GMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 1981

[no country for old wainds]

this year'll disappoint a few people no doubt, but them's the breaks. still, here's something to be happy about: i kind of agree the last round went on too long, so i'm gonna start posting deadlines at the outset and i'll only extend past them if someone makes a request. as there are less albums to pick from here than for most years, that deadline's gonna be only 2ish weeks from now.

RYM albums list
RYM EPs list

please submit at least 5 releases. please submit your lists by 8pm UTC on AUGUST 14th.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Killers
Killers
Killers
Killers
Killers
Killers
Killers
Killers
Killers
Killers

 

[HamburgerBoy]

1. Iron Maiden - Killers
2. Judas Priest - Point of Entry
3. Van Halen - Fair Warning (fuck you it's metal)
4. Riot - Fire Down Under
5. Samson - Shock Tactics
6. Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire (thought this was 1980 but RYM is saying 1981 now, someone else do the dirty work this time)
7. Satan - The First Demo
8. Venom - Welcome to Hell
9. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
10. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules

A little sparse but whatever, obviously not a bad year.

 

[CiG]

 

[CiG]

Yeah... Let's just get this round out of the fucking way, fast.

1. Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire
2. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
3. Iron Maiden - Killers
4. Venom - Welcome to Hell
5. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
6. Riot - Fire Down Under
7. Saxon - Denim and Leather
8. Gilschool - Hit and Run
9. Samson - Shock Tactics
10. Judas Priest - Point of Entry

 

[Talos of Atmora]

1. Iron Maiden - Killers
2. Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire
3. Riot - Fire Down Under
4. Saxon - Denim and Leather
5. Holocaust - The Nightcomers
6. Saracen - Heroes, Saints & Fools
7. Venom - Welcome to Hell
8. Raven - Rock Until You Drop
9. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
10. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman

 

[Talos of Atmora]

So, I checked out MA, RYM, Discogs and a couple of other sources and they all say Frost and Fire's first release was in January 1981 from Liquid Flame Records. Couldn't find anything that said otherwise.

 

[Slammed]

1. AC/DC - For Those About To Rock
2. The Angles - Night Attack
3. Rose Tattoo - Assault & Battery
4. Taipan - Taipan EP
5. Judas Priest - Point Of Entry
6. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman
7. Venom - Welcome To Hell
8. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
9. Gillan - Future Shock
10. Mötley Crüe -Too Fast for Love

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

1 - Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
2 - Holocaust - The Nightcomers
3 - Venom - Welcome to Hell
4 - Saxon - Denim and Leather
5 - Tygers of Poon Tang - Spellbound
6 - Iron Maiden - Killers
7 - Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
8 - Raven - Rock Until You Drop
9 - Demon - Night of the Demon

I've only head that Raven album a few times and thought it was pretty cool. Gonna give it another spin or two before this round wraps up.

 

[Talos of Atmora]

2 - Holocaust - The Nightcomers

Is this album any good? I've wanted to pick it up but I don't know anyone else who has heard it.

5 - Tygers of Poon Tang

 

[Krow]

1. Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire
2. Tygers of Pan Tang - Spellbound
3. Venom - Welcome to Hell
4. Iron Maiden - Killers
5. Judas Priest - Point of Entry
6. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
7. Saxon - Denim and Leather
8. Saracen - Heroes, Fools, & Saints
9. Riot - Fire Down Under
10. Accept - Breaker


I need to listen to The Nightcomers a couple times and see if I'm going to add it.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Is this album any good? I've wanted to pick it up but I don't know anyone else who has heard it.

i always thought THE NIGHTCOMERS was super canonised and influential, but it seems kind of unknown around here these days. it's good. one of the heaviest albums of the time, sweaty bar-room metal basically, which may sound unappealing but it has great charisma and is one of the most proto-thrashy of the NWOBHM with a sick fucking guitar tone. it does have some epic/atmospheric touches too.

but don't take my word for it...

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Is this album any good? I've wanted to pick it up but I don't know anyone else who has heard it.

fuck yes it's good! That's why i have it at #2

edit: hah, No Country beat me to it!

 

[Talos of Atmora]

@no country for old wainds @TechnicalBarbarity Death or Glory sounds badass. I'll listen to the rest soon.

 

[no country for old wainds]

will definitely be making my list. some songs are better than others but they clearly stand out from the movement overall, few bands pack such a presence. and of course they went all proggy and weird later, they weren't short of creativity.

 

[CiG]

1. AC/DC - For Those About To Rock
2. The Angles - Night Attack
3. Rose Tattoo - Assault & Battery

 

[Serjeant Grumbles]

To make things more interesting, I will vote for only five this year.

2. The Angles - Night Attack

Okay, now you're just being obtuse.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

High N Dry

 

[Slammed]

Okay, now you're just being obtuse.

Not really, I just don't give a fuck what others think. In '81 it was the music I was listening to and AC/DC, the Angles and Rose Tattoo put on shows that rocked harder than pretty much any other band touring this country did.

 

[CiG]

That doesn't make them metal. Hard rock often rocks hard.