HARD ROCK
FORUM
Post by Monsters of Rock on Sept 19, 2023 21:19:41 GMT 10
Monsters of Rock has voted 1984 as the best year in music.
Anthrax: Fistful of Metal. Debut album.
Ronnie James Dio’s debut solo album, Holy Diver, was no fluke, and he proved that on his sophomore effort, The Last In Line. This sophomore effort is built off the same template as Dio’s debut, opening with the blast of “We Rock” before settling into the anthemic title track.
Dio still prefers to sing about heavy metal tropes such as evil, rainbows, and mythology, but for the most part the song writing keeps us engaged, with compelling tracks such as “One Night in the City” and the epic “Egypt (The Chains are On).” Aside from the misstep of trying to appeal to the masses with the pop-metal ballad “Mystery,” The Last In Line holds up one step below Dio’s finest work.
Not often is Iron Maiden’s fifth album, Powerslave, placed at the top of their best-of lists, but this landmark LP can safely be considered the most well-rounded of their career. It’s their fifth album in five years, and all five are classics – an impossible feat in today’s era.
Powerslave has it all – a galloping opener in “Aces High,” riff-heavy metal in “Two Minutes to Midnight,” a mid-paced, dark anthem in the title track, and the band’s longest song at the time, the thirteen and a half minute “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Top it all off with amazing production and cover art, and you can see why Powerslave lands at #2 on our list.
After the commercial success of recent albums like British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance, Judas Priest headed in a darker, heavier direction with “Defenders of the Faith. Despite (or perhaps because of) that, the album remains one of the band’s most-loved by ardent fans. Murky production aside, some of Judas Priest’s best work appears on this album.
Defenders is somewhat front-loaded, but what a front it is. Arguably the best Side 1 of the year comes courtesy of the blindingly fast “Freewheel Burning,” along with the heavy “Jawbreaker,” the anthemic “Rock Hard Ride Free,” and the progressive epic “The Sentinel.” Side 2 still featured great tracks as well, such as “Some Heads are Gonna Roll” and “Love Bites.” All told, Defenders was a heavier, less commercial release for Priest, and one that resides at the top of their catalogue.
Metallica’s second album takes top spot, as their debut did a year earlier. This time around the production, songwriting, and performances are all more refined. Ride the Lightning is not as raw and visceral as Kill ‘Em All: while the thrash components of their debut are present in the lightning fast “Fight Fire With Fire” and “Trapped Under Ice,” the range in song dynamics is far more impressive.
Everyone is familiar with the concert mainstay “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” but equally impressive are anthemic cuts such as the title track and album highlight “Creeping Death.” Metallica also show a very deft touch with instrumental closer “The Call of Ktulu” and melodic track “Fade to Black.” Ride the Lightning stands the test of time, sounding as amazing today as it did thirty-nine years ago.
Slayer: Show No Mercy. Released December 1983. One more month and could have been a 1984 album. Great debut album from Slayer.
Valen Halen: 1984. The last David Lee Roth album of the 1980s.
You can’t tell from this list, but hair metal was entering its prime in 1984, with bands like Van Halen and Ratt hitting it big. W.A.S.P. and their self-titled debut land on the seedier side of the hair metal phase, with singer Blackie Lawless bringing a nasty (yet highly talented) edge to the songs and Chris Holmes providing more metallic guitar pyrotechnics than many other bands had.
That combination, along with the gimmicky look and borderline subversive lyrics, catapulted the band to fame. “L.O.V.E. Machine” and “I Wanna Be Somebody” were huge video hits, but the rest of the songs on W.A.S.P. also hold their own. Rippers like “School Daze,” “Tormentor,” and “On Your Knees” showed why W.A.S.P. were one of the heavier bands of the hair metal days.
Anthrax: Fistful of Metal. Debut album.
Ronnie James Dio’s debut solo album, Holy Diver, was no fluke, and he proved that on his sophomore effort, The Last In Line. This sophomore effort is built off the same template as Dio’s debut, opening with the blast of “We Rock” before settling into the anthemic title track.
Dio still prefers to sing about heavy metal tropes such as evil, rainbows, and mythology, but for the most part the song writing keeps us engaged, with compelling tracks such as “One Night in the City” and the epic “Egypt (The Chains are On).” Aside from the misstep of trying to appeal to the masses with the pop-metal ballad “Mystery,” The Last In Line holds up one step below Dio’s finest work.
Not often is Iron Maiden’s fifth album, Powerslave, placed at the top of their best-of lists, but this landmark LP can safely be considered the most well-rounded of their career. It’s their fifth album in five years, and all five are classics – an impossible feat in today’s era.
Powerslave has it all – a galloping opener in “Aces High,” riff-heavy metal in “Two Minutes to Midnight,” a mid-paced, dark anthem in the title track, and the band’s longest song at the time, the thirteen and a half minute “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Top it all off with amazing production and cover art, and you can see why Powerslave lands at #2 on our list.
After the commercial success of recent albums like British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance, Judas Priest headed in a darker, heavier direction with “Defenders of the Faith. Despite (or perhaps because of) that, the album remains one of the band’s most-loved by ardent fans. Murky production aside, some of Judas Priest’s best work appears on this album.
Defenders is somewhat front-loaded, but what a front it is. Arguably the best Side 1 of the year comes courtesy of the blindingly fast “Freewheel Burning,” along with the heavy “Jawbreaker,” the anthemic “Rock Hard Ride Free,” and the progressive epic “The Sentinel.” Side 2 still featured great tracks as well, such as “Some Heads are Gonna Roll” and “Love Bites.” All told, Defenders was a heavier, less commercial release for Priest, and one that resides at the top of their catalogue.
Metallica’s second album takes top spot, as their debut did a year earlier. This time around the production, songwriting, and performances are all more refined. Ride the Lightning is not as raw and visceral as Kill ‘Em All: while the thrash components of their debut are present in the lightning fast “Fight Fire With Fire” and “Trapped Under Ice,” the range in song dynamics is far more impressive.
Everyone is familiar with the concert mainstay “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” but equally impressive are anthemic cuts such as the title track and album highlight “Creeping Death.” Metallica also show a very deft touch with instrumental closer “The Call of Ktulu” and melodic track “Fade to Black.” Ride the Lightning stands the test of time, sounding as amazing today as it did thirty-nine years ago.
Slayer: Show No Mercy. Released December 1983. One more month and could have been a 1984 album. Great debut album from Slayer.
Valen Halen: 1984. The last David Lee Roth album of the 1980s.
You can’t tell from this list, but hair metal was entering its prime in 1984, with bands like Van Halen and Ratt hitting it big. W.A.S.P. and their self-titled debut land on the seedier side of the hair metal phase, with singer Blackie Lawless bringing a nasty (yet highly talented) edge to the songs and Chris Holmes providing more metallic guitar pyrotechnics than many other bands had.
That combination, along with the gimmicky look and borderline subversive lyrics, catapulted the band to fame. “L.O.V.E. Machine” and “I Wanna Be Somebody” were huge video hits, but the rest of the songs on W.A.S.P. also hold their own. Rippers like “School Daze,” “Tormentor,” and “On Your Knees” showed why W.A.S.P. were one of the heavier bands of the hair metal days.
