The Yearly Metal Project (With a Twist - See inside): 1982

Perun said:
Legend - From the Fjords. The original epic metal album. The entire genre of US Metal that emerged in the mid eighties derives from it. Bands like Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol or Manowar simply would not have happened without this record. It's also one of the first purebred metal albums to have been recorded in the new world that didn't take its inspiration from Led Zeppelin, Kiss or AC/DC. It's nowadays very hard to find a physical copy, but fortunately, some good folks uploaded it on YouTube.
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Awesome. Was hoping for someone to come in to talk about some of the more obscure stuff here. Will check it out.
 
Perun said:
Legend - From the Fjords. The original epic metal album. The entire genre of US Metal that emerged in the mid eighties derives from it. Bands like Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol or Manowar simply would not have happened without this record. It's also one of the first purebred metal albums to have been recorded in the new world that didn't take its inspiration from Led Zeppelin, Kiss or AC/DC. It's nowadays very hard to find a physical copy, but fortunately, some good folks uploaded it on YouTube.
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This was really cool. Very much unlike any other Metal album so far and very innovative. I can also hear a possible influence on the Florida Death Metal bands, particularly Atheist. That rhythm section has a similar level of technicality and Jazz influence. The second side of the album does have a drop in quality though. Especially The Iron Horse, which is mostly a drum solo. Luckily things pick up again for the closing title track. An awesome atmospheric piece.
 
Any thoughts on Praying Mantis? I was actually pretty underwhelmed with their EP. When you compare it to Maiden's EP, it really highlights why Maiden became huge and other NWOBHM groups did not. The version of Captured City on the EP is a slog compared to what's on Metal For Muthas. Not sure what was recorded first, but I'd be interested to see if they develop more in the direction of Metal For Muthas and less this EP.

The Saga album is excellent. The guitar work is heavier than what you hear from Genesis and Yes. Much closer to the prog metal bands like Dream Theater and Fates Warning. Definitely heard some Maiden in there too. Mouse In a Maze is indeed a great track. Actually had to listen to it twice in a row. Really cool vocal harmonies. If I was a prog rock fan in the 70s I think I would've found this album very refreshing after the dreck other bands were putting out. The only comparable thing from before is UK. Similar style of keyboards and more active guitar work from Allan Holdsworth.

Finally, after a string of meh albums, Coverdale finally delivers the goods on Lovehunter. If all you've heard from Whitesnake is Here I Go Again then you're in for a surprise. I actually hear a lot of Deep Purple in this music, which makes sense considering Coverdale was in Purple and Jon Lord also plays on this. Martin Birch produces as well. Very good blues based hard rock. Coverdale is another one of rock's great singers. Dunno how he got slapped with the Plant comparisons, I don't hear it. For yet another Maiden connection, there's a picture of Dave Murray wearing a Lovehunter shirt circa 1981. Definitely beats Down To Earth for best Deep Purple-related project of the year.
 
Since you guys only commented on Legend, let me encourage you to check out the Nokemono album I posted as well.
 
Perun said:
Since you guys only commented on Legend, let me encourage you to check out the Nokemono album I posted as well.
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It's very good! What a fine warm coloured production. Fluent, straight in your face music. Sometimes I can hear Maiden, Priest, Saxon, Wishbone Ash, Thin Lizzy(not sure?), Purple or even Metallica (even though they did not exist back then and Maiden might have been unknown then as well). They opened for Priest in 1978. They abandoned in 1979 already.... :/
 
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Yea pretty good. It's straight but there were some moments of guitar gymnastics, a combination that seems popular in Japan to this day.
 
It's definitely an interesting album from a pure production standpoint. Definitely one of the most ambitious albums on the list. I was mostly surprised at how much NWOBHM was in there when they were probably not even aware of the NWOBHM movement.
 
Thoughts on Motorhead? Is it just me or is Bomber a step back for them? This thread is my first time digging into Motorhead so my knowledge of the band is minimal, but Bomber seemed more in line with the debut than Overkill, like I would've guessed that Bomber was released first. Lots more blues rock and less high aggression proto-speed metal.

