Nostalgia trip 2

[introclaus]

This time around I didn't as much go for a specific genre of metal, but instead focused on releases from within a year. - 1985. The reason I chose this was because of one of the posts a few weeks ago where Gaetan had talked about "Night of the Crime" by ICON. So I thought, let's stick to that year and see what we can listen to in a two-day span, which turned out to be 17 (!) albums.

I started off with FATES WARNING's "The Spectre Within" which obviously is a classic of the early prog metal days. "Kyrie Eleison", "The Apparition", "Traveler in Time" ... I actually think this is my favorite of the 3 John Arch albums!
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... BaBRnfyWHg

AGENT STEEL "Skeptics Apocalypse" was next - I remember back in the day how insane we all thought John Cyriis' vocals were, and even to this day there's no denying that he was a vocal monster if there ever was one; those high pitched screams are largely unmatched (okay, perhaps Midnight and early Tate). Some phenomenal guitar playing here from both Garcia and Colfelt (only full length he made w them before forming Holy Terror).
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... bhU02QT-44

Staying with the speedier style of American metal I went on to play ANTHRAX' first album with Belladonna "Spreading the Disease". I'm surprised how well this album has held up. It doesn't sound dated, and it sure has some of the best thrash metal tunes ever written on this side (east coast) of the country, such as "Madhouse", "Gung Ho", "Medusa", "Armed & Dangerous" and "A.I.R.".
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... D3R_fEfalO

Another blast-from-the-past within the US metal scene up next, as it was time for some ARMORED SAINT and their "Delirious Nomad" album. Yes, it's not my #1 favorite of theirs (that would be "Raising Fear"), but there's no denying the quality on display, and to think that this band has stuck together with almost the same line-up for so many years with just a small 8-year break in the nineties and are still kicking ass is just mind-blowing.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... 0i_GhydqQs

It's impossible to listen to 80's US power metal without also grabbing a VICIOUS RUMORS album, and since we were talking about 1985 it had to be the debut "Soldiers of the Night". While it might not hold up 100% here in 2020, it's still a great disc, and Vinnie Moore was on fire (no wonder that Mike Varney and Shrapnel picked him up, as he is one of those amazing 80's metal guitar heroes!). Vocalist on this album was Gary St. Pierre, and while he wasn't as amazing as Carl Albert who followed him, he did a solid job.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... TF3pKzCc6c

The notion of Gary St. Pierre led me to think about HAWAII, who he was the singer/bass player on their '83 debut. However, this is all about 1985, so I decided to play "The Natives Are Restless" album (with Eddie Day as the vocalist). Not an incredible album by today's standard honestly, but it's interesting for the fact that it features a young Marty Friedman, and there's obviously no denying that guys talent.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neNNfup45jw

Speaking of amazing guitar players I decided to pick out JOSHUA "Surrender". This album however completely tanked on my listen this time around, as it's dated, semi-boring christian heavy metal which main merit is the great guitar playing from Joshua Perahia and Ken Tamplin and the powerhouse vocals from Jeff Fenholt (the guy that did the first Broadway version of Jesus Christ Superstar, and also had a very short stint with Black Sabbath). Song writing wise it's just not quite there, whereas the next album they did (w Rob Rock on vocals) a few years later ("Intense Defense") was much better.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... L_75T3zZJo

So, in order to find some better US heavy metal it was time to turn to one of the classics; "Love You To Pieces" by LIZZY BORDEN. This is undoubtedly one of the best heavy metal debuts of the time, full to the brim with classic tunes such as "Redrum", "American Metal", "Council for the Cauldron", "Flesheater" and "Save Me"). I always had a soft spot for this band, and besides the last album (2018 "My Midnight Things") I love all of the albums for various reasons.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... kXncwPEVR0

