Release Lists
I've finished filling in a few gaps & have subsequently revisited my Top Ten Metal Releases of 1982 list this week. It's stayed exactly the same interestingly enough. See what you think & feel free to post your own lists here.
Daniel's Top Ten Metal Releases of 1982
01. Ozzy Osbourne - "Speak Of The Devil"
02. Black Sabbath - "Live Evil"
03. Iron Maiden - "The Number Of The Beast"
04. More - "Blood & Thunder"
05. Saxon - "The Eagle Has Landed: Live"
06. Picture - "Diamond Dreamer"
07. Mercyful Fate - "Mercyful Fate" E.P.
08. Warning (GER) - "Warning"
09. Riot - "Restless Breed"
10. Diamond Head - "Borrowed Time"
It's been a while, but I don't think my top ten for '82 has changed much over recent years:
1. Witchfinder General - Death Penalty
2. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
3. Motörhead - Iron Fist
4. Black Sabbath - Live Evil
5. Venom - Black Metal
6. Pagan Altar - Judgement of the Dead
7. Ozzy Osbourne - Talk of the Devil
8. Tank - Filth Hounds of Hades
9. Scorpions - Blackout
10. Manowar - Battle Hymns
I know it's not in the site remit, but it was a good year for hardcore punk so, just for interest, how about my top ten punk albums of '82:
1. Bad Brains - Bad Brains
2. Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
3. Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters
4. Charged G.B.H - City Baby Attacked by Rats
5. Circle Jerks - Wild in the Streets
6. Misfits - Walk Among Us
7. The F.U.'s - Kill for Christ
8. Anti-Nowhere League - We Are... The League
9. Bad Religion - How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
10. MDC - Millions of Dead Cops
What a year for metal!
Daniel's Top Ten Metal Releases of 1983
01. Slayer - "Show No Mercy"
02. Manowar - "Into Glory Ride"
03. Iron Maiden - "Piece Of Mind"
04. Dio - "Holy Diver"
05. Metallica - "Kill 'Em All"
06. Mercyful Fate - "Melissa"
07. Saxon - "Power & The Glory"
08. High Power - "High Power"
09. Acid - "Maniac"
10. Queensryche - "Queensryche" E.P.
This is quite timely. I am hosting a series of builders on RYM for yearly lists of metal and hard rock albums. We began with 1976 (as someone else had previously covered 1970-75) and have just started on 1983. During these builders, which take around three weeks each to complete, I have been listening to another ten to fifteen albums I haven't previously rated from each year. So, I will post my current top ten from 1983 and then at the end of the current builder I'll see if there has been any movement on my top ten after listening to more albums from that year.
It also seems, from the number of suggestions coming in, that 1983 was the big break-out year for metal.
My initial top ten:
1. Slayer - "Show No Mercy"
2. Iron Maiden - "Piece Of Mind"
3. Mercyful Fate - "Melissa"
4. Metallica - "Kill 'Em All"
5. Satan - "Court in the Act"
6. Dio - "Holy Diver"
7. Raven - "All For One"
8. Acid - "Maniac"
9. Ritual - "Widow"
10. Black Sabbath - "Born Again"
I quite like the Satan, Ritual & Black Sabbath records you listed Sonny but it's probably a reflection of how strong a year it was that none of them were ever really in the running for inclusion in my top ten. I'm afraid to say that Raven & I don't get on at all though. We have a long history of not seeing eye to eye.
Out of interest, if you take another listen to Ritual's "Rebecca", do you think it's possible that Metallica copped the main riff to "For Whom The Bell Tolls" from that song? It's obviously a much rawer, messier version of it but I'd suggest that they did personally. What do you think?
I quite like the Satan, Ritual & Black Sabbath records you listed Sonny but it's probably a reflection of how strong a year it was that none of them were ever really in the running for inclusion in my top ten. I'm afraid to say that Raven & I don't get on at all though. We have a long history of not seeing eye to eye.
Out of interest, if you take another listen to Ritual's "Rebecca", do you think it's possible that Metallica copped the main riff to "For Whom The Bell Tolls" from that song? It's obviously a much rawer, messier version of it but I'd suggest that they did personally. What do you think?
