Straight Edge: A clear headed hardcore punk history by Tony Rettmann

Bazillion Points
2017

Straight edge is almost old as punk rock itself dating back to the early 80's when Minor Threat sang about being clean and sober. Over the years it became more a movement then merely a lyrical theme with bands in scenes from DC to California to Boston and of course New York taking up the call and spread the message. This book documents goes through the origins and how it grew over time. There are first hand accounts from members of Minor Threat, SS Decontrol, Youth of Today, DYS, Slapshot, Uniform Choice, 7 Seconds, Chain of Strength, No for an Answer, Insted, Gorilla Biscuits, and many more. In addition to the stories there are plenty of live photos and fliers to accompany them. Whether you grew up following the scene, got into later or where too young to have been around for the early years but want to know more, no matter the case this is a great presentation of a very strong and important part of the hardcore scene. I listened to and still listen to a number of these bands, but for me the best part of this book was  reading what it meant to the band members that were part of it. A very cool presentation and maybe not too late to still pick one up as a Christmas present for someone you know.

The Obsessed-Sacred

Relapse
2017

Hailing form my home state of Maryland, The Obsessed have existed in different versions for almost forty years, but have just a few releases because their times of existence have been few and far between. The one constant has been front man/guitarist/vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich (Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan and more). The band is back with their first studio release in 23 years. That's enough to be excited about right and then once you get this monster started playing you will really be excited. The first thing that hits me about this album it's a clinic of how to get so much out of every chord, beat or word. Not a skill every band knows that's for sure, but this album has that at it's heart and they just add on the layers as they push along. Need examples? The opener "Sodden Jackal" is a think, lumbering song that pours out thick and pulls you in right away. "It's only money" harkens back to groove laden, head bobbers with a huge dose of the early 70's.  The instrumental "Cold Blood" is a twisting, heavy crusher that has more surprises than I figured it would.  "Be the night" might just be my favorite song with it's punching riffs and swirling beats. I do have items that bothered me about the last few songs. Third from the end "Interlude" is really just a snippet that comes and goes with out doing a whole lot except feeling it doesn't quite fit. The last two tracks go in the order of "On so long" and "Crossroader blues" and both are both exceptional. However I am a big believer in there be certain tracks that should open an album and certain ones that should close it so I keep feeling like those two tracks should have switched  places so that the hazy drifter "Oh so long" could bring a proper end to this album. Minor nitpicking aside this album is a real killer

Midnight-Sweet death and ecstasy

*Note- This is a review of the single disc version which is jus the new material, there is also a  two disc version where the second disc is rehearsal songs done before a show in 2015.

2017
Hell's Headbangers

Cleveland's Midnight returns under leadership of their main man the hooded Athenar. This band has been around for almost a decade and a half and have a number of releases once you add up all the singles and split albums with other artists. This release isn't anything you haven't heard from this act as they've hid the fact they love NWOBHM and very early black metal and early thrash. In fact they wear the old style metal badge high as they race through these tracks evoking in me memories of listening to Venom, Kreator, Sodom and others thirty some years ago. I knew pretty much what was coming with I started this album up. Yet that didn't deter me from enjoying the whacky charm of this I love Satan kind of material and the just charge ahead music. Athenar is obviously a fan of this kind of music he likely first got into and he's doing a good job of honoring this style with his version of this simple yet explosive old school metal. Rabid! and Poison Trash may have been just two of favorites but to be honest the whole album had me wishing I still had hair and my old patch covered denim jacket. Yes, I've heard much of this before but that doesn't away from it being a fairly well crafted piece of 80's inspired metal.

