In honor of season #2, we introduce The Heavy Metal Yearbook: 1980’s Edition, wherein Eric, of the Heavy Metal 101 podcast (https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast), explores every nook and cranny of 1980’s heavy metal history so that you can just sit back and enjoy the highlights:
1984 was a MIND-BLOWINGLY excellent year in heavy metal. Certainly, the most extraordinary to date, and quite likely one of the all-time greats. The old masters were at the very top of their game, releasing some of their finest albums: Iron Maiden- Powerslave, Van Halen- 1984, Judas Priest- Defenders of the Faith, Scorpions- Love at First Sting, a still young Metallica created the first thrash masterpiece, Ride the Lightening, and a few of the essential monuments of early extreme metal were released, Bathory- Bathory, Hellhammer- Apocalyptic Raids, Celtic Frost’s Morbid Tales and the Mantas demo Death By Metal.
Yowza! Additionally, there was probably the finest glam metal debut since Van Halen in 1978, Ratt's Out of the Cellar, and arguably Mercyful Fate's finest album, Don't Break the Oath. All of that, AND the debut of the surprisingly impressive "Mark II" Ozzy Osbourne lineup, featuring Jake E. Lee, on Bark at the Moon. I could go on and on!
I do want to mention a few of the more obscure gems I stumbled across on this pass of 1984’s metal: Warlord’s And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun…, Cloven Hoof’s self-titled, and the always under-appreciated Hanoi Rock’s final masterpiece Two Step from the Move are all WELL worth a look. Additionally, a nod to the metal women of 1984: Lita Ford found her pop metal footing with the excellent Dancin’ on the Edge and Doro Pesch and Warlock absolutely blew me away with my favorite album of that year I hadn’t previously heard, Warlock’s Burning the Witches.
I was absolutely floored by all of the above and choosing a “best” album of 1984 is a bit of a fool's errand. However, if I HAD to choose a finest album of that amazing year, the award would have to go to Maiden’s brilliant Powerslave, a serious candidate for the single greatest metal album of all time. Honorable mention goes to the simply incredible eponymous debut of Bathory, which magnificently set the template for a whole generation of black metal to come. I also can't not mention that quite possibly the finest album side in the history of metal belongs to Priest’s Defenders of the Faith, side one. So good. There was just so much impressive heavy metal music in 1984. Go team!
For more fun-filled heavy metal chat, please do check out the Heavy Metal 101 podcast, available everywhere you like to listen! https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast