1991 - Look at the Wazool

For me, 1991 was a strange year in hard rock/metal. 1991 saw a few really good/great albums, and a bunch of marginal releases. Of course, as the years progress, there are more and more metal/hard rock albums to choose from, so compiling a list becomes more difficult. For the 1991 albums, I begged, borrowed and stole almost 30 albums, and many of them were crap (Old Lady Drivers for example). However, most of them were marginal, not really bad, but uninteresting (i.e. Anacrusis and Coroner).

In any case, I have compiled my personal top ten for the year. Many reading this will disagree saying I left out album X or Y, and of course, most people will say that the one glaring omission was done out of a personal distaste for a particular drummer of Danish origin. To that, I say horse-hockey. The record in question is average hard rock/metal by numbers.

10. Dark Angel – Time Does Not Heal

For me this is Dark Angel’s crowning achievement. I would have to say this is a seriously underrated album. When people speak of Dark Angel, the first two records seem to get all the praise, which does not make sense to me, as this one is far better, especially lyrically. Also, as advertised, there are plenty of riffs to sink you teeth into.

9. Blind Guardian – Tales From Twilight World

Speed metal, power metal, whatever you want to call it, this is a good album. Much better than the first two, this disc moves along with great flow and pace. It never gets boring, and while it doesn’t stay with you like the great albums do, it is always good to hear after not hearing it for a while.

8. Rush – Roll the Bones

This is a strange record. While hailed by Geddy & Co as one of their finest moments, I disagree. There are some great tunes on here, but let’s face it, there are some real clunkers too. The great songs are the ones you know, Dreamline, Where’s My Thing? and the title song, but tracks like Ghost of a Chance, Heresy and The Big Wheel are forgettable numbers, and while I can listen to them, I would imagine only only the most devoted Rush fans like these.

7. Metal Church – The Human Factor

This is an underrated album, from an underrated band. The band has become more political, but it’s not really in your face. The music is still Metal Church and while there is no “Badlands” on this record, the whole thing is interesting and the music is still heavy.

6. Motörhead – 1916

Their first studio album in four years, and Motörhead never missed a beat. 1916 is lighter hearted than earlier releases, and while it is undeniably Motörhead, it is still somehow different. No Voices in the Sky and I’m So Bad are among Motörhead’s best tracks ever, and the rest of the albums is a great listen. Highly recommended for tailgates at any metal show, 1916 is a very enjoyable album.

5. Running Wild – Blazon Stone

Running Wild is kind of like AC/DC in that they never change their sound, and while I can see a reasonable criticism for this, Running Wild gets a pass. Why? Because I like their sound. Running Wild are unapologetic for their speed/power pirate formula because it works. Running Wild’s riffs are just so damn good; you can help but like this album.

4. Pearl Jam – Ten

Just because a record sells billions of copies does not mean it is good. However, the masses got it right with this one. Pearl Jam’s first album is so simple, it is brilliant. I think they found the right combination of hard rock and angst on this album. There is such groove and feel to these songs, it seems to have been executed with great passion, and that is what I love about this record.

3. Fates Warning – Parallels

Fates Warning was trying to be more accessible here, but by 1991, no one was interested in 80’s metal with a proggy touch to it. Perhaps if 1989’s Perfect Symmetry were as good as Parallels, Fates Warning would have achieved Queensryche success. However, with the country now mesmerized by Kurt Cobain’s flannel shirt, Parallels would be mostly ignored and forgotten. It’s a shame too because it is a great album, with rich vocals and guitars everywhere. A forgotten gem.

2. Iced Earth – Night of the Stormrider

Iced Earth used to be such a good band, and I don’t understand why more people do not like this album. Sure Greely isn’t the best singer, but this album is so well written. The riffs are huge, and the story is captivating without an element of cheese so prevalent in metal concept albums. This is an example of an album that once you put it on; you have to listen to the whole thing, because it is so captivating and memorable. Iced Earth’s best effort for sure.

1. Armored Saint – Symbol of Salvation

Where do I begin? I can’t begin to explain how great I think this album is, and the frustrating part is, I cannot explain why. Let’s face it, Armored Saint isn’t exactly known for the great songwriting, or brilliant musical chops. Maybe it is the ghost of Dave Prichard that haunts this record, but there is some intangible that makes all these songs great, whether it is the “commercial” Last Train Home, or the blistering Hanging Judge or the thought provoking Tainted Past, it is just a great album start to finish.

Lande Takes Off - Again

So Jorn Lande has quit Masterplan after two albums. Let me pretend to be shocked. This guy has been in more bands than Ted McGinley’s been in bad sitcoms. Anyway, like he deserted Ark, he deserted Masterplan. I don’t think Masterplan will go under like Ark did. The rumor is that Tony Martin may be the new Masterplan singer. That actually would be pretty cool, I like Martin’s vocals with Sabbath, and I like Masterplan's music, so Lande’s departure may not be as catastrophic as Ark’s demise.

Also, I must admit, the little I have heard from Lande’s new solo album is pretty good, so perhaps this move will benefit everyone; but I must ask, where is Tore Ostby.

1990 - Dance With the Dead in My Dreams

In 1990, the metal world was beginning the fight for its life, though it did not know it yet. The Bay Area metal scene was dominating metal at this time as many of these bands were in their primes. The difference in the 1990 top ten with the 1989 is staggering, with 1990 containing much heavier albums and 1990 had a more metal feel to it.

The grunge scene was born, and not being a big fan of the genre, no grunge albums made the top ten in 1990, though there will be some in future years I am sure.

10. Elixir – Lethal Potion

Choosing number 10 here was tough, as to me this album is clearly inferior to the top 9. I could have chosen any of several slightly above average albums to fill this spot, including Alice in Chains’ debut, No Prayer for the Dying, Spiritual Healing, The Eye, or even Cowboys from Hell , but being the Clive Burr fan boy that I am, I chose Elixir. Sue me.

9. Queensryche – Empire

I wanted to leave this album off on general principle, but I could not do it with a clear conscience. Despite the prosaic Silent Lucidity, Empire is quite a good album. Forgotten gems like Resistance and Anybody Listening? make this album what it is, while the most well known songs are probably the worst songs here, with the exception of the brilliant Jet City Woman.

8. Testament – Souls of Black

By 1990, everyone and their brother from San Francisco/Oakland were in a thrash band. Most of them were boring and non descript, and until this album (OK Practice isn’t bad either) Testament was in the middle of that pack of mediocrity. Souls of Black however, had a slightly different sound. A bit more polished, and slick, Souls of Black was the high point of Testament’s not so illustrious career.

7. Megadeth – Rust in Peace

Many say this is Megadeth’s finest moment, and maybe they are right, though I am somewhat partial to Peace Sells. Anyway, 1990’s Rust in Peace is a very good album, that features some great playing by the band, and some really well written songs that blend together very nicely. The final three tracks are what make the album, Tornado of Souls, Dawn Patrol and Rust in Peace.

6. Iced Earth – Iced Earth

Released in Europe in 1990, and in the USA in 1991, I have decided to include this with 1990. Iced Earth was at one time, a metal band that fell between the traditional Iron Maiden sound, and the Florida extreme metal scene. When the Night Falls alone would make this a cool album, but the entire album is full of good guitar work, and the vocals are sufficient.

5. Gamma Ray – Heading for Tomorrow

Perhaps the best thing to happen to Power Metal was Kai Hansen’s departure from Helloween. Heading for Tomorrow is not the best Gamma Ray album, but it is quite good. It is the transition between Helloween and Gamma Ray. Hansen’s playing is great, and Scheepers' vocals are real good too. The songs are diverse and the flow of the album is also very nice. To me, the title track is a bit of an earful, but it is still a very good album.

