April 2000 - 80's Metal
Welcome to the third installment of "From Hell's
Heart..." for April 2000. This is an editorial column written by
the Metal Rules team. Every month we pick a metal-related topic and share
our thoughts, feelings and ideas on it. This month's column concerns the
music that many of us were weaned on - 80's metal!
EvilG's View
I came up with the topic for this month's editorial because of comments
I've both heard and read from newer fans of metal. I'm sorry to burst your
bubble but heavy metal did not begin in 1991 with Metallica's "Enter
Sandman" and 80's metal is not only about glam / hair metal (although
I'd still take almost any of those hair metal bands over the 90's hip-hop
"metal" shit that been poisoning the minds of many and royally
pissing off fans of true metal).
There are hundreds of CD's from the 80's that are metal and didn't have
anything to do with glam and makeup. Many of the standards were set in the
80's by which many a current band measure themselves against. For example,
how many times have you heard people or bands compare something to
Slayer's "Reign in Blood"? Probably as many times as people have
compared many newer power metal bands to Helloween's "Keeper of the
Seven Keys" (pt. 1 & 2).
True Metal cannot really be classified by it's era. Good metal is
timeless. Yes, bands and sounds evolve over time but the essence of what
makes a band METAL is the same now as it was in the 80's. There are just
as many metal bands these days that there were in the 80's. It's just that
they are not as in your face as they were in the 80's.
To get an idea of some 80's moments that have influenced me immensely
here's a rundown on some (I didn't want to write a book) of the
albums that to me defines 80's metal!
-
Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance, 1983
Believe it or not, I have this album to thank for getting me into
metal. I remember hearing the song "You've got Another Thing
Comin'" playing in my school parking lot on some guys boom box.
Life changing, ground breaking...the metal gods!!
-
Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil, 1983
Unless you were there in 1983 I have found that many laugh at the Crue
and think they are nothing but glam. Well let me tell you if you were
there in 83-84 you knew that this was not that. It was metal. If there
is one Crue album you should have it's this one.
-
Metallica - Master of Puppets, 1986
The Metallica album that they have yet to come close to touching. In
the mid to late 80's the metal and hard rock scene was really being
dominated by bands wearing too much make-up and worrying about how
many chicks would be at their show then they were about the music. For
me Metallica (along with Megadeth and Anthrax) provided the
alternative to the glam scene. These guys broke so much ground with
this album that it's definitely one of the best metal albums ever.
It's somewhat disheartening to listen to their 90's material after
getting into the band in the 80's....how far the once mighty have
fallen.
-
Slayer - Reign In Blood, 1986
Slayer...gods...period. I could ramble on about this here for a week
but instead I've made this the classic review of the month. Check
it out here.
-
Kreator - Extreme Aggression, 1989
Not really one of my favorite bands, but definitely one of my
favorite CD's. A timeless classic for anyone into extremely aggressive
thrash metal. To me, no other Kreator CD was played with the same
aggression and skill level, Terrible Certainty came close but
is not as polished.
Honorable mentions:
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II
As a big fan of power metal how can I not mention Helloween? Technical
melodic speedy power metal at it's best.
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Another band that I've been into since the early 80's. This is the
album that brings back memories of the 80's
W.A.S.P. - self titled
This album takes me back to my days of carting around my walkman in
school big time. A classic CD and still the best work this band has done!
Anthrax - Among The Living AND Megadeth - Peace
Sells...But Who's Buying?
The late 80's thrash bands left their mark on me that's for sure. No
hair metal or glam to be found in this lot at all!!!
Gueneviere's View
I don't really want to preach to the younger crowd who don't
understand-yet-how monumentally important and vital the '80's era Metal
bands were-and still are. Just keep in mind-those of you who think that
metal began with Metallica, et.al., that ten years from now a new
generation of metalheads might be dissing some of the bands you so adore
right now as well. But you will think them fools.
Still, that said, the '80's era metal-now often pigeonholed as
"traditional" metal-set historical precedents, and was/is truly
something extraordinary to hear and behold. Of course, the '80's were the
heyday, of true metal-the breadth and depth of the talent was enormous
and, seemingly, an unrelentless cornucopia at the time. Certainly, those
of us who were there to witness it firsthand will never forget the
experience, or ever stop hoping we'll be around to experience something
like it again.