I have a similar reaction to Manowar as you do with Raven. I could just never take them seriously with their real men play on ten bullshit then prancing around in those weird fur getups that seem like costumes from a porno version of Conan the Barbarian!
I also believe Court in the Act is a classic NWOBHM album and should be much better known than it is.
I'll check "Rebecca" out tomorrow and get back to you, but I can't imagine Lars would ever have sanctioned ripping off another band's work!!
I can't imagine Lars would ever have sanctioned ripping off another band's work!!
Quoted Sonny
Underground NWOBHM outfit Bleak House disagree. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" anyone?
In regard to Satan, I've always really dug the riffage & lead guitar work which was particularly metal for the time but I find Brian Ross' vocals to be pretty flat with a lack of quality hooks to be honest. He's generally placed on a pedestal by most metalheads so it appears to just be me.
I can't imagine Lars would ever have sanctioned ripping off another band's work!!
Quoted Sonny
Underground NWOBHM outfit Bleak House disagree. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" anyone?
Just for the record, I was being sarcastic. I actually wouldn't put anything past Lars, he seems like one of the world's great entitled bastards.
Yes I was aware of that. Was just looking for an opportunity to share that example of blatant plagiarism.
Here's my Top Ten Metal Releases of 1984 list too:
01. Metallica - "Ride The Lightning"
02. Iron Maiden - "Powerslave"
03. Slayer - "Live Undead" E.P.
04. Slayer - "Haunting The Chapel" E.P.
05. Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel" E.P.
06. Paul Chain Violet Theatre - "Detaching From Satan" E.P.
07. Judas Priest - "Defenders Of The Faith"
08. Saint Vitus - "Saint Vitus"
09. Queensryche - "The Warning"
10. Trouble - "Psalm 9"
Yes I was aware of that. Was just looking for an opportunity to share that example of blatant plagiarism.
Ah, right you are. I'm just not sure if my use of irony and sarcasm always comes across as I intend!!
Here's my Top Ten Metal Releases of 1985 list:
01. Exodus - "Bonded By Blood"
02. Anthrax - "Spreading The Disease"
03. Iron Maiden - "Live After Death"
04. Pentagram - "Pentagram"
05.Anthrax - "Armed & Dangerous" E.P.
06. Slayer - "Hell Awaits"
07. Celtic Frost - "To Mega Therion"
08. S.O.D. - "Speak English Or Die"
09. Fates Warning - "The Spectre Within"
10. Exciter - "Long Live The Loud"
It's worth noting that Slaughter's "Surrender Or Die" demo would have made the list at number 7 if it had of been on our database though.
As a result of my Pit Test (no longer describing it as "ultimate" because apparently it ain't), I've encountered some amazing classics from the 80s. This is great for when I write my next story based on the golden decade of classic metal genres. Anyway, here's my top 10 of 1985:
1. Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly
2. Helloween - Walls of Jericho
3. Warfare - Metal Anarchy
4. Amebix - Arise!
5. Sacrilege - Behind the Realms of Madness
6. Slayer - Hell Awaits
7. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
8. Dark Angel - We Have Arrived
9. Living Death - Metal Revolution
10. Corrosion of Conformity - Animosity
Here's my Top Ten Metal Releases of 1986 list:
01. Slayer - "Reign In Blood"
02. Metallica - "Master of Puppets"
03. Iron Maiden - "Somewhere In Time"
04. Kreator - "Pleasure To Kill"
05. Megadeth - "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?"
06. Kreator - "Flag of Hate" E.P.
07. Agent Steel - "Mad Locust Rising" E.P.
08. Dark Angel - "Darkness Descends"
09. Crimson Glory - "Crimson Glory"
10. Saint Vitus - "Born Too Late"
https://metal.academy/lists/single/213
This would have to be in the running for the greatest year in all of metal. I mean "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" didn't even make my list!
Maybe one day I can be up for checking more of what's truly considered metal's biggest year, but for now, here's my top 5 of 1986:
1. Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
2. Vinnie Moore - Mind's Eye
3. Destruction - Eternal Devastation
4. Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
5. Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
Honorable mention: Voivod - Rrröööaaarrr
1986 was definitely one of the best ever years for metal and marked the high water mark for thrash in my book.
