1983

[Cold Gin]

by chance I just discovered that 1983 was probably the greatest year in Hard Rock / Heavy Metal

Metallica - Kill 'Em All
Def Leppard - Pyromania
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
Dio - Holy Diver

are just some of the major HM albums ever that were released that year (from my point of view), besides that great albums like

Accept - Balls to the Wall
Mötley Crue - Shout at the Devil
Quite Riot - Metal Health
Hanoi Rocks - Back to Mystery City
Slayer - Show no Mercy
Kiss - Lick it up

Wow - what a year

 

[byrne]

plus, i was born that year

yeah, i have noticed that, wouldnt agree with all the albums. but definitely maiden slayer and metallica in that year. plus shout at the devil is a mad song, although, the rest of the album left something to be desired imo.

 

[Starbreaker]

Interesting post!

I had always theorized with my friends that 1984 was the year to end all metal years.

Iron Maiden - Powerslave (best album of all time)
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Scorpions - Love at First Sting
Motorhead - No Remorse
Running Wild - Gates to Purgatory
Venom - At War With Satan
Dio - The Last in Line
Manowar - Hail to England & Sign of the Hammer
Van Halen - 1984 (hard rock, but still ruled)

Those albums pack a serious, serious punch. The heyday if you ask me!

 

[St. Vitus]

I vote for 1984 as well. In addition to Starbreaker's list, I'd add:
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
Saxon - Crusader
Queensryche - The Warning

 

[Insania]

I remember thinking '85 was best. It was more that metal peaked rather than because of particular releases. Without the volume of metal we have today (compared to the # of bands in '85), a single metal album held more for me for a longer period of time.

I regularly listened to Powerslave over a much longer span than I do with almost any band today. I think metal today is just as good, if not better, but back then I didn't have the same buying power, so each record had more importance.

Now that I recall, '85 saw Exodus' first, Metallica was still Metallica, Ozzy, JP, IM, Slayer, Anthrax were all the shit. '85 stands highest for Thrash, before Power, Death, Melodic Death, Mallcore, etc., all of which is subservient to Thrash.

 

[Vim Fuego]

More to add...
1983-Fistful of Metal - Anthrax
Bathory - Bathory
Also the year Death, Master,Sepultura, Morbid Angel (I think...) got together for the first time
1984-Metal Church - Metal Church
War And Pain - Voivod
Stay Hungry - Twisted Sister

1985 was the year metal seemed to break for me. You've got Spreading The Disease (Anthrax), We Have Arrived (Dark Angel), Killing Is My Business, Speak English Or Die, Live After Death, Overkill, Possessed, Celtic Frost, Nuclear Assault(??), and shitloads of others all coming out, along with the first volume in the Speed Kills series.

 

[Bryant]

83, 84 and 85 were great, but let's not forget 1988. I think that was the pinnacle year for US metal..... well it was for thrash metal.

It was the year that the "real" Metallica released their final LP AJFA.

Metal Church found a brilliant new vocalist and released "Blessing in Disguise"

Queensryche released Mindcrime

Maiden released Seventh Son

Slayer - showed some musical variety with "South of Heaven"

Testament - The New Order

I am sure there are many others......

Bryant

 

[MrMajs]

1983: Mecyful Fate - Melissa

 

[nafnikufesin]

I had always theorized with my friends that 1984 was the year to end all metal years.
Van Halen - 1984 (hard rock, but still ruled)

Actually, despite the name, this album was actually released in 1983, which I guess lends credit to the original thread title.

Going against it, was AC/DC's Flick of the Switch, one of their weaker efforts IMO, also released in 1983.

 

[sixxswine]

Actually, despite the name, this album was actually released in 1983, which I guess lends credit to the original thread title.

Going against it, was AC/DC's Flick of the Switch, one of their weaker efforts IMO, also released in 1983.

If I recall correctly VH 1984, was released on New Year's Eve -12.31.83
Great that you caught that.

 

[SLAYER85]

all of these years were years that metal really got its first hard kick in the ass. an interesting note i found was that metal made its last big hurah in 90',
Pantera - CFH
Slayer - SITA
Metallica - s/t(hate it)
megadeth - RIP
anthrax - persistance of time

amoung others, im sure. but this was the begining of the end for all the hard, original, thrashers.(although some still pump it out today, pant, anthrax, metallica?(st anger), megadeth, etc.)

 

[Insania]

Bryant, '88 was a close second to '85. I was thinking about Flots' No Place for Disgrace, and who could forget Forbidden's debut? Two of my all time favorites (albums and bands).

Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it...

 

[Starbreaker]

Insania...well said.

I had very little money when I was a kid, and metal-reluctant parents as well. So in the 80's I only ever owned a handful of albums, and many were dubbed cassettes. So I agree totally with your theory that each album "sank in" more. After years of listening to metal I can digest a record quicker than I could when I was younger, but something was different about back then. Many of these killer records that we're listing from the mid-80's were in fact groundbreaking albums...genre defining stuff. Don't get me wrong, these days I do enjoy "throwback" styled metal if it's done well (WOLF!), but back then each new album I heard seemed like the heaviest thing out yet, or the most complex, etc. And I would listen to the SHIT out of those albums. I listened to Powerslave every day for over a year when I got a dubbed copy. I could hum every melody from the guitar solos on that album for example. These days I'll be lucky if I memorize the lyrics to one song from a newer artist on any particular record. That doesn't mean I don't like it, quite the contrary, there are many good artists these days, but a larger percentage aren't as groundbreaking and it's impossible to keep up!

Again, I listen to tons of incredible, incredible metal that comes out in the underground scene but find myself leaning towards the more "cutting edge" artists in certain genres these last few months. Mostly to try and capture that feeling of "WOW" that I got from listening to these truly behemoth releases of the mid 80's. What an era to be a fan! I'm glad I latched on when I did. Hell, I'm just proud to be a goddamn metal fan.

 

[Wicked Child]

I think 1990 was THE best year for metal, hands down.

Anthrax-Persistance Of Time
Judas Priest-Painkiller
Megadeth-Rust In Peace
Exhorder-Slaughter In The Vatican
Death-Spiritual Healing
Queensryche-Empire
Slayer-Seasons In The Abyss
Savatage-Gutter Ballet
Pantera-Cowboys From Hell
Dio-Lock Up The Wolves
Anacrusis-Reason
Kreator-Coma Of Souls
Annihilator-Never, Never Land
Bruce Dickinson-Tatooed Millionaire

followed closely by 1987.

Anthrax-Among The Living
Savatage-Hall Of The Mountain King
Overkill-Taking Over
Death-Scream Bloody Gore
Helloween-Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part 1
Testament-The Legacy
Guns N' Roses-Appitite For Destruction
Dio-Dream Evil
Def Leppard-Hysteria
Running Wild-Under Jolly Roger

And I'm sure I left some out.

 

[overkiller]

1995 was the best year

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

Come on guys........



Why hasn't anyone mentioned W.A.S.P.???

No W.A.S.P. nation family up in this bish?

 

[Bryant]

My favorite W.A.S.P song is so unwaspish. I really like that ballad, "Forever Free." I am sure some people would cringe at that song, but Blackie nailed that song. I have never heard him sing like that.

In fact, I just had to break out the CD and put that song in..

Bryant

 

[Insania]

I crashed my truck into a pole in '86 with W.A.S.P's Widowmaker playing in the cassette deck. All my tapes were demolished in the glovebox (the telephone pole ended up in the passenger seat), but I retreived from the wrecking yard the only thing that survived, the Last Command tape still intact in the deck!

Kinda like a ballad, I still dig that song, but my fave is Jack Action.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

1988 because of :
Operation Mindcrime
Fates Warning's "No Exit"
Crimson Glory's "Trancedence"
Candlemass' "Ancient Dreams
Mekong Delta's "The Music Of Erich Zann"
Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son"
Helstar's "A Distant Thunder"
Metallica's "And Justice For All"
Helloween's "Keeper Of The 7 Keys II"
Saint Vitus' "Mournfull Cries"
Scanner's "Hypertrace"
Gargoyle's "Gargoyle"
Deadly Blessing "Ascend From Cauldron"
Brocas Helm "Black Death"
and many many others
so many AMAZING metal albums in 1988 , all the supreme power of u.s. metal was in this year

 

[LAWMAN]

Interesting post!

I had always theorized with my friends that 1984 was the year to end all metal years.

Iron Maiden - Powerslave (best album of all time)
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Scorpions - Love at First Sting
Motorhead - No Remorse
Running Wild - Gates to Purgatory
Venom - At War With Satan
Dio - The Last in Line
Manowar - Hail to England & Sign of the Hammer
Van Halen - 1984 (hard rock, but still ruled)

Those albums pack a serious, serious punch. The heyday if you ask me!

Agree, hard to beat.