However, to my mind, most of the "real" 80's metal came from
Europe and the UK, for whatever reasons, partly sociological, and partly
because the rock press across the Atlantic was much more influential in
making a band than the radio and TV, as was/is the case in America (except
for the embryonic MTV, which was actually extraordinarily diverse in its
play list in the early '80s). Thus, at least during that time period, a
band need not have been mainstream acceptable in order to get attention in
the UK and Europe. The freshness, and the power and intensity of the
movement over there were so strong, and so undeniable, that Americans,
too, eventually sat up in their seats and took notice!
Not coincidentally, real metal has never suffered a drastic decline in
Europe and most countries other than North America. Grass roots movements
in those places were much more important, and, of course, real metal is
the ultimate grass roots kind of music. It does not compromise to gain
commercial acceptance, but instead stays true to itself. It does not
pretend, it does not alienate, it does not contemplate its navel, and it
most certainly does not forget where it came from! The Aqua Net trendiness
only came into the psuedo-metal picture later, when the American bands
started creating their own peacock-feathered highbrid-"glamming"
it up and commercializing it to near-extinction. But most of those bands
were not true metal bands.
So what do I call "true" metal, then? To start, it is dynamic
songwriting and playing. It is fast, aggressive, industrial strength
rhythms. It is powerful, emotive, and sometimes snarling vocals. It is
tight, harmonic, blistering riffs. It is steeped in passionate,
testosterone laced energy and vitality. It is something that must be seen,
and felt, for to only hear it would be the wedding without the honeymoon!
And it is always, but always, delivered-no holds barred-with
authoritative, virtuoso musicianship.
As far as '80s metal, in particular, is concerned, you must remember
that, up until that now famous NWOBHM hit the shores of the US with Iron
Maiden, Saxon, Def Leppard and the like, the only music mainstream America
was hearing was essentially Pop, New Wave and post-modern Punk. It took
that exciting convulsion of new and explosive metal bands from Europe to
slap everyone in the face and wake us all up from our '70's slumber.
I was fortunate to have begun my rock journalism career just before the
ground breaking NWOBHM exploded on America; consequently, I was there to
see, hear and analyze what was happening as it occurred. I can definitely
say that I was not previously biased to be a metal fan before I began my
baptism by fire, as I was raised in corn country USA, where any kind of
alternative music was not easily available to an apple pie type American
teenage girl like me. Sure I had heard some of the heavy metal forebears
like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, even
Thin Lizzy, etc. And I had also heard of their younger brothers like
Scorpions, Motorhead, and Judas Priest. But it wasn't until the that storm
of the "New Wave" English metal bands hit that heavy metal
really crystallized. Whether you had heard their albums or not, one only
needed to see one live show of Iron Maiden, Saxon, Def Leppard, et al, to
be riveted for life. (I had certainly never, ever seen or heard anything
like it before in my life!) Those bands trail blazed the way for so many
other bands, including some of the bands that had come before them, to a
broad-based accessibility. Radio was no longer a necessity; it was really
the energy, the passion, and combustibility of the live shows that
mattered. It was authentic, true to the spirit, and without pretension.
And-lest I forget-it was also fantastic, positive FUN!
Of course, true heavy metal is still all those things. So, naturally, I
always eagerly await each CD and tour by the bands that have developed,
refined and mastered the genre; moreover, I feel gratified and euphoric
when a new band comes along that really understands-and grabs you by the
throat, reinterpreting the essential elements to its own personality while
also remaining faithful to its true metal heart.
However, my hat is off to those great 80's metal bands, especially
those that have kept on going, coming up with original material, year
after year, when most other bands, especially of other rock/pop genres,
just don't have what it takes to have a similar longevity. Like all truly
great players, these metal bands play for the love of playing; they don't
merely rest on their proverbial laurels or quietly fade away, because it
never was just about how many hit records they had, or how much money they
could make, or about being "rock stars" in the first place.
