Metal albums of the 1970s

[Bloopy]

A heads up that we're polling the Top Metal(lic) Albums of the 1970s in General Discussion. Even if you don't wanna submit a list for that, perhaps you'd like to discuss some of your favourites here.

Do you prefer the classics such as Sabbath, Priest, Purple and Motörhead? Or some of the more obscure albums?

Are you also a fan of the heavy psych sorta bands that are heavy enough to be in Encyclopaedia Metallum, such as Sir Lord Baltimore, Buffalo, Flower Travellin' Band, Night Sun or Lucifer's Friend (at least for their debut)?

 

[Goodman]

I never considered Motorhead as a heavy metal band. It's a punk band or just a rock band, but not metal. That's for sure!.
Deep Purple is more of a hard rock band, but close to metal.

 

[CiG]

I never considered Motorhead as a heavy metal band. It's a punk band or just a rock band, but not metal.

 

[Wyvern]

Metal of the 70's and hard rock and heavy rock were not a clear difference at the time, looking back and being more picky certain differences can be made.

I can make a top 20 list (I will consider nevertheless progressive rock bands), but in no particular order:

Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak"
Motorhead - "Overkill"
Black Sabbath - "Sabotage"
Rush - "2112"
Judas Priest - "Stained Class"
Rainbow - "Rising"
Saxon - S/T
Scorpions - "Taken By Force"
Riot - "Rock City"
Alice Cooper - "Welcome To My Nightmare"
Nazareth - "Expect No Mercy"
Blue Oyster Cult - "Specters"
Wishbone Ash - "Argus"
Quartz - S/T
Deep Purple - "Stormbringer"
Whitesnake - "Lovehunter"
Gary Moore - Back On The Streets"
Lucifer's Friend - S/T
Irish Coffee - S/T
Bram Stoker - "Heavy Rock Spectacular"
Pavlov's Dog - "Pampered Menial"
Trettioariga Kriget - S/T

Uriah Heep - "Demons & Wizards"
Supertramp - S/T
Styx - "The Grand Illusion"
Kansas - "Point Of Known Return"
Jethro Tull - "Aqualung"
Pink Floyd - "Animals"

I can quote more prog rock bands from the era, but let's finish here.

 

[LethalCockSlap]

I never considered Motorhead as a heavy metal band. It's a punk band or just a rock band, but not metal. That's for sure!.
Deep Purple is more of a hard rock band, but close to metal.

Their first album was more like an alternative rock album, but no, a lot of their stuff is metal. I'm sure you've heard that song "ace of spades", i don't understand how you can think they are flat not a metal band. They have a punk attitude but i don't really think of them as a punk band, lol.

NIce thread, i was recently thinking about what constitutes the earliest of the earliest metal.

i was recently listening to queen's "sheer heart attack", most of it is like classic rock but stone cold crazy is definitely pretty metal.

 

[Wyvern]

stone cold crazy is definitely pretty metal.

I'm not a Queen fan, but I totally agree with your assessment of the song.

NIce thread, i was recently thinking about what constitutes the earliest of the earliest metal.

That discussion emerges from time to time in metal circles. Some say it goes back to 'Sunshine Of Your Love' by Cream, some say is goes to Blue Cheer albums, many claim it started with Black Sabbath.

The important thing is "if you like it then everything goes", forget the labels.

 

[CiG]

Their first album was more like an alternative rock album

lmfao what?

 

[LethalCockSlap]

lmfao what?

on parole, i guess not alternative, but more like a rock album than a metal album.

 

[Wyvern]

on parole, i guess not alternative, but more like a rock album than a metal album.

"On Parole is the fourth recording released by British rock band Motörhead. It was intended as their first album and left unreleased at the time of its completion in 1976, and it was not released until over three years later, on 8 December 1979, after the commercial success of Overkill and Bomber that same year. It was released without the band's permission, and they consequently distanced themselves from it. As a result, it was not considered an official release by the band at the time and they did not want it released, as they had moved on, since then, first to Chiswick Records and then to Bronze Records.

