In 1980, Billy Noknees had an unexpected revelation when he attended a Manowar concert. The sheer intensity of the band’s performance sparked something within him, and he immediately decided to pivot his musical direction. Determined to create his own “true metal album,” Billy went straight into the studio and began work on Death To False Metal. However, true to his disco roots, the album’s music remained more dancefloor-ready than battle-ready, with a thumping bassline and synth flourishes that felt more Saturday Night Fever than sword-and-sorcery.

The lyrics, however, took a drastic shift from his usual fare. With lines about slaying “false metal” and claiming the Iron Throne in the name of “true warriors,” Billy fully embraced his metal-inspired vision—even if the music didn’t match. The session was overseen by producer Ron “Iron Fist” Steele, a hard-nosed industry veteran with a soft spot for both disco and metal. But despite their shared interests, tensions quickly flared when Billy, mid-session, challenged Ron’s loyalty to “true metal.” The two got into a heated argument over who was the most authentic metalhead, each claiming to have the most “true” understanding of what it meant to be a metal warrior.

Billy, fuelled by his newfound love for all things metal, refused to compromise on the track, and Ron, exasperated by the sheer absurdity of a disco-metal fusion, finally walked out of the session. Undeterred, Billy finished the track on his own, layering heavy lyrics over funky bass riffs and glittering synth lines.

Death To False Metal was ultimately pressed as a limited 12" vinyl but was quietly shelved when it failed to resonate with either metalheads or disco fans. However, the track became a cult classic among those who stumbled upon it, intrigued by its audacious genre-blending and Billy’s heartfelt but misplaced dedication to metal.

The album was thought lost for years, until a single copy surfaced in 2003 in a dusty corner of an old record store in Leeds, still sealed in its original sleeve—a dramatic, fantasy-inspired illustration of Billy, In leather, against a backdrop of lightning.

Now, remastered with the magic of AI, Death To False Metal is finally ready to reclaim its place in OBIISSS lore, a strange but sincere attempt at metal-disco fusion that only Billy Noknees could dream up. Enjoy this rare gem, where disco beats meet metal dreams in a way that could only come from the unique mind of Billy Noknees!

Return to the Iron Throne

Spikes And Chains (Reprise)

Working My Way Back to You - The Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Collection

Grease (2006 Remaster)

The Immortal Otis Redding

Hard to Handle

Pain in My Heart

Stand by Me

Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle

The Big Chill: 15th Anniversary

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Get Down Tonight - Disco Explosion, Vol. 2

Never Gonna Give You Up

Live In London

Superstition

Akeelah and the Bee

Respect

Vehicle (The Ides of March)

Return to the Iron Throne

OBIISSS

Related tracks