4. Bathory – Hammerheart

I am not a Bathory fan, but I really like this album. Quorthon’s vocals are bad, even for Black Metal, and usually Bathory’s production is even worse that the pitiful Black Metal norm. Here, the production is at the perfect level to give this album the perfect sound. The songs here are great, and the atmosphere is what makes this album so appealing. The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts, and I prefer to put this disc on when I have enough time for the whole thing. Hailed as the birth of Viking Metal, Hammerheart is my favorite Bathory album, and really an essential disc in any extreme metal collection.

3. Judas Priest – Painkiller

Can an album be Number 3 on the list and still be way overrated? Yes. Painkiller is a very good album, no question. But many feel it is the best Judas Priest record. That is nonsense. What we have here is an album with great riffs, solos and melody lines. Musically it may be considered a great album. However, these may be the worst set of Judas Priest lyrics ever written. Any album that uses the term “Devil Dogs” has silly lyrics. Anyway, Tipton and Downing are brilliant here, and new drummer Scott Travis keeps thing moving along at a nice pace.

2. Death Angel – Act III

A bit of a surprise pick here, as anyone who has read these posts knows, I am not a fan of generic bay area thrash. However, after listening to this gem a couple of times I realized that this album is far from generic. This album is vastly different from the thrash by numbers mediocrity that was on DA’s first two albums. This album has it all, great guitar riffs and solos, interesting bass and drum parts and good vocals. Highly recommended.

1. Slayer – Seasons in the Abyss

By far, this is the best Slayer album ever. Here they combined everything that had worked on previous releases, and mixed them all together to come up with a brilliant album. The sound is rich and the riffs are chunky, while the songs move along at a great pace. Slick production is the icing on the cake. A great album for sure, and it is my choice for best of 1990.

1989 - The Dogs Lay at Your Feet

This may have been the most difficult Top 10 I have ever assembled. The reason is that NONE of these albums are really that great, with perhaps only the top album achieving greatness. They are all good, but none of them are close to perfect, and they all have their weak spots.

In fact, it was tough to exclude the following six albums because they were all worthy of the top 10, but fell a bit short. So, the runners up are:

Helstar – Nosferatu
Fates Warning – Perfect Symmetry
A.S.A.P. – Silver and Gold
Cloven Hoof – A Sultan’s Ransom
Annihilator – Alice in Hell
Enuff Z’ Nuff – Enuff Z’ Nuff

All really good albums, but not quite there, so now on to the top 10:

10. Blue Murder – Blue Murder

More of a hard rock than metal album, John Sykes solo band’s first album is quite good. Of course, there is a Whitesnake feel to it, but since John wrote all the music on the multi platinum self titled album, it’s all good in my book. Valley of the Kings is a great track, and the other songs are good too, but Sykes’ playing is what keeps this record interesting.

9. Watchtower – Control and Resistance

This album is frustrating. Watchtower was capable of making such a better album than this. However, it is still a real good album, and while a step down from Energetic Disassembly, it is good enough to crack the 1989 top 10.

8. Tora Tora – Surprise Attack

1989 was the peak of hair metal. By the end of 1990, the Seattle scene will have all but ruined the career of hair bands. However, by 1989, so real talented musicians were in hair bands, and the song quality was way above the pioneers of the sub genre. So bands like Vain, Enuff Z’ Nuff and Fifth Angel were releasing good quality records, but little did they know their genre was doomed. Any way, this album was the best of the bunch.

7. King Diamond – Conspiracy

Many people believe this record is just as good as its predecessors, but I disagree. Maybe it’s that horrible record cover. Anyway, for me, this is where King’s dominance is over, and his releases decline to mediocrity. Still, Conspiracy is a good album, and worthy of the top 10.

6. Metal Church – Blessing in Disguise

Badlands is probably the track of the year, and the rest of the album is really good too. As I have said before, it is my opinion that Metal Church is the most underrated band for the 1980’s California Thrash scene. They are so much better that Vio-lence, Testament, Exodus and all that other generic thrash.

5. Running Wild – Death or Glory

This was Running Wild’s peak period. Death or Glory has a perfect sound. Some of the songs fall flat, but the majority of them are terrific Euro speed metal, done by the genre’s inventors.

4. Dream Theater – When Dream and Day Unite

The first album from the now legendary New York prog outfit is one of my favorite DT records. While Charlie’s voice is not that great, the band’s playing was very tight, and I think they have lost focus over the years. The album manages to be very progressive, while still being heavy. DT would go on to make a couple albums far superior to this one, but still, despite poor production and less that average vocals, this is a very good album.

3. Rush – Presto

Fanboy? – maybe. While not the greatest Rush record of all time, Presto still has some quality tracks on it like The Pass, Superconductor and the title song. Most of the album is somewhat generic mid-term Rush, but let’s face it, generic mid-term Rush is still pretty damn good.

2. Savatage – Gutter Ballet

Like most of the albums on this list, Gutter Ballet has some great moments, and at other times it falls flat. Criss Oliva’s songwriting and guitar playing here is what makes this album so good. A bit more progressive that their previous albums, but not corny like the albums that would come after, Gutter Ballet is the high water mark for Savatage.

1. The Cult – Sonic Temple

Every so often, an album comes from left field to completely blow me away, and while Sonic Temple is not without its flaws, it is easily the top album of 1989. Ian Astbury’s vocals are brilliantly incorporated into the music, and the additional heaviness compared to their previous albums makes this a hard rock album worthy of inclusion here.

In 1985 Plutonium is Available at Every Corner Drug Store

So we got this new copier in the office, and the thing is a behemoth. It takes up half the mail room, and apparatnly it can split an atom. However, sometimes I only need 1 copy.

When I make one copy on this thing I feel like Doc Brown making an ice cube in 1885.....

Quote of the Day

Spring training started this week, so I thought I would post an appropriate quote.

"Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand."- Leo Durocher

I Wish I Had Listened to Splint McCollough

Here is an excert from my youth. The scene appears as follows.

I am about 12 years old, watching The Odd Couple, my mom is cooking dinner.

Felix: So I've proved I can handle myself

Oscar: No, it shows that 20 years ago you beat up a bunch of skinny CPA's....

Me: Mom, What's a CPA?

Mom: Certified Public Accountant. It means blah blah blah........



It sounded boring then, so why did I not listen?

Interlude

I think I am going to hold off on my top 10's for a while. I plan to come back to them, but other interests will be consuming my most limited resource (free time). In any case, I hope to continue posting interesting ideas and thoughts that may pop up in my mind from time to time, without being too serious.

Recently, two of the three maudlin of the Well albums were re-issued (Leaving Your Body Map and Bath). I really dig these CD's, interesting and different stuff for sure.

1988 - I Remember Now

1988 was a good year in metal. I found it difficult to narrow down the top 10 as I had about 5 other choices that really could have come in as high as number 8, as there really was not too much difference between number 8 and number 15 or so.

10. Death - Leprosy

This album is not well perceived by many fans of Chuck Schuldiner, probably because the backing band is average at best, but I think it is a good album, and far better that the debut. Death would mature over the years, and the music would become more technically proficient, but there is a place for Leprosy among the best albums of 1988. It is shockingly brutal for the time and well executed.


9. Pantera - Power Metal

OK - stop laughing. This is my favorite Pantera album. Really - please stop laughing. This is actually Pantera's fourth album, and the last before the famous Cowboys From Hell. This is the first album to feature vocalist Phil Anselmo. Lyrically, this album is bad, but the music is so damn good that I can overlook the ridiculous lyrics. Darrell Abbot's riffage is top notch and personally, I wish Pantera had kept this sound instead of the pseudo-thrash genre they helped develop.


