GMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 1981

1. Girlschool - Hit and Run
2. Demon - Night of the Demon
3. Plasmatics - Metal Priestess
4. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
5. Gaskin - End of the World
6. Iron Maiden - Killers
7. Budgie - Nightflight
8. Legend - Legend
9. Venom - Welcome to Hell
10. Bow Wow - Hard Dog

First release from Plasmatics that fits comfortably on a metal list. There's just as much that interests me from 1981 as there is from later years. Great era.
 
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I was going to include The Plasmatics myself but I went back and listened to it again and it just struck me as way more punk than anything else.
Blurry line though, certainly cool to see someone list it either way.
 
You can definitely hear the difference on Metal Priestess when compared to their album from earlier in the year. Though even if the album was considered equally metal, I still like the EP more. But hey, since The Angels and AC/DC have made it, I should throw in both and add GBH and Dayglo Abortions as well.

Oh yeah, I also hugely dig the 'Scene of the Crime' comp from '81 but didn't feel the need to put a various artists album on my list.
 
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1) Iron Maiden - Killers
2) Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
3) Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
4) Saxon - Denim and Leather
5) Venom - Welcome to Hell
6) Riot - Fire Down Under
7) Judas Priest - Point of Entry
8) Accept - Breaker
9) Raven - Rock Until You Drop
10) Tygers of Pan Tang - Spellbound
 
1) Ozzy - Diary of a Madman
2) Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
3) Picture - Heavy Metal Ears
4) Holocaust - The Nightcomers
5) Judas Priest - Point of Entry
6) Tygers of Pan Tang - Spellbound
7) Gaskin - End of the World
8) Venom - Welcome to Hell
9) Dark Star - s/t
10) Saxon - Denim and Leather

Can anyone verify if that Killer album is really from 1981? I'm seeing sources saying 81, 82, 83. No idea.

Fixed.
 
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1) Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire
2) Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
3) Tygers of Pan Tang - Spellbound
4) Venom - Welcome to Hell
5) Judas Priest - Point of Entry
6) Praying Mantis - Time Tells No Lies
7) Riot - Fire Down Under
8) Iron Maiden - Killers
9) Saracen - Heroes, Saints & Fools
10) Thin Lizzy - Renegade

And just to clarify, that is a no on Killers then?
 
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yeah, based on a google image search it says jan/feb 1982 on the original vinyl and cassette, but then a later CD reissue says 1981. i'd go with '82.

It's a shame, it's a good album and one of the closest things to thrash I can find from that year. Very similar to Motorhead's speed metal material.

You can see how thrash developed from this year though. Combine Killer, Venom, and The Exploited albums from 1981 and voila you have thrash.
 
It's because you said Killers instead of Killer, hence people maybe thinking you are referring to the Maiden album.