After all, when you have a burning, inherent passion, and you stay true to
yourself, you don't ever really want hang it up or go to pasture for very
long. You die with your boots on!
That said, here are five '80's albums I would recommend to the novice,
for a sampling of what the vibe and excitement of that period was like-if
only you could know what it was like to have seen the contemporaneous live
shows!
Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast
Scorpions - Blackout
Def Leppard - High 'N Dry
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance
Accept - Balls to the Wall
Nathan's View
The ‘80s are without a doubt the glory years of metal.
A few years ago, everyone seemed to be claiming “metal is
back!” The truth is metal
never died, is just got less popular.
The ‘80s is when the world saw metal at its peak, as is evident
by the large venues played by metal bands.
Look at Anthrax, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest.
Back then they could actually fill a stadium (well of course Maiden
now can, with Bruce back and all…).
I grew up in the ‘80s, so this time period is very special for me
because it is when I discovered metal.
There were so many bands coming out that were fresh and original,
it was amazing, and sometimes overwhelming.
The number of timeless albums created in the ‘80s is
unimaginable. In fact many of
the greatest albums of all time were created back then.
Listen to Reign in Blood, Master of Puppets, and Powerslave,
among others. Albums like these never lose their magic, no matter how slow
Slayer gets, how wimpy Metallica becomes, or how much Maiden stagnates.
Of course there have been countless albums released in the ‘90s
that are mindblowing. But
many of the current bands out there owe themselves to ‘80s metal.
In fact the ‘80s was the birth of most forms of metal we hear
today…thrash, death, doom, grind, power, and even black metal.
As far as I see it, there was only one thing lacking in the ‘80s:
good producers. Sure
there were some, but album production has come a long way in the ‘90s.
But what the hell, even though Eternal Nightmare (Violence),
Forbidden Evil (Forbidden), and Show No Mercy (Slayer) sound
a little rough, it is what gives them part of the character they have.
My top five favorites from the ‘80s:
-
Metallica Master of Puppets, 1986
-
Metallica …And Justice for All, 1988
-
Slayer Reign in Blood, 1986
-
Exodus Fabulous Disaster, 1989
-
Anthrax State of Euphoria, 1988
Joe's View
Ahh, the ‘80's... I remember them well. Ronald Reagan bombed the crap
out of Libya... Brian Mulroney was busy screwing the Canadian economy into
the ground... When teenagers spoke of Iron Maiden, older folks thought
they were discussing Margaret Thatcher... T.V. evangelists Jim Baker and
Jimmy Swaggart were both caught having extramarital affairs (Although, in
Baker’s defence I will say that after being married to a dog like Tammy
Faye, I can understand how he might’ve mistaken Jessica Hahn as a gift
from God.)... Little Manuel Noriega thought he could declare war on the
United States and get away with it, but President Bush soon made him see
the error of his ways (*Note: Did you know that, according to Rob
Halford, "Hell Patrol" from Painkiller was inspired by the U.S.
invasion of Panama?)... Let’s see... What else happened in the
‘80's? Hmmm... Ah, yes! The AIDS virus was diagnosed in North America
for the first time because a gay flight attendant from Quebec who didn’t
know the true meaning of the phrase "sit down and keep your mouth
shut" brought it back with him from one of his international
jaunts... The Soviet Union collapsed... The Berlin Wall finally fell...
The world learned that Dan Quayle couldn’t spell... And the musical
force known as Heavy Metal experienced an incredible period of growth and
development, as well as exploitation and opposition.
What Metal fan over age 25 doesn’t reminisce about the 1980's without
remembering the first time they heard legendary bands like Iron Maiden,
Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath? (Though I’m sure a few of you heard
Priest and Sabbath in the ‘70's.) I still remember the first time I
heard Priest... A friend of mine played "Eat Me Alive" (from
Defenders of the Faith) for me and I didn’t like it at all!!! Of course,
I was only around 12 at the time and my metallic tastes were still rather
fickle. So I guess it’s not so strange that less than two years later
Judas Priest would become my favorite band. (By the way, they’re still
my favorite band.) But the first band that caught my ear and sent me in
the direction of the "dark path" was Quiet Riot.