Another great US metal debut from same year was "Fight to Survive" by WHITE LION. Obviously I've always had a special interest in that album not just because it's effin' great, but also because it featured a singer who had been a big part of my early childhood through his outputs with Vesterbro Ungdomskor and Mabel (Danish participant in the Eurovision Songcontest 1978). Michael Trempenau (or Mike Tramp) is a one-of-a-kind singer and his clear high voice together with Vito Bratta's incredible Van Halen-inspired guitar playing made White Lion a phenomenal band. I liked all of the 4 original albums (85-91), but there's no denying that this debut was really special and much heavier than the stuff they did later on.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... yN-C0Ik4O4

This took me to Sweden for some more hard rock / heavy metal with 220 VOLT and their "Mind Over Muscle" album. I still remember buying the cassette of this (for some reason I didn't buy the vinyl originally) and loving the heck out of it. While it's not a perfect album by any standard it still contains some great metal tunes ("The Tower", "Electric Messengers", "Blessed by the Night"). If you like stuff like the first Europe, early Pretty Maids, Bonfire or even Dokken, then give it a shot ...
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... yAwNPPPLcM

Another hard rock / heavy metal band from back then that I used to be into was CUTTY SARK, so I thought it would be cool to play their 1985 "Heroes" album. Hmmm, no ... that was a poor choice. There's not much redeeming about this album in 2020 - it's flat, boring hard rock with a metal backbone, and a singer who shouldnt be allowed to sing. Nah ... pass!
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZrEwICiNWk

In order to stay with German metal bands (in the "ocean"-theme) it was time for RUNNING WILD and their second album "Branded & Exiled". Interestingly enough I didn't get into RW until with their 3rd album "Under Jolly Roger", so I was a few years too late with this one. Beats me considering how I loved so much other German metal in those "formative years" of mine. Anyway, "Branded & Exiled" was a super cool album once I got into it, and to this day it's a kick ass "speed/power" metal album.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... D7I7F0fUYk

My favorite metal album back then was probably "Metal Heart" by ACCEPT. I must have listened to it hundreds of times back in the day, and revisiting it now made me realize how much I missed it (for some reason I think it's been at least 10 years since I've played it). It reminds me of old friends and a time when life was oh so much easier than nowadays.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... eCVKe4XbO0

You can't listen to German 80's metal without not spinning something from DESTRUCTION's catalog, and 1985 gave us their amazing debut "Infernal Overkill", which is one of the great classics not just of European thrash/metal, but of the entire thrash metal scene. It's raw, unpolished, and it's such a headbanging-inducing album, that even today I can't help nod my head up and down a little bit rougher than I probably should at my age.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... SecxCulv_Q

Staying in the European metal scene, it was time to skip over to UK and see what the guys in Satan were up to. Following the incredible 1983 debut "Court in the Act", vocalist Brian Ross left for Blitzkrieg, and instead Satan picked up vocalist Lou Taylor and recorded the "Out of Reach" album under the name BLIND FURY. Even to this day it's a very good NWOBHM album, and way too underrated. Yes, it has always gotten less playing time here than any of the Satan and Pariah discs, but it's a great album and I like it a lot every time I put it on.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrXhK1EfwN8

Sticking with some UK NWOBHM it was time for VENOM's fourth album "Possessed", which was the last studio album with the classic line up of Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon. More polished in songwriting (not production wise) than the first 3 discs, and with a bigger emphasis on melody, it was one of those albums that received a lot of negative criticism from fans and media back in the day. I personally always liked it quite a lot, and to this day songs like "Hellchild", "Satanachist", "Powerdrive" and "Moonshine" still gives me a good ol' kick in the arse!
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... cgQcIj83KM

Finally time to end this rendezvouz with 1985 on a high note ... early on in my listening-trip here I decided I wanted to end this on the highest note possible with good old CELTIC FROST and their "To Mega Therion" album. This is one of those bands that just means so much to me, in terms of how I listen to music, what I get out of music, and also brings up so many great memories of times listening to this with friends and on my own throughout the years. From the first "uuuuurggghh" out of Tom Warrior's mouth (yes, there actually exists an (un)official Tom G Warrior Death Grunt Appreciation Society) it's very clear that this album is something very special, and I must have listened to it hundreds and hundreds of times over the years, and it is still one of the best avantgarde metal albums ever recorded.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... DQyYhuMEhs

Yes, there are a lot of other albums I could have pulled out from 1985, but those were the ones I decided to spend some time with, and I've gotta say that most of them stood the test of time really well.