8. Metallica - …And Justice For All

This was the first step down of a legendary decline that would get worse with each release. Metallica's borderline album is still good, and there are some brilliant moments here. Poor mixing and below average production produce a sound that can be annoying at times, and sometimes you wonder if there is a bassist. But, as a whole the songs are quite good, and the guitar playing is Hammet and Hetfield's finest of their career.


7. Fates Warning - No Exit

A new singer and a new style are the obvious things about this album. No Exit is far more progressive than earlier efforts, but still very heavy. As much as I like John Arch, Ray Adler is the voice for Fates Warning, and he was good from the start. An ambitious album for sure and they hit the mark for the most part. Parts of the opus, The Ivory Gate of Dreams are not executed that well, and I sometimes lose interest in the song, but overall this is a good album.

6. Running Wild - Port Royal

I really like this band, and this is one of my favorite Running Wild albums. It took a while, but the band seems very comfortable and confident in their sound and style here, and the result is a melodic speed/power metal album of the finest quality. The songs are all good, great riffs and melodies, etc. Plus, I love the whole Pirate thing.


5. Helstar - A Distant Thunder

This is Helstar's best album to date; perhaps their best ever. The guitars sound perfect, and the singing is great. This album has all the right sounds, riffs, hooks, solos, melodies, etc. The sound to me could be described as power metal, with a dash of progressive thrown in, and it works. It is a very good album for sure.


4. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

"Bloody Americans, they just don't get us," Steve Harris said of this album, as it did not reach the commercial success of Somewhere in Time. Actually, I think this album did miss the mark a little bit, and is a step down from Maiden's earlier works. The title track is overlong and does not hold my interest like other Maiden epics, plus this album contains Quest For Fire Part II aka The Prophecy. All in all though, this is a very good album, tracks like Infinite Drams and The Evil Than Men Do are great songs and really save the album.

3. King Diamond - "Them"

Another one of King's horror stories, and again he hits the mark. As usual, Andy LaRocque is in fine form, as the guitars sound great. I think this is a step down for King as Abigail was better, but only in that the cheese factor is a bit more prevalent here. Sometimes "Them" borders on silly and over dramatic (i.e. "Grandamaaaaaaaaaaaaa"). Despite that one criticism, "Them" is a very good album, and like all of King's early solo work, a treat to listen to from start to finish.


2. Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II

For me, this is the best Helloween album. The riffage is huge; Kiske singing is better than in Part I, and the songs are more interesting as well. There are some classic power metal tracks here like I Want Out and Eagle Fly Free. Dr. Stein is also a great track. The epic title track is not as good as the epic Halloween from part I, but it is still a good track. I think if Hansen had participated a little more in the songwriting, this could have been one of the top 5 metal albums of all time.


1. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime

Wow. Brilliant. It is so hard for me to write a paragraph about this album. It is so well done, it is cinematic. Usually, a concept album is far better as a whole and the songs alone don't stand up too well as stand alone tracks. Here, the songs are so good, that they stand up very well by themselves, but when you put them all together it comprises one of the best albums ever recorded. I can't say enough glowing things about this album; it is a masterpiece.

1987 - A Memo to a Higher Office

1987 was a good year for music, many good albums came out, and even a few great non-metal albums like Springsteen's Tunnel of Love (my personal favorite Springsteen record) and Pink Floyd's comeback album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

Additionally, there were many hard rock albums that came out in 1987 that were good, but to me, not better than the ten albums presented below. These include Def Leppard's Hysteria, Areosmith's Permanent Vacation and the gazillion selling Appetite for Destruction by Guns 'N Roses.

So, the top 10 is.....


10. Celtic Frost - Into the Pandemonium

I like strange stuff, and this album is strange. I still prefer To Mega Therion, but I really like this album a lot more now than I used to, in fact I like it more with every listen. Celtic Frost does some weird stuff here, and for me it works most of the time, Mexican Radio being an exception. There is something for everyone here, a lot of different sounds to be sure. Not for every taste, but I like it.


9. Motörhead - Rock 'N' Roll

Certainly not Motörhead's finest moment, and you can see the ideas starting to dry up a bit, but still Rock ''N' Roll is another solid effort from Lemmy's crew. The first four tracks are great, but the albums fades a bit and the balance of the tracks are less memorable. All in all, the album is a good one, and really a good listen start to finish, including The Blessing.


8. Sanctuary - Refuge Denied

This is the debut from Sanctuary, and the better of their two albums in my book. I am not sure how much Dave Mustaine contributed to this album, but it seems as if he added something to the mix. The riffs and solos on this album keep coming from beginning to end and the songs are well crafted. A good debut for sure, and one of those few albums from an American metal band that you can listen to from start to finish without some cheesy ballad to ruin it.


7. Dio - Dream Evil

Dream Evil is a good album. The metal community seems to dislike this album, and I realize it is not to the level of his first two, but it is still quite good. A slight improvement over Sacred Heart in my opinion, as there is not as much cheese, and the "commercial" song on this album, I Could Have Been a Dreamer, is actually good as opposed to the two commercial efforts on Sacred Heart. There are plenty of riffs here, despite the departure of Vivian Campbell, and the solos are just as good too.


6. Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

Finally, the pieces started to come together for Savatage. Criss Oliva's riffs, licks and solos are top notch, and really all the music on this album is great, almost brilliant. Unfortunately, Jon Oliva's raspy vocals and over dramatic intonation keeps this album from achieving the level of greatness that it could have with a better singer.


5. Anthrax - Among the Living

This is a fun album. I really don't take Anthrax too seriously, as they are more of a joke than a serious band. This album's tracks include the ridiculous Caught in a Mosh, N.F.L. and Indians (we're dissin' them!!!). However, it all works quite well, and the album, while dated, is a memorable one.


4. Running Wild - Under Jolly Roger

Until this album, Running Wild was another generic European band singing about the devil, hell and the like; however, with Under Jolly Roger, Running Wild made the shift that would define their career. Pirates!! Ironically, this theme really works for this band, and the songs are quite good.


3. Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part I

Here is where we separate the good from the great. Helloween's first album with the "classic" line up that included Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen is a non stop feast of German speed metal of the finest vintage. Not at all dated, 19 years later this album still sounds great.


2. King Diamond - Abigail

One of King's finest solo moments, Abigail is the first of King's epic storylines. Normally, I don't like concept albums, but King is the master, and this story of Abigail is fantastic. There are so many great tracks here, A Mansion in Darkness, Abigail and Black Horsemen are my personal favorites, and this album is best listened to as a whole, for the whole is even greater than the sum of its marvelous parts. Lyrically, musically (kudos to Denner and LaRoque) and conceptually, this album truly rocks.


1. Rush - Hold Your Fire

This is not metal; in fact it's barely hard rock. I don't care, it is still great. For me, this is the album where all of the experimentation with electronics and keyboards on the last two albums was perfected. Lyrically, this is one of Peart's finest. Gems like Mission, Tai Shan, Second Nature and Prime Mover all long forgotten by all but the tr00est Rush fans are sonic masterpieces. Underrated and overlooked, Hold Your Fire is Rush's finest of the post Moving Pictures era.

1986 - Cosmic Jazz, Plus the Singer is an Ugly Guy

The 1986 top 10

10. Helstar - Remnants of War

The second album from Helstar, and to me it was a big improvement from the 1984 debut. Heavier and more consistent than Burning Star, Remnants of War is pre-historic power metal at its finest. The guitar work here is what makes the album, and there are plenty of licks, riffs, and solos to keep the listener interested. A very good album, with no clunkers or turkeys that make you want to hit the "skip" button, and recommended to all metal fans, and power metal fans in particular.