The year was 1983 and I was only a few months from my 11th
birthday when I first heard "Cum On Feel the Noize" on the
weekly radio show "American Top 40 with Casey Kasem". Back then
it was commonplace to hear hard rock and metal bands on the radio.
You’ll never hear anything like that on the radio nowadays, that’s for
sure. It’s almost like people have forgotten what real music is. Hell,
even ‘80's pop music is better than the synthesized aural excrement
that’s currently dominating radio and MTV. But I guess that’s what
happens when art becomes business... It’s molded to appeal to the masses
for maximum profit potential. For example, look at what happened to the
L.A. scene... Despite the reputation glam has developed over the years,
there were a few bands with actual talent to come out of it. But once
bands like Quiet Riot, Ratt, Dokken, etc., started to gain popularity,
record companies saturated the marketplace with crap like Poison, Pretty
Boy Floyd, Kik Tracee, and numerous other no-talents so that by the end of
the decade the term "Heavy Metal" was synonymous with lackluster
hair bands. And sadly, it’s that image most people who weren’t into
REAL metal at that time think of when they think about ‘80's metal.
But despite the overabundance of poseur bands, the opposition from
groups like the P.M.R.C., and all the negative media attention, Heavy
Metal thrived and continued to set new standards for the genre during the
1980's. When you consider just how many great albums were recorded during
that time, it’s impossible to define Heavy Metal’s greatest decade (so
far, anyway) with only five albums. So after careful review of my own CD
collection, here are my five picks for "Classics of the ‘80's"
(in no particular order)...
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Mercyful Fate - Don’t Break the Oath
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt.1
Crimson Glory - Transcendence
Each of these discs are considered true metal classics and are ones
that I still listen to on a semi-regular basis. So if you’re polluting
your little brain with stuff like Korn, Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, etc.,
thinking it’s "metal", then go get these CD’s RIGHT
NOW!!! You obviously have no idea what Heavy Metal is or where it
came from. And should you still think ‘80's metal "sucks"
after hearing these and other great metal CD’s, then at least have
enough decency not to refer to Korn et al as "metal"... AND
FOR GOD’S SAKE, LOSE THE BAGGY PANTS!!!
Rick's View
Why is it that when everyone thinks of the 80s metal scene all they
think about is glam and big hair and guys who wore make up? Cosmetics and
theatrics were only a small, albeit more mainstream, part of the metal
scene in the 80s. I have to admit to liking some of the glam bands in my
early days but it was never the image that drew me but the music. If they
were metal then I liked them. What most of the 90s metal fans seem to
forget is that there were loads of great bands that came out of the 80s
that made groundbreaking music and paved the way for the wide diversity of
metal that we all listen today. There were the more well known bands such
as Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. But there were also the more
under rated yet no less influential groups such as Mercyful Fate,
Forbidden, Exodus, Riot, Grave Digger, Accept, Saxon, Celtic Frost,
Possessed, Diamond Head, Leatherwolf, Kreator, Venom and a host of others
that I don’t have the time to name.
I want to get one thing straight. The "Glam" bands( I hate
that term) had their place in the 80s. Who can honestly say that the first
band they listened to was Celtic Frost? Most metal fans I know were
attracted to the crunchy guitars and heavy beats of bands like Twisted
Sister, Ratt, Motley Crue and Wasp. Once they had a taste of metal it was
no turning back. Ratt changed to Metallica, Wasp to Megadeth and Motley
Crue to Celtic Frost. Now we had metalheads who lived, ate and breathed
metal.
And what would 90s metal be without some of these bands. Celtic Frost
were the inspiration for hundreds of black and death metal bands that are
performing today. Metallica, Megadeth, Kreator and Metal Church have left
their mark on classic metal and where would power metal be without Riot,
Leige Lord, Helloween and Iron Maiden. The 90s cannot be separated from
the 80s easily as the metal that we have today owes a great debt of
gratitude to the metal of yesterday.
Some of my favourite CDs of all time were products of the 80s.
