It's 1983 and metal is definitely getting more popular. The LA scene is heating up and there is still some life coming out of the NWOBHM scene. Kiss take off their make-up and Van Halen, Def Leppard and Iron Maiden are all huge in popularity by this point.
Top ten
1)Def Leppard- Pyromania
One of the most perfect hard rock albums of it's decade.
2)Iron Maiden- Piece of mind
They really settle in to a sound that would be present in many of their following albums.
3)Dio- Holy Diver
Dio's debut is probably the best of his solo career.
4)Motley Crue- Shout at the devil
A great hard rock album with an edge to it.
5)Mercyful Fate- Melissa
A very flowing style of early power metal.
6)Slayer- Show no mercy
Just barely touches the surface of the heaviness Slayer would later show, but it does display they energy and speed that would define most of their better albums.
7)Metallica- Kill 'em all
Just like Slayer, the energy and speed are it's strengths. Their writing skills would increase greatly between this and Ride the lightning.
8)Motorhead- Another perfect day
This is an album that has grown on me. It has a different sound due to the departure of Fast Eddie Clark, but it still has enough of that Motorhead sound to earn it a spot in my top ten.
9)Exciter- Heavy Metal Maniac
Another debut from an early speed metal band. Not as influential as Metallica or Slayer, but a solid effort none the less.
10)Twisted Sister- You can't stop rock and roll
I almost gave this spot to AC/DC or even Y&T, but I changed my mind after giving another listen to Twisted Sister's sophomore effort. They were never the best musicians, but what they lacked in talent they made up for in enthusiasm and just being a fun listen.
Best album covers
1)Iron Maiden- Piece of mind
2)Black Sabbath- Born Again
3)Dio- Holy Diver
4)Ozzy- Bark at the moon
5)Ratt- s/t
Worst album cover
Dokken- Breaking the chains
Golden Turd award
Black Sabbath- Born again
It had to look good on paper. Black Sabbath had come back in the early 80's and done two solid albums in Heaven and hell and Mob Rules. Even though Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice had left, Iommi and Butler were there and they wrote most of the music. So then Bill Ward decides to return after a four year absence and Ian Gillain comes on. So on paper we have 3/4 of the original line-up of Sabbath plus the best singer from Deep Purple so this next album should be good, right? Unfortunately something went wrong. The songs are just lame and any energy from the two Dio albums is gone on this release. I have listened to it a few times and I still can't figure out what they were trying to do, but it just doesn't work on any level.
I have to agree about Born Again. There's a great line-up and a great album cover, but the music...well, it's just limp. It's poorly written and poorly executed. If I hadn't heard it, I would wonder how could it be anything short of great. After hearing, I still wonder the same thing, but faced with the reality that it's not just short of great, it's short of listenable. The album is simply amazing in it's rotteness.
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