9. Rage - Reign of Fear

This is the (sort-of) debut album by German power metallers Rage. Now in 1986, the sub-genres were branching out, and while close to the vest of traditional metal in the vein of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, Rage still had a sound of their own. Euro speed metal riffs and choruses abound here. Clearly, there are also some weaker moments, but overall a solid and enjoyable album.


8. Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

Here we have another debut, this time from the Swedish kings of doom. I like the sound of this album. It is very dark and gloomy, with dark lyrics and slow riffs. I like this album because it is really genre defining. I suppose one could say Sabbath invented doom, but by 1986, it was a lost art. Candlemass kind of brought it back and gave it a new birth, and they do it quite well here.


7. Metal Church - The Dark

For me, this album was a slight step back from their first. Maybe not a step back, but not a step forwards either. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a really good record, but I guess I was expecting a greater leap forward and I really didn’t notice any evolution from the first album. Still, the riffs and hooks are there and it is a good listen. One thing is for sure; I would put Metal Church's first two albums up against any other American Thrash band's first two albums and come away with the conclusion that the Metal Church albums are better.


6. Motörhead - Orgasmatron

The first Motörhead album with present guitarist Phil Campbell was another solid release by Lemmy and his band. Motörhead evolves so slowly that the changes to their sound are slight and distinct, but the more I listen to this band, the more I appreciate the different subtleties the albums have. This album builds and builds, until it explodes on the last song with the brilliant title track. One of the greatest tunes in the Motörhead catalogue.


5. King Diamond - Fatal Portrait

This album is somewhat underrated in my opinion. While it is not as good as a couple of the subsequent King Diamond released, the difference is not as great as most of the metal community would have you believe. This album certainly has more of a Mercyful Fate feel that the later albums, and to me, that is what makes it so special. In addition to King's great vocals, the twin guitar attack of Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner is great, and that is really what makes this a good album.


4. Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian

With each album Fates Warning gets more progressive and less traditional metal. In my opinion, this album found the right balance. It is not nearly as progressive as they would become, but the song structures are better than on the previous two albums. The complexity is perfect, no wankery for sure, yet it's not the same heavy metal formula that was so prevalent in the 1980's. This is probably the best Fates Warning album of the John Arch era.


3. Megadeth - Peace Sells…But Who's Buying

Megadeth's second album is a giant leap forward from their first. The quality of the songs on this album is top notch, and the execution is flawless. The album gets a tad stale after repeated listens, but overall it is a really solid album, and a good listen from start to finish. The made popular by MTV title track is still fresh today, as are The Conjuring, Wake Up Dead, and Good Mourning/Black Friday. The balance of the album is not up to that level, and as such I would not classify this as a great album.


2. Metallica - Master of Puppets

Here we have the only Metallica album I would consider great. Really, not a weakness on here, though some moments are clearly better than other. On this album, Metallica manages to have the same aggression as they do on the previous albums, but it is properly balanced with that intangible presence that the really great bands have. For some reason, after this album, they had that intangible, but they lost the aggression and drive that made Master of Puppets a truly great metal album.


1. Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time

A bit of a controversial Maiden album, as it used the "guitar synthesizers" for the first time. To me, the use of the synthesizer was not overdone, and it textured the album quite nicely. I think this is one of Maiden's better albums, even is it sounds a bit dated today. There are some great songs here, and Adrian Smith really shines as a player and songwriter here. Somewhere in Time, while not Maiden's best, is certainly good enough to be album of the year in 1986.

1985 - He is a Midnight Snacker - His Name is Udo and He is a Goon

1985 was an interesting year in the field of metal and rock. There were many albums released, and many good albums released, but the overall quality appears to have slipped from the previous year. In fact I have two albums in the top ten from bands whose 1984 efforts were better than their 1985 output, but the 1985 album made the top 10, where the 1984 album, while better, was left off.

So, as a result, the difference between number 10 and number 25 is probably small, because there were so many decent albums that just did not crack the top 10, but arguably they are all so close that I could change my mind about one or another them over time. However, this is not a science, just one man's hobby, so as such I present the top 10

10. Armored Saint - Delirious Nomad

I'll start out by saying, I like 1984's March of the Saint better than Delirious Nomad, that said, Delirious Nomad is a solid album for sure. However, with the Max Headroom style cover and the over polished sound, it seemed that Armored Saint were trying too hard to be liked, and as such, this album suffers a bit.


9. Slayer - Hell Awaits

An improvement over 1983's Show No Mercy, but still not quite there. I really like the longer pieces on this album, especially Hell Awaits and Crypts of Eternity and I wish they had kept to that style. However, this album is not without its holes and sometimes the listener can lose interest. The riffs are great, but sometimes pieces like Necropheliac and Kill Again are monotonous and tarnish the album as a whole.


8. Rush - Power Windows

Not the best Rush album for sure. As a matter of fact, it is my least favorite of all their 1980's albums. However, with 1985 being the year of the mediocre album, Power Windows finds a place in the top 10. There are some great moments here, like Territories, Marathon and Manhattan Project, but other tracks like Grand Designs and Middletown Dreams are boring and make the album as a whole not that enjoyable a listen.


7. Fates Warning - The Spectre Within

This is sort of a bridge album for this band. More progressive than Night on Brocken, but not yet the progressive band they eventually evolved into two albums later. It is still a good metal album with great vocals and guitar harmonies. For me it is a step back from their debut, but this opinion puts me in the minority.


6. Dio - Sacred Heart

Probably a "best of the rest" pick here. The albums after this are all clearly ahead of the 1985 pack. This is the first stop on the downhill Dio express. It's a good album for sure, but certainly not up to the caliber of his first two solo albums (or his work in Rainbow and Black Sabbath). Sometimes, I wonder what he was thinking of releasing campy pop rock tracks like Hungry For Heaven and Rock N Roll Children. The rest of the album is good (with the exception of closer Shoot Shoot), but certainly a step down for sure.


5, Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

I am not really a Celtic Frost fan, but this album is special. In fact this is pretty much where the 1985 albums become less interchangeable in terms of their placement in my top 25 for the year, and from here in, the albums are of a higher caliber.

To me this album is way ahead of its time, and has some elements of the more technical death metal acts of the late 1990's and beyond. Circle of the Tyrants is a brilliant piece, but it's not the only great track here. The whole album is very creative and different for the time; it's almost avant-garde. Celtic Frost definitely pushed the boundaries of extreme metal with this release.


4. Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly

It is hard to describe this album. It is certainly the first true progressive metal album released. I can hear their influence on dozens of bands today from Spiral Architect to Magnitude 9. I like Jason McMaster's vocals a lot, and the guitar wizardry is fabulous. Add to that a fantastic rhythm section and you have one of the best albums by an American group from the 1980's. The more I listen to this lost gem, the better it gets. It is a truly underrated and unappreciated classic.


3. Yngwie Malmsteen - Marching Out

It was kind of funny listening to this album again for the first time in a while, because the lyrics can be quite silly in places like I am a Viking and Soldier Without Faith. I guess it sounds a tad dated, but it really is a good album. There are so many memorable classics here, and quite frankly, there is not a bad song on this album. The playing is obviously brilliant, as Yngwie is a great player, but the vocals and song structures are good too. By far, this is Yngwie's best album.