Ratt - Out Of The Cellar (1984)
Now I am sure that I will get a lot of flak over this pick but I
really don’t care. This CD introduced me to heavy music. At the time all
that was being played on the radio was "A Flock of
Seagulls"," The Fixx", "Corey Hart" and other pop
crap. Then one day I happened across this cassette. I had already had a
brush with Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister and they had put me on the right
path but "Out of The Cellar" is the one album that opened up the
world of metal to me.
Fastway - Trick Or Treat (soundtrack) (1986)
Fastway did the soundtrack to this B horror flick about a metalhead
who is the outcast of his highschool. He makes a pact with his dead
musical hero, who is in league with Satan, to exact revenge on his
tormentors. He does this by playing a record backwards.(Cool or what?) The
movie never won an Academy Award, needless to a say, but it did mark one
of the best albums released by Fastway who were founded by
"Fast" Eddie Clarke of Motorhead.
Anthrax - Fistful of Metal (1984)
This was the debut CD of New York based Anthrax. This CD features Neil
Turbin on lead vocals as Joey Belladonna had not yet joined the band.
Anthrax also included bass player Dan Lilker who would go on to form
Nuclear Assault and later Brutal Truth. This a classic thrash album.
Riot - Fire Down Under (1981)
This is classic metal CD. Released in 1981 this release is way ahead of
its time. Mark Reale and Guy Speranza craft a CD that is a blend of hard
rock and straight ahead metal with the classic cuts "Outlaw",
"Fire Down Under" and "Swords and Tequila". They have
influenced countless bands especially in the power metal genre and are
still going strong today.
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
For me this is probably the best metal CD of all time. When I first
heard this cassette I was floored. I had heard Metallica before and
"Trapped Under Ice" had become a staple in my cassette deck but
"Master" just took metal to a whole new level. This is quite
possibly the best CD of the 80s and maybe of all time!
Waspman's View
80’s music. What a clusterfrick THAT was. My GOD did a
lot of bad crap come out back then! Admittedly, 80’s music and
80’s metal did deserve a lot of the bad press that has been written
about it. I mean seriously, we had bands back then that make Korn-roast
Durst look like a virtuoso (see Poison, Britny Fox, et al). On the
other hand…we had Iron Maiden, Kiske-led Helloween, pre-collapse
Testament (newly regrouped – yeah!), Dio, W.A.S.P., and some
little-known band called that used to kick ass…umm…what was their
name…oh yeah, Metallica. Now that ya think about it, 80’s metal
wasn’t so bad was it?!?
For my money (which admittedly ain’t much!) the 80’s is when metal
really came into its own. Ya sure, you had the important touchstones
in the 70’s (Sabbath, Purple, Rainbow etc. – check ‘em out!) but the
80’s was the time when metal established itself as a viable form unto
itself. TRUE metal came to the fore with Dio, Helloween, Accept,
Maiden, Judas Priest, and the first Europe album (yes, they were metal at
one point, trust me). I mean, how in the hell can you argue with a
lineup like that? You had the emergence of thrash (Exodus, Megadeth,
Metallica, Anthrax) the beginnings of death metal (Slayer, Morbid Angel,
Bathory, pre-insanity Celtic Frost) and of course, an abortion called
glam-metal. But the true metallers knew better than to drink from
that particular trough of mud.
Y’know all those bands that sing of “brotherhood”
and “metal warriors” today? Well, where do ya think they got their
ideas from? 80’s metal was all about brotherhood. People
would go and see a W.A.S.P. concert and spin around and go see Morbid
Angel. It didn’t matter who was playin’, so long as they were
playin’ M-E-T-A-L. It’s good to see that attitude coming back in
the new millenium.
So that’s it. 80’s music wasn’t ALL bad, and there were a
shitload of kickin’ bands out there if ya knew where to look and believe
me, there’s TONS that I haven’t mentioned yet. So do yourself a favour,
read all of the columns in this editorial and search out a least a couple
‘o albums from everyone’s list. Keep the flame burning young
metallian.
Waspman’s 80’s Metal Picks
-
Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind (It’s got “The
Trooper” what more do you need?)