I highly recommend April Wine to fans of straight forward Hard Rock. It's almost like they're picking up where Montrose left off. Some really nice melodic parts too, such as on Say Hello and Tonite. The album features an unexpected finish with a cover of King Crimson's 20th Century Schizoid Man. They do a fantastic job on it. It's a little slower than the original, but focuses more on groove than the technicality. The most well known song is probably I Like To Rock, which is a great song but only scratches the surface of what these guys can do.
 
Essentials/Mosh's picks in italics

I've added countries to the Metal albums to give an idea of the different Metal scenes emerging.

1980

Heavy Metal
Accept - I'm a Rebel (Germany)
Beowulf - Slice of Life (California, USA)
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (England)
Brats - 1980 (Denmark)
Budgie - If Swallowed, Do Not Induce Vomiting/Power Supply (Wales)
Judas Priest - British Steel (England)
Krokus - Metal Rendez-vous (Switzerland)
Lazy - Uchusen Chikyugo (Japan)
Limelight - Limelight (Sweden)
Manilla Road - Invasion (Kansas, USA)
Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group (Germany)
Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz (England)
Quartz - Stand Up and Fight (England)
The Rods - Rock Hard (USA)
Sarcofagus - Envoy of Death/Cycle Of Life (Finland)
Scorpions - Animal Magnetism (Germany)
Snowaxe - We're All Different (Canada)
Sorcery - Til Death Do We Part (Illinois, USA)
Trust - Répression (France)
White Spirit - White Spirit (England)
UFO - No Place to Run (England)
Uriah Heep - Conquest (England)
Van Halen - Women and Children First (California, USA)

New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
Angel Witch - Angel Witch
Chevy - The Taker
Def Leppard - On Through the Night
Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations
Ethel The Frog - Ethel the Frog
Fist - Turn The Hell On
Girlschool - Demolition
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Killer - Ready For Hell
Motörhead - Ace of Spades
Nightwing - Something In the Air
Samson - Head On
Saxon - Wheels Of Steel, Strong Arm Of the Law
Tygers of Pan Tang - Wild Cat
Vardis - 100 MPH
Various Artists - Metal For Muthas
Witchfynder - Give 'em Hell/Stagefright

Hard Rock
AC/DC - Back In Black
Angel City - Face To Face
A II Z - The Witch Of Berkeley
Blackfoot - Tom Cattin'
Blue Öyster Cult - Cultösaurus Erectus
Cheap Trick - All Shook Up
Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire
Fargo - No Limit
Gamma - Gamma 2
Gillan - Glory Road
Girl - Sheer Greed
The Hunt - Back On The Hunt
Magnum - Marauder
Mama's Boys - Official Bootleg
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - What's Next
Gary Moore - G-Force
Ted Nugent - Scream Dream
Queen - The Game
Rail - Arrival
Sammy Hagar - Danger Zone
Shakin' Street - Shakin' Street
Thin Lizzy - Chinatown
Triumph - Progressions of Power
Whitesnake - Ready An' Willing/Live In the Heart of the City
Wild Horses - The First Album

Glam Rock
Alice Cooper - Flush the Fashion
Kiss - Unmasked

Progressive Rock
Rush - Permanent Waves
Yes - Drama

Southern Rock
Molly Hatchet - Beatin' the Odds

1980 is rightfully held as one of the greatest decades in Metal. New and old bands alike released classic albums this year that still stand among the genre's most famous. The NWOBHM exploded with what is probably the peak of the short lived, but revolutionary movement. Many of the Hard Rock bands that dominated the 70s, if they're still together, seemed to morph into pop (Kiss, Queen)) or move in a heavier direction (Scorpions, AC/DC). The decade was kicked off when Rush took their first major step toward a more commercial sound with Permanent Waves. Rush still had credibility among hard rock fans and Permanent Waves is regarded as one of their best.