2. Helloween - Walls of Jericho

Helloween's first full-length album Walls of Jericho is probably the cornerstone of European speed/power metal. Kai Hansen is a fantastic guitarist and I personally like his singing as well, so for me this album is a real scorcher. Granted, Hansen's songwriting has improved over the years, but there is no denying the blistering power and ferocity of the riffs and other guitar work here. This is a great debut from the pioneers of German speed metal.


1. Accept - Metal Heart

I'm sure this will not be a popular choice. I love this album; really the only 1985 album I would consider great. The only 10 out of 10 of the year. There is not a weak moment here. The riffs are huge, Udo shrieks like a madman, the guitar solos are infectious, even the bass work shines on Teach Us to Survive. Accept's Restless and Wild from 1982 is really their only other good album. As such, it is very ironic that a band with more turkeys in its catalog than you'll find at a Butterball rendering plant, can release such a great album. I would have to say this is in my top 10 albums of all time. Brilliant.

Interlude - Back to the Present

Here is a tentative list of my 10 favorite albums from 2005. If any of my readers have not heard these (not counting Junkyard Willie, because he is only a tr00 ice devil in spirit, not reality) I highly recommend all of them. Though, none are good enough to warrant the famous "Money Back Guarantee".

1. Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet
2. Slough Feg - Atavism
3. Masterplan - Aeronautics
4. Gamma Ray - Majestic
5. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
6. Candlemass – Candlemass
7. Brainstorm - Liquid Monster
8. Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
9. Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness
10. Arcturus - Sideshow Symphonies

1984 - This Is What Not To Do If Your Bird S**ts On You

1984 was a great year in the hard rock/heavy metal world. When an album like Grace Under Pressure by Rush is not in the top ten, you know you have a good year. Again, we see a fair number of debuts, but the veteran kings of metal would produce the cream of a very good crop.


10. Sinner - Danger Zone

Boy this one comes dangerously close to hair metal, but the guitars are so friggin' huge here that it falls outside that realm. The lyrics are something that Poison would be proud of, nevertheless, the music here is what counts and it really is great. Sure, it's dated, but it is effective. Guitarists Stoner and Shirley have the chops that the California players like Deville and Mars could only dream of, and they incorporated them into this 80's style hair metal, except that the music is actually good.


9. Metal Church - Metal Church

For some reason, this band tends to be overlooked when discussing the American metal scene of the 80's. People always speak of Anthrax, Slayer and the mighty Metallica, but Metal Church gets left behind. Too bad for them, because this album is better than anything Anthrax has ever done for sure. The instruments here are all well played and the vocals, while a little too Olivaesque for my liking, fit the band quite well.


8. Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers

Deep Purple's "reunion" album so to speak. Often times financially driven reunion albums are weak, but this one is an exception. There are some great tracks here (Knocking at Your Back Door, Mean Streak, Perfect Strangers) and the so-called "fillers" are also good. Blackmore's guitar work is still in fine form and Gillan's vocals give it a tremendous vibe.


7. Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken

Not a very popular album among Fates Warning fans for some reason, but I like it a lot. It has a more traditional heavy metal vibe than their progressive sound of today and it is clearly under produced. There are some great tracks on here in particular the last three Shadowfax, Damnation and Soldier Boy. This album has been accused of Maiden and Priest cloning, and there is no denying the influence of these two legendary bands on this album, but it is not cloning. A very underrated album.


6. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath

The second album from the Danish pseudo Satanists is not quite as good as the debut, but it is a very good album nevertheless. A few turkeys here keep this album from the status of greatness, but classics like Gypsy, Come to the Sabbath, and A Dangerous Meeting assure it a spot in the top 10.


5. Queensrÿche - The Warning

It is safe to say, that after the brilliant first Queensrÿche EP, I was expecting a great deal from The Warning, and while it didn't quite meet my expectations, The Warning is a very good metal album. Queensrÿche almost invented progressive metal as we know it today, and here we see the first album of this sub genre. They would go on to expand their musical horizons later in their career, and achieve the holy grail of commercial success with Empire, but in my opinion, they had a better overall sound here than almost any other time in their career.


4. Metallica - Ride the Lightning

As I stated in my 1983 top 10, I have a personal distaste for Metallica. That being said, it is hard to deny the quality of this album. A couple of weak moments keep this from the elite albums of 1984, but it is clearly the best of the rest. Creeping Death and Trapped Under Ice show the potential this band had, and would eventually achieve on a more consistent basis with their subsequent album. However, some other moments here are drab and forgetful, such as the overrated Fade to Black (Emo anyone??) and Fight Fire With Fire.


3. Dio - The Last in Line

Dio's second solo effort was almost as good as his first. This is another great album from Dio and his band. Unfortunately, after this release, the quality of Dio's work would slip significantly, never to rebound, but let's not dwell on that. The Last in Line featured many great tunes (almost all nine really), and only toward the end of the album did things slip just a tad. In another year, this easily could have been the best, but the two biggest metal giants put out some of their best work that year, putting Ronnie in the three spot.


2. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith

Really more of a 1A, than 2. With the exception of the last two tracks, this is a flawless Priest album. It opens with Freewheel Burning, which is fast and heavy, and the Hot Leather Dude and Co. don't let up until the obligatory, ridiculous rock anthem. Other standout tracks include The Sentinel, Some Heads are Gonna Roll, and the great ballad Night Comes Down. I really can't say enough great things about this album. Probably my second favorite Priest studio album behind Stained Class.


1. Iron Maiden - Powerslave

I know that Maiden has occupied a top 4 spot now for the last 5 years, but they are the best hard rock/metal group ever, so it is only fitting I guess. Powerslave is one of Maiden's finest moments. With four essential, legendary classics like Ace's High, Two Minutes to Midnight, Powerslave and Rime of the Ancient Mariner, that would be enough to consider it a great album, but the four remaining tracks are also great (well really good). The greatest album of a really great year.

1983 - In the Palace of the Virgin Lies the Chalice of the Soul; or Fast Song, Slow Song - Fast Song

1983 was around the time the floodgates opened and metal had started to establish itself into the mainstream. Subgenres were developing, and we saw the early incarnations of power metal and thrash. Pop metal had been born and bands like Quiet Riot and Def Leppard were selling millions in the USA. Also, 1983 saw many decent bands release their first (and some last) album. In fact, there are 6 debuts in the top ten, so we'll see a lot of new faces this year, as old favorites like Accept, Ozzy Osbourne, and Ozzy's former band Black Sabbath were laying proverbial eggs. There were many more debuts that were pretty good, and it’s a shame that these bands died out so quickly (Ashbury and Jaguar for example).


10. Savatage - Sirens

Savatage begins and ends with Criss Oliva. The guy was a real player and a great songwriter too. Sirens is not the best Savatage album, and I can only take so much of Jon Oliva's vocals, but this album is a fine example of early Savatage and the power of their music. This is a very consistent album, with flashes of brilliance and no real clunkers to hold it down.


9. Savage - Loose 'n Lethal

By 1983, any serious NWOBHM players had already released a few albums and had a decent international following. It would be difficult for a new band out of this genre to establish themselves and Savage would not be an exception to the rule. Loose 'n Lethal is a great album and one of the many hidden gems of the genre. Pretty heavy from beginning to end, not too serious lyrically, and not very original (but not cloning anyone either) are all accurate descriptions, but it's one of those albums you can put on and listen to from start to finish and not hear a bad song.


8. Slayer - Show No Mercy

By 1983, thrash metal was in its infancy and Slayer was one of the bands to establish and perfect the genre. For the time, this was blisteringly fast and heavy, and it holds up very well to this day. Show No Mercy is raw and unpolished, but already you can see that these guys got it. They were immediately superior to the UK's Venom, borrowing certain elements from that band's sound and style, yet improving them by light years.


