Fist were an English heavy metal band. They were part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The breakthrough success predicted for them by critics never came about;[1] In 2001 the band re-united and released one album before returning to a state of inactivity.
The band first formed in April 1978 as Axe, but only recorded one song ("S.S. Giro") under that name.[2] The group reformed in late 1979 under the new name of Fist, soon signing with Neat Records and releasing their first single, "Name, Rank And Serial Number," in April 1980. The single was praised in the pages of Sounds, and bigger things were anticipated for the band as they signed with MCA, releasing a second single and preparing a full-length record for the end of the year. Unfortunately, the LP Turn The Hell On failed to make a critical or commercial impression, and Fist were dropped by MCA[2] in early 1981.
Apart from a couple of compilation appearances (including the old 1978 Axe recording of "S.S. Giro" showing up on the Neat compilation Lead Weight), Fist went unheard from for a time, re-vamping the line-up in July 1981 and issuing their second LP, Back With A Vengeance, on Neat in early 1982. Though they received better reviews this time around, the band still found no commercial success and broke up in late 1982.
Despite failing to sell in significant numbers, Fist were singled out for praise by a number of critics for writing catchy choruses and resisting the clichéd lyrics of many other NWOBHM bands that primarily sang about the occult; "You'll Never Get Me Up (In One Of Those)", for example, is about fear of flying, while "Throwing In The Towel" is about an ageing boxer unhappy to be back in the ring.[1]
In 2001 two original members of Fist's 1981-82 lineup joined up with two former members of fellow NWOBHM band Hollow Ground to form a new incarnation of Fist (Glenn Coates, the common link as he had been the singer for both bands, was not present). This lineup released a new album, Storm, in 2005. The music on this album was much heavier than anything Fist had previously released. Since 2006 the band has been inactive again.
Discography[]
Albums[]
- Turn the Hell On (MCA November 1980)
- Back with a Vengeance (Neat 1982)
- Storm (Demolition April 2005)
Singles[]
- "Name, Rank and Serial Number" / "You'll Never Get Me Up (In One Of Those)" (Neat April 1980 / MCA July 1980)
- "Forever Amber" / "Brain Damage" (MCA August 1980)
- "Collision Course" / "Law of the Jungle" (MCA January 1981)
- "The Wanderer" / "Too Hot" (Neat November 1982)
Compilation appearances[]
- "Brain Damage" (Brute Force, MCA September 1980)
- "S.S. Giro" / "Throwing in the Towel" (Lead Weight, Neat May 1981)
- "Lost & Found" (60 Minute Plus Heavy Metal, Neat November 1982)
Compilations[]
- Back with a Vengeance: The Anthology (Sanctuary 2002)