Listening to "On Parole" and "Motorhead" side by side, the change is notorious in the re-recordings of the S/T album. The metal edge is way more present, but I feel they developed their true sound in "Overkill".

 

[CiG]

The '77 album is definitely more metallic than On Parole, but personally I think I still prefer On Parole due to its punk rock edge.

But I've never seen someone describe that album as "alternative rock" lmao. It's a rock and roll album, more or less.

 

[Wyvern]

The '77 album is definitely more metallic than On Parole, but personally I think I still prefer On Parole due to its punk rock edge.

But I've never seen someone describe that album as "alternative rock" lmao. It's a rock and roll album, more or less.

Motorhead always considered themselves as a rock band. I recall an interview in which Philty (RIP) said he didn't like tags, they were a rock'n'roll band. And we all remember Lemmy's intro on concerts "We Are Motorhead, We play rock'n'roll".

But definitively we can agree they had a very metallic edge from "Overkill" and beyond. Curiously I never think about "On Parole" as a punk album, but the punk edge is very much around at least in the Fast Eddie era (or the cover of 'God Save The Queen' in "We Are Motorhead" and the tribute 'R.A.M.O.N.E.S' in "1916").

Lemmy was a great around guy, no musician ever had badmouthed him. Doro, Wendy O.Williams, Brian May, Phil Lynnot, they all played along him with love.

My second favorite band ever. Sadly never was able to see them live.


If this ain't metal, then I don't know what metal is:

 

[CiG]

Punk as fuck.

 

[Bloopy]

Motorhead always considered themselves as a rock band.

I think Iommi always said the same thing about Black Sabbath, which makes it less meaningful.

 

[LethalCockSlap]

I guess the "metal" really comes out with the low notes, like with much of sabbath, missing from On Parole (which i still think is a great album, btw) but comes out clearly in motorhead albums after that.

 

[Bloopy]

Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak"
Motorhead - "Overkill"
Black Sabbath - "Sabotage"
Rush - "2112"
Judas Priest - "Stained Class"
Rainbow - "Rising"
Saxon - S/T
Scorpions - "Taken By Force"
Riot - "Rock City"
Blue Oyster Cult - "Specters"
Quartz - S/T
Deep Purple - "Stormbringer"
Lucifer's Friend - S/T

If you list most/all of these 13 albums in the poll thread, I'd be happy to count them. Ranking lists was just heavily encouraged, but not essential. No problem if a few of them are in a grey area.

 

[LethalCockSlap]

I'm not a Queen fan, but I totally agree with your assessment of the song.



That discussion emerges from time to time in metal circles. Some say it goes back to 'Sunshine Of Your Love' by Cream, some say is goes to Blue Cheer albums, many claim it started with Black Sabbath.

The important thing is "if you like it then everything goes", forget the labels.

I forgot to mention, a lot of people say that metal started with Iron Butterfly...makes sense as Iron is a type of metal.

 

[CiG]

I forgot to mention, a lot of people say that metal started with Iron Butterfly

They say that because In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is pretty heavy, but Blue Cheer still got there before them. Not only was Vincebus Eruptum released before In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida but it was also recorded in 1967.

makes sense as Iron is a type of metal.

 

[LethalCockSlap]

They say that because In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is pretty heavy, but Blue Cheer still got there before them. Not only was Vincebus Eruptum released before In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida but it was also recorded in 1967.



View attachment 29425

because i was born near chernobyl

 

[Bloopy]

I forgot to mention, a lot of people say that metal started with Iron Butterfly...makes sense as Iron is a type of metal.

Ok, but then we have this lead & steel banger from 1942, metal as fuck:

 

[LethalCockSlap]

Ok, but then we have this lead & steel banger from 1942, metal as fuck:

View attachment 29426

that's pretty br00tal dude, a belly full of lead.