30 Incredible Metal Albums That Turn 30 Years Old In 2016
18. Crumbsuckers – Life of Dreams
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Hardcore, thrash, metal, punk…..Crumbsuckers catered for all and their vitriolic debut, Life Of Dreams, remains a crossover classic.
Infused with an endless array of exemplary hardcore meets thrash riffs – Crumbsuckers arguably perfected the art of combining the two styles on Life Of Dreams (follow up Beast On My Back followed a more metal path) – this groundbreaking collection was musically accomplished and stood Crumbsuckers out as the most talented of the crossover pack.
Twisting and turning through riff and tempo changes, this schizophrenic beast of a record remains a hardcore flurry of adrenalised aggression; simply brilliant!
17. Flotsam and Jetsam – Doomsday For The Deceiver
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One of the greatest thrash debuts known to man, Flotsam and Jetsam’s Doomsday For The Deceiver led the world to believe that a new thrash superpower had arrived (not quite, unfortunately) with a collection of tunes both overwhelmingly powerful and expertly performed.
Taking the very best bits of speed metal, power metal and thrash metal and perfecting them amongst a flurry of cranking bass, warp-speed riffs and Erik A.K’s formidable pipes, the likes of the feral “Hammerhead”, the intense “Iron Tears” and the epic ability of the exquisite title track mark out Doomsday For The Deceiver as an undisputed all-time thrash classic.
Many will recall the rarely used 6K mark awarded by Kerrang back in ’86 but that does this legendary release a disservice…this one truly does go up to 11!
16. Nuclear Assault – Game Over
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Another thrash milestone – 1986 truly was the greatest year in thrash metal history – Nuclear Assault’s debut album saw Danny Lilker and his merry men release an unrefined and cataclysmic thrash metal assault on the world!
Still tapped in to the raw emotion and pure power over technical skill mentality of thrash metal’s early releases – that’s not to say these boys couldn’t play but it’s the attitude that shines through – Game Over bordered on a crossover release; revelling in gang vocals, thunderous bass and John Connoly’s unhinged and apocalyptic screeching diatribes.
From the blacker than black humour of “Hang The Pope” to the end of the world announcing “Nuclear War”, “After The Holocaust” and “Radiation Sickness”, Nuclear Assault hit like the proverbial atomic bomb in ’86 and instantly cemented their place amongst the greats of thrash metal.
Game over man, game over.
Awaken the Guardian? Rage for Order?
No room for ’em! Still quality though 🙂 \m/
Apart from my favorite uberclassics, most of which are in the list:
Whiplash – Power and Pain
Fates Warning – Awaken the Guardian (fave FW)
Queensryche – Rage for Order
these three should have been in the list!
Hallows Eve – Death and Insanity (D-I-E!)
Sentinel Beast – Depth of Death (CORPSE!)
Omen (Teeth of the Hyyydraaaa), Sacrifice, Helstar, Stormwitch (their best too)…
Power And Pain was 1985 I believe but fair play on the others Vic \m/
That list makes me feel old…..
…..we are old 😉
Fates Warning’s “Awaken the Guardian” should most definitely be included. Personally, I would say top 5 even.
A popular choice and one we are going to regret omitting!
Great list, but I’d have put Sodom’s “Obsessed By Cruelty” in there, at least in the lower reaches.
A primitive black-thrash cult classic but not sure what we would have left out to include it!
Fates Warning – “Awaken the Guardian??”
Sorry
Still I was only 6 at the time, I’ve been introduced to trash/hardcore/crossover/métal by my dad’s friends with Attitude Adjustment Américan Paranoïa at the âge of 10. It all began there followed by Crumbsuckers,Cro-mags, Slayer, Metallica, Sepultura etc. Thank you for this awesome list and to mention Sword and Voïvod
Thanks Dave….glad to see some love for Sword!
You deservedly left off Judas Priest – Turbo lol. I would have added Sodom – Obsessed by Cruelty, Samhain – November Coming Fire(kind of a crossover album), Ozzy – Ultimate Sin(a lot better that Bark at the Moon, and No Rest for the Wicked, and Cryptic Slaughter – Convicted.
Yep, no Turbo here….not Priest’s finest hour by any means! Ironically, all but Samhain’s November Coming Fire were on the original short list but fell victim to the cull.
I’ll add to the Awaken the Guardian mention and add Satan’s Host-Metal From Hell and Manilla Road-The Deluge.
Damn that Awaken The Guardian! That’s going to haunt us! Nice shout with Manilla Road, a great album. Satan’s Host, completely forgot about them…..gonna dig that one out \m/
legitimized metal as an art form on a mainstream level. Remember that 1986 was the era of bloated hair bands, and here came this total blast of energy and aggression — a pure thrash album in every sense. But aside from its power,
….but aside from it’s power….what? Don’t leave us hanging man!
Savage Grace – Master Of Disguise, Ratt – Dancing Undercover, Deathrow – Riders Of Doom, Assassin – The Upcoming Terror to name a few.
Can’t argue with those, just no room for ’em though! Thanks for reading and commenting \m/
where is Queensrijche’s rage for order???
At number 31
It’s Doomsday FOR The Deceiver
Thank you for pointing out that minor error in the text….now corrected.
Nuclear assault’s hang the pope sounds like grindcore because of how fast the vocals are AND its a full speed song