Rigor Mortis - Welcome to your funeral: Part 1-beginning to 1987

2016
12 Pound productions
MVD

In 1988 I remembered all these ads popping up with long haired skull logo with weapons behind it for some band called Rigor Mortis. Being that it was 1988 thrash was in style and bands playing that style coming out  of everywhere. Major labels were stepping forward, signing acts and hoping to land the next Megadeth or Slayer. I bought that debut from Rigor Mortis based on the cover, the horror themed titles and the fact that I knew it was thrash. It was good and I played it fairly often back then, but I never knew a whole about them other than they were from Texas and the style of music they played. This DVD tells much of their early back story. Eventually members of this band would go on to play in the Ministry, Gwar, Warbeast and other acts. This is the story of how these young musicians came to form this band. Through interviews with the band members, friends, members of other bands and other various people involved with them in their early years we are told the story of how Rigor Mortis came to be. Every band has a story of how they came about but this one is interesting for several reasons. Coming together as a unit was neither a quick or easy process for Rigor Mortis as it took several years and various members came in from different bands in the DFW (Dallas/ Ft. Worth metal scene). Plus although the band knew the kind of metal they wanted to play it did take them some time to get all the people in place that allowed them to do this. There are some early clips mixed in showing the band progressing as well in between the interviews. One of my favorite stories was when the band saw a flier for Megadeth coming to their area in 1986.  They didn't recognize the opening band and thought  that Rigor Mortis should be on this show, so band members went to talk to the owner of the club about this. I won't finish the story because you really need to see the DVD and hear the band tell it. Some times this type of documentary paints the band in a light they want it to. In this case the band members are very honest and that's part of the charm of it. It was bittersweet seeing hearing guitarist Mike Scaccia in interviews as he passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. Phil Anselmo of Pantera fame narrates the documentary. Rigor Mortis/Warbeast singer
Bruce Corbitt produced the film. The film goes up to the band being signed. Since the title says parts one I am assuming a part two is being planned and will cover the album releases. I thought the quality was solid and focused as it came me interested throughout. After finishing the film I did wish there had been more whole songs/live clips. Then I saw under special features there is over half an hour of live footage and rehearsal clips that you watch after the movie gets you psyched to hear more of the band's early material. Fans of the band and old style thrash will definitely want to check this one out.

Seth-Seth (2CD Complete Discography)

Minotauro Records
2014

Straight up front class I've just got to say that this review is long overdue. And the reasoning behind that early morning admission reads a little something like this. As deep and expansive as this career retrospective is for Boston's Seth the actual music in question here is twice as explosive and captivating! Frankly-speaking there is far too much (top-of-the-shelf) hard rock and heavy metal here to cover in one sitting! Or if you will, "Seth" is one of those rare treats where you could write a full-pledged article on the band and still not even scratch the service as far as just what it is about these rockers that made them so great! And yet the band name Seth remains largely unheard of which is absolutely criminal! I was only a year old in 1974 and yet there was Boston's Seth, lead by the incredible voice of guitarist (occasional bassist/keyboardist) Gerald "Gerry" Stafford, starting out of the gate on a pathway towards personal glory. Yes, there were covers likely to be found in the band's initial start, but cover tracks merged with original compositions and over time a band like Seth covered an unreal amount of territory. Seventies hard rock mixed with progressive rock and the blues plowed headlong into the emerging N.W.O.B.H.M. sound. There was commercial rock and even folk with every new avenue bearing the fruits of their labors! For Seth it was seemingly all too easy as the strong songwriting and catchy melodies found on this 2CD set suggest. Covering everything the band did from the seventies to modern day, with the 2014 recording of "The Abbey of Thelema" posting proof-positive that a band like Seth never runs dry when it comes to top-tier material(!), "Seth" is jam-packed with material with each CD here filled to maximum capacity! With their self-titled LP from 1980 opening up this wonderful set I was hooked from the very start and left wondering out loud who it was that a group like this wasn't a bigger threat to eighties rock radio? Along with unreleased singles, demos, live material, home recordings and rehearsal tapes it's all here on this expansive set with Minotauro offering these Boston rockers the royal treatment! You'll find the band's history covered in the booklet as you find out more about not just band founder/chief songwriter Gerry Stafford, but fellow bandmates (and talented musicians in their own right!) Rich Santapaga (bass, synthesizer, and vocals) and Dom Marrtignetti (drums, percussion, and vocals). The mini LP gatefold Japanese-style paper-sleeve packaging holds a nice poster featuring colorful live shots of the band in action and thanks to the extra polishing that fantastic album received "Seth" rolls out of your speakers in grand fashion! I've provided a link below with the full track listing, but suffice to say  there's very little about this 2CD career-spanning collection not to like! For this sadly-forgotten band this double CD release is a start, but really Seth deserves all the high-praise and recognition that they can get! For fans of 70's hard rock, (light) metal and prog I simply cannot recommend this package enough! This Boston band ruled the local scene in the late 70s and early 80s and this magnificent 2 CD set helps show you exactly why that was and why you should not only care about Seth, but be vocally loud about their contributions to hard rock and progressive rock! On sale now for the incredible low price of only $16.90 (it's worth it's weight in gold if you ask me!!!!) you can now hold a piece of history in your own hands by heading here: http://www.minotaurorecords.com/#!cds/cnec And (as promised) for those who might want to check out this sweet set's full track listing in advance (and why not as it packs a real punch!) I suggest going right here: http://www.minotaurorecords.com/#!product/prd2/3279545621/seth-2-cd-complete-discography

