Formed in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, in the late 1970s, New Wave Of British Heavy Metal protagonists Gaskin comprised of singer, guitarist, and all-around main man Paul Gaskin, bassist Stef Prokopzuk and drummer Dave Norman. The band's first demo from April 1980 featured the songs 'Sweet Dream Maker', 'Despiser', 'End Of The World' and 'I'm No Fool' and was recorded at Fairview studios in Hull. Through the demo's engineer, Ron Neave, who had worked with Witchfynde, the band got in contact with Witchfynde's label Rondelet Records and quickly sealed a record deal. Live Gaskin opened up for Girlschool, Vardis and Wishbone Ash (to name just a few). Legendary Metal DJ Neal Kay got in touch with the band and the demo soon hit heavy rotation at the HM Bandwagon in London. In April 1981, Gaskin's first 7' single featuring 'I'm No Fool' and 'Sweet Dream Maker' was released. The band had gradually evolved from a punk-tinged metal outfit towards a more melodic hard rock style in the vein of Praying Mantis or Lionheart, with Paul Gaskin's extraordinary guitar work being the main selling point of the group. A few critics have pointed out slight similarities between Gary Moore and Paul Gaskin in their soulful, blues-tinged approach to classic hard rock music. Gaskin's debut album "End Of The World" was originally released in 1981. The band then hit the road playing live all across the United Kingdom to promote the record. In fan circles the long out of print "End Of The World" is widely regarded as a minor classic of the glorious New Wave Of British Heavy Metal period. Gaskin's harmonized melodic vocal style on songs such as 'Burning Alive' or 'Lonely Man' set them apart from many of their more riff-laden contemporaries.
