A compilation by of the pioneers of heavy metal from the Netherlands and Belgium, available in three different formats. As a double CD (23 tracks), double vinyl (21 tracks) and double vinyl packed in an exclusive box. The box set contains the double vinyl, a patch plus a 76-page book with interviews, reports, photos, tour posters, etc. The compilation and book were compiled by writers A.H.J. Dautzenberg and Vincent Loozen. They deliver a document with great cultural-historical value and focus on the Belgian and Dutch heavy metal scene in the years 1979 to 1984. That was a time when hard music slowly took shape in the Low Countries. Crash! Bang! Wallop! is a document about the early days of a new music genre. A period where there were no sub-genres yet, making the album very diverse and varied with more blues leaning classic rock (Bodine and Teaser), raw garage proto metal (S to S and Vopos) and fledgling speed metal (Acid and The Rogers). In addition to a very special early demo release of Bodine’s Shooting Dice, the compilation includes, as a first time ever, two previously unreleased songs by: Mover, Arjen Lucassen’s first band, and from Belgium’s Victim. Book (available with the 2LP boxset) For the book Dautzenberg and Loozen interviewed Metal Mike and tell the story of Aardschok, the magazine that runs like a thread through the book. It also includes the story of Rave On, the first metal record label in the Low Countries, and the rise and fall of the Belgian Heavy Sound Festival, still praised by Metallica and Slayer, and the first metal festival on European mainland. And who doesn’t remembers Hanneke Kappen, host of radio program Stampij? Plus an interview with Kate De Lombaert, the first front woman of a metal band. Also included a conversation about the years of long hair and wild guitars with Rowwen Hèze singer Jack Poels, who started out as a hard rocker. The illustrations are provided by Maarten Donders (Roadburn, Opeth, Brutus, SUNN O))), Danko Jones)