PS: While there really is too much in the way of material here to cover in advance I would like to add the following note. Musically-speaking there is strong material here that would appeal to fans of Rush as well as fans of Kiss, Judas Priest and even Diamond Head! Seth were nothing short of masters when it came time to crafting heavy rocking songs and they covered so much ground that this 2CD set should easily appeal to just about everyone who values real rock and guitar-oriented hard rock. Any band that can move this easily between clean hard rock and complex progressive rock is worth investing time in and in a day and age where everything retro is suddenly hip a trio like Seth should be on the tip of every one's tongues!

Breaking News! Nitro's "Lethal Dose" anthology set for late July release!

Finally, after nearly 20 years of waiting, cult 80's metal act Nitro are getting the ultimate CD experience courtesy of Skol Records! As a long time fan of Pennsylvania's one and only "true" Nitro (forget that glam sham act of the same name!) I will say this release is L-O-N-G overdue. If you're not familiar with the real Nitro then be sure to check out my review/article about them here:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2012/06/forgotten-gems-nitro-lethal-ii.html
In addition to the original tracks on "Lethal + II" the band has dug through the vaults to add a whopping 9 extra bonus tracks! All of these tracks are from the same time period as "Lethal + II" and are simply the icing on the cake for die hard Nitro fans. As Skol has a proven track record when it comes to these sort of projects (Robespierre's "Die You Heathen, Die!", which I plan to review shortly, being a perfect example of the quality work that goes into their CD packages) this release promises to be one of the better 2013 releases, traditional heavy metal or not! Find out more at the link below and be sure to say a little pray of thanks to the metal gods tonight as this one is going to be epic!
http://bartgabriel.tumblr.com/post/53434953020/out-on-july-25-2013-on-skol-records-nitro

Heavy metal and hard rock posters in movies

I wrote a post in record stores in movies some years ago and of course some of those record stores had metal and hard rock posters on their walls. This time around I was thinking about movies that have scenes where the bedrooms have metal or hard rock posters on the walls. I was thinking of this topic I was watching some 80's movie the other day (I think it was the not so impressive Valley Girl) where next to the pop band posters was a poster for Coney Hatch's first album. I tried thinking of movies where characters had hard rock or metal posters on their wall. So you'd think the 80's would be the time to focus on for finding these in movies. Trick or treat from 1986 is the main film that comes to mind for metal posters. Marc Price's character Eddie had metal posters everywhere including Anthrax, Raven, Lizzy Borden, Ozzy, KISS, Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, Motley Crue. A cool part except *spoiler alert* he eventually rips them down which was a heartbreaking scene for any metal fan. In Wayne's World Garth had posters of Judas Priest, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin. In Rock Star Chris Cole (Mark Wahlberg) has posters of Ted Nugent, Metallica and Anthrax in between a bunch of posters of the fictional Steel Dragon. Most 80's films had more mainstream characters who if they had posters of any bands on their walls it was pop bands. So without trying to watch a bunch of other movies right now I'm wondering if there were many other examples of this.

So when you were watching movies did you notice any metal or hard rock posters on any of the walls?
If so then what posters and from what movies were they in?

Name game-80's edition

Name an 80's hard rock/metal album that you think is better now than it was the first time you heard it.

Name an 80's hard rock/metal album that you think isn't as good as it was the first time you heard it.


Name an 80's hard rock/metal album that you never get tired of listening to.

Questions for you?

Here are some simple questions for you about 80's metal/hard rock.

1-Who was the most underrated hard rock or metal band of the 1980's?


2-Who was the most overrated hard rock or metal band of the 1980's?

3-What 80's hard rock or metal album do you love that you think not many others have heard?

The return of...cassettes?!

