1980 - metal's BEST year ?

[SoundMaster]

Although the early 80s were, overall, the golden years of metal, IMO, one year in particular stands out as the proudest of all metal 12 month periods: 1980!

Here's why:

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell. Easily the best metal record ever recorded, IMO (although most tend to disagree)

Ozzy - Blizzard of Oz. Sure he's a JOKE now, but this record is godlike from start to finish.

Motorhead - Ace of Spades. This album is the icing on the cake of a run of three absolute awesome MotorRecords! A true classic!

Judas Priest - British Steele. The name says it all! BRITISH STEELE!
Although many consider it to be somewhat commercial, tracks such as 'Grinder', 'Rapid Fire' and 'The Rage' are amongst Priest's heaviest! My fav JP!

Saxon - Wheels of Steel
Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law. Not one, but TWO metal classics. I've only recently discovered this band, and I must say, these two records should be in every metal fan's collection!!

Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden. The CLASSIC debut from one of metal's giants!

Scorpions - Animal Magnetism. Sure, they became a silly cheese-metal band, but this album simply rocks! The title track is pure, dark heavyness!

AC/DC - Back In Black. Although many dismiss AC/DC as not being a metal band, in 1980, nothing could have been farther from the truth. One listen to Brian Johnson's screeching across this classic highlights this record's 'metalness'!


Sure, years such as 1983 & 1986 are close, but nothing touches 1980!
Thoughts/opinions?

 

[desert_demon]

Well, you got a point there, 1980 was indeed a good year for metal, though I wouldn't categorize AC/DC and Scorpions as metal, even though the albums you mention are indeed classics which I own myself. In general I think that more than any given year, the era 1980-1984 would be the "classic metal" era with great releases from many bands like Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, Saxon, Dio, etc.

 

[Wyvern]

Dunno, I still prefer 1983. Some of the albums weren't the best and some essential bands didn't had an album on that year, even some albums were shitty. But the year was juicy and some milestones were issued that year.

Iron Maiden - "Piece Of Mind"
Thin Lizzy - "Thunder And Lightning"
Black Sabbath - "Born Again"
Metallica - "Kill 'Em All"
Motorhead - "Another Perfect Day"
Saxon - "Power & The Glory"
Demon - "The Plague"
Tank - "This Mean War"
Witchfinder General - "Friends Of Hell"
Witchfynde - "Cloak And Dagger"
Tokyo Blade - "Tokyo Blade"
Satan - "Court In The Act"
Slayer - "Show No Mercy"
Riot - "Born In America"
Culprit - "Guilty As Charged"
Mercyful Fate - "Melissa"
Acid - "Acid"
Def Leppard - "Pyromania"
Dio - "Holy Diver"
Accept - "Balls To The Wall"
Warlord - "Deliver Us"
Manowar - "Into Glory Ride"
Baron Rojo - "Metalmorfosis"
Manilla Road - "Crystal Logic"
Rainbow - "Bent Out Of Shape"
Blue Oyster Cult - "The Revolution By Night"
Alice Cooper - "DaDa"
H Bomb - "Coup De Metal"
Sortilege - "Sortilege"
V8 - "Luchando Por El Metal"

 

[Greeno]

This thread makes my head hurt! Way too much thinking involved.

 

[SickBoy]

Dunno, I still prefer 1983.

And what about 1988:

Iron Maiden - 7th Son Of A 7th Son
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Anthrax - State Of Euphoria
Slayer - South Of Heaven
Blind Guardian - Battalions Of Fear
Candlemass - Ancient Dreams
Chastain - Voice Of The Cult
Crimson Glory - Transcendence
Danzig - Danzig
Death - Leprosy
Forbidden - Forbidden Evil
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II
Helstar - A Distant Thunder
King Diamond - Them
Malmsteen - Odyssey
Manowar - Kings Of Metal
Megadeth - So Far, So Good, So What
Overkill - Under The Influence
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Rage - Perfect Man
Riot - Thundersteel
Risk - The Daily Horror News
Running Wild - Port Royal
Scanner - Hypertrace
Zed Yago - From Over Yonder
Znowhite - Act Of God

I really dig all of these albums and there's plenty of renowned classics, as well as less known bands and albums, but who are ingenious nevertheless.
I suppose ALL years of that decade could be marked as the most important, it was such a fruitful era...

 

[AntonCrowley_16]

And what about 1988:

Iron Maiden - 7th Son Of A 7th Son
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Anthrax - State Of Euphoria
Slayer - South Of Heaven
Blind Guardian - Battalions Of Fear
Candlemass - Ancient Dreams
Chastain - Voice Of The Cult
Crimson Glory - Transcendence
Danzig - Danzig
Death - Leprosy
Forbidden - Forbidden Evil
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II
Helstar - A Distant Thunder
King Diamond - Them
Malmsteen - Odyssey
Manowar - Kings Of Metal
Megadeth - So Far, So Good, So What
Overkill - Under The Influence
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Rage - Perfect Man
Riot - Thundersteel
Risk - The Daily Horror News
Running Wild - Port Royal
Scanner - Hypertrace
Zed Yago - From Over Yonder
Znowhite - Znowhite

I really dig all of these albums and there's plenty of renowned classics, as well as less known bands and albums, but who are ingenious nevertheless.
I suppose ALL years of that decade could be marked as the most important, it was such a fruitful era...

You have Znowhite, but wat about Cyclone Temple.....they were a hell of a lot better. Id actually say 1969( with the formation of Black Sabbath) - 2000( with the release of Pantera's last album)

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

Anton.. 1 year .. 1 year.. not 21 years lol ... the best year for metal.. anyways mine would be somewhere between 1984- 1986... Metallica's Ride the Lightning came out in those years as well as Iron Maiden's Powerslave and Live After Death... Ozzy's Bark at the Moon and Ultimate Sin (though the Randy years were my fave actually still these two albums were great) .... Slayer's Reign in Blood.. Megadeth's Peace Sells.. and on and on and on ...

 

[AntonCrowley_16]

I know...i know...just one year....but theres to many good bands to narrow it down to 1 year.

 

[SickBoy]

You have Znowhite, but wat about Cyclone Temple.....they were a hell of a lot better.

I've yet to hear them...

Id actually say 1969( with the formation of Black Sabbath) - 2000( with the release of Pantera's last album)

2000? You mean nothing great was released after that year?

 

[AntonCrowley_16]

I've yet to hear them...



2000? You mean nothing great was released after that year?

Check out Cyclone Temple - Ihate Therefore I am......if you got soulseek you can get it off me.....but ill warn u now, i only have 56k lol. There was great albums after that also, but damn....Pantera ending.....that sucked big donkey dick.

 

[Witchfinder General]

Also released in 1980:

Angel Witch - Angel Witch
Def Leppard - On Through the Night
Scorpions - Animal Magnetism