-
Dio - Dream Evil
-
W.A.S.P. – Headless Children
-
Sword – Sweet Dreams (THIS is true metal at its
best!)
-
Angel Witch – Angel Witch (Maiden aside, this was
the epitome of the NWOBHM)
Honorable mentions:
Helloween – The Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt. II
Metallica – Any 80’s album
Judas Priest – Defenders Of The Faith
Pete's View
First of all, let me say that Metal Rules, whether it be from the 70's,
80's, 90's or onward into 2000. But 80's metal?????
Timeless....................
80's metal is the basis of some of today's great metal bands: Pantera,
Gamma Ray, HammerFall, Witchery...way too many to mention. It had elements
that I find are missing from today's metal: great vocals, awesome
shredding, and most of all MELODY. With vocalists like Halford &
Dickinson & shredders like Malmsteen, how could you go wrong???? Even
bands like Van Halen & AC/DC, through radio-friendly at times,
were an influence. Musicianship like this is not as common in the 90's,vas
that type of singing and playing from the 80's seems to be considered a
"joke" by some. Shame on you.
What pisses me off to no extent is the fact that some (I won't say all,
but you know who you are) people are "embarrassed' to admit they
liked "80's metal, or write it off as a joke or hair/glam crap.
People seem to forget that some of the greatest releases of all time were
released in the 80's:
Slayer - Reign In Blood 1986
Testament - Practice What You Preach 1989
Iron Maiden - Powerslave 1984
Metallica - Master of Puppets 1986
Megadeth - Peace Sells 1986
ooooh I could go on & on, and on........
As for the glam side of it, sure there were bands like Poison that were
a dime a dozen, but a little make-up never hurt anyone, as we saw in the
following releases:
Motley Crue - Shout at The Devil 1983
Ratt - Out of The Cellar 1984
Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock N' Roll 1982
Need I say more????????After all, Pantera & Alice in Chains were a
glam band in their early days........
What Does 80's metal mean to me personally??? Nostalgia??? Maybe, as
some of this stuff takes me back to high school (don't do the math) and
some great times, but a lot of the eighties stuff was a lot more melodic
than stuff out today. You can put on Preist's "Screaming For
Vengeance" or Maiden's "Peice of Mind" and they still sound
ever soooooo fresh (AND AWESOME!!!!!!)
Basically,"80's METAL RULES", and maybe you weren't old
enough to experience it first hand. If not, do yourself a favor, and check
out some of the classics I've mentioned from that era. You may just
discover something you like. If you were a fan back then, don't be
ashamed, dig out one of those oldies, crank that mutha & hold your
fist HIGH!!!!LONG LIVE 80's METAL.
Top 5 albums of the 80's (not in any particular order)
Metallica - Master Of Puppets
Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Iron Maiden - The Number of The Beast
Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance
DeathHead's View
80's metal personally for myself being a underground extremist deals
with the cult classic bands such as Possessed, Blasphemy, Exciter, Dark
Angel, Slayer, Slaughter, Repulsion, Sodom, Kreator, Celtic Frost, Venom,
Destruction, Protector, Rotting Corpse, Razor, Onslaught, Forbidden,
Living Sacrifice, Nihilist, Pile driver, infernal majesty, Nuclear Death
etc etc.
Without all these bands we could not have what we call DEATH METAL.
Without Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, Black Sabbath,
Accept, Wasp, Dio, Ozzy, all those bands then we wouldn't have the origins
of Death metal who influenced all those bands. Then of Course We certainly
would not have the DEATH METAL LEADERS: Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel,
Krisiun, Angel Corpse, Hate Eternal, Burning inside, Acheron, and all the
rest who support the origins of DEATH METAL/THRASH/SPEED. So It all comes
down to a simple Metallic Equation: Without these influences, what
variations of Metal would we have? Nothing. Well Except for some great
Power Metal bands......
DethHead's Top 5 of the 80's:
Dark Angel - Darkness Descends 1986 Combat
Possessed - Seven Churches 1985 Combat
Slayer - Hell Awaits 1984 MetalBlade
Venom - Welcome to Hell 1981 Neat metal
Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion 1985 Noise