7. Metallica - Kill 'em All

My personal distaste for Metallica cannot be stressed enough, but I will try to be objective here. This album is a good debut and the poor production can be overlooked considering the quality of the material. Essentially, they borrowed their sound from Holocaust and Diamond Head and took it to another level with better song writing. James Hetfield's vocals are great, and go perfectly with the music. The guitar solos leave a lot to be desired, and the drumming is average at best, but the quality of the riffs here are legendary. All in all, this is a really enjoyable album and is quite good.


6. Motörhead - Another Perfect Day

The first Motörhead album of the post Eddie Clarke era is a good one. Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson adds a different sound here and often it works (Dancing on Your Grave, Shine) and on rare occasions it does not (Another Perfect Day). The album is perhaps not as consistent as Ace of Spades or Iron Fist but more daring and interesting. There are melodic moments here (thanks to Robertson) that were very different for the band and it usually worked well. It would be interesting to see how things would have progressed with this line up, but sadly, this is the only album that featured Robertson on guitar.


5. Satan - Court in the Act

As I stated earlier, 1983 was really the tail end of the NWOBHM and British bands without an established following would have a tough go of it. Satan is a perfect example of a great band being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is probably the most criminally underrated, unheralded and un-talked about album of all time. All instruments cook, riffage galore, cool bass line, I tell you, this album has it all. It was way ahead of its time for sure, as here we see the beginnings of power metal, improving on and advancing from the first Heavy Load album from 1982. I wish I had known about this album when I was growing up, as I would have listened to it non stop for sure. A true unheralded classic and an essential album for power metal fans.



4. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind

Piece of Mind is a great album. For the most part. Where Eagles Dare starts things off right, but things start to slowly deteriorate as you progress through the album. Even the lead single, Flight of Icarus had a shelf life shorter than Chevy Chase's talk show. I find this to be the most overrated Maiden album, by both the fans and by Mr. Harris. It is the first Maiden album to have a couple of real stinkers, and the epic track is, well, not that epic. So by Maiden's standards it is a bit of a disappointment, but compared to the metal community at large, it is a great album, and falls in at number 4 for 1983.


3. Mercyful Fate - Melissa

When I was a kid I was afraid of this album. I started listening to it about five years after its release and I was instantly impressed. While some of the lyrics are silly, this album in general is awesome. The thing that impresses me here is that the music here stands up so well over 20 years later, and it is a debut album. Anyway, from start to finish we have a heavy album with great riffs and solos. Twin guitar work is great here with Sherman and Denner, and Kings vocals are enjoyable. Satan's Fall is a tremendous epic and the other tracks are all very dark and atmospheric. Unfortunately, Mercyful Fate would never put out another album as great as this one, but it really is a classic and a requisite for any metal collection.


2. Saxon - Power and the Glory

Many people saw this as the beginning of the end for Saxon, but I disagree. Saxon was still in their prime with this album, and it wouldn't be until the follow up that the Wheels (of Steel) started to come off. Saxon was a bit more daring here being a bit more experimental and diverse, with progressive elements in The Eagle Has Landed, and more commercial leanings in Watching the Sky, etc. This really is a brilliant album as far as I am concerned. A personal favorite for sure.


1. Dio - Holy Diver

Dio's first solo album, and his best. Dio put together a great band here and this album is a complete masterpiece. Dio had put out some great albums over the years with Rainbow and Black Sabbath, and Holy Diver continued the trend. Really, all the pieces fit together here; great lyrics, great music, and flawless execution make this the top album of 1983. Rainbow in the Dark, Stand up and Shout, the title track and the six others totally rock. Not a flaw on this album. This Bud's For You Ronnie!

1982 - The Year of the Beast

By the end of 1982, the NWOBHM had just about run out of steam. Still, it seemed that record company executives were like drunken sailors handing out recording contracts to anyone with an MXR distortion box. Some bands with little to no redeeming value were releasing albums at this point, so the metal community had to endure the likes of Acid, Tank, and Bitches Sin.

But by this time, there were well more than 10 good metal albums to choose from, so the process of coming up with a top 10 became more difficult.

10. Manowar - Battle Hymns

Manowar is a punching bag among some of the elitists in the metal community and it's not hard to see why. Their ridiculous appearance as fighters out of a Dungeons and Dragons module is laughable, and their Death to False Metal cry is somewhat juvenile. However, Manowar has recorded some really good albums. Their first, Battle Hymns, is a bit raw and unpolished, and not quite as heavy as some of their later works, but it is a really good metal album.

9. Venom - Black Metal

I am not a Venom fan, but Black Metal is a really good album. More than that though, it is an absolute genre defining album. Some would argue that's what their first album, Welcome to Hell, did, but I think Black Metal is a better release. Also, Black Metal is more polished and professional, it's got better riffs and hooks and is more of an enjoyable listen.

8. Demon - The Unexpected Guest

Demon's second album sounds like a continuation of their first, which is a good thing. "Melodic" is a term often used to describe Demon, but that is a bit deceiving, as they are heavier than Praying Mantis or Gaskin, but not as heavy as their album covers and song titles would lead you to believe. In any case The Unexpected Guest is a solid NWOBHM album with good sound and production for the time.

7. Heavy Load - Death or Glory

I admit, I had not heard this album until I decided to do this top 10 project, but I am glad I did, and regret that this album flew under my radar for 20+ years. This is probably because Heavy Load is a Swede outfit, and had no exposure in the USA at all during the 1980's. Some would argue that this is the first ever Power Metal album, and while primitive compared to today's Power Metal, I agree that this album was very influential in the genre.

6. Motörhead - Iron Fist

I will never understand why this album is not as critically acclaimed as earlier releases. I think it is one of Motörhead's best albums. The last with Fast Eddie Clark, this album is blistering and heavy. I do hear some evolution in their sound with this release, though it is still textbook Motörhead and it rocks.

5. Legend - Death in the Nursery

Legend was probably a victim of bad management and that is why they never got picked up after the release of this album. This is one of the best NWOBHM releases, and I just do not understand how the likes of Tank and Bitches Sin had record deals and this album had to be self-financed and released on an independent label. Far more polished and original than their first effort, Death in the Nursery does not sound at all stale (maybe a little dated) and is a real gem from start to finish.

4. Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

Priest makes a triumphant return with Screaming For Vengeance. With their last effort being sub-par despite some great moments, the hot leather dude and company needed to make a statement here, and they did it. With one of metal's all time great openers (The Hellion/Electric Eye) this album really does scream for vengeance. There are about six absolute classics on this album, and Priest had really proved that they were among metal's elite bands. Unfortunately a couple of real turkeys keep this from being one of the greatest albums of all time.

3. Accept - Restless and Wild

I find Accept to be one of the strangest bands in the history of metal. Until this point, they were pretty average. Their 1979 debut was a decent album, and I give them a lot of credit for being a bit ahead of their time, but the two follow up albums had progressed very little. That all changed with Restless and Wild. A great opening with the German folk/polka music and then ripping into Fast as a Shark (this is where all those thrash drummers got the idea for double bass) this album is a sonic assault of true heavy metal. For 1982, this thing rocked like nothing else and it still holds up very well today.

2. Rush - Signals

Many old timers feel that this was a release that tried to kill metal, and they may have a point. When New World Man (the worst song on the album) came on the radio, metal fans were horror struck. By this time Rush had abandoned any sound that would be called "heavy metal" and while I would say Rush never did a metal album, I can't think of anyone who would call this album metal. Signals is still heavy progressive rock and the sound is explosive for sure. Slick production and brilliant musicianship along with well-written songs make Signals one of Rush's finest moments and a worthy follow up to Moving Pictures. "Glad you enjoyed it."

1. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

Really, what more can be said about this album. Ironically, Steve Harris is the biggest critic of this album, and I never understood why. Granted, a couple of the songs here are not as good as the others, but none of them are throwaways. Bruce Dickinson was the final piece to creating, in my mind, the best metal band ever assembled. Unfortunately, this is the only album ever recoded with this line up and it is one of the true travesties in the metal world. Maiden would go on to release brilliant album after brilliant album, but they never quite got to this level again (neither has anyone else as I see this as the finest album ever recorded).

1981 - Catch the Fish

By the time 1981 came around, the NWOBHM was starting its decline. By the end of the year, pretenders like Praying Mantis and White Spirit will have shot their proverbial load and be out of work, while some good bands like The Tygers of Pan Tang and Gaskin would be struggling for survival.

1981, like 1980 was a year that saw the hard rock/heavy metal genre improve and expand. For the first time, there are some quality albums that did not make the top 10; however, the year was not without disappointment as Judas Priest released their worst album since their debut in 1974 (sorry CRAIG - no hot leather dude this year - wait 'til next year as they say).


10. Demon - Night of the Demon

The album cover would lead you to believe this is the heaviest thing going. Well, it's not. However, what we do have is a melodic NWOBHM release, with cool sound. Part Black Sabbath, part UFO, and part something else. Night of the Demon is quite different from traditional NWOBHM fare, and clearly one of the top albums of 1981.


9. Holocaust - The Nightcomers

Interesting album here. It is easy to say that this is where Metallica ripped off their sound from, and this album (especially the vocals) does sound a hell of a lot like Kill 'em All, but I really don't believe it was a "rip-off". However, it must be said that this album was a major influence on Lar$, Jayme$ & Co. in their early days. In any case, this is yet another standout NWOBHM album. Raw and powerful with high energy, these guys were one of the heavier NWOBHM outfits. It sounds just a tad dated, and lyrically juvenile (not as bad as Anvil or The Rods) but still a really good album, and highly recommended to any NWOBHM fan.


8. Tygers of Pan Tang - Spellbound

After the raw and unpolished sound of their debut, the Tygers made 2 drastic changes to their line-up, and both were tremendous gains. New singer John Deverill was clearly a better vocalist than Jess Cox, but the big change was the addition of a second guitarist. And what a guitarist. John Sykes career with the Tygers was far too brief, but the two albums he did were both great. Spellbound is a collection of great melodic yet heavy, simple yet interesting tracks, but the story was not over yet…


7. Tygers of Pan Tang - Crazy Nights

...was the second and final album of the Sykes era. Unfortunately, it was rushed and poorly produced, so Crazy Nights could have been much better than it is. Still it is my personal favorite Tygers album and while lyrically it is a bit dodgy, the music is what counts, and all nine tracks here sound great. It is more consistent than its predecessor, with it's big guitar sound, top notch vocals, and the rhythm section performing consistently, but not brilliantly. This was kind of the end for the Tygers, Sykes would leave the band, and things would rapidly deteriorate from there.


6. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman

Ozzy's first two studio albums were easily his best and Randy Rhoads is the reason. Really, after Randy, the quality of material Ozzy would release would get worse and worse with few highlights. Diary of a Madman represents all that was right with Ozzy's music before the shenanigans of that tour, orchestrated by his new manager and soon to be wife, (The Yoko of heavy metal) led Ozzy irreversibly down the road that led to him being seen as a punch line more that an artist.


5. Saxon - Denim and Leather

Much to CRAIG's chagrin, we have the fourth Saxon album to appear in the top tem lists. The most by any band to date. Well, that is no mistake. Early in their career Saxon were both prolific and good. I realize Denim and Leather is a step down from Strong Arm of the Law, and unfortunately, the production is spotty at best. However, tracks like Princess of the Night, And the Bands Played On, and Midnight Rider make Denim and Leather another Saxon classic, and one of the gems of 1981.


4. Riot - Fire Down Under

New York's Riot were to me the most underrated act of the early 1980's. Fire Down Under was so far ahead of its time that it was ignored. Lead singer Guy Speranza's last album with Riot was probably their best, and he would be missed. Swords & Tequila, Don't Hold Back and several others on here are all songs that hold up very well today. Given the time, the production is also great and the sound really pops. This is a highly recommended album for any fans of 80's metal that may have missed this one.


3. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules

The second Sabbath album featuring Ronnie James Dio, and the best in my personal opinion. It amazes me how the Sabbath community overlooks some of the great tracks here. Sure Voodoo, The Sign of the Southern Cross and the title cut are great, but Turn Up the Night and Falling Off the Edge of the World are among the best cuts Sabbath of ANY era has ever done. It is unfortunate this album is so overlooked because it is really great from start to finish, with only a couple of bumps in the road.


2. Iron Maiden - Killers

When this album first came out, the music press in the UK slammed it. Almost 25 years later it is hard for me to see how given what many NWOBHM bands were churning out at the time. The production alone is infinitely better than the first Iron Maiden album, and the song quality is just as strong. Murders in the Rue Morgue, Drifter and the title song are all fantastic tracks. The Murray, Smith, Harris, Burr line-up smokes here and is running on all cylinders. There are so many great moments on this album its hard to pin them all down, whether it’s the drums in Genghis Khan, the bass lines in Innocent Exile and Drifter, the guitar solos on Murders in the Rue Morgue, Killers or Drifter. Truly, an awesome album, and really only a sign of things to come for Maiden.


1. Rush - Moving Pictures

It is hard to sum up this release in a paragraph. First of all, I think it is fair to say that this is where all the pieces fit together for Rush. Surely they had standout tracks in the past, some of which are better than the songs on this album; however, they never got it right start to finish like they did here. No weak spots, no "filler" (I hate that term by the way), no Madrigal, Rivendell or Entre Nous crap. This album influenced an entire genre. No, this album created an entire genre (Dream Theater, Fates Warning, etc.). As such, this gets the nod as the top album of 1981, hands down.

1980 - DON'T CALL ME HOWIE!!!

1980 marked the release of several debut and sophomore efforts from many of the NWOBHM bands to record albums. It was a much better year than 1979, and creating a top 10 was much more of a challenge. Many fine debut albums came out this year that could have been included, but didn't quite make the cut, including Def Leppard, White Spirit and Fist.

By the time many of these albums were released on CD, they were remastered and/or contained bonus tracks. I will rank the albums based on their original release, and no bonus tracks included (that includes the omission of Sanctuary fro Iron Maiden).


10. Witchfynde - Give 'Em Hell

A strange album indeed. Not satanic or black metal as the cover would lead you to believe. Varied styles are included here, from Rush (almost a rip off of Xanadu) to Black Sabbath to their NWOBHM contemporaries. Witchfynde delivers an interesting album, and one of the best to come out of the NWOBHM. Their second album was also released in 1980, and while it is a bit more consistent, the songs are a bit bland and don't have the edge of this one.

9. Tygers of Pan Tang - Wild Cat

For my money, the Tygers were one of the most underrated bands to come out of the NWOBHM. Their first album, Wild Cat, certainly has its flaws, and their best days were still ahead of them. Still, Wild Cat is a solid album, with plenty of hooks and riffs. Here you can see that this band was one of the premier bands of the genre, and were far ahead of forgettable NWOBHM outfits like Bitches Sin and Rage/Nutz.

8. Motörhead - Ace of Spades

Motörhead return with their finest album ever, Ace of Spades. Now, this band is never going to finesse their way into your heart, but Lemmy, Philthy and Fast Eddie Clarke really smoke on this album. So many great songs here, Jailbait, We Are the Road Crew, and the title track all rock like Hades, and the other album tracks are great too. Copied by many, appreciated by too few, Motörhead were the first and will always be the best speed metal band.

