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Blitz

One of the leading bands in the U.K. Oi! scene, Blitz played the sort of hard-stomping, no frills punk rock that defined the style, but with a tight delivery and a melodic sense that made them stand out from their peers. Blitz were led by guitarist Nidge Miller, who guided the band through numerous incarnations and shifts in direction over the decades, from the furious Oi! onslaught of 1982's Voice of a Generation to a more metal-oriented approach on 1989's The Killing Dream, with the new wave accents of 1983's Second Empire Justice occurring outside his purview. Blitz went on hiatus several times during their lifespan, but Miller never stopped fighting for his musical vision until his death in 2007. Blitz started life as XS Rhythm, a band Nidge Miller formed when he was 15 years old. The group had been going for several years when the punk explosion hit the U.K., and Miller was eager to try something new. Miller juggled XS Rhythm's lineup, and was soon playing out with lead singer Carl Fisher, bassist Neil "Mackie" McLennan, and drummer Charlie Howe. Garry Bushell, a writer for the British music magazine Sounds who championed the burgeoning Oi! scene, heard the band and offered them his help, suggesting they change their name to Blitz (taking the handle from the Ramones' classic "Blitzkrieg Bop") and placing two of their songs on the 1981 compilation LP Carry On Oi! The group was approached by a new punk label, No Future Records, and Blitz's debut EP, All Out Attack, was issued in 1982. It soon sold out its initial pressing of 1,000 copies and the four-song 7" would eventually move over 20,000 copies. Two singles followed, "Never Surrender" and "Warriors," both rose to number two on the Indie Singles chart. In November 1982, Blitz released their first full-length album, Voice of a Generation, and it was a surprise success, making it into the Top 30 of the U.K. album charts. Despite their success, Blitz were struggling with serious differences within the group. Carl Fisher and Charlie Howe quit Blitz, and Nidge Miller and Neil "Mackie" McLennan cut a 1983 single under the name Rose of Victory. Miller would go uncredited on the second Blitz album, 1983's Second Empire Justice. The album was produced by Chris Nagle, who had worked as an engineer for Joy Division producer Martin Hannett, and his use of the studio helped give the album a sound that was less classically punk and a more atmospheric, new wave tone. Not all fans appreciated the new approach, and though the album topped out at number five on the U.K. album charts, it proved to be a sales disappointment for No Future. The group splintered, and Miller reclaimed the Blitz banner; on 1989's The Killing Dream, he played guitar, bass, and drums, with Gary Basnett on vocals. Miller recruited bassist Garry Sumner and drummer Paul Willey for touring, and this edition brought out a four-song EP, New Breed, in 1992. Not long after its release, Blitz broke up. In the early 2000s, Miller revived Blitz with a new lineup that included lead singer Bryan "Scorch" Hiazlip, guitarist Doug Williams, bassist Brian Lawton, and drummer James Greene. The band toured the U.K. and Europe, and discovered they had a potent cult following in the United States. After Williams dropped out of the group, Brian Lawton moved from bass to guitar, and a bassist simply known as Marc came aboard; this edition of the group played a show at CBGB in New York City that would later be issued on a limited-edition live CD. The band recorded some new studio tracks that appeared as bonus tracks on 2005's All Out Blitz: The Very Best of Blitz, but the Blitz story ended abruptly on February 10, 2007, when Miller, reportedly intoxicated, wandered onto a highway after a show in Austin, Texas and was hit by a car. He died shortly afterward. The final Blitz studio recordings were collected on a six-song EP in 2016, The Final Blitz: Farewell to a Legend. In 2023, Cleopatra Records gave the debut Blitz EP All Out Attack a deluxe vinyl reissue with a six-panel fold-out sleeve.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
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