Sometimes it seems like many parts of our culture come back such as fashion, musical styles, films and lots of other aspects. In some ways that can be a good thing and in others it just seems like some clueless person let their love of nostalgia get the best of them and they tried to bring back something that probably should have been left in the past. Remember cassettes? Yes, you have to be of a certain age to and I fall in that category. Unfortunately I bought far too many releases on this fragile, poor sound quality type of format. I have heard and seen too many of these plastic monstrosities being twisted, mangled and eaten by merciless stereos and boom boxes. Then I was left with bent or ripped black tape in my hands as I stared at the now gutted cassette. So when these went away it was a good thing. Okay, CDs can get scratched, but they are a better format because they are far more sturdy and digital is even better in many ways. Wait, cassettes are coming back. No, don't bother going to your calender to see if it is April 1st. It's not and this is no joke although I do think it is a fad. Some bands are releasing their new albums on cassette. The first I saw this was from some thrash band's Myspace page and they were selling their own demo on cassette only. Wow so not only do some of these band's want to look and sound like it's 1986, but they also want the sound quality to sound it came from then with all that pleasant hissing and the potential for the music to be devoured by your likely old cassette player. Most of the bands I have seen doing this are smaller bands and mostly it's self produced efforts done in limited quantities. However Enforcer's Diamonds was released by Heavy Artillery on a limited number of cassettes and they are a fairly known old school style metal band at least well known on the metal underground.

So what do you think? Will cassettes come back in style or will this trend be done and gone a year from now?

The unknown

I have hear a lot of bands over the years. The good, the bad and everyone in between. Still there are of course a multitude that I have not heard because of lack of time, money or just general lack of interest on my part. However back in the 80's I would spend so much time in record stores looking at all of the choices even if I didn't have the funds to buy anything. Some of these bands I heard back then, some I heard years later and some I have still never got around to hearing. Here are some that fall in the last category that I remember seeing albums for back in the 1980-early 90's.

Tarzen-I saw the s/t debut from this Spanish band in a local record store around 85-86 and was curious. Never heard or really pursued it. Most reports say I am not missing anything.

Darkness-No, not the Darkness, but rather a German thrash outfit that knocked out several albums. I loved Kreator, Sodom and the like years ago and several times I had albums by this band in my clutches, but always opted for something else.

Warlord-I remember seeing "And the cannons of destruction have begun" at one point and had even heard of this band in the metal mags. I don't know why I passed on them, but most sources say they are worth checking out.

I am sure there are countless others I passed on, but those are the top ones that come to my mind right away.

Ten 1980's albums that I underrated

In no real order here they are.

Cinderella-Long cold winter
This came out when I was full swing into speed metal so it didn't click with me until a few years later. Then I came to see how great of an album it is.



Iron Maiden-Seventh son of a seventh son
Again I was into speed metal and when Maiden went slightly lighter I didn't take to it at first. Maybe two years later I came around.

KISS-Creatures of the night
I liked this one, but I think that because I didn't own it for a while that I never gave it all the credit that it deserved. Easily the best KISS album of the 1980's and a top ten album for 1982.

Cirith Ungol-King of the dead
Went in hoping for straight forward speed metal and I dismissed it because it wasn't that style. Actually it's a whole lot better than most of the speed metal releases of the time.

WASP-Inside the electric circus
I was into their first two releases, but this one seemed a little light to me when I first heard it. It's not as good as the two before it, but it's a better effort than I first gave it credit for.



Metal Church-s/t
The dark was my introduction to this band. Although I heard the debut it was a while before I actually bought it and got to hear it a lot. Probably at least five years until I figured out that this was the band's best effort and unfortunately the band never totally followed the style that they started here.

Sodom-In the sign of evil
It's an EP and not the best produced album of all time. Plus I was into heavier albums by the time I heard this early thrash release. Eventually I went back and relaized that Sodom were on the right track with this one.

Dio-Dream Evil
I saw the two videos and already had it in my mind that this was going to blow. It didn't make an impression on my in 1987. Like three years later while listening to it on headphones it came to me that although far from perfect, it still had a lot to offer.

Motorhead-Another perfect day
No Fast Eddie, no way! That was my reaction to this album for a long time. Eventually I heard it for the solid disc it was. It was an attempt at a slightly different direction and most of it works.

Overkill-Feel the fire

Like Metal Church, I heard the sophomore album first so I took to "Taking over" for a while. It was some time before I bought this one. When I heard it more I was overwhelmed by just how heavy it was for the time. Like Metal Church I don't think they quite followed up this sound like they should have.

Best bands of the 1980's

While making my top ten lists for albums of the 80's I began to think about top bands for the decades. So I thought about the decade as a whole and here is my list.

1-Iron Maiden
2-Van Halen
3-Motorhead
4-Metallica
5-Hanoi Rocks
6-King Diamond/Mercyful Fate
7-Judas Priest
8-Slayer
9)Scorpions
10)Motley Crue
11)Anthrax
12)WASP
13)Dio
14)Twisted Sister
15)Armored Saint
16)Def Leppard
17)Overkill
18)Guns and Roses
19)Ozzy
20)Lizzy Borden
21)Celtic Frost
22)Helloween
23)Medieval
24)Testament
25)Venom

Top ten albums of 1980

I recently re-visited my top ten list for 1980 and made changes as I saw fit. So here it is as it currently stands.

Top ten albums

1)Rush-Permanent Waves
2)Motorhead-Ace of spades
3)Judas Priest-British Steel
4)Black Sabbath- Heaven and hell
5)Ozzy- Blizzard of Ozz
6)Iron Maiden-s/t
7)Scorpions-Animal Magnetism
8Van Halen- Women and children first
9)Saxon-Wheels of steel
10)Budgie-Power Supply

This year saw some the NWOBHM open up and some veteran British acts (Sabbath, Ozzy, Budgie) bounced back. AC/DC ended their consistently streak by releasing the highly overrated "Back in black". KISS got even worse and other than Van Halen the American scene was looking and sounding tired.

I'll have the list for 1981 out next week.

Journey Memories

While listening to and enjoying the new Journey CD this week I have also been remembering times when I really enjoyed Journey years ago. Here are my top three memories.

1)Some time in late 1981 I was fooling with this old Radio Shack science project kit of my brother's that allowed you to make a radio by hooking some wires onto this circuit board and then attaching a wire to the tv antenae. It worked and the first song I heard once it connected was "Don't stop believin'" off of Escape. I was just starting to get into rock music around that point so it sticks in my memory.

2)Probably in 1983 and into 1984 I was going with my dad on Friday nights when he went bowling. He would give me few dollars to spend on playing video games. The jukebox was near the video games and I would never dare spend my money on the jukebox over video games. Yet I remember hearing "Seperate Ways" being played a lot as I tried to master Star Wars the video game, Dragon's Lair and others.

3)It seems like Caddyshack first came on tv when I was in sixth grade which would have been 81/82. Even though this version was highly cut I still loved it as soon I viewed it. One of my favorite parts was Rodney Dangerfield blasting Journey's "Anyway you want it" out of his radio/golfbag.

Snatch?!

Around the fall of 1985 I remember having a copy of Metal or Metal Maniacs that had a pin-up of a goofy looking band called Snatch. There was no article or any mentions just the pin-up and the band name. I never heard anything of them after that, but in recent years the memory of that pin-up came back to me and I wondered who these guys were. I couldn't find much even with the wonderful internet which we unfortunately didn't have back in the dark ages of 1985. However I did find the album cover which is the one above. This band apparently did release this one EP in 1985 called "If the party is in your mouth...we're coming!". No, I didn't make that up either, it is unfortunately the title. So I'll answer a few questions to a little more about what I know and think about this album.

Have I heard this album? No, I have not.

Do I think it would suck? Like a Hoover vacum cleaner.

Do I think they got their outfits at David Lee Roth's yard sale? Yes and they likely raided Paul Stanley's basement as well.

Is it the worst album title ever? Perhaps not, but it would have to be in the race.

Would I buy this? Possibly because I live for this crap.

***If you know any more about this band then feel free to share.

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.

Debuts

Here are two lists concerning debut albums from the 1980's.


Top five 1980's bands who peaked on their debut LPs.


1)Guns and Roses-Appetite for destruction (1987)

Probably the best debut of the decade and an album that I think helped hard rock and metal to stay afloat for longer than it may have. The Use your Illusion albums were good but nowhere near the level of this classic.

2)Flotsam and Jetsam-Doomsday for the deceiver (1986)

They came out of nowhere with this killer and it made such an impact that Jason Newsted got a job in Metallica and these guys got a major label deal. The sophomore album was good, but they never quite came close to this album.

3)Metal Church-s/t (1984)

Wow, speed metal was just starting to take shape and these guys were already cranking it out. The next three albums were all quite solid, but not to the extent of this one.

4)Faster Pussycat-s/t (1987)

An extremely strong and fun album that probably got slightly overlooked by the release of G-n-R's album hitting around the same time. The sophomore effort was good, but they never quite got back to this style.

5)King Kobra-Ready to strike (1985)

A really strong hard rock effort with a very solid line-up. Unfortunately their label tried to turn them into an AOR band on the sophomore effort and their third release was full of old songs and leftovers.