My Top Ten:
1. Slayer - "Reign in Blood"
2. Metallica - "Master of Puppets"
3. Candlemass - "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus"
4. Dark Angel - "Darkness Descends"
5. Kreator - "Pleasure To Kill"
6. Megadeth - "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?"
7. Sacrilege B.C. - "Party With God"
8. Whiplash - "Power and Pain"
9. Paul Chain Violet Theatre - "In the Darkness"
10. Onslaught - "The Force"
No places left on the list for Maiden, Motorhead, Exumer, Sacrifice, Vulcano, Possessed, Saint Vitus, Sepultura, Sodom, Nuclear Assault, Cirith Ungol, Assassin and many others...
While I'm at it, my '85 Top Ten:
1. Celtic Frost - "To Mega Therion"
2. Possessed - "Seven Churches"
3. Sacrilege - "Behind the Realms of Madness"
4. Bathory - "The Return..."
5. Slayer - "Hell Awaits"
6. Exodus - "Bonded in Blood"
7. Anthrax - "Spreading the Disease"
8. Iron Maiden - "Live After Death"
9. Razor - "Evil Invaders"
10. Razor - "Executioner's Song"
Close, but no cigar: Onslaught, Saint Vitus, Mercy, Pentagram, Trouble, Black Hole, Artillery, Destruction... and many more.
The second half of the Eighties was a brilliant time to be a metal fan and I consider myself exceedingly lucky to have lived through it. I often wish I could transfer some of my experiences at gigs or metal clubs to some of the young metalheads of today so they could see what it was all about back then, when it was all so new and exciting.
I'm still figuring out what my best of lists really look like, but I do know that the below albums would definitely be in my top 10 for 1986, and probably in these positions.
1. Slayer - Reign in Blood
2. Metallica - Master of Puppets
3. Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
4. Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
5. Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
6. Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
7. Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
As for the rest, I feel like Manilla Road's Deluge, Fate's Warning's Awaken the Guardian and Kreator's Flag of Hate might feature.
My brand new Top Ten Live Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Leprous - "LIve at Rockefeller Music Hall" (2016)
02. Slayer - "Decade of Aggression: Live" (1991)
03. Boris with Merzbow - "Rock Dream" (2007)
04. Ozzy Osbourne - "Speak of the Devil" (1982)
05. Opeth - "The Roundhouse Tapes" (2007)
06. Slayer - "Live Undead" E.P. (1984)
07. Isis - "Live II 03.19.03" (2004)
08. Morbid Angel - "Entangled In Chaos" (1996)
09. Exodus - "Another Lesson in Violence" (1997)
10. Iron Maiden - "Live After Death" (1985)
My Top Ten Metal Releases of 1987 list:
01. Bathory - "Under the Sign of the Black Mark"
02. Anthrax - "Among The Living"
03. Metallica - "The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited" E.P.
04. Candlemass - "Nightfall"
05. Exumer - "Rising From The Sea"
06. Sepultura - "Schizophrenia"
07. Sodom - "Persecution Mania"
08. Sacrifice - "Forward To Termination"
09. Destruction - "Release From Agony"
10. Sacred Reich - "Ignorance"
Here's my top 5 of 1987:
1. Voivod - Killing Technology
2. Anthrax - Among the Living
3. Coroner - R.I.P.
4. Anthrax - I'm the Man
5. Slab! - Descension
So I decided it was time to properly create my Top Metal Releases by Year list using our List feature so as to make it nice & easy to edit & keep track of. I'm yet to add a 1974 release as yet but it will be coming once Ben adds it to the database for me. It's also worth noting that I can't add my favourite 2017 release to the list as it's a demo (i.e. the Cavurn rehearsal release) & therefore not available on the site either so it's been replaced with The Ruins of Beverast's "Exuvia" until I can convince Ben to add it.
