BLITZKRIEG is almost certainly most known internationally by way of METALLICA's rendition of their theme song 'Blitzkrieg', featured on the B side of the Bay Area monsters 'Creeping Death' single. Despite this notoriety and a strong cult following BLITZKRIEG releases have been few and far between, although this hasn't been for the lack of trying. Vocalist Brian Ross, the mainstay of the band, has a colourful career including auditions with TYGERS OF PAN TANG, requests to join SAMSON and E.F. BAND and forming, albeit very briefly, a band with ex-WHITESNAKE guitarist BERNIE MARSDEN.

BLITZKRIEG formed in October 1980 in Leicester. Brian Ross answered an advert placed by SPLIT IMAGE comprising of guitarists Jim Sirotto and Ian Jones, bassist Steve English and drummer Steve Abbey looking to replace their previous vocalist, Sarah Aldwinkle. Ross had previous form with KASHMIR (an act that featured WHITESNAKE's David Coverdale's cousin Kev Stevens on drums) and ANVIL. Upon Ross joining SPLIT IMAGE, a new title of BLITZKRIEG was suggested by Jez Gilman, although various paying club gigs were still for a while performed under the old moniker.

The band's first product was a three track demo cassette, which led to a single for the Newcastle upon Tyne based Neat Records entitled 'Buried Alive'. The same year BLITZKRIEG also contributed the track "Inferno" to the Neat 'Leadweight' compilation. In February 1981 the band underwent a line-up change adding ex ELECTRIC SAVAGE guitarist John Antcliffe and bassist Mick Moore. The latter had previously played in the Leicester outfit AXE VICTIM with Ian Jones and Moore tells the tale that the legendary 'Blitzkrieg' (the B-side of the 'Buried Alive' single) had originally been conceived by AXE VICTIM under the title 'Bitch'. Jones had taken the nucleus of the song to BLITZKRIEG with him, the riffs of which had been an attempt to duplicate those of Dutch outfit FOCUS' hit 'Hocus Pocus'.

With a revised line-up, BLITZKRIEG gained welcome press coverage by featuring in the very first issue of 'Kerrang!' and went on to record a show supporting TRUST in Newcastle for an officially released tape entitled 'Blitzed Alive', this sporting a cover version of DEEP PURPLE's 'Highway Star'. However, the band spilt in December 1981 with Moore and Ross eventually forming AVENGER and both Jones and Antcliffe joining CHROME MOLLY. Ross was to subsequently perform vocal duties with SATAN for a tour of Holland and wound up leaving AVENGER for the ranks of SATAN.

Ross kept in touch with Mick Moore and, along with Jim Sirotto, teamed up again as BLITZKRIEG to record the album 'Blitzkrieg - A Time Of Changes' with Sean Taylor of SATAN on drums and TYGERS OF PAN TANG guitarist Mick Procter. The record comprised archive tracks dating back as far as 1980, including 'Pull The Trigger' performed by Ross with SATAN. At this point, Ross was also managing and singing for LONEWOLF, a position he would relinquish to reactivate BLITZKRIEG.

The band, almost a pet project by this stage, underwent further reshuffling in June 1986 leaving Ross as the sole surviving member with Procter teaming up with SPEAR OF DESTINY. BLITZKRIEG was reassembled with guitarists J.D. Binnie, ex-MANDORA, and Chris Beard, bassist Darren Parnaby and drummer Sean Wilkinson. This incarnation recorded a four track demo in 1987, but the band split once more at the close of 1987 with Wilkinson, Parnaby, Binnie and Beard staying together in a Glam Metal act called LIBERTY.

Ross, after a re-think, started afresh in the summer of 1988. The singer gathered around him guitarists Glenn S. Howes, of AXISS and Doomsters THE REIGN, and Steve Robertson, bassist Robbie Robertson and drummer Kyle Gibson, yet the only recorded product was a two track demo before BLITZKRIEG once more succumbed to another drastic line-up shuffle.

By August 1989 only Ross and Howes remained from the most recent band, augmented with new guitarist Tony J. Liddle, previously with SARATOGA, PREDATOR and VIOLENT ERUPTION, bassist Glen Carey and former AVENGER drummer Gary Young. A video, 'At The Kazbah', was released and the long awaited second album '10 Years Of Blitzkrieg' on the Roadrunner label. This collection saw re-recordings of the two 1981 7" single tracks flanked by three new numbers.

