with the EP Loud and Proud in 2019. In 2022, the single "I Am His Voice" and a live version of "Pull the Trigger" were issued. An eponymous album came out in 2024.