[Hearing Aid Man]

Always love vocalists like Agent who can wail without sounding wild. Used to hurry and buy anything our friend Guillame here called high pitched because it would always be right up my alley .

As for Anthrax, Fistful of Metal has always been my favorite. How's that for being in the minority ?

Like a lot of the Vicious Rumors stuff especially with Carl. Actually think I might like Word of Mouth their best.

Big fan of Lizzy Borden. Picked up Appointment of Death & Deal with the Devil not too long ago. Found them worthy of picking up. Still haven't bit on My Midnight Things though.

Amazing I have 11 Venom CDs in my collection and 1 Venom INC .

[LarryD]

I started off with FATES WARNING's "The Spectre Within" which obviously is a classic of the early prog metal days. "Kyrie Eleison", "The Apparition", "Traveler in Time" ... I actually think this is my favorite of the 3 John Arch albums!
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... BaBRnfyWHg

***I wish I could say I love this album, or any other album with John Arch on it for that matter .... I'm just not a fan of his voice. I've owned all of the earlier FW albums, but when Ray showed up, it became a different story for me.

Another blast-from-the-past within the US metal scene up next, as it was time for some ARMORED SAINT and their "Delirious Nomad" album. Yes, it's not my #1 favorite of theirs (that would be "Raising Fear"), but there's no denying the quality on display, and to think that this band has stuck together with almost the same line-up for so many years with just a small 8-year break in the nineties and are still kicking ass is just mind-blowing.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... 0i_GhydqQs

***Totally agree. I thought there were a lot better songs on Raising Fear, but I'll never forget the day I discovered Armored Saint.

It's impossible to listen to 80's US power metal without also grabbing a VICIOUS RUMORS album, and since we were talking about 1985 it had to be the debut "Soldiers of the Night". While it might not hold up 100% here in 2020, it's still a great disc, and Vinnie Moore was on fire (no wonder that Mike Varney and Shrapnel picked him up, as he is one of those amazing 80's metal guitar heroes!). Vocalist on this album was Gary St. Pierre, and while he wasn't as amazing as Carl Albert who followed him, he did a solid job.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... TF3pKzCc6c

***Carl Albert was where is was at for me with this band ...... The 1990 Vicious Rumors and Welcome to the Ball were such ass kicking albums.

Another great US metal debut from same year was "Fight to Survive" by WHITE LION. Obviously I've always had a special interest in that album not just because it's effin' great, but also because it featured a singer who had been a big part of my early childhood through his outputs with Vesterbro Ungdomskor and Mabel (Danish participant in the Eurovision Songcontest 1978). Michael Trempenau (or Mike Tramp) is a one-of-a-kind singer and his clear high voice together with Vito Bratta's incredible Van Halen-inspired guitar playing made White Lion a phenomenal band. I liked all of the 4 original albums (85-91), but there's no denying that this debut was really special and much heavier than the stuff they did later on.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... yN-C0Ik4O4

***I had such a hard time wanting to like this band. I was torn between hating the poppy style songs, to not being able to take my eyes off of Vito Bratta's guitar playing and wondering why suck a guitarist would want to be in a poppy band like that. I loved some of the songs they did - I just kept wondering what always held them back as being really big time, and in my mind I think I determined that they didn't know who they wanted to be, pop or metal. I realize they mixed both genres, but it was like having Eddie Van Halen play in Survivor, and it just didn't mix well in my head.

My favorite metal album back then was probably "Metal Heart" by ACCEPT. I must have listened to it hundreds of times back in the day, and revisiting it now made me realize how much I missed it (for some reason I think it's been at least 10 years since I've played it). It reminds me of old friends and a time when life was oh so much easier than nowadays.
Full album stream: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... eCVKe4XbO0

***Same here - I was a fan up until and including Metal Heart. And it does bring me back as well when I was discovering European metal from A-Z.