However, the first notable Metal release is appropriately the Metal For Muthas compilation. From the little research I've done, it looks like Samson was the only band on the comp who released an album before Metal For Muthas (Tomorrow Or Yesterday is actually from their debut album). Maiden and Praying Mantis released EPs, but their full length albums came after. With Metal For Muthas, the floodgates of the NWOBHM opened with the year being dominated by bands from the scene. Highlights from the NWOBHM include Samson (featuring the operatic Bruce Bruce Dickinson and their take on Ides of March), Diamond Head, Saxon, and Tygers of Pan Tang.

Of course there's also the first Def Leppard album. Even back then, Def Leppard were probably the most commercial of the bunch and had the most immediate American appeal. There was even a song called Hello America. It worked though, as On Through the Night made the Billboard 200 in America.

Among the group of NWOBHM albums was the debut album from a group of East Enders called Iron Maiden. From the very beginning, Maiden were the clear frontrunners of the movement, with their debut being by far the most commercially successful album (although Def Leppard made more of an early impression in America). When comparing it to other albums from this year, it's not hard to see why. Nobody had the same combination of aggression and musicality that is all over Maiden's first album. The first side alone is a musical roller coaster ride. Nothing sounds disjointed but every song is a stylistic departure showing different sides to the band. Maiden had their first big European tour in 1980 opening for Kiss, which only highlighted Maiden's power over the old guard. While I like a lot of Unmasked, listening to the two albums back to back can be an ear-opening experience.

The NWOBHM seemed to light a fire under established Metal acts, as these bands also released seminal albums. Can you believe that British Steel and the first Iron Maiden were released on the same day? That must've been a great day if you were a Metal fan. British Steel doesn't seem like a reaction to NWOBHM as much as a continuation of the Killing Machine style. There are obvious commercial elements in Breaking the Law, United, and Living After Midnight. However, there are also great heavy moments such as Grinder and Metal Gods. It seemed British Steel struck a nice balance of heavy and commercial to make an album that could please a wide variety of fans.

Meanwhile, Black Sabbath recruit former Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio and reclaim their Metal credibility with Heaven and Hell. Released just a few weeks after British Steel and Iron Maiden, the new sound allowed them to ride the wave of the Metal renaissance and earn some new fans. Later on in the year, Ozzy Osbourne responded with yet another great album: Blizzard of Ozz. Ozzy's album seemed more conscious of American trends, with tracks like Crazy Train and the EVH-style shred guitar of Randy Rhodes.

Speaking of Van Halen, they released their heaviest album yet with Women and Children First. Songs like Romeo Delight, Fools, and Loss Of Control show a punky side that isn't that far off from what Maiden were doing. But as usual for Van Halen, Women and Children First has its share of eclectic influences, especially in the second side. There's the old-timey Could This Be Magic and the power-pop In a Simple Rhyme.

Of course there's also Motorhead's most famous album: Ace of Spades. Motorhead was lumped into the NWOBHM category, although they resented the label. Ace Of Spades came toward the end of the year and it's hard not to group it with the likes of Saxon and Iron Maiden. Still, Motorhead are one of those bands that really can't be categorized.

Sadly, the year was plagued by two tragedies in the Rock world. The first was the death of Bon Scott due to alcohol poisoning. Amazingly, AC/DC were able to carry on and quickly found replacement Brian Johnson. By the end of the year, they released arguably their greatest album: Back In Black. Another revolutionary Rock album.

John Bonham also died of alcohol poisoning and, unlike AC/DC, Led Zeppelin disbanded as a result.

It's also worth talking about the first Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, which was held in August. The headliner was Rainbow and also included Judas Priest, Scorpions, and Saxon (among others).

Outside of Metal, Yes deliver a fantastic collaboration with The Buggles in Drama. A real return to form for them, although unfortunately very short lived. While Drama hinted at a poppier slightly New Wave influence, there are actually some fairly heavy moments. Check out Machine Messiah for what is still probably Yes' heaviest moment.

Other highlights include Scorpions riding a nice streak with Animal Magnetism, the US Metal movement beginning to take shape with bands like Manilla Road and Sorcery, a taste of Janick Gers in White Spirit. There's also the first all female Metal group: Girlschool.
 
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I only have 5 albums from 1980 on my computer:

AC/DC - Back in Black
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Judas Priest - British Steel
Rush - Permanent Waves

The best? Iron Maiden's debut of course, but none of these albums is a particular highlight in my music collection. They all have some great songs though.
 