Inevitably there were to be more departures. In early 1991 Carey, Young and Howes quit to form HURRICANE. Ross turned to his old comrade Mick Moore together with ex SATAN drummer Sean Taylor and guitarist Paul Nesbitt, although Moore had left within a year, BLITZKRIEG trimming down to a quartet of Ross, Liddle, Taylor and former WHEELBARROWS FROM HELL bassist Dave Anderson. This line-up recorded the album 'Unholy Trinity' in 1992. However, it was not to be released until the close of 1995.

BLITZKRIEG undertook a short tour of Greece in early 1996 with yet more new members; bassist Steve Ireland, ex-MARAUDER, and drummer Paul 'Sid' White. Liddle decamped in January of 1997 for TENDAHUX- recording an as yet unreleased album, but further gigging found BLITZKRIEG on tour in their strongest market, Germany, during the winter of that year. However, much to their amazement, the group found itself the centre of controversy when venues in Flensburg, Offenbach and Heidelberg refused to let them play due to the perceived historical connotations of the band name. Ireland was unable to fulfil these dates and a stand in bassist Gavin Gray the same year the band intended to record a Japanese language version of the track 'Blitzkrieg', the original version of which will forever remain the group's legacy, but this would never materialise.

In 1997 Neat issued Ten, an album essentially a re-work of 10 Years Of Blitzkrieg but with the addition of further new material. Strangely, Blitzkrieg chose to re-record 'Blitzkrieg' yet again, also taking this opportunity to alter the lyrics.

During 1998 BLITZKRIEG were working on new material for Neat Metal Records although predictably the band line-up had evolved once more. Joining Ross were a returning Howes on guitar, fellow guitarist Martin Richardson and drummer Mark Hancock. The group returned with The Mists Of Avalon, a solid effort marred by an amateurish sleeve design. This recording line-up put in a rare appearance at the 'Wacken Open Air' festival in Germany. BLITZKRIEG personnel would also form up part of a 'reunion' TYGERS OF PAN TANG show at the same event. Early 1999 found BLITZKRIEG back in action performing their first American show in New Jersey sharing a billing with SWEET SAVAGE and RAVEN. Subsequently, both Howes and Hancock decamped to concentrate on their priority act EARTHROD, a band unit in league with ex-DEAD END guitarist Sean Jeffries.

As 2002 drew in, Ross announced not only the planning of a projected album to be titled 'Absolute Power' for Metal Nation Records but yet another completely revised BLITZKRIEG line up. Tony Liddle made a return to be joined by second guitarist Paul Nesbitt, bassist Andy Galloway, a veteran of LIGATURE, Black Metal bands REIGN OF EREBUS and ACOLYTE'S RUIN, and erstwhile WHATEVER and DISPOSABLE HEROES drummer Phil Brewis. With this line up BLITZKRIEG performed at the 'Motala Metal' festival in Sweden and would be confirmed for appearances at the 'Metal Meltdown' in Asbury Park, New Jersey and Germany's annual 'Wacken Open Air'.

Predictably 2003 ushered in yet a further new entrant into the BLITZKRIEG ranks, guitarist Ken Johnson of BLAST, SCREAM DREAM and MEANSTREAK repute. A retrospective, double disc package, dubbed 'A Time Of Changes – Phase 1', arrived through Sanctuary and collected together previously unheard demos and rehearsal recordings.

Gigs in the North of England would be taped for a projected live album bearing the tongue in cheek title 'Unleashed In The North East'. However, by late 2004 the band announced plans to record a brand new studio album 'Sins And Greed', entering Trinity Heights Studios in Newcastle Upon Tyne with TYGERS OF PAN TANG guitarist Fred Purser as producer in March 2005. During these sessions the band cut a cover version of JUDAS PRIEST's 'Hell Bent For Leather'. That same year, ex-BLITZKRIEG guitarist Glenn S. Howes joined another Newcastle NWoBHM reformation, AVENGER. He also forged JUDAS PRIEST tribute band JUDAS BEAST.

In January 2006 BLITZKRIEG parted ways with guitarist Paul Nesbitt, drafting Guy Laverick as replacement. This new recruit made his live debut in November as the band supported DORO on her UK dates. The band played at the Milan, Italy 'Play It Loud' festival in February. The following month BLITZKRIEG revealed they had signed with German label Armageddon Music. The album 'Theatre Of The Damned', recorded in Absurd Studios in Hamburg, was co-produced by Schroedey and SAXON frontman Biff Byford.

Early BLITZKRIEG guitar player Ian Jones passed away on 10th August 2009 after a long illness.

Garry Sharpe-Young