7. Saxon - Wheels of Steel

This was the first of two Saxon albums released in 1980, and in my opinion, the lesser of the two. Wheels of Steel suffers from some poor tracks, which hurt the album as a whole. See The Light Shining and 747 (Strangers in the Night) are among Saxon's best in their career and there are some other great numbers on this album. A really good album, and easily one of the year's finest.

6. Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz

Ozzy's first solo album was a great album. This is of course before The Yoko of Heavy Metal re-recorded it because she didn't want to pay the bassist and drummer proper royalties, but I digress. Blizzard of Ozz featured Randy Rhoads on the guitar, and it is he who makes this a brilliant album, and not necessarily the Ozzmeister. The riffs and solos here explode, and considering the date, it was way ahead of its time. Really it is an essential album for any metal collection. The album was actually released in early January of 1981, but since Diary of A Madman came out three months later, I decided to throw Blizzard in with 1980. Also, the record is copyrighted 1980 and printed in 1980 as well.

5. Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations

One of the saddest stories of the NWOBHM is the gross mismanagement of Diamond Head, who were approached by a major record company insider to manage them, and they turned him down. This album was the best debut album (save Iron Maiden) of any band coming out of the NWOBHM. I can only imagine how great they could have been. Sadly, they are now a mere footnote of an era gone by, and are more known as the band that originally did the famous Metallica cover, Am I Evil?

4. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

The first album of the post Ozzy Sabbath era features Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Dio is obviously a better singer and lyricist than Ozzy ever was and he shows it on Heaven and Hell. A couple of stinkers on here drag it down, but with tracks like Neon Knights and Die Young, this album is a true classic, and easily one of the top albums of 1980.

3. Judas Priest - British Steel

The hot leather dude returns to the top ten with British Steel. This album to me is very unusual because the three singles from this album are the three worst songs here. Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight and United drag this album down like a cinder block tied to an ankle. The other six songs here are all top-notch metal classics, and are examples of why Judas Priest was still at the top of the genre in 1980.

2. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

It is no secret that Iron Maiden is probably my favorite band, and pretty much all of their albums will be in the top ten in the year of their release. Their first album is certainly not their best work, and the production leaves a lot to be desired (as do most albums released in 1980). But the song quality here is stellar (even with the omission of Sanctuary) and many of these songs hold up very well 25 years later.

1. Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law

Saxon's finest moment was the release of Strong Arm of the Law. All eight of the tracks here (with the possible exception of Hungry Years) are brilliant. Sixth Form Girls, Dallas 1PM, and the title track are timeless NWOBHM classics and the remaining tracks are also fantastic. The musicianship will not blow you away here, but the songs are all well written and put together and sound great. A true gem, and the best album of 1980 as far as I am concerned.

1979 - The Hot Leather Dude Rules the Roost

Here is the first top ten installment, and let me tell you, it was a tough one. 1979 will certainly not go down as a banner year for hard rock/heavy metal. In fact if you had asked me to name my top 15, it would probably include some real turkeys (thanks PKD) like Kiss' Dynasty (sorry Strutter71) or Rainbow, or even Marsielle.

In any case, there are some selections here that would never find their way into a top ten in any of the subsequent years I will we writing about, but one could interpret that as these bands are innovators in the field of hard rock/heavy metal and as such their place in "history" (at least as seen by T-_Bone) is secure.

10. Accept - Accept

It's hard to believe this album cracked the top 10. I listened to it again yesterday, and it was not quite as bad as I remember it, but I wouldn't say it's a good album. There are a couple of pointless ballads, and silly lyrics and unmemorable riffs mar many of the heavier songs. With that said however, while listening, you can see that there was greatness in there somewhere, it just took a couple of albums for it to be unleashed. Not bad for a "first album".

9. Saxon - Saxon

Another first album, and another mediocre release. It wouldn't take Saxon as long as Accept to reach greatness, but they did not achieve it here. Spotty and inconsistent, the shining moments are few and far between. Overall, the high point(s) "Stallions of the Highway" is better than anything achieved on "Accept" so that is why this album gets the 9 spot by a hair.

8. ZZ Top - Degüello

I am a casual fan of ZZ Top. I saw them live and they were great. This album is actually one of their best, and it has a really nice groove. Certainly not heavy metal, but it is a great rock album nevertheless.

7. Scorpions - Lovedrive

Again, this was an album that I liked more than I expected to when I first heard it. I first heard the Scorpions in 1982 with "Blackout", and their sound got more commercial from there. "Lovedrive" is more raw than the polished sound the Scorps had in the 1980's, and as a whole their albums preceding their break-through are my personal favorites.

6. Van Halen - Van Halen II

Van Halen was so ahead of many of their contemporaries in terms of production and sound quality, not to mention Eddie's technical ability. Maybe it is because they had a major label behind them, but their sound seems so much louder and cleaner than many of the albums of this era. "Van Halen II" picks up where the first album left off. Not as consistent or brilliant as the first album, but still a very solid release.

5. Motörhead - Bomber
4. Motörhead - Overkill

The legendary Motörhead released their second and third albums in 1979, and while they had not quite hit stride, these two albums are really good. Influential beyond what they are recognized for (at least on this side of the pond), there are many high points on these two albums, and they are always a good listen. Not technically brilliant, but well done. Perhaps if I had become a fan of Motörhead earlier on, there would be more of a distinction between these two albums, but being a "recent" fan (15 years) these two go together for me.

3. Riot - Narita

A little bit of a surprise pick here. Riot are (were?) a New York based metal band in the same vain as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). Riot were a bit ahead of the pack (their first album coming out in 1977) in terms of the two-guitar attack, which is executed very well here. Ironically, the cover of "Born to be Wild" is a low point for me, where as I would bet that back in 1979, this was the "selling point" of this album. In any case, "Narita" sounds a little dated, but overall is a very good album in a year of relatively sub-par freshman and sophomore efforts.

2. AC/DC - Highway to Hell

The last album of the Bon Scott era, and my personal favorite AC/DC album. Brian Johnson would come in and AC/DC would go on to release Back in Black and its clones a dozen or so times over the next 25 years. The Bon Scott albums all have a distinct feel to them, and this one is the best of the them.

1. Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East

My first rule of the top 10 project was no greatest hits albums, and no live albums. Sort of. A live album would be considered eligible if it met certain criteria, and that would be re-defining the tracks presented. Unleashed in the East does this by leaps and bounds. Maybe it is having a proper drummer, or the cohesion of the band was better then it was when "Sad Wings of Destiny" came out in 1976. Whatever the case, Unleashed in the East is the best album of 1979 by a mile, hell by a parsec it is the best album of 1979. Very few albums are "essential" to a metal collection, maybe 10, but this is one of them. An excellent performance by the hot leather dude and company. I can even forgive Tipton's little mistake in Sinner.

A New Direction for WGAF

I have decided to write a series of Top 10 albums of the year blogs. I had to decide which year to start with and how inclusive I wanted to be, genre wise.

I decided to start with 1979. I tried 1978, but I don't think I even have 10 albums that came out in 1978, so 1979 it shall be. As far as genre, I decided to keep it to hard rock/metal only. Otherwise I would have been forced to include Joe Jackson's Look Sharp in my 1979 list and I really don’t want to do that.

So, the next entry will be the Top 10 Hard Rock/Metal albums of 1979.

1978 would have been a nice year to start with because there would have been two Judas Priest albums and I know how much my reader(s) love the hot leather dude.