List with a long name
This list is "Ten hard rock/metal albums from the 1980’s that you may not have heard, but really need to". Not any mega-rarities although a few have never been released on CD and some are out of print. Still these are all very good to great albums that I think more people should hear.
10- Blind Illusion-The sane asylum (1988)
Bay Area speed metal band’s only release and it took them several years and numerous line-up changes to get to this point. It’s very much a speed metal release of the time and the place but far more creative and they took some gambles that largely work.
9-Tigertailz-Young and crazy (1987)
A lot of the glam bands of the day started to all look and sound a like after awhile. Yet the vocals of Steevi Jaimz and the slightly less pop sound of Tigertailz debut pulled me in 21 years ago and it still works for me.
8-Whiplash-Power and pain (1986)
This New Jersey trio actually knocked out several good albums, but none of them matched the intensity or the originality of their whopping debut.
7-Witchfinder General-Friends of hell (1983)
Many NWOBHM bands were trying various different approaches, but these guys reached back to the 1970’s took a page out of Sabbath’s book and added on to out with surprisingly solid results.
6-Artillery-Fear of tomorrow (1985)
Criminally overlooked early speed metal outfit from Denmark. I am not as big on the vocals as I am on the music, but this is a killer. It’s very possible that these guys actually influenced Slayer, Sodom and others.
5-Pentagram-Day of Reckoning (1987)
Perhaps the only doom band that ran parallel to Black Sabbath rather than running behind them. They were knocking some great metal in the 70’s, but most of us didn’t get to hear it until much later. This was a later version of the band that played a much more grim, focused still style of doom and it just further managed to establish this band as one of the best of their genre.
4-Cirith Ungol-King of the dead (1984)
Actually and of their three albums from the 80’s could be on the list, but I think this might be their most consistant effort. A good mix of 70’s and 80 metal plus they combined doom and classic styled metal while making it all look rather easy.
3-Executioner-In the name of metal (1986)
The worst produced album on the list and the lyrics may not be a whole better. Doesn’t matter because they combined early speed metal with a NWOBHM metal sound. Their energy and the raw sound actually helped quite a bit.
2-Zoetrope-Amnesty (1985)
Chicago band who created their own style that pulled in elements of thrash, classic metal and even punk rock. More than anything sounded very comfortable with what they were doing.
1-Medieval-Medieval Kills (1987)
If there was one band who could have changed metal for the better it was this trio who certainly didn’t look like your typical metal band with their short and clean cut image. Yet the music was gritty, heavy, rough and they were probably several years ahead of their time. Unfortunately their label hit a snag and this album didn’t get distributed like it should and many people never had the pleasure of hearing them.
***So there you go.
10- Blind Illusion-The sane asylum (1988)
Bay Area speed metal band’s only release and it took them several years and numerous line-up changes to get to this point. It’s very much a speed metal release of the time and the place but far more creative and they took some gambles that largely work.
9-Tigertailz-Young and crazy (1987)
A lot of the glam bands of the day started to all look and sound a like after awhile. Yet the vocals of Steevi Jaimz and the slightly less pop sound of Tigertailz debut pulled me in 21 years ago and it still works for me.
8-Whiplash-Power and pain (1986)
This New Jersey trio actually knocked out several good albums, but none of them matched the intensity or the originality of their whopping debut.
7-Witchfinder General-Friends of hell (1983)
Many NWOBHM bands were trying various different approaches, but these guys reached back to the 1970’s took a page out of Sabbath’s book and added on to out with surprisingly solid results.
6-Artillery-Fear of tomorrow (1985)
Criminally overlooked early speed metal outfit from Denmark. I am not as big on the vocals as I am on the music, but this is a killer. It’s very possible that these guys actually influenced Slayer, Sodom and others.
5-Pentagram-Day of Reckoning (1987)
Perhaps the only doom band that ran parallel to Black Sabbath rather than running behind them. They were knocking some great metal in the 70’s, but most of us didn’t get to hear it until much later. This was a later version of the band that played a much more grim, focused still style of doom and it just further managed to establish this band as one of the best of their genre.
4-Cirith Ungol-King of the dead (1984)
Actually and of their three albums from the 80’s could be on the list, but I think this might be their most consistant effort. A good mix of 70’s and 80 metal plus they combined doom and classic styled metal while making it all look rather easy.
3-Executioner-In the name of metal (1986)
The worst produced album on the list and the lyrics may not be a whole better. Doesn’t matter because they combined early speed metal with a NWOBHM metal sound. Their energy and the raw sound actually helped quite a bit.
2-Zoetrope-Amnesty (1985)
Chicago band who created their own style that pulled in elements of thrash, classic metal and even punk rock. More than anything sounded very comfortable with what they were doing.
1-Medieval-Medieval Kills (1987)
If there was one band who could have changed metal for the better it was this trio who certainly didn’t look like your typical metal band with their short and clean cut image. Yet the music was gritty, heavy, rough and they were probably several years ahead of their time. Unfortunately their label hit a snag and this album didn’t get distributed like it should and many people never had the pleasure of hearing them.
***So there you go.
Labels: 1980's, overlooked, Top Ten
posted by Metal Mark at
1:51 AM
5 Comments:
Don't forget to mention Les Claypool was in Blind Illusion for marketing purposes!
Good list; even to this day I barely recall Cirith Ungol and remember you having me listen to them back in the eighties. I know they're a pivotal band of the decade but need to jump back and listen. Good call on Whiplash, Znowhite and Artillery. Atrophy was also quite good and Realm stands up pretty well too.
make that Zoetrope, but I always dug Znowhite as well
Wow, I have half of those I think! I think Whiplash, Witchfinder General, Executionaer and Zoetrope are great calls (although I have to go on memory with Witchfinder General, because I haven't heard it in years).
Great list Mark. I remember you writing about Medieval a while ago and was intrigued.
I have Artillery's "Terror Squad" which I love, but have yet to track down some of their other albums.
DPTH-There is a Myspace page for Medieval now so you can here some of their music that way.
http://www.myspace.com/medievalkills
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