https://metal.academy/lists/single/217
1970: Black Sabbath – “Paranoid”
1971: Black Sabbath – “Master Of Reality”
1972: Black Sabbath – “Vol 4”
1973: Black Sabbath – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”
1974: Budgie – “In For The Kill”
1975: Black Sabbath – “Sabotage”
1976: Judas Priest - "Sad Wings Of Destiny"
1977: Quartz – “Quartz”
1978: Judas Priest – “Killing Machine”
1979: Judas Priest – “Unleashed In The East”
1980: Diamond Head – “Lightning To The Nations”
1981: Motorhead – “No Sleep Till Hammersmith”
1982: Ozzy Osbourne – “Speak Of The Devil”
1983: Slayer – “Show No Mercy”
1984: Metallica – “Ride The Lightning”
1985: Exodus – “Bonded By Blood”
1986: Slayer – “Reign In Blood”
1987: Bathory – “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark”
1988: Metallica – “…And Justice For All”
1989: Morbid Angel – “Altars Of Madness”
1990: Slayer - "Seasons In The Abyss"
1991: Death – “Human”
1992: Alice In Chains – “Dirt”
1993: diSEMBOWELMENT – “Transcendence Into The Peripheral”
1994: Darkthrone – “Transilvanian Hunger”
1995: Suffocation – “Pierced From Within”
1996: Burzum – “Filosofem”
1997: The Gathering - "Nighttime Birds"
1998: ISIS – “The Mosquito Control” E.P.
1999: Botch - "We Are The Romans"
2000: Immolation – “Close To A World Below”
2001: Tool - "Lateralus"
2002: ISIS – “Oceanic”
2003: Boris – “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-“
2004: ISIS – “Panopticon”
2005: Deathspell Omega – “Kenose” E.P.
2006: Celtic Frost – “Monotheist”
2007: Ufomammut/Lento - "Supernaturals - Record One"
2008: Pig Destroyer - "Natasha" E.P.
2009: Dragged Into Sunlight - "Hatred For Mankind"
2010: Hate - "Erebos"
2011: Inside The Beehive - "Drink Bleach; Live Forever" E.P.
2012: 7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes Of Absolution"
2013: The Amenta - "Flesh Is Heir"
2014: Dead Congregation - "Promulgation Of The Fall"
2015: Akhlys - "The Dreaming I"
2016: Mick Gordon - "Doom (Original Game Soundtrack)"
2017: Cavurn - "Rehearsal" demo
2018: Infernal Coil - "Within A World Forgotten"
2019: Esoteric - "A Pyrrhic Existence"
2020: Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi"
2021: Fange - "Pantocrator"
2022: Scarcity - "Aveilut"
2023: Hoplites - "Τρωθησομένη"
I haven't updated my top metal releases by year list in a few months, and I think this thread is a good one to continue updating, so here's my updated list:
Beginning oldies (1984-1989)/B.M. (Before Metalcore):
1984: Voivod - War and Pain
1985: Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly
1986: Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
1987: Voivod - Killing Technology
1988: Sadus - Illusions
1989: Godflesh - Streetcleaner
Old golden classics and millennium transition highlights (1990-2001)/Metalcore's humble beginnings and light of day-seeing classics:
1990: Rorschach - Remain Sedate
1991: Old - Lo Flux Tube
1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery
1993: Old - The Musical Dimensions of Sleastak
1994: Amorphis - Tales from the Thousand Lakes
1995: Fear Factory - Demanufacture
1996: Red Harvest - HyBreed
1997: Waltari - Space Avenue
1998: Embodyment - Embrace the Eternal
1999: Botch - We Are The Romans
2000: Extol - Undeceived
2001: Candiria - 300 Percent Density
Modern favorites (2002-2013)/Rise of the full Revolution:
2002: Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing
2003: Animosity - Shut It Down
2004: ISIS – Panopticon
2005: Trivium - Ascendancy
2006: Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery
2007: Dethklok - The Dethalbum
2008: In This Moment - The Dream
2009: Vektor - Black Future
2010: Whitechapel - A New Era of Corruption
2011: Trivium - In Waves
2012: Bury Tomorrow - The Union of Crowns
2013: Dethklok - The Doomstar Requiem: A Klok Opera
The best of the most recent (2014-present)/A greater new uprising:
2014: The Acacia Strain - Coma Witch
2015: Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud
2016: Insomnium - Winter's Gate
2017: Brendon Small - II: Become the Storm