One of my favourite musical years ever.

I'd like to add one of the year's best albums, the North American debut of one of my all-time favourite bands.

Face to Face by Australia's the Angels (introduced to me under their international name Angel City) sits at the crossroads of AC/DC and the Sex Pistols with buckets of frenetic energy, simple catchy songs with offbeat lyrics and an eclectic electric lead singer. Their later stuff was more varied and polished, but the adrenalin of these 10 tracks is hard to match



Another track from the album, this time live


And from the follow-up album Darkroom, also released in 1980, one of their best songs

 
Love the guitar break in Take A Long Line. Will have to check out that whole album.
 
I have to disagree with you on Motorhead's Bomber; I've got and luv all their studios and this is tops on a good day.
Phil's drums are wondrous to behold on "Dead Men...", Eddie sings on the blusey "Step Down" and "Stone Dead Forever" is THE Motorhead track, it's play-out matching the cover art as Phil ratatats his drums, machine-gun-like. I thought Overkill was a more straight rock'n'roller.

Anyway, 1980 was a turning point for me getting into metal. Already into Sabbath, Motorhead and Hawkwind, but not metal per se. I only had a few listed there at the time(Sabbath, Budgie), but got much more in 81(Maiden, Priest, VH, etc).
 
Jethro Tull - A
Marvelous musicianship and some great melodies on this album.
I love this live vid with the energetic Anderson. Makes me think of Bruce (or the other way around).

Saga - Silent Knight
With the great Careful as You Step and Don't Be Late.

Hawkwind - Levitation
I have not heard it yet, since I am not fast exploring this band in chronological order, but heard it is a good album. This one features Ginger Baker. The story goes that at one point Baker went to David Brock and said he knew a great bass player (yes, the one from Cream) and asked if Brock could get rid of the current Hawkwind bass player, to make room for him. Brock replied that the bass player was a good friend of him. And then he added: "And you are fired."
 
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Hello @Mosh , you still plan on keeping up with this? I can post a bunch of heavy metal albums/eps/demos from 1981 tonight or tomorrow if you want.
 
I’d be up for continuing if there’s enough interest, but updates would only come when I have free time.
 
That's understandable dude. Well, here's some albums from 1981 (I should mention that not all of these are heavy metal):

45 Grave - Black Cross (single)
Accept - Breaker
Agent Orange - Living in Darkness
Anvil - Hard 'n' Heavy
Black Flag - Damaged
Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
Blackfoot - Marauder
Blue Öyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
Demon - Night of the Demon
Holocaust - The Nightcomers
Iron Maiden - Killers
Iron Maiden - Made in Japan
Judas Priest - Point of Entry
Molly Hatchet - Take No Prisoners
Mötley Crüe - Too Fast For Love
Motörhead - No Sleep til Hammersmith
Motörhead - St. Valentine's Day Massacre (split w/ Girlschool)
Riot - Fire Down Under
Rush - Moving Pictures
Rush - Exit... Stage Left
Saxon - Denim and Leather
Van Halen - Fair Warning
Venom - Welcome to Hell

So that was 1981 in heavy metal (atleast those are the releases from bands I care about). You know, not a great year, but it was a good one in my book. See, there's just no album up there I love. 45 Grave and Agent Orange basically got started this year (two of my favorite punk bands). Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, and Iron Maiden had pretty good releases this year.

Yeah this year saw the NWOBHM progress and chug right along. Definitely not the peak year for NWOBHM, but there were some defining moments for the movement in this year (Killers, Venom's debut, Saxon's mighty Denim and Leather, No Sleep til Hammersmith, etc.).

Also, Moving Pictures in phenomenal.
 
Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry. Although I despised what they became on their next record, this one was a favourite at the time.
Michael Schenker Group - MSG(2nd album). Axeman's a classic track.
Krokus - Hardware. Not as good as Metal Rendezvous, but not 'arf bad.
Budgie - Nightflight. Not amongst the classics, sure, but groovy all the same. I saw them on this tour.
 
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