**Now I also considered Skid Row and LA Guns for the above category as well.


Top five 1980's bands who improved greatly right after their debut LP.


1)Cinderella-Night Songs (1986)

Really just a decent debut at best and often overrated, but after this they came into their own and cranked out three great albums.

2)Anthrax-Fistful of metal (1984)

Not a bad debut and no offense to Neil Turbin, but they were not going to stand out from the crowd doing this kind of material. Then they brought in Joey Belladonna and went to the top of the league.

3)Def Leppard-On through the night (1980)

The potential was there, but High -n- Dry saw them grow by leaps and bounds. They added the hooks, the style and they took off.

4)Dark Angel-We have arrived (1985)

The debut sounds like a bad demo with very little to offer. A year later they put out Darkness Descends which was one my top 15 albums in the great metal year of 1986.

5)Dokken-Breaking the chains (1983)

Just an okay album with a few scattered highlights. Then they stormed back with "Tooth and nail" a year later and they became a solid hard rock act.

**I really considered Dream Theater for this category as well. Some might argue for Slayer in this category, but I happen to like Show no mercy more than most people. Metallica might be another consideration, however despite their improvement on the sophomore album the debut was very important in shaping speed metal. One could also make an argument for Iron Maiden in this category as well. It was a good debut, but Killers saw them really begin to define and develop the style they make their own.

Tape Eater

I had a CD skip once briefly last night because my son had gotten a hold of it and greased it up with his fingers. I cleaned it off and it played fine after that. However that brief when it was sounding bad reminded me of a cassette player I had back in the mid-1980's. I couldn't afford a stereo and my parents got me this small boombox for my 15th birthday. It worked fine for a while, but then every once in a while it would eat a tape. I would hear this gurgling as the tape was being devoured. I would frantically try to rescue it, hoping to stop it and get the tape out before it got shredded. Yet I buying cassettes for years, but that's because I didn't have a turntable yet. A shame I didn't get a turntable earlier or else I would have even more cool albums instead I own some of albums and have a bunch of useless cassettes.

Top Ten most underrated hard rock/metal bands of the 1980's

This is just my opinion, however I have wasted a great deal of my life listening to and reading about these bands so I think that I know something about them. So here they are with the countdown from ten to number one.

10)Medieval-They only made one LP and one EP, but they were fantastic. Unfortunately they were on a label that did very little to help them so one of the most original metal bands of the decade went largely unnoticed.

9)Lizzy Borden-Between 1984 and 1986 they cranked out a few really solid albums that easily blended hard rock and metal.

8)Cirith Ungol-LA band that drew on Sabbath, Pentagram, Budgie and Priest as major influences. The combined elements of doom, classic metal and more as well as adding their own ideas.

7)Raven-They did a few clunkers in the mid-1980's, but their first three LPs were huge influences on the speed metal scene. They also did one of the best live albums of the decade and returned to being a solid band again towards the end of the decade.

6)Accept-Now they sold some albums, but I they got overshadowed by other mid-paced metal acts of the day like Judas Priest and Dio. However, metal bands even today talk about the impact this band had on them. Udo was and is a one of a kind singer (I mean that in a good way) and in their prime (82-85) these guys just went at it.

5)Metal Church-These guys were cranking out killer heavy music from the word go. They were also just as good with second singer Mike Howe as they were with original vocalist David Wayne. I think they got a little lost and left behind due to the rise of speed metal and they were kind of between speed metal and classic metal.

4)Celtic Frost-Perhaps no one else in the 80's defined the heavy aspect of metal more than this band. They also were not afraid to expand and take changes, but "Cold Lake" was not a chance they needed to take. Still they created sounds that are still influencing bands, but they didn't quite get their due back then.

3)Mercyful Fate-These guys were creating so much as they went along and I don't think even they quite understood the immediate impact they would have on the metal scene. Just solid, well played, tight metal all the way around. I think that King Diamond's image and the lyrics caused people to forgot just how good this band was.

2)Armored Saint-Tremendous straight forward real metal band that kept pushing forward despite trends changing around them and lack of support from their record label.

1)Hanoi Rocks-Between 1981 and 1984 they did four studio albums, a live album and an album of b-sides. Every album was at least very good. They combined elements of 70's glam, hard rock, punk and pop with ease. Unfortunately they broke up by the middle of the decade and got overlooked due to the dominance of too many lame hair bands.