2018: Amorphis - Queen of Time
2019: Northlane - Alien
2020: Code Orange - Underneath
2021: Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon
2022: Lorna Shore - Pain Remains
2023 so far: Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current
2023 albums I'm looking forward to getting:
Will Haven - VII
Freedom Call - The M.E.T.A.L. Fest (live album) (self-recommendation to get back in touch with this power metal band I used to like)
Voivod - Morgöth Tales
Dethklok - Dethalbum IV/Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar
The Word Alive - Hard Rest
Polaris - Fatalism
Sylosis - A Sign of Things to Come (self-recommendation)
Bring Me the Horizon - Post Human: Nex Gen
Updating my Favourite Metal Release of Each Year list to include my latest discovery:
https://metal.academy/lists/single/217
1970: Black Sabbath – “Paranoid”
1971: Black Sabbath – “Master Of Reality”
1972: Black Sabbath – “Vol 4”
1973: Black Sabbath – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”
1974: Budgie – “In For The Kill”
1975: Black Sabbath – “Sabotage”
1976: Judas Priest - "Sad Wings Of Destiny"
1977: Quartz – “Quartz”
1978: Judas Priest – “Killing Machine”
1979: Judas Priest – “Unleashed In The East”
1980: Diamond Head – “Lightning To The Nations”
1981: Motorhead – “No Sleep Till Hammersmith”
1982: Ozzy Osbourne – “Speak Of The Devil”
1983: Slayer – “Show No Mercy”
1984: Metallica – “Ride The Lightning”
1985: Exodus – “Bonded By Blood”
1986: Slayer – “Reign In Blood”
1987: Bathory – “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark”
1988: Metallica – “…And Justice For All”
1989: Morbid Angel – “Altars Of Madness”
1990: Slayer - "Seasons In The Abyss"
1991: Death – “Human”
1992: Alice In Chains – “Dirt”
1993: diSEMBOWELMENT – “Transcendence Into The Peripheral”
1994: Darkthrone – “Transilvanian Hunger”
1995: Suffocation – “Pierced From Within”
1996: Burzum – “Filosofem”
1997: The Gathering - "Nighttime Birds"
1998: ISIS – “The Mosquito Control” E.P.
1999: Botch - "We Are The Romans"
2000: Immolation – “Close To A World Below”
2001: Tool - "Lateralus"
2002: ISIS – “Oceanic”
2003: Boris – “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-“
2004: ISIS – “Panopticon”
2005: Deathspell Omega – “Kenose” E.P.
2006: Celtic Frost – “Monotheist”
2007: Ufomammut/Lento - "Supernaturals - Record One"
2008: Pig Destroyer - "Natasha" E.P.
2009: Dragged Into Sunlight - "Hatred For Mankind"
2010: Hate - "Erebos"
2011: Inside The Beehive - "Drink Bleach; Live Forever" E.P.
2012: 7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes Of Absolution"
2013: The Amenta - "Flesh Is Heir"
2014: Dead Congregation - "Promulgation Of The Fall"
2015: Akhlys - "The Dreaming I"
2016: Mick Gordon - "Doom (Original Game Soundtrack)"
2017: Cavurn - "Rehearsal" demo
2018: Infernal Coil - "Within A World Forgotten"
2019: Esoteric - "A Pyrrhic Existence"
2020: Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi"
2021: Fange - "Pantocrator"
2022: Scarcity - "Aveilut"
2023: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - "PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation"
I've not posted on here for a bit, so a couple of yearly lists that reflect my recent death metal discoveries.
Sonny's Top Ten of 1989:
1. Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
2. Terrorizer - World Downfall
3. Autopsy - Severed Survival
4. Sempiternal Deathreign - The Spooky Gloom
5. Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos
6. Sepultura - Beneath the Remains
7. Candlemass - Tales of Creation
8. Carcass - Symphonies of Sickness
9. Sodom - Agent Orange
10. Coroner - No More Color
Sonny's Top Ten of 1990
1. Winter - Into Darkness
2. Kreator - Coma of Souls
3. Obituary - Cause of Death
4. Death - Spiritual Healing
5. Benediction - Subconscious Terror
6. Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death
7. Atheist - Piece of Time
8. Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
9. Saint Vitus - V
10. Deicide - Deicide